I had an UltraClassic a while ago and replaced it with moderate V&H slip-ons and the constant noise was just too much. I never subscribed to the "Loud Pipes save lives" bullshit. I doubt there's ever been an accident report that said "Accident occurred because pipes weren't loud enough." Building a case around loud pipes saving lives is anecdotal and subjective. Obsoletely no evidence backing it up. There is more evidence it's BS. The people I rode with were generally older than me or retired and just didn't care for long pipes because they actually toured often. Of course they weren't "bikers" either. I rather liked my circle of Harley owners over BMW riders who seem to be the most condescending snobs I've ever met. I've owned a few BMW's and don't particularly like the majority of BMW owners I've met. That's just my experience. They spend an inordinate time complaining about Harley's and their riders than owning BMW's. Then there is the "if it isn't a boxer it isn't a beemer." People can have that elitist mindset in every group.
I think this whole loud pipe thing came to be after aftermarket manufacturers gained in sales after a motorcycle sales resurgence. Prior to that, the tech just wasn't there and the bravado of owning a loud bike was simply just that, bravado.
There's ample evidence the whole biker 1% image was a media creation from the get go and further soiled the reputation of your average biker by a string of B movies in the late 60's and 70's that really created the biker image. Easyrider was more a movie about an experience that idolized the outsider. My Uncle was a biker in the 70's and in a rather notorious club. He rode a chopped Triumph. There were no rules about American motorcycles or loud pipes.
People just can't say they like loud pipes because it make them feel like a badass, they created this "reason" to justify being asses. It's just as disrespectful as blasting a car stereo. It's not surprising anti-social behavior expresses itself as loud and obnoxious. It's not just a Harley thing. Sport bike riders have loud pipes. I personally don't understand the excessively loud pipes some riders have other than a lack of personal confidence and bravado. I think it's really just a lack of maturity. It'll absolutely wreck your hearing and they probably aren't aware just how expensive hearing aids can be in their old age.
I'd rather hear sounds around me than being deafened by the pipes under me. Yes. I do have S&S pipes and they can really rip under throttle but I try to be cognizant of where I am and use the baffles to sweeten the sound. It just has a classic twin sound that maybe a mother of a small child likes (however kids wave at me and seem enthralled, even little girls.) I usually listen to music on the GS while riding and just listen to the Intercepter while riding it. I just like the distinctive sound of a classic air cooled twin. I grew up around motorcycles, my father rode and raced and he was a huge fan of the H1 500 Mach III triple. That bike was a snarling beast in it's day. He was a huge fan of British cars, but preferred Japanese bikes, likely due to Japan really hammering the British motorcycle industry.
Sound is highly subjective. A classic air/oil cooled twin just has a sweet spot most bikes don't have without modification.