bergy,
No apology needed, bro. You didn't come off to me as knocking anything
I was just stating my view as a HD enthusiast.
As for loud pipes, I agree with you 100%. Harleys are the largest percentage of the loud pipe community. Why? Because they sound so good. Even a deaf man can feel the rumble of a properly tuned Harley. If you don't get a rise out of the "potato potato potato" sound, you need to see a doctor. Admit it, when you go to a drag strip and hear the sound of those open-headers on a big block, your heart races and your palms get sweaty. What about airplanes? Ever stand feet from a P&W radial engine at runup? (bring a change of underwear) Same way with a nice set of pipes on a HD.
Some folks are just redneck with them though, like screaming through a housing area at 2am which is a great way to inspire legislation to get the sound I love banned. I ride as respectfully as possible near housing areas. I do not buy into the "loud pipes save lives" theory completely, but to some degree it is true. The simple fact that you have noticed most loud bikes as Harleys tells me that the bike got your attention. Good. That means you see it. That means that rider has a lesser chance of getting merged into or rear-ended by you.
Don't get me started on losing off-roading areas. I sold my '03 Jeep Wrangler and my '87 Jeep Cherokee (both lifted). We have nowhere to ride anymore around here. The main reason was people mowing down trees, digging up the land and littering. Just being plain stupid. The noise offenders here? Trucks with straight pipes....100 times louder than a HD with drag pipes.