[BBD_Racing]

Although I don't share your taste (piped Harleys sound horrible to my ear), nor your migraines (bless you, dear girl, that sounds horrific), I do agree that loud pipes suck.



A little louder than stock (a few db) does sound good to me and is no louder than, say a big commercial truck. But ear splitting, wide open exhausts, particularly 2 into 2 cruisers, that cause conversations to stop in a manner reminiscent of a 737 taking off nearby ought to be punished.



A good punishment would be a stiff beating, but this is America, and we don't do that sort of thing. So fines would be nice. Given the easy money to be had there, it is a wonder why our nation's revenue generators (aka traffic cops) don't hand more such tickets out.



Oh and BTW, if you are one of those "loud pipes save lives" idiots, please save your drivel.

 

[smithrob75]

Yea, I totally agree. I think piped Harley's sound like a farting elephant, but hey I have taste so what can I say. It seems as though they're making a small fortune sell small pieces of bent metal for $500-$750 a set. Having bent a fair amount of metal in my day I can tell you the true cost of making those would be $45-$50 bucks absolutley tops, probably more like $25, add chrome plating for another $5 and you have a pretty good business model.



Also all the Harley guys talk about torque, torque, torque, and the pipes actually put a hole in the bottom of the power band.

 

[Hutchinator]

I'm going to have to agree with you Ashley. I hate it when the vehicle next to me can out do my radio (a testiment to the noise they make, not to my taste in music), rattle my teeth, or let me know they're coming a block-plus away, no matter the size or wheel count.



While I'm not opposed to aftermarket systems, I think they should be resonable. To my ear, tone matters for then sound. You will always be able to turn my head in your direction best when it sounds like your ride growls deeply rather than trying to blow my ear drums out; I walk (of run) the opposite way to save my hearing.



My two cent.



Then again, who doesn't turn thier head in Ashley's direction as she goes by??



Okay, $.03

 

[FrankGrimes]

The first thing I think of when I hear a loud pipe is 'dumbass', the next thought is 'clown'(read gabe's rant on why motorcycles aren't more accepted as transportion in the US)



As for the more power - read the GSXR1000 vs R6 article. You need more than a few HP to actually be fast.



Ever wonder why some people don't do 'the wave' when your out riding, its probably because they don't consider you a motorcyclist.



I really don't like loud pipes... could you tell?

 

[eojmo]

The noise factor is all about who is inflicting or who is inflicted by the racket. You may think your motorcycle sounds cool and your fellow neighbours and citizens are just a bunch of unappreciative whiners. Your opinion quickly changes when one of them rattles your windows and wakes you and the baby at some ungodly hour. Nothing can bring the point home quicker than spending a wad of money for a quite holiday, only to have it shattered by a bunch of idiots roaring around on unsilenced bikes.

 

[Buzglyd]

Well let's see...

Dearly departed MV Agusta Brutale - stock pipes yet still really loud.

H-D Geezer Glide - H-D touring mufflers, hardly louder than stock with nice mellow tone.

Ducati ST4 - Ferraci pipes set off car alarms. Only the clutch is louder. It just sounds so damn good I can't bring myself to quiet it down.

 

[38817]

Your right Ashley. I never thought of it like that before but loud pipes are rude. Unfortunately, just like common sense, manners cannot be legislated or purchased.

 

[52944]

I hate loud pipes.



What I don't get though is... what is the point?



1. They don't come like that so you took some time and probably some money just to make them louder.



2. Your risking a ticket



3. Isn't that annoying to the riders???



4. Annoying all the car drivers around you when your on a motorcycle doesn't seem like the smartest thing.





If I could I'd ride a silent motorcycle and I'd love it!

 

[wwalkersd]

I couldn't agree with you more, Ashley! Loud pipes lose rights, and they're just plain rude. Then again, so are lots of other things that are considered "normal" these days. Whatever happened to manners and consideration of others, anyway? I guess we threw 'em out in the "me" decade.



Re the migraines, my wife has found significant relief from hers using acupuncture. Find yourself a good (Oriental-trained, IMHO) acupuncturist.

 

[47973]

Hey loud pipes save lives. I don't give a flying squid through a windshield if you think loud bikes are rude. Loud pipes are my God-given right as is not wearing a helmet, riding around in my tightie whitie, man-titties-a-jiggling tank-top, going on bar-hop poker runs, and buying my first bike (a 1400 pound cruiser) at age 48. In fact, shut the hell up or I'll sick George Bush and his spies on your un-American, terrorist-supporting, tree-huggin ass!



(the above post is a feeble attempt at sarcasm)

 

[longride]

Everybody seems to have a beef against something. This just in. Lots of people are going to hate motorcycles anyway. They don't really need a reason. They could be whisper quiet, and many, many people would still want to ban them.

Our society at large has turned into the offended looking to ban the offender. A nation petty people easily offended by petty offenses.

Outcasts are the only thing that make life more interesting anyway. By the way Ashley, the rant was great, but I'll take the free beer!

 

[Fenton]

Re: Well let's see...

Took a little peek at the MV 910 at the San Jose show yesterday. Pretty.

I'll be in your neck of the woods in a couple of months. Up Manchester a couple of lefts, couple of rights. On the boarder of Rancho Santa Fe.

BTW, I felt up that new Duc you are looking forward to running around on.

 

[sarnali]

I don't like loud pipes either, I have Harley Touring mufflers on my Dyna that flow better than stock but aren't much louder and my Triumph had the same thing in the Triumph Off Road pipes both well below 95dba.



Straight through drag pipes only help at high RPM's, putting a straight pipe on a low RPM street bike is a power-robbing waste of money. Specially on Sportbikes, what idiot is going to rip off a factory Titanium exhaust and stick a Yoshi. or Akropovic full race system just because Nicky has one.



Same goes for Fart-Cans on Japanese street racer Sentra's and Civics, it was one of them pricks that clipped my Trophy so they don't get any sympathy from me.



Quiet is good.

 

[sliphorn]

1960's stock Brit bikes had it right in my opinion. They sounded like a proper motorcycle without being obnoxious.

 

[snowcrash]

Re: Well let's see...

Riding along on MINE, MY, first bike behind traffic, recently learning to allow a japanese 4 to rev higher than a twin and thinking how good it sounds, how the low burble and the occasional cough of an engine not even trying, just waiting to be called into action.

Behind me was a Ducati calmly responding to my movements always slotting into a position where she was not directly behind me and had maximum braking distance. Somehow she knew I thought hers was mine and when I saw her slide past me and overtake the sound was gone; along with me caught between follwing or moping.

I moped.

 

[schizuki]

"They could be whisper quiet, and many, many people would still want to ban them."



Many, many fewer than currently do.

 

[schizuki]

It's simple, really - if you have obnoxiously loud pipes on your bike, you're a narcissistic a**hole. Period.



And if you think your loud pipes save your life, you're a crappy rider, to boot. Avoid situations where you need to make noise to save yourself. If you still need to make noise, there's a button on your left handgrip labelled "HORN".

 

[40746]

What a bunch of ...

... dust farting old coots! Why don't you all just take your incontinent bowels down to the local scooter dealership and leave the motorcycles to the young and virile.

Loud pipes not only save lives, they far more importantly part the endless sea of SUV-driving MILFS yacking on cellphones so I can lanesplit my way to Beverly Hills where I'll spend a delightful afternoon freaking out their poodles, setting off their car alarms (even inside the garages), and seducing their soon-to-be-legal daughters.

And yes, if any of them get migraines from my concerto in V-Twin major then I'll put that in the bonus column too!

(just kidding guys, I was only being sarcastic)

(Screw that, Pops! I was serious! Psyche! Geezers!)

 

[Zakman]

You know you bikes pipe isn't too loud when you sneak up on bicyclists on your Honda Pacific Coast.

 

[den111]

Loud pipes are bad for asses.