When is the sound of a bike to much??

[Andrew]

After reading s few (too many) bashing threads of a certain make of bike. My question to all you, what constitutes too much noise? Is it the tone? the Volume of said exhaust (decibel level)? or the I4 vs V twin argument?

  Here is one experience that got my goat.
On the ride back from the National in Gunnison CO I stopped over for the night in Moab UT. The motel was on the northern side of town (a locally owned and operated motel with good rates and friendly owners who will willingly give a discount if asked ) 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. I wanted to find a hardware store or some such store that I could purchase a can of sprayable expanding foam and fill up the exhaust pipes of said V twins and thus silence them. But alas I thought it over and decided that although this would be an effective way of silencing the bikes it was probably not the best thing to do legally and morally. I buried my head in my pillow and tried to sleep
 In the morning as I was loading the BMW one of the V twin owners walked by on his way to the office (checking out I guessed.)  
I complemented him on his bikes exhaust "nice exhaust".
He looked at me and said "are you serious?"  
I suppose my comment was interpenetrated rather sarcastically as I hoped it would be.
I responded " serious as a hart attack,... loud enough to set off the car alarms??"  
Said V twin rider responded "It's not my fault the car alarms are set tooo sensitive besides they are only V&H pipes"
"I guess it is just a matter of perception and the laws regarding decibel limit levels" I responded and went back to packing the GS ignoring his comments there after.

I have had the misfortune of having my ears assaulted by an uncorked I4 (the angry bee) at high revs as it passed me by, I to find that offensive.  

I think I will just stick to the stock exhaust, I may not be the most polite person in the world but I try not to be offensive.

[et]

I hate loud exhausts. Doesn't matter if it's a V-twin, an I-4, high pitched, or low pitched. Loud is loud.
Loud pipes don't save lives; they only cause more freedom stripping laws.

[ZZR Rob]

To much is when its the other guys bike

[evilted]

I used to have a Hard Krome Sideburner on a metric cruiser for a while, and I found that after 15 minute of riding it my ears started to hurt.

That's my definition of too loud.  

[shooplick]

ive got both in my alley. 1 FN squid on a new r1 (buys a new one every year and cant ride worth a crap) almost no exhaust and keeps it in first gear throughthe entire neighborhood while going50-60 mph. mostly at 2 am after the bars close. loud enough that i want to kick him in the trachia. ant then one fat sob on an hd something that i can hear from 4 miles away. he starts it in the alley and lets it idle for 10 min. at 5am. my alley is all garages facing door to door. so the sound echo's bad! is bike has no throttle its idle or wfo and flying down the alleyat 50. we have lots and lots of kid in my area.
I hate both of them and would put a chain around both bike and drag them down the steet with my truck if i could get away with it, or if they hit any of the kids playing i wouldn't care if i got away with it.
 
long rant sorry, alot of stress and it came out in this post.  

[Phenix_Rider]

Volume no question.  I don't care what type of engine it is.  If I can't ride behind you, or feel like like I'm being pummeled as you pass me on the sidewalk, it's too loud.  And for gods sake, if your bike doesn't idle properly, get it tuned!!!  Also, the rev limiter is meant to prevent over-rev damage, not as a mating call.

[kevin_stevens]

To much is when its the other guys bike

+1

There's post after post of people saying "I put XYZ pipe on, and it sounds great.  Nobody complains.  But everybody else's bike is too loud."  Reality is that absolutely nobody enjoys listening to your bike but you.  And by the way, they don't like listening to your baby scream and your dog bark, either.

KeS

[Baz]

I have owned one loud pipe in my life and when I took it off finally, I swore never again.

There are only a couple of things in this world that have exhaust notes that make me have sexual accidents. Here they are. Everything else needs a muffler.

[phoenix]

I hate loud exhausts. Doesn't matter if it's a V-twin, an I-4, high pitched, or low pitched. Loud is loud.
Loud pipes don't save lives; they only cause more freedom stripping laws.

+1

on the race track, I'm not opposed to it. In my neighborhood? I don't want it to wake me up. Ever.

One of my past bikes (SV650S) had a race pipe on it. I was looking for a replacement (stock) exhaust to swap it out because I thought it was just too loud. As it was, I would shut off the engine half way down the street when coming home, and I never let it idle in the driveway. At a stoplight one day, I noticed a car next to me roll up their windows. That was a clue.

A coworker has a Harley-clone with straight pipes on it. I think its a Honda. It is loud, but jeebus, it sounds fucking AWFUL!   I like the trademark Harley sound, and that wasn't it by a longshot.

[thatguy]

When it's so slow it takes forever to get out of range.

[JoeRider]

When you can hear it over the too loud music being piped by earbuds inside youre full face!

or 50 Decibels less than that required to rattle fillings loose.

[PirateT7]

When is the sound of a bike to much??

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.

[JoeRider]

True, and most eloquently said!


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.

[243Win]

When it makes you self-conscious about it.  I know the pipe on my little 400 Bandit is too loud.  I short shift it through the neighborhoods and other areas that I don't want to attract unwanted attention.  

Since I only paid $600 for it, I'm loathe to spend as much or more to get a quieter pipe for it, I'm more inclined to sell it.  I have a similar looking Yosh pipe on my miniceptor and it is far quieter.  I put up with it as a trainer bike, if I dump it I'm not all that heart-broken -- dumping the miniceptor would be a different deal (the bike I always wanted as a penniless kid).

At 8 grand on the freeway in top gear doing 65-70mph, even with ear plugs in, it feels like ice picks in your ears after a short period.

All future bikes will be quiet and present bikes in the stable will not be made any louder in attempts at extra power.  If I want more power, I simply ride a bigger bike in the stable for now.

[Mastros2]

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.

I said it in another topic, the AMA has more important issues to fight for, not loud pipes.  

[Charles R]

I hate loud exhausts. Doesn't matter if it's a V-twin, an I-4, high pitched, or low pitched. Loud is loud.
Loud pipes don't save lives; they only cause more freedom stripping laws.

ooh, there's bumper sticker material there...

LOUD PIPES STRIP FREEDOM!
Or
LOUD PIPES, LOST FREEDOM!

[Global Rider]

"I guess it is just a matter of perception and the laws regarding decibel limit levels" I responded and went back to packing the GS ignoring his comments there after.

I could never quite understand why one would be allowed to modify their vehicles outside of the Federal requirements, the same requriements needed for a new vehicle to be sold by a manufacturer in the first place.

Personally, if I don't have to listen to it, I couldn't care less as long as it doesn't tarnish my image as a motorcyclist...then it becomes my business.

[spaz_666]

...At a stoplight one day, I noticed a car next to me roll up their windows. That was a clue...

Don't worry about it, she was probably just having a hard time hearing the person on the other end of the cell phone.

 

[CLAY]

When it makes you self-conscious about it.  I know the pipe on my little 400 Bandit is too loud.  I short shift it through the neighborhoods and other areas that I don't want to attract unwanted attention.  

All future bikes will be quiet and present bikes in the stable will not be made any louder in attempts at extra power.  If I want more power, I simply ride a bigger bike in the stable for now.

  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.

[BrookR1]

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.