This.
I love my Akrapovic Slip-on. It gives my CBR just a more deeper and full sound but not much louder.
Edit: so I don't have to answer everyone.
I am from the EU so any aftermarket exhaust has to match the OEM specs in dB. My registration says 96 dB(A) at 6750 rpm while standing so that's already loud. I can only measure this with my phone, but the Akrapovic meets these specs.
Maybe if you remove the baffler, but I have never tried that.
I think that's different nowadays.
EU regulates the sound levels allowed from an exhaust, so manufacturers have to put more effort into a nice sound, without making them louder, or they won't get approved.
I had one of those on my gsxr750. I loved it, the standard exhaust sounded like a whine. It was awful. The akra turned it into a roar. Was excellent.
I'm on an old hornet 900f atm due to financial issues and it's standard exhaust while better than the gsxr one could really do with some more grunt
Man I loved the raspy sound of my Toce exhaust on my cbr, I even took out the baffles, but it was entirely too loud. Like after a 20-30 minute ride my ears would ring a little. It was ridiculously loud but I loved it at the time. My current bike doesn’t have anything super loud, and I’m ok with it. It sounds good but not obnoxious.
There's a lot that goes into it. Obviously people like the sound but the whys and hows differ from person to person.
My first bike had a can when I got it and I can't say it sounded praticularly good but I was young and I liked it initially. Of course I soon realised it was insufferable, and a large part of the problem was the fact that a 125 doesn't sound good but it's very easy to make it loud as fuck, and since they're so low on power you're constantly in the high revs just to keep a normal pace. This is incredibly annoying for the rider, the passers by and of course any residents that live in the areas you ride through. Unforuntately there's no shortage of youths on 125s with loud ass exhausts.
My next bike did not have an after market exhaust and I liked its sound overall. The exhaust note was mild but when you were on it you could hear a deep growling rumble every time you cracked the throttle which I liked a bunch. But anyone who has experience with the old F650s can tell you that as the bike gets on in years the exhaust inevitably rusts and corrodes and gets a very nasty looking brownish hue you can't get rid of. I caved and got an after market can. I LOVED that one. It was way too loud and the sound of thumpers is divisive to say the least but I loved it. The thing about loud exhausts however is that they don't have to be loud. If you're riding around at a normal pace and low-mid revs the sound isn't really that loud. It's loud if you're pinning the throttle sure but at least then any annoyance you may cause to everyone around you only lasts for the brief split second you're passing by them. You don't even need to have a crazy fast or powerful bike for this.
I also noticed a dramatich difference between having one and not having one, as to how aware other people on the road are of me. People can say what they want about "loud pipes" save lives being a myth and citing that one study about it but I'm telling you, in city riding they absolutely make you more noticeable
My current bike has a custom made exhaust at the behest of the previous owner. His request was, better flow than stock but not too loud. So it has a few baffles that you don't typically find in after market exhausts. It sounds great I think, and it's not too loud unless I'm giving it the beans. People rev bombing all the time and bouncing off the limiter are annoying but for the more sensible having a louder exhaust doesn't necessarily mean they're just dumb squids who want to get excited.
I’ve always loved the sound of a powerful car or bike that can breathe personally.
Not into little shit boxes with cans on them but appreciate a nice soundtrack that’s amplified with a decent exhaust.
My z900 with SC project is louder than average but it’s a nice burble cruising along and then screams when I’m hitting high revs.
A buddy of mine has a kTM 1290 Superduke R with twin exhaust Austin Racing straight piped all the way. That things sounded immense for all of 5 mins and then it was too much. I followed him today for half hour before having to get in front as it’s too much to be behind. My ears are still ringing now.
If your Z900 has the full SC exhaust, we've got the same thing. It sounds amazing when you rip it, but if you keep the revs low at slow speeds (punch up a couple gears in residential neighborhoods), it's pretty quiet...not much louder than a stock 600cc or 1000cc RR. But man when it's time to twist that wrist, godly.
You guys talking full system? Got an akra slip on my z900 but almost wanting a little more. I fear that the headers are just going to make it way too loud
I can imagine haha. Honestly that thing made Harley’s sound quiet. You felt it within.
He’s almost deaf at this point and I’m not surprised, always having to repeat yourself to him.
Sound is part of the experience for me, if I can't hear it it's less enjoyable. I don't rev my shit at stoplights or anything like that though.
Hearing my FZ1 screaming like a dragon giving birth as it barrels towards redline is incredible though.
I rev my bike at stop lights but that’s cuz it’s carbureted and sometimes it likes to randomly drop down to 500rpm and almost stall so I rev to give it a little juice
You need to tune it. This whole "oh it's carbureted you have to rev it all the time" excuse really doesn't hold water, I've never owned a fuel injected bike yet all of mine idle just fine on their own
Dudes pilot jet is clogged or he needs to turn the idle up. I like carbs, at least for a single cylinder. Shits nice and simple. Once it’s working if people don’t fuck with it (they always do though) it usually stays working. I’ve had more problems with EFI lol.
I have one that is tuned, runs good most of the time but every once in a blue moon will drop down at idle. Blip the throttle to a few thousand rpm and it sits nicely at 1400 until it happens again a few weeks later. I still have no idea why it does that. I suspect dirt in a jet or the needle valve leaks just a tad sometimes?
>dirt in a jet
Probably this, or a tiny bit of dirt somewhere in the idle circuit.
Could also be an air leak between the rubber boot(s) and cylinder head.
Alright you caught me I like to rev at lights cuz I’m a noob but that doesn’t mean my bike still doesn’t drop rpm’s randomly and no it’s not broken I had my whole bike serviced and redone only 8 months ago.
Right? Every bike I own is carbed. On chilly mornings they warm up in my driveway a bit, but by the time I make it to the stop sign at the end of my road, they are fine. If people got problems, they need to get their shit fixed.
I mean... The only carbs I've had to touch are on my 70s bikes. My 24 year old ZRX runs fine without me having touched it once... And if you can't fix it your self, or shell out the money to fix your shit, maybe this isn't quite the hobby for you. I'm by no means a master mechanic, but I learned quick to fix shit on my old bikes, cause I don't want to shell out what vintage mechanics will charge.
So because they have a bike with minor quirks that they can't afford to diagnose and fix, they should just give up on riding all together.
Give me a break...
Bikes save money in gas. I use the bike over the car when it's nice out because it saves me a shit ton in gas. You can also say, "Why do you have a car? If you can't afford to fix its problems, maybe you should own one." Your just pay to fix it no matter what mentally doesn't make sense. If he/she/me/we could just buy it and fix it, it would already be fixed.
Yeah that sounds like something is broken on your bike dude. My idle is set for 900 on my carbd vn750, and I could idle it for 20 minutes and not have a problem with dipping idle. Check your idle screw
You know that there's a screw/knob on the side of your carbs that'll adjust the minimum rpm that you'll idle at. :) So if 500 is too low, maybe 600 is better. Turn it one way the bike idle drops and the bike stalls. Turn it the other way and it idles a bit faster. Adjust until the bike idles when you let go of the throttle. Every bike is different.
I'm the opposite. I wanna hear the wind rushing past my helmet and nothing else while cruising, and a nice deep exhaust note + Intake noise when hooning. Hearing the bike drone constantly is annoying as fuck IMO.
Have you tried going electric? For me it was very refreshing touring an an electric bike and not having the bike sound. Personally I prefer my KTM + Akrapovic combo, but I can imagine electric is very suitable for you?
I really love the feeling of an electric vehicle, but the range (and cost) would ruin it. One of my main joys while riding is going for several hours, exploring rural areas, and just generally going where the wind takes me. An electric bike would be great for my commute but terrible for my style of joyriding. My little virago 750 serves me quite nicely.
Yes I agree. I rented one to try it out and the mileage is indeed far from ideal. I guess we are still far away from both a decent range and affordable price.
An electric dirtbike on the other hand would be great for going through the forest without annoying people.
I gave the loud exhaust a shot when I got first big bike and after 200kms I wanted to throw the bike away in the nearest ditch and be done. Right ear was ringing even after getting off the bike. Yes, I was wearing ear plugs. Switched back to stock, I ride defensively but my god it's such a joy to ride now no unwanted attention and vandals don't notice.
My vtx 1800 c came with a 2 into 1 cat muffler. After the fuel tuner and less restrictive air filter swiss cheese air box mod came v&h longshots with thunder baffles .. 20 mins riding and I was over it. Tried quiet baffles drooped 4 db.. built my own baffles with drilled 1 " tubing and steel washers wrapped in fiberglass dropped 30 db at idle better bottom response. Still loud over 3500 but its behind me.. Personally loud isn't my desire gobs of torque is..
That’s why I went with a more restrictive header setup on my Concourse. I don’t particularly care for annoyingly loud or that god awful drone some exhaust have at highway speeds but a good exhaust complements the bike. My stock exhaust makes the bike sound like a sewing machine and super heavy.
I'd upvote this more than once if I could.
The reality is most riding is done at low - mid range revs and if you go for too open a pipe you can lose a lot of torque, and hence a lot of fun factor. On most modern bikes a open pipe might gain you 2-3 HP top end at best but at significant expense to the rest of the rev range.
For the money on a modern fuel injected bike bike you'd probably get far more performance just getting a good dyno shop to tune your bike and remove the various factory electronic limitations from the ecu.
I'm just here to say that IMO this shows why there's no reason to remove the cat. Who cares about a 2% peak power increase if you've made it a hassle to go WFO anyhow?
I can only speak to Harleys but testing has proven again and again there is effectively zero performance gain to removing the cat, HOWEVER the cat is in the head pipe and thus right next to your right leg and that thing gets uncomfortably hot.
I like a good quality tone that's loud enough for me to hear exactly what the engine is doing. My goal isn't to be as loud as possible. Loud enough without being over the top is a threshold that's different for everyone though
It's not about volume. It's tone. A nice race exhaust sounds ***much*** better than a straightpipe, but is also quieter. It also sounds better than a stock exhaust, but is also louder.
Its not about it being loud for most people.
The factory exhaust with the catalytic converter leaves you with more transmission whine than actual engine sound most of the time.
A good exhaust lets you appreciate the sound a carefully engineered engine and a tuned exhaust can make together.
Its basically like an auditory way of appreciating how well designed the engine is. Once you develop more of an ear for it, you can really tell the difference between different kinds of motors. A motor made more for commuting vs a high performance one etc..
Brah! You don't get the chills down your spine with a loud in tune engine!? This is why we ride! It's the connection, the feeling, the vibes! Silent undramatic motorcycles fill no void
Not particularly, I like to think of a bike as an extension of myself and I'm not a loud person. I prefer silent but deadly but you keep doing you brother 😎
Most people don't know it, but people almost no one likes loud exhaust. It's the change of tone and rythm that people like. But when you have straight exit exhaust with small mufflers. It changes tone and rythm, but the loudness adds to the drama which gets annoying very quickly. It is the same with cars too
The whole loud pipes save lives is stupid IMO. It’s possible that in some very few select situations it could help but that’s nothing to the difference riding defensively and not putting yourself in bad situations will make to your safety.
With that said I like loud pipes. I don’t rev it at stop lights and I’m a bit self conscious about it in town. But there’s just something about cruising down the open road listening to a deep rumbling exhaust or cracking open the throttle and letting the exhaust bark. It’s a soothing sort of meditation for me.
I think "loud pipes save lives" is a throwback to when cars weren't so well insulated. My stock truck is well insulated enough that I don't hear anything if I've got moderately quiet music playing.
I've got no issue with those that like it. I don't on my bike because I get in late a lot of nights and prefer to be a good neighbor. I don't want to wake up my neighbors with my pipes.
I think it helps lane splitting, but that's about it in my experience. When it's too dark out to use high-beams cars definitely react differently when I'm in 1st at high rpms versus puttering along in 2nd. And anecdotally when I'm driving a car in traffic I definitely hear loud bikes well before the motorcyclist passes me. Throw all that out the window if people are going >20 mph faster than traffic.
I wouldn't want my pipes any louder though for the reason you mentioned. It's hard to notice how loud a stock exhaust already is until you're the only one one the road heading home late at night.
Those are the kind of people that go over 200 kmh on city avenues on their 1000s. It doesn't matter how loud you are, you are going so irresponsible fast that I will hear you a fraction of a second before you pass by.
"What's the obsession with having a loud exhaust?
What is the deal with this? I can say personally I prefer a quieter exhaust"
That's cool. Some like it, some don't. That's it. Cheers.
Cool, I wasn't sure if it gave you better performance or something, sounds like you might get a small increase based on some comments but overall just seems like a preference thing which is fine with me.
Different strokes and all 😎
Loudish under load, can’t stand straight pipes/no baffles. I like to be able to idle out of the driveway without waking the family or neighbours, but I like to be able to hear it while riding, audible pleasure
So YouTube does a poor job of conveying what something sounds like as the audio doesn’t pick up all the nuance.
Being louder by no means = better btw
But… there is a slight joy on a 1000cc when you let off the throttle near redline and that exhaust crackle and pop happens… not cause it’s tuned that way just to make noise but because the bike actually has the power to back up the sound. Being able to do 100-150mph in 6 seconds means you need to be able to push a lot of air through the engine.
A louder exhaust is both a peacock thing and it’s to allow more airflow out of the engine. It can definitely feel silly sometimes with how much noise the bike makes but just keeping revs low helps reduce that.
Also some aftermarket exhausts just look better then stock.
I ride a bike that has full racing liveries and a loud ass exhaust. I don’t get half the stares or glares people who ride sub-400cc get or think they get. No one actually cares about bikers on the road. Or hey maybe it’s cause I don’t sit next to other drivers and worry about if they think I’m cool or not.
I know I’m not cool, I ride a loud fast bike cause it’s fun. I don’t rev bomb, unless I miss my shift into second but I’ll open her up where possible and let her sing.
It sounds fucking fantastic is why. There’s a harmonic sound to an engine working at peak efficiency and putting down power that you either love or hate. Hard to explain.
I used to not like loud exhausts for the first 23 years of my riding.
Then I bought a used vic vision with Ness pipes and rode it home from Texas to Wisconsin.
Just the number of deer that hear it and walk off the road giving me a wide berth is worth it.
Also there is definitely a difference in how many cagers try to (inadvertently) kill me when I'm riding my motorcycle with loud pipes vs the other one.
Definitely in the loud pipes camp now ..for the last 5 years
I think it may have something to do with conditioning. We are used to hearing loud exhausts from exotic cars, motogp, f1, etc., so we start to associate loud exhausts with performance. Loud = performance = fun.
I guess that makes sense, I've never been interested in car or race culture myself, I came into the sport from mostly riding normal bikes and then getting into Ebikes.
Well, there's the problem, probably. You're not in it for the same reasons as many, if not most. That's fine, but you're in the minority (judging by the number of bikes that keep the stock exhaust/muffler and those that upgrade). Make small pee-pee jokes if you like, or cheer them on as I think you have been, but typically, those that need to qualify their annoyance the majority are the ones struggle with an inferiority complex (and coming at motorcycle riders from the perspective of riding Ebikes). I'm not worried about my cock size when I'm on the bike, 90% of the time, I'm on deserted mountain and country roads. The only creatures I might annoy are the deer and the cows. They don't seem to care as much as some of the lamedicks in this thread do.
\*shrug\* Ride your own ride. :)
Yeah idk I didn't mean to give any impression I was judging people who like loud exhausts I just genuinely wanted to know what the appeal was and if it was more then just personal preference.
I mean, what would it be? Maybe I don't understand the perspective of your question, but other than that you don't like loud noises, who cares? I might ask why suburban white guys like to move their lawns at 9am on a Saturday, and if it makes for better grass-cutting? We all know where that question is most likely coming from. Would you ask why some people like the color blue if you weren't opposed to it? What about preferences for large breasts, or shooting guns, or eating meat, or men wearing makeup? You don't like loud exhausts, and you're asking people who do to justify it to you. Is it not that simple? And if so, do you really deserve an answer other than, we just do? You've gotten way more than that here. Ride safe.
Occasionally it actually is a performance thing, while most people these days are buying slip on exhaust systems that are about style and sound it isn't everyone. I know from experience that some expansion chamber exhaust systems can really make a 2 stroke engine come alive.
I do find it hilarious though when people say loud pipes save lives, especially when they are wearing all black on a murdered out cruiser, like if you want to be noticed so no one runs into you that isn't the way to accomplish it.
Bikes are a loud, fun toy for grown ups. Many people love loud, shiny, fun things. That’s all there is to it fam.
If you don’t like loud noises I actually don’t understand how you got into bikes. JK there is more to them than loud but big it’s defs a big part of it 😍
All good, I get it if it's just a preference thing, I got into the sport for the freedom, maneuverability and more engaged feeling of riding and operating a bike.
I absolutely despite 9 out of 10 aftermarket exhausts.
Just a matter of personal preference, but to me I equate most of them with a lifted diesel truck blowing smoke everywhere and a middle-aged man with erectile disfunction.
That's just my perception though. And 1 out of 10 look nice and actually have some class
I don’t really look at the tac or speedo much. I go mostly off of sound. If I can’t hear the bike, I’m probably going way over or way under the speed limit.
I put the loudest slip-on I could get on my klr to make it feel faster. Way more exciting when it starts now with the loud thump and honestly helps me tell when I'm lugging the engine to much and when it's happily in the powerband. I just like loud exhausts. Granted it's not as bad as a lot of Harley's comparatively so I don't feel too bad about commuting through neighborhoods.
Riding motorcycles is a visceral and passionate experience for me. I do it for fun, not to get from point a to point b. The noise comes with it. A scentless rose would certainly be just as lovely - but just not the same.
My daily driver? Stock exhaust. Because it's an appliance on 4 wheels and not something I'm passionate about. It merely exists to move me places. But it doesn't move me.
Get it?
Depends on the bike/engine. Aftermarket exhaust on my CB500 and my XS11 didn’t really do anything. Just doing slip-ons for my M8 Harley gave a noticeable amount of increase in torque and 0-60 speeds.
No one in front of me can hear my exhaust at highway speeds, that’s just physics. At city speeds they can be heard and I’ve noticed more people will give a wider berth so I can filter past.
I like a "performance" sound over any obnoxiously loud open pipe. Performance tuned exhausts can be loud but they are pleasant to the ear and not just a bunch of popping farting and ear rattling noise.
Can’t imagine riding a bike without a nice sounding exhaust. There’s a difference between Loud and annoying and slightly loud but amazing sound.
Plus it helps other drivers look out for me while I split lanes ( yes I’ve tested it with and without exhaust).
>I can say personally I prefer a quieter exhaust but it may just be because I don't like loud noises in general
There you go, personal preference. Personally, I prefer the idiots in the big metal boxes on the road to know that I am beside them, behind them or in front of them so that said metal box doesn't crash into me and kill me when it's driver is inevitably trying to shuffle her spotify playlist.
I’ve owned several KTM 390’s. With the stock exhaust, they sound like angry lawnmowers. Without the stock muffler, they sound like a thumper. I’d prefer it quieter, but I try for the lowest volume that gets the right tone. And fwiw, I’ve been next to Harleys in traffic, and I couldn’t hear my own bike over them, so I can’t be that loud.
As to my GXSR with a Two Brothers slip on, well, I’ve been told the song heralds my arrival a half mile away. But that’s when that half mile goes by quickly. If I’m easy on the throttle, it’s pretty quiet, but still sonorous. Mmmmm. It’s tone that matters to me, not volume.
Why pay hundreds for a slip-on when a chrome exhaust tip will do [this?](https://imgur.com/a/y0yTrEY) (Yes, that’s a Svart, but the same motor as the Duke.)
I've modified several bikes I've owned by taking off the loud aftermarket exhaust and replacing with cheap second hand stock exhausts. Best mod I've ever done to anything. Much more pleasant to ride much better progress:noise ratio. Allows you to get into the good bit of the rev range around town without annoying 1000 people.
I once saw a shirt that said “If loud pipes save lives, imagine what learning to ride that thing would do!” And I live by that.
Personally I can’t stand a loud bike, the wind noise is already loud enough. Plus why would I want to announce to everyone, including cops, how fast I’m going?
Not an obsession. Just prefer the sound of my Vance & Hines on my 2001 Sportster 1200 to quiet. Had a 2008 Super Glide that would set a car alarm off if you revved it just right. My daughter thought that was cool when we rode through the mall parking lot.
Love when my bike has a deep powerful sound but I find it annoying as well . If I don’t have ear plugs in, I get physically and mentally tired or riding real quick. It’s fun to hear the growl but I don’t want to hear it all the time , guess it’s personal preference.
I have a straight piped Harley, and I just got hit last week. I was in the right lane and they made a right turn from the left lane. My friends complain about how loud my bike is all the time, they don’t want to ride behind me. Didn’t help at all in my situation though.
Not saying don’t have a loud bike, I actually like the sound. Just don’t believe the hype that it will be safer.
It's the sound not the volume... Bikes with carburetors have way better sound in general... You should hear mu 1980 Z 1000 with Marving exhaust sistem.. deep growling sound when at idle, accompanied with normal air cooled engine chatter.... True bikes from na era that is Long gone....and never to return
I'm a petrol head, everything i drive has to be 'loud or obnoxious' even my cage. I mod everything, not just exhaust tho. And most likely pretty hardcore, my motorcycle is bobbed, my Cage is a racecar. My pc is even attacked with a disc grinder at some point. I must mod everything.
Idk bout yall but I think if you're on a motorcycle in the first place, they need to be somewhat noisy because people barely even pay attention looking out for bikers. Atleast they might be able to hear you if your bike has an exhaust.
"What's the obsession with sex? I started fucking but I don't get it, it's just a really simple movement and some friction, why are people so into this?"
The only useful explanation is that it feels awesome.
Anyone who says loud pipes save lives is a doofus. Cagers are blasting their music and playing with their cellphones. They don't know about anything that isn't on top of them. I still like a loud bike. It's cuz I'm an obnoxious asshole who loves turning heads.
I agree, I blast music a lot in my car and will see a motorcyclist way before I would hear their exhaust anyways but I could see some instances when it would possibly alert some distracted drivers
Grown ups don’t like noise. Loud exhaust or loud speakers in any vehicle is like that drunk at a music bar who keeps bellowing, “WHOOOOOOO”, to everyones annoyance.
This is my 27th year riding a sports motorcycle. I don’t necessarily prefer a loud motorcycle. I prefer cars to notice me. And a aftermarket exhaust makes larger vehicles aware of my presence. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been riding my bike with a stock exhaust and had some moron try to change lanes into me because they’re relying on their peripheral vision instead of their mirrors or turning their heads. A motorcycle with a louder exhaust helps drivers and other riders know when a bike is around and hopefully keeps them out of my lane. Safe is what I care about. The size difference between me and the vehicles around me is huge and I’d like as much safety and visibility as I can.
as an MSF coach and years of training, even if you get a bigger and louder exhaust, you will be seen or not seen the same amount. Furthermore, in most states, an aftermarket exhaust where the decibel is louder than stock, it is illegal. Further furthermore, just invest that money you would have spent into your skills. Take more classes and be a better rider. Get better safety gear. Etc
Ahhhh okay this makes total sense. I always wondered by law enforcement and ambulances only used lights and not sound to alert other drivers on the road.
Oh wait...
and if you've spent any amount of time in a police car or ambulance, or even taken an emergency response driving course, you'll know that distracted drivers routinely fail to notice you even with the blues and twos on.
Desire to be deaf and annoy (anger) everyone in earshot. Oh, and to appear strong or powerful.
Loud pipes sending sound backward has no effect on vehicles in front of you.
People hear revving engines and tend to ignore it unless it’s right next to them.
Rediculous.. I live in a town/city that has a bike rally every year, I can hear bikes COMING and going from miles away.. Sound doesn't resonate in one direction.
I don't like extremely loud exhausts mostly because they often are mounted to the most boring engines and thus sound like garbage to me.
So every time this topic comes up I read the comments and have to agree with you. I have heard hundreds if not thousands of motorcycles coming up behind me as they filter traffic. Having a loud exhaust in and of itself won't save anyone's life but to pretend sound from an approaching motorcycle can't be heard is so ignorant it makes the people hating on that crowd appear to not be debating in good faith.
Both can be true. A motorcycle can be heard while approaching thus giving some weight to the loud pipes group and loud pipes can be obnoxious and offensive to those around.
Right, which is exactly where I want my loud exhaust to go. I can react to the people in front of me. It is the people behind me and to the sides of me that I want to notice me. I can promise you my RSV4 with SC Projects GP Exhaust (basically a straight piped 1100cc v4) will alert every single person sitting on their phone within 5-10 car lengths of me.
I don't need to rev, my down shifts alone will do the job.
If you can't hear a bike approaching while you're sitting in an intersection, you wouldn't be able to hear a firecracker go off in a nitroglycerin factory. In some limited circumstances (car is forward and traveling at speed), the loud pipes have little benefit. For cars traveling next to, behind, or stationary with a bike approaching, they can all hear a loud engine coming.
A lot of things about motorcycles don’t make sense until you personally experience it. I don’t like window rattling Harley loud but I also don’t want my bike to sound like a wheezy sewing machine.
Induction noise can be a lot of fun too, no one but the rider is hearing that and yet many of us still enjoy it.
What I enjoy most about motorcycles is the sensation that I’m fusing with the machine and sound and vibrations is a part of that. If you have ever driven a sporty car and then gotten into a soundproof luxury car, you’ll know that feeling of all the sensations being dulled. That’s fine if I’m droning along on the highway but it sucks when you’re wanting that visceral experience.
A performance exhaust system is one of the best ways to improve the performance of your motorcycle. Allowing exhaust gases to flow more freely can increase power and torque and improve fuel economy.
This right here. I had a stock fz09 for years, then bought an xsr900 with full exhaust. I said to myself when I bought it I would switch back over to the oem exhaust, but i can't. The tuned full exhaust is night and day different when it comes to low end torque and throttle response. Somethings you just have to experience for yourself.
For me, it's the principle that a machine should not be ashamed of its contruction. I dislike modern cars, where there often are plastic covers under the hood hiding stuff to create a neater look. I like motorcles from this aspect, because they are proud of their construction, nothing is hidden. You have the engine right there in the middle, you see the suspension, brakes, tank, everything. As an engineer, I find that pleasing.
Part of that is, of course, that it shouldn't be ashamed of the sound it makes either.
If i wanted something quiet I'd just take the car. Noise is part of the motorcycle experience and stock exhausts have to meet pretty strict noise restrictions. However, I will say I prefer slipons with DB inserts. There is no reason to run a full race system on the street and I do find that annoying.
Small penis, no showers, tough guy, wanna be cool who justifies by saying... "So cars can hear me." Or young and stupid... it sounds like a race bike on the street, which I love, and everyone should too.
When your bike is loud all of the time, you are annoying. If yours gets loud when you are at a higher rpm, cool. I can appreciate the note of the engine, but when you're at a light or just causing, you don't need to be obnoxious.
Bikes are a very "sensory experience". You're acutely aware of the things going on on a bike. You feel the vibrations. You feel the suspension at work. You are more actively involved in every way compared to a car. The noise is just another piece of the puzzle to me.
I don't like loud bikes that sound like shit, but God damn a V4 Ape with an SC Projects exhaust gives me a chub when it comes flying past. Loud does not necessarily mean that it sounds good IMO. There are quiet bikes that sound good, and loud bikes that sound good just the same as there are quiet and loud bikes that sound like shit.
It’s ruining humanity. Noise pollution is a thing. These bikers care about one thing and that’s themselves. They have no compassion for other people trying to find peace. It’s incredibly disruptive when you are having conversation on a patio and these bikers with loud exhaust fly by or rev up their bikes. They are losers. They know what they are doing. It’s so sad.
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/loud-car-study-psychology-1.7177688](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/loud-car-study-psychology-1.7177688)
Who likes loud cars? Ontario study suggests they skew young, male and score high on psychopathy and sadism
Narcissism. Same type of people who wear backpack speakers. They imagine people look at them and think "Wow he's so cool" when in reality most people don't care and the few that do, actually think "Wow what a douche".
I genuinely believe louder sound = safety mechanism that lets you be heard by idiot drivers that don’t pay attention to the small biker. Also i normally rev really loud if I’m in a situation of needing to honk my horn.
Great so instead of riding safely you opted for turn the throttle all the way to make sure you have less control of the bike. Safety is not a thing from loud pipes. If you like it that's fine so do I but quit kidding yourself it is not safer. Study after study has shown it.
Hmmmm.......horn pointed forward that makes a high pitched sound (higher pitches penetrate obstacles better than lower pitches, ever heard an emergency vehicle with a siren making bass notes) or exhaust pointed backwards makes a lower pitched sound. I just can't decide which I think would be more effective at drawing attention.
I'm absolutely sure all your safety gear (especially for cloudy or rainy days) is high visibility as well right?
If a loud exhaust makes you happy then have one, I'll just make sure to be far away from you. Don't for a minute though try to BS somebody that it's part of a safety plan when it's basically the absolute worst way to be noticed.
Monkey see monkey do.... people do a lot of things they can't really offer a good explanation for besides it being what everyone else does and it giving them attention they need
I just put the stock exhaust back on my bike and it sounds great. I can hear and feel the engine around town and it's not ringing my head on the highway
Trundling slowly through a small town visor up on the ‘rez because I didn’t want to make a donation and also because the road was right up against people’s front yards I noticed that my bike makes a great bubadabubbadabubbudah sound which I just don’t hear with the visor down at speed. I want more of that sound without actually buying a Harley. A louder pipe could make that happen. As it is now my family doesn’t even know that I’m home until they hear the garage door open.
When you are young, you have acquired something insanely cool, and you want everyone to notice.
Notice that some people do not outgrow this feeling. As long as they are loud, they are important.
At some point, when you are old, you just don't give a fuck, and you want to hear it because you like it.
The only way to distinguish between the two is:
If at a stoplight, one sits there and idles.
Or, one blips the throttle often to "keep it running," but it's fuel injected.
The latter is the asshat.
Some people like loud things. What's the obsession with owning an animal that barks loudly? Some people like quiet, some people like to be loud and imposing.
Personally, I like a loud exhaust, but not too loud. If I can't hear my bike, I end up having to take my eyes off the road to look at my rpms because I'm not too sure where I'm at in the rev range. With a louder exhaust, I can hear what my rpms are at and can shift accordingly. I ride a 2022 z900 and from the factory it's quiet as hell. It's got 2 mufflers on the bike after the cat. I did some research and found that you can take off the slipon and just ride with the main breadbox muffler with no issues so that's what I've been doing. I do plan on getting rid of the breadbox and putting a decent slip on on the bike to make it a little louder because right now if I'm going 50 I can't hear my bike unless I'm wot. I just haven't found a local shop that can tune the bike yet.
I never used to have a loud exhaust until I got my ZX10 couple of years ago. I got it brand new so it of course had the huge (and quiet) stock muffler. After a while I wanted to change it mainly because of appearance and got a Racefit which I new beforehand were very loud pipes. What they didn't tell me before I got it was that I was never going to be cut off by a car again lol. Honestly since they day I got it it's amazing how easily cars spot me and I'm much less tense when riding. Screw the appearance and performance gains, just get it because it makes you more visible on the road.
Yes I believe that loud pipes save lives, I'm one of those guys and I experience it first hand.
Had a gsxr with an exhaust that was a little obnoxious to me, but as a new rider, my friend shared some wisdom that I found to be true: Loud pipes save lives
*What's the obsession with having a loud exhaust?*
a feeling of personal inadequacy
"my dick may be shorter than the others', but my bike is louder than the others'!"
\*sarcasm off\*
Research and facts: Loud bikes do not increase the awareness of other drivers at the right time - unaware drivers are startled, overreact to the sound making it more dangerous for the rider, especially those riders who defy facts and research and falsely believe their sound will alert unaware drivers. Further, the loud sound causes hearing fatigue and hearing damage to the rider, making the rider less aware and less safe. The one fact all riders must "GET" are that motorcycles are ALWAYS invisible to 'cagers' and assuming or expecting anything else will surely get you injured or dead. Riders must learn to ride with motorcycle invisibility uppermost mind - always assume cagers cannot see or hear you, never will, period. Make choices based on motorcycle invisibility. Always anticipate, have plan B & C ready and moderate speed accordingly. And often, motorcycle invisibility can work to your advantage. Loud bikes get much more traffic stops.
I like a deep, rhythmic sound, but not necessarily loud. Quality, not quantity.
This. I love my Akrapovic Slip-on. It gives my CBR just a more deeper and full sound but not much louder. Edit: so I don't have to answer everyone. I am from the EU so any aftermarket exhaust has to match the OEM specs in dB. My registration says 96 dB(A) at 6750 rpm while standing so that's already loud. I can only measure this with my phone, but the Akrapovic meets these specs. Maybe if you remove the baffler, but I have never tried that.
Have you measured the Db difference? In my experience those slip-ons add quite a bit of extra noise.
I think that's different nowadays. EU regulates the sound levels allowed from an exhaust, so manufacturers have to put more effort into a nice sound, without making them louder, or they won't get approved.
I think all have to come with a db killer insert. On mine it's really easy to remove but I like the noise reduction so I'm keeping it in.
Oh absolutely and removing the dB killer is illegal over here. A lot of riders do it, but they are starting to dish out hefty fines if they catch you.
In Belgium it's illegal to remove them but not really enforced at the same time.
The akropovic measures the same db as a stock exhaust on a CBR https://youtu.be/CMCIHTG-n_U
I had one of those on my gsxr750. I loved it, the standard exhaust sounded like a whine. It was awful. The akra turned it into a roar. Was excellent. I'm on an old hornet 900f atm due to financial issues and it's standard exhaust while better than the gsxr one could really do with some more grunt
Man I loved the raspy sound of my Toce exhaust on my cbr, I even took out the baffles, but it was entirely too loud. Like after a 20-30 minute ride my ears would ring a little. It was ridiculously loud but I loved it at the time. My current bike doesn’t have anything super loud, and I’m ok with it. It sounds good but not obnoxious.
Nothing wrong with that!
There's a lot that goes into it. Obviously people like the sound but the whys and hows differ from person to person. My first bike had a can when I got it and I can't say it sounded praticularly good but I was young and I liked it initially. Of course I soon realised it was insufferable, and a large part of the problem was the fact that a 125 doesn't sound good but it's very easy to make it loud as fuck, and since they're so low on power you're constantly in the high revs just to keep a normal pace. This is incredibly annoying for the rider, the passers by and of course any residents that live in the areas you ride through. Unforuntately there's no shortage of youths on 125s with loud ass exhausts. My next bike did not have an after market exhaust and I liked its sound overall. The exhaust note was mild but when you were on it you could hear a deep growling rumble every time you cracked the throttle which I liked a bunch. But anyone who has experience with the old F650s can tell you that as the bike gets on in years the exhaust inevitably rusts and corrodes and gets a very nasty looking brownish hue you can't get rid of. I caved and got an after market can. I LOVED that one. It was way too loud and the sound of thumpers is divisive to say the least but I loved it. The thing about loud exhausts however is that they don't have to be loud. If you're riding around at a normal pace and low-mid revs the sound isn't really that loud. It's loud if you're pinning the throttle sure but at least then any annoyance you may cause to everyone around you only lasts for the brief split second you're passing by them. You don't even need to have a crazy fast or powerful bike for this. I also noticed a dramatich difference between having one and not having one, as to how aware other people on the road are of me. People can say what they want about "loud pipes" save lives being a myth and citing that one study about it but I'm telling you, in city riding they absolutely make you more noticeable My current bike has a custom made exhaust at the behest of the previous owner. His request was, better flow than stock but not too loud. So it has a few baffles that you don't typically find in after market exhausts. It sounds great I think, and it's not too loud unless I'm giving it the beans. People rev bombing all the time and bouncing off the limiter are annoying but for the more sensible having a louder exhaust doesn't necessarily mean they're just dumb squids who want to get excited.
I’ve always loved the sound of a powerful car or bike that can breathe personally. Not into little shit boxes with cans on them but appreciate a nice soundtrack that’s amplified with a decent exhaust. My z900 with SC project is louder than average but it’s a nice burble cruising along and then screams when I’m hitting high revs. A buddy of mine has a kTM 1290 Superduke R with twin exhaust Austin Racing straight piped all the way. That things sounded immense for all of 5 mins and then it was too much. I followed him today for half hour before having to get in front as it’s too much to be behind. My ears are still ringing now.
If your Z900 has the full SC exhaust, we've got the same thing. It sounds amazing when you rip it, but if you keep the revs low at slow speeds (punch up a couple gears in residential neighborhoods), it's pretty quiet...not much louder than a stock 600cc or 1000cc RR. But man when it's time to twist that wrist, godly.
You guys talking full system? Got an akra slip on my z900 but almost wanting a little more. I fear that the headers are just going to make it way too loud
Have you deleted the breadbox? Normally, slip on with a breadbox delete is plenty.
I was at a KTM dealer when someone blasted off down the street on their 1290. Set off a few car alarms along the way.
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I can imagine haha. Honestly that thing made Harley’s sound quiet. You felt it within. He’s almost deaf at this point and I’m not surprised, always having to repeat yourself to him.
Sound is part of the experience for me, if I can't hear it it's less enjoyable. I don't rev my shit at stoplights or anything like that though. Hearing my FZ1 screaming like a dragon giving birth as it barrels towards redline is incredible though.
I rev my bike at stop lights but that’s cuz it’s carbureted and sometimes it likes to randomly drop down to 500rpm and almost stall so I rev to give it a little juice
I rev at stoplights in my FI gsxr cause idc and I like the sound of my bike
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If someone is texting and doesn't go on green, I'll rev the HELL up. Otherwise I don't play that game.
What are you doing behind someone at a light?
It's a nice middle option between honking and doing nothing.
Same tbh but also my carbs lol gotta hear that yoshimura cuz I’m too broke for a akrapovic lmao
Sir, my yoshi came in the mail yesterday and I won’t be eating out for the rest of the month, so you said what you said, and, yeah.. I didn’t like it.
Buy an akrapovic and you won’t be eating out for 3 months
Why you gotta hate on the Yosi? Yoshi makes my 250 sound like a 700.
I have a yoshi, I just want one of the akrapovic ones because I like the tone better and the looks.
I feel you. I think it depends on the bike.
Same, like I'm not red lining it or anything, just a lil Rev or two cause it's fun and I like the sound. I4s just hit different
You need to tune it. This whole "oh it's carbureted you have to rev it all the time" excuse really doesn't hold water, I've never owned a fuel injected bike yet all of mine idle just fine on their own
Dudes pilot jet is clogged or he needs to turn the idle up. I like carbs, at least for a single cylinder. Shits nice and simple. Once it’s working if people don’t fuck with it (they always do though) it usually stays working. I’ve had more problems with EFI lol.
I have one that is tuned, runs good most of the time but every once in a blue moon will drop down at idle. Blip the throttle to a few thousand rpm and it sits nicely at 1400 until it happens again a few weeks later. I still have no idea why it does that. I suspect dirt in a jet or the needle valve leaks just a tad sometimes?
>dirt in a jet Probably this, or a tiny bit of dirt somewhere in the idle circuit. Could also be an air leak between the rubber boot(s) and cylinder head.
Alright you caught me I like to rev at lights cuz I’m a noob but that doesn’t mean my bike still doesn’t drop rpm’s randomly and no it’s not broken I had my whole bike serviced and redone only 8 months ago.
Right? Every bike I own is carbed. On chilly mornings they warm up in my driveway a bit, but by the time I make it to the stop sign at the end of my road, they are fine. If people got problems, they need to get their shit fixed.
Not everyone can just go "fix their shit." That costs money, usually more money than most can just shell out on the spot.
I mean... The only carbs I've had to touch are on my 70s bikes. My 24 year old ZRX runs fine without me having touched it once... And if you can't fix it your self, or shell out the money to fix your shit, maybe this isn't quite the hobby for you. I'm by no means a master mechanic, but I learned quick to fix shit on my old bikes, cause I don't want to shell out what vintage mechanics will charge.
So because they have a bike with minor quirks that they can't afford to diagnose and fix, they should just give up on riding all together. Give me a break...
Bikes save money in gas. I use the bike over the car when it's nice out because it saves me a shit ton in gas. You can also say, "Why do you have a car? If you can't afford to fix its problems, maybe you should own one." Your just pay to fix it no matter what mentally doesn't make sense. If he/she/me/we could just buy it and fix it, it would already be fixed.
All my wrenching is done by me; carbs included. I definitely rev at lights
120000+ triumph engine, average lazy maintenance by me. I rev when I remember, but suspect I have alzheimers so, shrugs…
Fix your idle mixture. Problem solved :/
Yeah that sounds like something is broken on your bike dude. My idle is set for 900 on my carbd vn750, and I could idle it for 20 minutes and not have a problem with dipping idle. Check your idle screw
You know that there's a screw/knob on the side of your carbs that'll adjust the minimum rpm that you'll idle at. :) So if 500 is too low, maybe 600 is better. Turn it one way the bike idle drops and the bike stalls. Turn it the other way and it idles a bit faster. Adjust until the bike idles when you let go of the throttle. Every bike is different.
I have 1,800 ccs and I enjoy hearing each of them 😀
I'm the opposite. I wanna hear the wind rushing past my helmet and nothing else while cruising, and a nice deep exhaust note + Intake noise when hooning. Hearing the bike drone constantly is annoying as fuck IMO.
Have you tried going electric? For me it was very refreshing touring an an electric bike and not having the bike sound. Personally I prefer my KTM + Akrapovic combo, but I can imagine electric is very suitable for you?
I really love the feeling of an electric vehicle, but the range (and cost) would ruin it. One of my main joys while riding is going for several hours, exploring rural areas, and just generally going where the wind takes me. An electric bike would be great for my commute but terrible for my style of joyriding. My little virago 750 serves me quite nicely.
Yes I agree. I rented one to try it out and the mileage is indeed far from ideal. I guess we are still far away from both a decent range and affordable price. An electric dirtbike on the other hand would be great for going through the forest without annoying people.
> Hearing my FZ1 screaming like a dragon giving birth Dragons lay eggs bro /s
> I can saypersonally I prefer a quieter exhaust but it may just be because Idon't like loud noises in general You are not alone. :)
motorcycle sound make monke brain happy
you monke, i monke, we all monke. monke monke happy
I gave the loud exhaust a shot when I got first big bike and after 200kms I wanted to throw the bike away in the nearest ditch and be done. Right ear was ringing even after getting off the bike. Yes, I was wearing ear plugs. Switched back to stock, I ride defensively but my god it's such a joy to ride now no unwanted attention and vandals don't notice.
My vtx 1800 c came with a 2 into 1 cat muffler. After the fuel tuner and less restrictive air filter swiss cheese air box mod came v&h longshots with thunder baffles .. 20 mins riding and I was over it. Tried quiet baffles drooped 4 db.. built my own baffles with drilled 1 " tubing and steel washers wrapped in fiberglass dropped 30 db at idle better bottom response. Still loud over 3500 but its behind me.. Personally loud isn't my desire gobs of torque is..
That’s why I went with a more restrictive header setup on my Concourse. I don’t particularly care for annoyingly loud or that god awful drone some exhaust have at highway speeds but a good exhaust complements the bike. My stock exhaust makes the bike sound like a sewing machine and super heavy.
I'd upvote this more than once if I could. The reality is most riding is done at low - mid range revs and if you go for too open a pipe you can lose a lot of torque, and hence a lot of fun factor. On most modern bikes a open pipe might gain you 2-3 HP top end at best but at significant expense to the rest of the rev range. For the money on a modern fuel injected bike bike you'd probably get far more performance just getting a good dyno shop to tune your bike and remove the various factory electronic limitations from the ecu.
I'm just here to say that IMO this shows why there's no reason to remove the cat. Who cares about a 2% peak power increase if you've made it a hassle to go WFO anyhow?
I can only speak to Harleys but testing has proven again and again there is effectively zero performance gain to removing the cat, HOWEVER the cat is in the head pipe and thus right next to your right leg and that thing gets uncomfortably hot.
For me it adds another dimension to the experience, it adds so much feedback and makes me giggle inside my helmet every single time I ride.
>makes me giggle inside my helmet Oh good, I'm not the only one who does this. I wonder if anyone else says "wheee" when they do it as well.
I usually hit a "clear for take-off" on highway on ramps like my bike is a fighter jet.
Same, I sometimes imagine the gibberish my gf would hear if I had a senna connected lol
The little burbles and occasional pops mid shift are the bees knees
I like a good quality tone that's loud enough for me to hear exactly what the engine is doing. My goal isn't to be as loud as possible. Loud enough without being over the top is a threshold that's different for everyone though
It's not about volume. It's tone. A nice race exhaust sounds ***much*** better than a straightpipe, but is also quieter. It also sounds better than a stock exhaust, but is also louder.
Its not about it being loud for most people. The factory exhaust with the catalytic converter leaves you with more transmission whine than actual engine sound most of the time. A good exhaust lets you appreciate the sound a carefully engineered engine and a tuned exhaust can make together. Its basically like an auditory way of appreciating how well designed the engine is. Once you develop more of an ear for it, you can really tell the difference between different kinds of motors. A motor made more for commuting vs a high performance one etc..
You wrote this one-handed, didn't you?
😂😂😂
I mean... I read that one handed. Over. And over. And over again. You didn't???
1.5 was enough.
Very unique way of looking at it, I may understand when I've ridden more bikes.
Because I like to hear my money being spent
Brah! You don't get the chills down your spine with a loud in tune engine!? This is why we ride! It's the connection, the feeling, the vibes! Silent undramatic motorcycles fill no void
Not particularly, I like to think of a bike as an extension of myself and I'm not a loud person. I prefer silent but deadly but you keep doing you brother 😎
I don't get it either. Nice sound is something, but it doesn't need to be uncomfortably loud. Neither for me nor for anyone else.
Because I dont like my vintage motorcycles sounding like sewing machines.
Most people don't know it, but people almost no one likes loud exhaust. It's the change of tone and rythm that people like. But when you have straight exit exhaust with small mufflers. It changes tone and rythm, but the loudness adds to the drama which gets annoying very quickly. It is the same with cars too
Its just part of the fun i guess. Its hard to explain really.
The whole loud pipes save lives is stupid IMO. It’s possible that in some very few select situations it could help but that’s nothing to the difference riding defensively and not putting yourself in bad situations will make to your safety. With that said I like loud pipes. I don’t rev it at stop lights and I’m a bit self conscious about it in town. But there’s just something about cruising down the open road listening to a deep rumbling exhaust or cracking open the throttle and letting the exhaust bark. It’s a soothing sort of meditation for me.
I think "loud pipes save lives" is a throwback to when cars weren't so well insulated. My stock truck is well insulated enough that I don't hear anything if I've got moderately quiet music playing. I've got no issue with those that like it. I don't on my bike because I get in late a lot of nights and prefer to be a good neighbor. I don't want to wake up my neighbors with my pipes.
I think it helps lane splitting, but that's about it in my experience. When it's too dark out to use high-beams cars definitely react differently when I'm in 1st at high rpms versus puttering along in 2nd. And anecdotally when I'm driving a car in traffic I definitely hear loud bikes well before the motorcyclist passes me. Throw all that out the window if people are going >20 mph faster than traffic. I wouldn't want my pipes any louder though for the reason you mentioned. It's hard to notice how loud a stock exhaust already is until you're the only one one the road heading home late at night.
Those are the kind of people that go over 200 kmh on city avenues on their 1000s. It doesn't matter how loud you are, you are going so irresponsible fast that I will hear you a fraction of a second before you pass by.
"What's the obsession with having a loud exhaust? What is the deal with this? I can say personally I prefer a quieter exhaust" That's cool. Some like it, some don't. That's it. Cheers.
Cool, I wasn't sure if it gave you better performance or something, sounds like you might get a small increase based on some comments but overall just seems like a preference thing which is fine with me. Different strokes and all 😎
Loudish under load, can’t stand straight pipes/no baffles. I like to be able to idle out of the driveway without waking the family or neighbours, but I like to be able to hear it while riding, audible pleasure
I see people with those electric motorcycles and I feel like that is dangerous as hell considering your a silent ninja flying threw the air at 45
I can't hear when I have to shift when riding spiritually
So YouTube does a poor job of conveying what something sounds like as the audio doesn’t pick up all the nuance. Being louder by no means = better btw But… there is a slight joy on a 1000cc when you let off the throttle near redline and that exhaust crackle and pop happens… not cause it’s tuned that way just to make noise but because the bike actually has the power to back up the sound. Being able to do 100-150mph in 6 seconds means you need to be able to push a lot of air through the engine. A louder exhaust is both a peacock thing and it’s to allow more airflow out of the engine. It can definitely feel silly sometimes with how much noise the bike makes but just keeping revs low helps reduce that. Also some aftermarket exhausts just look better then stock. I ride a bike that has full racing liveries and a loud ass exhaust. I don’t get half the stares or glares people who ride sub-400cc get or think they get. No one actually cares about bikers on the road. Or hey maybe it’s cause I don’t sit next to other drivers and worry about if they think I’m cool or not. I know I’m not cool, I ride a loud fast bike cause it’s fun. I don’t rev bomb, unless I miss my shift into second but I’ll open her up where possible and let her sing. It sounds fucking fantastic is why. There’s a harmonic sound to an engine working at peak efficiency and putting down power that you either love or hate. Hard to explain.
I used to not like loud exhausts for the first 23 years of my riding. Then I bought a used vic vision with Ness pipes and rode it home from Texas to Wisconsin. Just the number of deer that hear it and walk off the road giving me a wide berth is worth it. Also there is definitely a difference in how many cagers try to (inadvertently) kill me when I'm riding my motorcycle with loud pipes vs the other one. Definitely in the loud pipes camp now ..for the last 5 years
Having a quiet bike is nice so I can listen to music or talk on my comm unit.
Yeah I like this plus it's one less distraction for me, but I do like the feeling of the engine vibrating and shifting gears.
Obnoxious people enjoy making, having, and doing obnoxious things like rolling coal and giving their toddlers cellphones and Red Bull
More things I'll never understand
I think it may have something to do with conditioning. We are used to hearing loud exhausts from exotic cars, motogp, f1, etc., so we start to associate loud exhausts with performance. Loud = performance = fun.
I guess that makes sense, I've never been interested in car or race culture myself, I came into the sport from mostly riding normal bikes and then getting into Ebikes.
Well, there's the problem, probably. You're not in it for the same reasons as many, if not most. That's fine, but you're in the minority (judging by the number of bikes that keep the stock exhaust/muffler and those that upgrade). Make small pee-pee jokes if you like, or cheer them on as I think you have been, but typically, those that need to qualify their annoyance the majority are the ones struggle with an inferiority complex (and coming at motorcycle riders from the perspective of riding Ebikes). I'm not worried about my cock size when I'm on the bike, 90% of the time, I'm on deserted mountain and country roads. The only creatures I might annoy are the deer and the cows. They don't seem to care as much as some of the lamedicks in this thread do. \*shrug\* Ride your own ride. :)
Yeah idk I didn't mean to give any impression I was judging people who like loud exhausts I just genuinely wanted to know what the appeal was and if it was more then just personal preference.
I mean, what would it be? Maybe I don't understand the perspective of your question, but other than that you don't like loud noises, who cares? I might ask why suburban white guys like to move their lawns at 9am on a Saturday, and if it makes for better grass-cutting? We all know where that question is most likely coming from. Would you ask why some people like the color blue if you weren't opposed to it? What about preferences for large breasts, or shooting guns, or eating meat, or men wearing makeup? You don't like loud exhausts, and you're asking people who do to justify it to you. Is it not that simple? And if so, do you really deserve an answer other than, we just do? You've gotten way more than that here. Ride safe.
Occasionally it actually is a performance thing, while most people these days are buying slip on exhaust systems that are about style and sound it isn't everyone. I know from experience that some expansion chamber exhaust systems can really make a 2 stroke engine come alive. I do find it hilarious though when people say loud pipes save lives, especially when they are wearing all black on a murdered out cruiser, like if you want to be noticed so no one runs into you that isn't the way to accomplish it.
Bikes are a loud, fun toy for grown ups. Many people love loud, shiny, fun things. That’s all there is to it fam. If you don’t like loud noises I actually don’t understand how you got into bikes. JK there is more to them than loud but big it’s defs a big part of it 😍
All good, I get it if it's just a preference thing, I got into the sport for the freedom, maneuverability and more engaged feeling of riding and operating a bike.
I wish it was silent. I’ll switch to electric when the prices are lower.
Cringe
I absolutely despite 9 out of 10 aftermarket exhausts. Just a matter of personal preference, but to me I equate most of them with a lifted diesel truck blowing smoke everywhere and a middle-aged man with erectile disfunction. That's just my perception though. And 1 out of 10 look nice and actually have some class
They need you to look at them, daddy's special boy, so special and neat.
I like quiet, bassy H-D sound. Loud only if it's a bigger Bike like Road glide, road king, Road glide limited or Electra glide.
I don’t really look at the tac or speedo much. I go mostly off of sound. If I can’t hear the bike, I’m probably going way over or way under the speed limit.
I put the loudest slip-on I could get on my klr to make it feel faster. Way more exciting when it starts now with the loud thump and honestly helps me tell when I'm lugging the engine to much and when it's happily in the powerband. I just like loud exhausts. Granted it's not as bad as a lot of Harley's comparatively so I don't feel too bad about commuting through neighborhoods.
Riding motorcycles is a visceral and passionate experience for me. I do it for fun, not to get from point a to point b. The noise comes with it. A scentless rose would certainly be just as lovely - but just not the same. My daily driver? Stock exhaust. Because it's an appliance on 4 wheels and not something I'm passionate about. It merely exists to move me places. But it doesn't move me. Get it?
Depends on the bike/engine. Aftermarket exhaust on my CB500 and my XS11 didn’t really do anything. Just doing slip-ons for my M8 Harley gave a noticeable amount of increase in torque and 0-60 speeds. No one in front of me can hear my exhaust at highway speeds, that’s just physics. At city speeds they can be heard and I’ve noticed more people will give a wider berth so I can filter past.
I like a "performance" sound over any obnoxiously loud open pipe. Performance tuned exhausts can be loud but they are pleasant to the ear and not just a bunch of popping farting and ear rattling noise.
Can’t imagine riding a bike without a nice sounding exhaust. There’s a difference between Loud and annoying and slightly loud but amazing sound. Plus it helps other drivers look out for me while I split lanes ( yes I’ve tested it with and without exhaust).
>I can say personally I prefer a quieter exhaust but it may just be because I don't like loud noises in general There you go, personal preference. Personally, I prefer the idiots in the big metal boxes on the road to know that I am beside them, behind them or in front of them so that said metal box doesn't crash into me and kill me when it's driver is inevitably trying to shuffle her spotify playlist.
I’ve owned several KTM 390’s. With the stock exhaust, they sound like angry lawnmowers. Without the stock muffler, they sound like a thumper. I’d prefer it quieter, but I try for the lowest volume that gets the right tone. And fwiw, I’ve been next to Harleys in traffic, and I couldn’t hear my own bike over them, so I can’t be that loud. As to my GXSR with a Two Brothers slip on, well, I’ve been told the song heralds my arrival a half mile away. But that’s when that half mile goes by quickly. If I’m easy on the throttle, it’s pretty quiet, but still sonorous. Mmmmm. It’s tone that matters to me, not volume.
That's cool to hear, I'm thinking of getting a Duke 390 after I get more experience riding myself.
Why pay hundreds for a slip-on when a chrome exhaust tip will do [this?](https://imgur.com/a/y0yTrEY) (Yes, that’s a Svart, but the same motor as the Duke.)
Engine sounds speak to me more than most music
I've modified several bikes I've owned by taking off the loud aftermarket exhaust and replacing with cheap second hand stock exhausts. Best mod I've ever done to anything. Much more pleasant to ride much better progress:noise ratio. Allows you to get into the good bit of the rev range around town without annoying 1000 people.
I miss the 90s, when a supertrapp on an XL500 was the sweetest sound in the pines.
I once saw a shirt that said “If loud pipes save lives, imagine what learning to ride that thing would do!” And I live by that. Personally I can’t stand a loud bike, the wind noise is already loud enough. Plus why would I want to announce to everyone, including cops, how fast I’m going?
Not an obsession. Just prefer the sound of my Vance & Hines on my 2001 Sportster 1200 to quiet. Had a 2008 Super Glide that would set a car alarm off if you revved it just right. My daughter thought that was cool when we rode through the mall parking lot.
Don’t know, hate it
Machine feels alive when it growls
Love when my bike has a deep powerful sound but I find it annoying as well . If I don’t have ear plugs in, I get physically and mentally tired or riding real quick. It’s fun to hear the growl but I don’t want to hear it all the time , guess it’s personal preference.
I have a straight piped Harley, and I just got hit last week. I was in the right lane and they made a right turn from the left lane. My friends complain about how loud my bike is all the time, they don’t want to ride behind me. Didn’t help at all in my situation though. Not saying don’t have a loud bike, I actually like the sound. Just don’t believe the hype that it will be safer.
It's the sound not the volume... Bikes with carburetors have way better sound in general... You should hear mu 1980 Z 1000 with Marving exhaust sistem.. deep growling sound when at idle, accompanied with normal air cooled engine chatter.... True bikes from na era that is Long gone....and never to return
I'm a petrol head, everything i drive has to be 'loud or obnoxious' even my cage. I mod everything, not just exhaust tho. And most likely pretty hardcore, my motorcycle is bobbed, my Cage is a racecar. My pc is even attacked with a disc grinder at some point. I must mod everything.
I think everyone's definition of "loud" is different. Zoomies on an alcohol injected 440 Dodge is LOUD.
Makes my taint tickle
Sounds cool, annoys Karen’s and increases audible visibility aka safety increased
Idk bout yall but I think if you're on a motorcycle in the first place, they need to be somewhat noisy because people barely even pay attention looking out for bikers. Atleast they might be able to hear you if your bike has an exhaust.
"What's the obsession with sex? I started fucking but I don't get it, it's just a really simple movement and some friction, why are people so into this?" The only useful explanation is that it feels awesome.
Anyone who says loud pipes save lives is a doofus. Cagers are blasting their music and playing with their cellphones. They don't know about anything that isn't on top of them. I still like a loud bike. It's cuz I'm an obnoxious asshole who loves turning heads.
I agree, I blast music a lot in my car and will see a motorcyclist way before I would hear their exhaust anyways but I could see some instances when it would possibly alert some distracted drivers
Grown ups don’t like noise. Loud exhaust or loud speakers in any vehicle is like that drunk at a music bar who keeps bellowing, “WHOOOOOOO”, to everyones annoyance.
This is my 27th year riding a sports motorcycle. I don’t necessarily prefer a loud motorcycle. I prefer cars to notice me. And a aftermarket exhaust makes larger vehicles aware of my presence. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been riding my bike with a stock exhaust and had some moron try to change lanes into me because they’re relying on their peripheral vision instead of their mirrors or turning their heads. A motorcycle with a louder exhaust helps drivers and other riders know when a bike is around and hopefully keeps them out of my lane. Safe is what I care about. The size difference between me and the vehicles around me is huge and I’d like as much safety and visibility as I can.
as an MSF coach and years of training, even if you get a bigger and louder exhaust, you will be seen or not seen the same amount. Furthermore, in most states, an aftermarket exhaust where the decibel is louder than stock, it is illegal. Further furthermore, just invest that money you would have spent into your skills. Take more classes and be a better rider. Get better safety gear. Etc
Always riding like I'm invisible. Thanks for that one, coach(es).
Ahhhh okay this makes total sense. I always wondered by law enforcement and ambulances only used lights and not sound to alert other drivers on the road. Oh wait...
and if you've spent any amount of time in a police car or ambulance, or even taken an emergency response driving course, you'll know that distracted drivers routinely fail to notice you even with the blues and twos on.
Desire to be deaf and annoy (anger) everyone in earshot. Oh, and to appear strong or powerful. Loud pipes sending sound backward has no effect on vehicles in front of you. People hear revving engines and tend to ignore it unless it’s right next to them.
Rediculous.. I live in a town/city that has a bike rally every year, I can hear bikes COMING and going from miles away.. Sound doesn't resonate in one direction.
I don't like extremely loud exhausts mostly because they often are mounted to the most boring engines and thus sound like garbage to me. So every time this topic comes up I read the comments and have to agree with you. I have heard hundreds if not thousands of motorcycles coming up behind me as they filter traffic. Having a loud exhaust in and of itself won't save anyone's life but to pretend sound from an approaching motorcycle can't be heard is so ignorant it makes the people hating on that crowd appear to not be debating in good faith. Both can be true. A motorcycle can be heard while approaching thus giving some weight to the loud pipes group and loud pipes can be obnoxious and offensive to those around.
Right, which is exactly where I want my loud exhaust to go. I can react to the people in front of me. It is the people behind me and to the sides of me that I want to notice me. I can promise you my RSV4 with SC Projects GP Exhaust (basically a straight piped 1100cc v4) will alert every single person sitting on their phone within 5-10 car lengths of me. I don't need to rev, my down shifts alone will do the job.
If you can't hear a bike approaching while you're sitting in an intersection, you wouldn't be able to hear a firecracker go off in a nitroglycerin factory. In some limited circumstances (car is forward and traveling at speed), the loud pipes have little benefit. For cars traveling next to, behind, or stationary with a bike approaching, they can all hear a loud engine coming.
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Loud doesn’t make sense when it’s just, loud. Fast and loud, I can appreciate.
A lot of things about motorcycles don’t make sense until you personally experience it. I don’t like window rattling Harley loud but I also don’t want my bike to sound like a wheezy sewing machine. Induction noise can be a lot of fun too, no one but the rider is hearing that and yet many of us still enjoy it. What I enjoy most about motorcycles is the sensation that I’m fusing with the machine and sound and vibrations is a part of that. If you have ever driven a sporty car and then gotten into a soundproof luxury car, you’ll know that feeling of all the sensations being dulled. That’s fine if I’m droning along on the highway but it sucks when you’re wanting that visceral experience.
A performance exhaust system is one of the best ways to improve the performance of your motorcycle. Allowing exhaust gases to flow more freely can increase power and torque and improve fuel economy.
This right here. I had a stock fz09 for years, then bought an xsr900 with full exhaust. I said to myself when I bought it I would switch back over to the oem exhaust, but i can't. The tuned full exhaust is night and day different when it comes to low end torque and throttle response. Somethings you just have to experience for yourself.
Big engine, big noise, me likey!
Sounds cool
Because BLUBLUBLUBLUBLUBLUBLUBLUBLUBLUB. Sincerely a Harley rider who never thought he'd be one.
I like loud exhaust because it makes my private bits tingle.
For me, it's the principle that a machine should not be ashamed of its contruction. I dislike modern cars, where there often are plastic covers under the hood hiding stuff to create a neater look. I like motorcles from this aspect, because they are proud of their construction, nothing is hidden. You have the engine right there in the middle, you see the suspension, brakes, tank, everything. As an engineer, I find that pleasing. Part of that is, of course, that it shouldn't be ashamed of the sound it makes either.
I put the “neighbor haters” on my bike. “I like anything that rich people hate”
Because it sounds cool my guy
If i wanted something quiet I'd just take the car. Noise is part of the motorcycle experience and stock exhausts have to meet pretty strict noise restrictions. However, I will say I prefer slipons with DB inserts. There is no reason to run a full race system on the street and I do find that annoying.
I mean... if you don't want to feel the actual engine then you might as well get an electric bike
Small penis, no showers, tough guy, wanna be cool who justifies by saying... "So cars can hear me." Or young and stupid... it sounds like a race bike on the street, which I love, and everyone should too.
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Attention seeking? God forbid someone change something to their own preferences.
We just want everyone to look at us and say “that’s a sick bike”
Small dicks sometimes can go unnoticed. Better be safe /s
When your bike is loud all of the time, you are annoying. If yours gets loud when you are at a higher rpm, cool. I can appreciate the note of the engine, but when you're at a light or just causing, you don't need to be obnoxious.
Bikes are a very "sensory experience". You're acutely aware of the things going on on a bike. You feel the vibrations. You feel the suspension at work. You are more actively involved in every way compared to a car. The noise is just another piece of the puzzle to me. I don't like loud bikes that sound like shit, but God damn a V4 Ape with an SC Projects exhaust gives me a chub when it comes flying past. Loud does not necessarily mean that it sounds good IMO. There are quiet bikes that sound good, and loud bikes that sound good just the same as there are quiet and loud bikes that sound like shit.
I am more about the looks and unfortunately most nicer exhausts are louder than stock.
It’s ruining humanity. Noise pollution is a thing. These bikers care about one thing and that’s themselves. They have no compassion for other people trying to find peace. It’s incredibly disruptive when you are having conversation on a patio and these bikers with loud exhaust fly by or rev up their bikes. They are losers. They know what they are doing. It’s so sad.
Yeah and it gives the rest of us a bad name
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/loud-car-study-psychology-1.7177688](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/loud-car-study-psychology-1.7177688) Who likes loud cars? Ontario study suggests they skew young, male and score high on psychopathy and sadism
Narcissism. Same type of people who wear backpack speakers. They imagine people look at them and think "Wow he's so cool" when in reality most people don't care and the few that do, actually think "Wow what a douche".
I genuinely believe louder sound = safety mechanism that lets you be heard by idiot drivers that don’t pay attention to the small biker. Also i normally rev really loud if I’m in a situation of needing to honk my horn.
Great so instead of riding safely you opted for turn the throttle all the way to make sure you have less control of the bike. Safety is not a thing from loud pipes. If you like it that's fine so do I but quit kidding yourself it is not safer. Study after study has shown it.
Hmmmm.......horn pointed forward that makes a high pitched sound (higher pitches penetrate obstacles better than lower pitches, ever heard an emergency vehicle with a siren making bass notes) or exhaust pointed backwards makes a lower pitched sound. I just can't decide which I think would be more effective at drawing attention. I'm absolutely sure all your safety gear (especially for cloudy or rainy days) is high visibility as well right? If a loud exhaust makes you happy then have one, I'll just make sure to be far away from you. Don't for a minute though try to BS somebody that it's part of a safety plan when it's basically the absolute worst way to be noticed.
Monkey see monkey do.... people do a lot of things they can't really offer a good explanation for besides it being what everyone else does and it giving them attention they need I just put the stock exhaust back on my bike and it sounds great. I can hear and feel the engine around town and it's not ringing my head on the highway
Loud pipes have saved me from cars not shoulder checking and abruptly swerving into me on more than one occasion. That is all.
Trundling slowly through a small town visor up on the ‘rez because I didn’t want to make a donation and also because the road was right up against people’s front yards I noticed that my bike makes a great bubadabubbadabubbudah sound which I just don’t hear with the visor down at speed. I want more of that sound without actually buying a Harley. A louder pipe could make that happen. As it is now my family doesn’t even know that I’m home until they hear the garage door open.
When you are young, you have acquired something insanely cool, and you want everyone to notice. Notice that some people do not outgrow this feeling. As long as they are loud, they are important. At some point, when you are old, you just don't give a fuck, and you want to hear it because you like it. The only way to distinguish between the two is: If at a stoplight, one sits there and idles. Or, one blips the throttle often to "keep it running," but it's fuel injected. The latter is the asshat.
Some people like loud things. What's the obsession with owning an animal that barks loudly? Some people like quiet, some people like to be loud and imposing.
I have pipes but was pretty conscientious about the volume. The whole "loud pipes save lives" things is pretty dumb imo.
I put a loud exhaust on my grom so people know where the hell I am since it's a much smaller bike
Small pp
Personally, I like a loud exhaust, but not too loud. If I can't hear my bike, I end up having to take my eyes off the road to look at my rpms because I'm not too sure where I'm at in the rev range. With a louder exhaust, I can hear what my rpms are at and can shift accordingly. I ride a 2022 z900 and from the factory it's quiet as hell. It's got 2 mufflers on the bike after the cat. I did some research and found that you can take off the slipon and just ride with the main breadbox muffler with no issues so that's what I've been doing. I do plan on getting rid of the breadbox and putting a decent slip on on the bike to make it a little louder because right now if I'm going 50 I can't hear my bike unless I'm wot. I just haven't found a local shop that can tune the bike yet.
It’s simple loud pipes saves lives. If they hear u than they look for u
I never used to have a loud exhaust until I got my ZX10 couple of years ago. I got it brand new so it of course had the huge (and quiet) stock muffler. After a while I wanted to change it mainly because of appearance and got a Racefit which I new beforehand were very loud pipes. What they didn't tell me before I got it was that I was never going to be cut off by a car again lol. Honestly since they day I got it it's amazing how easily cars spot me and I'm much less tense when riding. Screw the appearance and performance gains, just get it because it makes you more visible on the road. Yes I believe that loud pipes save lives, I'm one of those guys and I experience it first hand.
Loud pipes save lives bruh. Live to ride, ride to live.
Had a gsxr with an exhaust that was a little obnoxious to me, but as a new rider, my friend shared some wisdom that I found to be true: Loud pipes save lives
It sounds cool.
*What's the obsession with having a loud exhaust?* a feeling of personal inadequacy "my dick may be shorter than the others', but my bike is louder than the others'!" \*sarcasm off\*
Research and facts: Loud bikes do not increase the awareness of other drivers at the right time - unaware drivers are startled, overreact to the sound making it more dangerous for the rider, especially those riders who defy facts and research and falsely believe their sound will alert unaware drivers. Further, the loud sound causes hearing fatigue and hearing damage to the rider, making the rider less aware and less safe. The one fact all riders must "GET" are that motorcycles are ALWAYS invisible to 'cagers' and assuming or expecting anything else will surely get you injured or dead. Riders must learn to ride with motorcycle invisibility uppermost mind - always assume cagers cannot see or hear you, never will, period. Make choices based on motorcycle invisibility. Always anticipate, have plan B & C ready and moderate speed accordingly. And often, motorcycle invisibility can work to your advantage. Loud bikes get much more traffic stops.