RyanK
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2008
- Messages
- 370
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Cleveland, SC
Do I love to ride? You betcha! I’ve averaged ~900 miles per month for a little over 2 years on this bike now (same for my Katana for over 2 years prior). I have a 2 Brother’s exhaust on my ’07 Yamaha FZ6 and love it! I’ve heard that “loud pipes save lives” but never really ridden a loud bike, and used this excuse to help justify the expensive purchase. Personally, they are borderline excessively noisy, but I’m really enjoying them. Louder exhaust isn’t all about sound though, it changes the way the motorcycles feels, and your mental perception of the bike while riding, making the whole riding experience that much more enjoyable. At least for me, and I’m sure for at least some others.
I completely understand it’s not for everybody. Are there times I wish it were quieter? Sure, especially 2 up with my wife in the mountains, although the extra power would be missed. If it were a dead simple slip-on I’d swap it back to stock for those rides, in all honesty.
I also understand that there is “tastefully loud” and “excessively loud”, which seems to be a fine line for many. A baffle-less Harley definitely qualifies as excessive in most books. Even a stock exhaust can be excessively loud if you’re running 10,000 rpm for the quarter mile between stoplights..
So, do loud pipes save lives? Or just upset the neighbors & cagers? Many who are reading this will never have ridden a loud bike, or even ridden with a loud bike. To those I ask, “What leg do you have to stand on?” To those who ride loud bikes, I welcome your opinions, along with those who have experience of riding with friends whose bikes are loud.
Prior to the install of my slip-on’s, cagers were pulling out in from of me or, more commonly, changing lanes into me way too often. Every week or 2 I would be restraining myself from telling somebody how to drive, with at least one heart-stopper per month. I’ve now put ~6,000 miles on my bike with the loud exhaust, and I’ve not had a single person cut me off or pull out in-front of me! Am I relying on this pipe to save my life? Absolutely not! I ride as alert as ever watching for cagers. But how can someone deny that loud exhaust doesn’t help my presence be known, especially with the data above? People are always looking when I ride by. Even if it is a look of disgust, at least I’m being noticed!
As for those upset by my loud bike, sorry, but if my close-calls are reduced this significantly, you’re just going to have to deal with it. At least you noticed me didn’t you!?!?! My neighbors haven’t complained, but I’m not trying to make them mad either. On a well carbureted bike, and especially on the new fuel injected bikes like mine, it is easy to ride a loud motorcycle “quietly” through a neighborhood without disturbing the peace.
I completely understand it’s not for everybody. Are there times I wish it were quieter? Sure, especially 2 up with my wife in the mountains, although the extra power would be missed. If it were a dead simple slip-on I’d swap it back to stock for those rides, in all honesty.
I also understand that there is “tastefully loud” and “excessively loud”, which seems to be a fine line for many. A baffle-less Harley definitely qualifies as excessive in most books. Even a stock exhaust can be excessively loud if you’re running 10,000 rpm for the quarter mile between stoplights..
So, do loud pipes save lives? Or just upset the neighbors & cagers? Many who are reading this will never have ridden a loud bike, or even ridden with a loud bike. To those I ask, “What leg do you have to stand on?” To those who ride loud bikes, I welcome your opinions, along with those who have experience of riding with friends whose bikes are loud.
Prior to the install of my slip-on’s, cagers were pulling out in from of me or, more commonly, changing lanes into me way too often. Every week or 2 I would be restraining myself from telling somebody how to drive, with at least one heart-stopper per month. I’ve now put ~6,000 miles on my bike with the loud exhaust, and I’ve not had a single person cut me off or pull out in-front of me! Am I relying on this pipe to save my life? Absolutely not! I ride as alert as ever watching for cagers. But how can someone deny that loud exhaust doesn’t help my presence be known, especially with the data above? People are always looking when I ride by. Even if it is a look of disgust, at least I’m being noticed!
As for those upset by my loud bike, sorry, but if my close-calls are reduced this significantly, you’re just going to have to deal with it. At least you noticed me didn’t you!?!?! My neighbors haven’t complained, but I’m not trying to make them mad either. On a well carbureted bike, and especially on the new fuel injected bikes like mine, it is easy to ride a loud motorcycle “quietly” through a neighborhood without disturbing the peace.