I’ll weigh up the risk and take it on a case by case basis. If I get rashed up because I’m not wearing my jacket I’ll accept responsibility for that.

BTW, I’m not a subscriber to “loud pipes save lives” ;-) They don’t make the traffic more or less aware of you, on a motorcycle (hell, on any two wheeled vehicle) you have to do the observation for other road users ’cause they sure ain’t looking out for you. Loud pipes might sound sweet, but as you quickly discovered, they suck over any prolonged period of time. I also like the stealth factor of being able to sneak out early in the AM.