More noise?

[tkm433]

Why do you want your bike to be make more noise? AS in LOUD!

I personally have never understood why anyone whould want a motorcycle or car to be loud as far as exhaust nosie.

I can understand wanting to change the look of the bike which in turn will require a differnt exhaust but it seems that there is always a need for more noise as in loud and not as much the tone or sound.

I can understand to a degree maybe a little change in the sound but not the open or almost open exhaust noise or lets say some of the Harley riders desire for noise.

I keep seeing post asking how do I make my bike louder? I just want to know why?

[Ribbit2]

I like to have any bike I am riding loud enough to be above ambient, for strictly safety reasons.

Raucous, objectionable loudness, no. But definitely enough for a car driver on autopilot, for their unconscious (yeah I did mean unconscious rather than subconscious, as too many behind the wheel these days do seem to be unconscious) to inform them that I am there.

Out the shop these days, bikes are coming onto the road lethally silent, imo.

[MasterBates]

its a v twin. i like to see the harley guys hear my bike look over and see that its not a harley

[stealth95]

I made the transition to bikes from muscle cars and I love having a loud sound with everything I drive

[KDNYC]

there's been a lot of local discussion about the new NYC noise laws, w hich include motorcycles. Denver also passed a noise ordinance making motorcycles over 80dba at 25 feet illegal. (The NYC law, at least, does not creates a special class just for bikes.)

Personally, I don't see the point of having extremely loud pipes. I'm sure they provide a bit of a safety margin, much like wearing loud colors, but it's not a reliable safety margin.

I have the stock exhaust and can't really afford an aftermarket anyway so I'm fine with it. I really find the engine quite satisfying even at stock. It's a nice low rumble that gives the little bike a napoleon complex. The Hawk doesn't have a lot of power but it doesn't sound like a large plastic-covered mosquito, either

[Stevenjhow]

I pulled the baffle out of the end of my stock can and love the sound it creates! It's not obnoxious loud, but you will definately hear it's presence. Plus it lets the true rumble from the Hawk out. I am not sure of any performance gains, but the sound is nice

[dagus]

its a v twin. i like to see the harley guys hear my bike look over and see that its not a harley

Yeah, I love that!

Also... for me, I can't hear the engine go through the gears with the stock exhaust. I shift by sound, rather than taking my eyes off the road to check the tach (which I've now taken off, but that's another story) simply because that's how I bought my Hawk (came with flow-thru pipes) and that's how I learned (first bike).
I took another lister's stock Hawk for a spin and it sounded like a hairdryer... not so nice.

Good thread!!!

btw... "loud pipes save lives" is a topic of much debate... I think it comes down to personal choice.

[MasterBates]

well logically it would but then again logically alot of people dont take a second thought to it because they are dumb/desensitized/just dont care.

[drinmotoracer]

I like the loud noise for a couple of reasons:
1) First and foremost for safety reasons... I ride in California and it is legal to split lanes so having a loud bike is good so you don't get slammed into by some stupid cager who doesn't check blindspots

2)The loud v-twin grunt of the hawk gives it a mean sound for such a pretty and gentle looking bike

[joel]

Loud pipes don't save lives,they just annoy people and give people on the fence another reason to not care much for motorcyclists - and bikers too.Doppler effect means the so called reasoning that " cagers can hear me coming" is crap.Maybe it's just prejudice but a muffled but relatively loud sportybike - that is,one with a free flowing but functional muffler, isn't anything close to as bad as the dumbasses cruising around with no baffle or packing in their can and Hardley goons.

A couple of my bikes are far from quiet:the MilleR makes a pretty good booming noise and the MZ is just flat out so stupid loud that I quit riding it any hours that I wouldn't operate a lawnmower.I'm even thinking of getting a Hindle stealth can for my Kawi to make it a little quieter.I used to LOVE loud-setting off car alarms was really funny to me...now I reckon I'm a little too old for that,not to mention my hearing wishes I was never that dumb to do things like that and ride without earplugs.

FWIW,on the relative loudness scale,an M4 piped Hawk really isn't loud at all- at least my neighbors don't seem to think so...now the MilleR or Skorpion are different stories.

[DefTrap]

What joel said.
Loud pipes do next to zero to save lives. Why do you think ambulances have flashing lights? - because most people won't hear the siren 'til it's too late, that's why.

The standard hawk pipe sounds lame IMO. Most race pipes are way over the top and, to be honest, I've found positively painful to ride for any distance, even wearing earplugs. Mine's currently running a retrofitted baffled BSM, still probably too loud if I'm honest.
My TL with Race ART pipes is ridiculously loud.

[Doc]

I have to add to the "loud pipes save lives" debate.

It is bull to think that your loud bike is better than a quiet one.

Scanning, training and experience are worth more than a loud pipe. As I have said before, people don't hear or even see me when I am driving a BIG Red Fire truck with lights and sirens. I know that truck is louder than any bike.

As for liking the sound... well that is another story.

Better flow usually means more noise. At least a Vtwin rumble is better than an I4's scream.

[MrDude_1]

anyone else ever notice the typical cruiser guy saying "loud pipes save lives" is the same guy thats riding to a bar for drinks while not wearing a helmet, wearing fashion leather if anything, and generally cant ride for shit anyway?
yea.. im sure the real reason you chose the straight pipes is for safety there guy.. lol.




anyway... loud car, loud bikes... all they do is make your ears ring, keep passengers from talking to you, and annoy everyone around that doesnt want to hear it.
one of the nicest things about my hawk is it is loud at higher RPMs, but i can lug it around the neighborhood in 4th or 5th, and its quiet enough not to disturb others..

[motorcycleman]

Loud pipes don't save lives,they just annoy people and give people on the fence another reason to not care much for motorcyclists - and bikers too.

This is very true- and it is causing probelms for motorcyclists in many areas because in some cases the sound laws are being written in response to loud bikes- targeting bikes specifically and singling out us riders for special treatment by law enforcement. Definitely not a good thing.

I happen to have a camp on lake Champlain. Just this year a float plane sightseeing business started up. Talk about noise- how about a plane taking off in front of or over your house every half hour? Or a trucker using his jake break in front of your house- much louder than a pack of harleys imo.

But it is best to use common sense and keep noise down, and if you hear that a sound law is being proposed against motorcycles try to have some political input and request that it apply to everything. (and I would include the F16's that rip outta Burlington airport with their afterburners on in that) There is a way to ride a loud piped bike somewhat quietly- and that is how I ride both of mine. If I need to crank it up and up the sound level it's there. But most of the time quieter is best, for many reasons.