I would look to adopt the 'triangle' of lights, but you don't want to be overly bright, or, as has been said you just become a bright light that is hard to range by a driver.
Think to yourself - Do I want the vehicle heading towards me to see me or be dazzled ?
As for the loud pipe, I don't subscribe to the 'loud pipes save lives', why? because car drivers are inside a nice little sealed box, with the radio on they are unlikely to hear you until you pass, so whats the point?
However, they do help somewhat with pedestrians I find.
The MTC's do give you some nice torque though
Being seen is as much about road presence, position and how you move as it is about lights and HiVis. I don't ride in heavy traffic, so I can't really give advice, but I'm sure there is a local IAM or RoSPA group who could give some tips on being noticed in traffic?
For example, on the approach to a junction, where a car is waiting I tend to transition from one side of the lane to the other (some might call it a weave) in order to avoid the bike becoming a stationary light, in the drives mind. Clearly this wouldn't work in heavy traffic, and might be very counter productive where other motorcycles are in close proximity.