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The guy that lives behind me, leaves his house at 5:00 every morning. For some reason he has to let everybody know he has a bike. He bought a HD a few years ago, his first bike, he put these real short pipes on it, loud just doesn't describe the sound of these things at 5:00 in the morning in a quiet neighborhood. I guess the laws have changed, not for the good either. I started riding in the early 70`s. I remember back then, you had to have mufflers on your bike, and you better not let the cops hear you if you mod. the pipes.They would pull you over. Seems now anything goes. Loud is not cool. I like to hear the engine, for more reasons than one.
Yeah this is a problem and it gets the rest of us in troubles.
If that guy was my neighbor I might go stuff his pipes in the dark of night with taters and seal them in good with epoxie glue. He'd be a little late for work I bet.
Location: Butler County Ohio and Winters in Florida
929 posts, read 2,722,039 times
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My 2 cents.
Excessive noise from motorcycles in most states is illegal. Some states have decibel ratings and some have very general laws that talk of modified exhausts. IMO most of the noise comes from Harley Davidson motorcycles. They sale alot of bikes but they also seem to be modified the most.
Most riders can not ride their 100% stock bike to it's limits therefore there is no reason to open up the exhaust. It comes down to an enforcement issue also. As a motorcyclist I am against loud pipes. On road or off, it has, and will be a problem for a long time. Why would someone think it would be legal to remove a muffler and put on a straight pipe? If I did that to my wife's new minivan what would happen ? Cars and motorycle have noise limits.
What would happen? You'd have a very loud minivan!
I agree with your argument in general, although being able to ride a bike to 100% of its capacity with stock exhaust is a bit beside the point. The point is consideration for others. I like the sound of a healthy engine as much as anyone, but that doesn't mean totally unmuffled.
Somewhere I posted here that there is engine related reasons to swap out exhausts. In the case of a Kawii Nomad, probbly all vulcan line bikes, but I am not certain, and speak only of the injected.
There IS No Means to adjust basic fuel mix. None NADA, no way josie.
You are forced to buy a fuel modual chip set, which the after marker is more than happy to profit on. If you buy that you may as well buy a better intake set up and a better breathing exuast set up to.
The Nomad is a 9:1 comp enmgine that should run on regular, but pings stock even on high test, probably because hi test is watered down with ethenol.
Running any engine that pings is just bad news. That ping is a gremmi with a chisel and big hammer, gas checking parts of the engine that really don't like to be gas checked.
Now the surprise for me and twice for both my 01 and my 06 Nomad, plus many more I modded for people whon pay me is that not only can I run 87 octane regular with 0 ping, and get more power, but I go farther on a gallon of gas.
The EPA has forced the fuel mix at least on the Nomad to be so starved that the engine is doing harm to itself for just idleing.
I paid for my bike not the EPA, so they can go pound salt.
I just wish the EPA wasn't trying to break Newtons Laws.
If there is any Govt agentcy we DON'T NEED it is the EPA.
Sound, yeah most all after market pipes make more sound, but most of them are still legal. A Nomad with the VH Baggers on it beats the db level by a few points, so it's legal.
Another reason aftermarket exisits is that long before this generation, many generations of men who drove and rhode moddified engines. It's an American thing to do.
I've found car drivers are more likely to notice you if your bike is loud.
That said everything is stock on my bike.
I crossed the USA both ways and other than a whisper quiet bike I kinda disagree. If you are behind a car they really don't hear you and or know you're there. I don't think they care if you are there really. I have had a lane 'shared' my people I saw looking at me and they don't care.
Your best bet is to consider you're invisable to them, and ride accordingly.
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