When is the sound of a bike to much??

[bungie4]

... when it smooths the wrinkles out of yer bag.

[Snowbird]

The motel has small but comfortable rooms and parking is right in front of the door. After dinner I set in for the night. As I lay there attempting to sleep two american V twins came in to the motel parking lane and proceeded to set off more than one car alarm, due to the unbaffled loud ass exhaust. The bikes had deep ground shaking rumble exhaust notes and a BLAAAAPP sound when reved, and the owners both gave the throttle a good blip before shutting the bikes down. The sound of the car alarms whaling in the night eventually stopped and I again attempted to sleep but found it rather hard to as I was now fully awake.

If it was my motel, I would have refused them a room and called the cops if they protested. Way too loud and I hate way too loud.

Loud pipes don't save lives; they only cause more freedom stripping laws.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. The other day, I was going to back out of a parking space at a gas station's convenience store and it was the sound of someone's bike that was my first clue a bike was on collision course with me. I'm not saying I would not have seen him if the bike was quiet, but I'm sure there are car drivers out there who would not have seen him if not for the bike's pipes. Now, mind you, this particular set of pipes were far from ear-splitting, but I do think there is a valid argument for loud(er) pipes... a bit louder than the legal production limit, which IMO is set too low and actually results in too many bikes that are too loud.

[et]

If it was my motel, I would have refused them a room and called the cops if they protested. Way too loud and I hate way too loud.



Sorry, but I have to disagree. The other day, I was going to back out of a parking space at a gas station's convenience store and it was the sound of someone's bike that was my first clue a bike was on collision course with me. I'm not saying I would not have seen him if the bike was quiet, but I'm sure there are car drivers out there who would not have seen him if not for the bike's pipes. Now, mind you, this particular set of pipes were far from ear-splitting, but I do think there is a valid argument for loud(er) pipes... a bit louder than the legal production limit, which IMO is set too low and actually results in too many bikes that are too loud.

Ah; but if you had backed into the parking space you could see him as/before you pulled out.
(Sorry; just a pet-peeve of mine. It's easier to see your surroundings backing into a parking space then backing out of a parking space.
Every accident I've witnessed in a parking lot occurred while someone was backing out of a parking space; not as they were backing in.)

[Andrew]

I'm surprised the guy didn't "engage" you more after you made those snide comments and then ignored him. Guys that do that really don't give a F what you think of their bikes.

DId not bother to think of that, he and his fellow rider were credit card V twin riders if you get my drift. So the "engagement factor" was not too high on my radar.

[sagerat]

When it's not stock.

Honest, I would support banning anything that's not a stock pipe as it's about the only way I can see to end the scourge of loud pipes.  And yes, I'd apply it to cages, too.  If I never hear another fart can on a lowered rice burner or a set of headers on a poorly tuned V-8, that would be fine with me.

Silence them all and let DMV sort it out.  

[nomagnashn]

When it makes the neighbors shake their heads and mutter "damn motorcycles."

Every one of those is a future vote for some anti-motorcycle legislation, at best. At worst, well... just see the thread about unprovoked road rage.

My neighbor (I've been told by other neighbors) thinks my exhaust is too loud.

It's STOCK!  

He's got something against me but I have no idea what it is since he hasn't said more than 2 words to me in the 3+ years I 've lived here.  

[miles]

  Would your Bandit have a D&D pipe?  Mine came with it courtesy of the PO- full system.  The D&D pipe is LOUD- I short shift as ell whenever I'm in neighborhoods.  If it wasn't that I spend all my farkle money on riding stuff (GPS, luggage, etc) I'd get a new pipe.  The problem is that the PO did tune my bike *perfectly*, and I love the torque, so I won't go back to stock.  Next bike I'd put on aftermarket pipes again I think- I like a little sound, but the D&D's suck.  Too obnoxious when you get on it.

D&D pipes are often refferred to as "Death & Destruction" pipes because they are so damned loud.  I know a guy who was riding his Speed Triple on the PCH and an officer heading the other way did a U-turn to chase him down and ticket him for the noise of his D&D pipe.

[et]

Being a frugal person (ie cheap bastard ); I never understand why; other than the "look at me" syndrome; people even buy aftermarket exhausts.
I figure a new motorcycle costs $10,000. The stock exhaust is about $600 or more. And unlike stock exhausts of old; they give almost as much horsepower as after market exhausts.
Although aftermarket exhausts may be a little lighter giving a wee bit better handling. It comes at the price of not lasting as long as stock.
I paid for that stock exhaust; so I'm going to use it until it rusts through.

[CLAY]

D&D pipes are often refferred to as "Death & Destruction" pipes because they are so damned loud.  I know a guy who was riding his Speed Triple on the PCH and an officer heading the other way did a U-turn to chase him down and ticket him for the noise of his D&D pipe.

 Mine's not horrible unless I get on it- then it screams.  But, I don't like it.  If I could trade someone for a quieter pipe I would, and I have tried.  No luck yet.  

[Flashmo]

I was working in the yard this morning and heard a crappy sounding cruizer coming down the street so I looked up and saw a Squid on a GSXR!  OH, THE HORROR! How could you possibly make that thing sound that bad, even trying, I doubt I could make one sound that bad.

[243Win]

  Would your Bandit have a D&D pipe?  Mine came with it courtesy of the PO- full system.  The D&D pipe is LOUD- I short shift as ell whenever I'm in neighborhoods.  If it wasn't that I spend all my farkle money on riding stuff (GPS, luggage, etc) I'd get a new pipe.  The problem is that the PO did tune my bike *perfectly*, and I love the torque, so I won't go back to stock.  Next bike I'd put on aftermarket pipes again I think- I like a little sound, but the D&D's suck.  Too obnoxious when you get on it.

Yosh pipe of some sort.  Bike was tuned by previous owner to run with the pipe so even if I track down an inexpensive, quieter option, I may be opening up a can of worms there anyhow.  I get the gut feeling, by end of the season, it will be on the market to the next beginning rider.  I only keep it know as an extra for the step-daughter to ride when she is in town, but supporting a stable of loaner bikes is getting old too,...

[trophystock]

I have a yosh-77 on my 08 haybusa and I have the quiet core installed and it is as quiet as the stock system and weighs 36#s less, best of both worlds.

[Snowbird]

Ah; but if you had backed into the parking space you could see him as/before you pulled out.
(Sorry; just a pet-peeve of mine. It's easier to see your surroundings backing into a parking space then backing out of a parking space.
Every accident I've witnessed in a parking lot occurred while someone was backing out of a parking space; not as they were backing in.)

Fully agree. In fact it is a policy at work. The reason I didn't do it in that parking area is the lot is in constant flow of customers and when I tried backing in, it just left everyone else confused. So, I just pull in, back out and everyone knows what's going on.

I think much of the safety advantage of the "back in, pull out" policy revolves around the fact that you are backing at a time when you've just freshly perused to area while in the driving mindset.

OTOH, When you "pull in, back out," your brain is more likely to be disengaged from the driving task at a time when things may have changed while the car sat: think kid on a bicycle. That's how moms tragically run over and kill their own children.

Back to topic....

[Snowbird]

Being a frugal person (ie cheap bastard ); I never understand why; other than the "look at me" syndrome; people even buy aftermarket exhausts.
I figure a new motorcycle costs $10,000. The stock exhaust is about $600 or more. And unlike stock exhausts of old; they give almost as much horsepower as after market exhausts.
Although aftermarket exhausts may be a little lighter giving a wee bit better handling. It comes at the price of not lasting as long as stock.
I paid for that stock exhaust; so I'm going to use it until it rusts through.

Only one of my current bikes is other than stock; basically, I agree. But don't discount the power of "look at me."

My rationale about the current sound level being counter-productive is that (as you noted, new exhaust systems are expensive) people think to themselves that A. the bike is too quiet (for whatever reason) and B. if I'm going to spend all this money, this system better make a noticeable difference, dammit,and I'm going to err on the loud side just to be sure.

I think we'd have fewer excessively loud bikes if the db limit were raised for stock bikes and a very slightly higher limit was legally set for aftermarket exhausts.

But, who listens to me?  

[kevin_stevens]

Fully agree. In fact it is a policy at work. The reason I didn't do it in that parking area is the lot is in constant flow of customers and when I tried backing in, it just left everyone else confused. So, I just pull in, back out and everyone knows what's going on.

I think much of the safety advantage of the "back in, pull out" policy revolves around the fact that you are backing at a time when you've just freshly perused to area while in the driving mindset.

OTOH, When you "pull in, back out," your brain is more likely to be disengaged from the driving task at a time when things may have changed while the car sat: think kid on a bicycle. That's how moms tragically run over and kill their own children.

Back to topic....

I try to park facing out because I know how much hurry I'm in going in, and I have no idea how much of a hurry I'll be in coming out.

KeS

[miles]

But, who listens to me?  

Not me. I have you on Ignorz.

[cjgauthier]

        Both my bikes have stock pipes and they don't wake up my wife if I come in late. Her: When did you get in last night? Me: er, ah, 11:30?  

[Snowbird]

Not me. I have you on Ignorz.

Ditto.  

[Clive]

Being a frugal person (ie cheap bastard ); I never understand why; other than the "look at me" syndrome; people even buy aftermarket exhausts.
I figure a new motorcycle costs $10,000. The stock exhaust is about $600 or more. And unlike stock exhausts of old; they give almost as much horsepower as after market exhausts.
Although aftermarket exhausts may be a little lighter giving a wee bit better handling. It comes at the price of not lasting as long as stock.

I reaplced the Speed Triple's dual high-mount cans with a MiVV GP carbon fiber.  Shed a TON of weight, moved the pipes down low to improve handling and allow for saddlebags ... and kept the dB Killer in to keep the volume down.

For my own aftermarket exhaust, my "how loud is too loud?" test is whether or not my wife will notice that I just dropped several hundred dollars on a new exhaust.  She's likelier to notice it aurally than visually.  For others' bikes, when it makes me worry that a negative label is being applied to me, merely because I also ride (well, rode) a motorcycle.

[sprint EX]

 I ride a Buell Uly, I can't hear the exhaust over the fan!