Decibel (Loudness) of Aftermarket While Riding??

Decibel (Loudness) of Aftermarket Exhaust While Riding??

NOTE--The poll is supposed to state: How loud is it for you while riding on a HWY or freeway for long periods of time with an aftermarket exhaust--silencers in? For some reason the end of the sentence was cut off.

Hi,

I am interested in an aftermarket exhaust, but I have reservations. I don't want to be riding along and after 4hrs be totally exhausted and deaf because of the noise from the aftermarket exhaust. Given that I have a GIVI setup, the only viable option is the Leo Vince exhaust, which I believe is slightly quieter than the Two Brothers setup; although, my preference is the Two Brothers exhaust, but I want to keep my GIVI setup. I have been doing some reading about Decibels to try to determine how loud it is while riding at 75mph per se.

See the two links below for further details.

Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart
Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart

Two Brothers decibel at approximately 5000RPM
Two Brothers Racing :: Yamaha FZ6 Motorcycle Exhausts, Street Bike Parts, Aftermarket MX ATV Motorcycle Accessories, Exhaust Pipe, Race Exhaust Systems, Sport Bike Parts


The Two Brothers exhaust has a decibel of 101 at 5000 RPMs, which would be about 50-60mph while in 6th, I believe. The Decibel (Loudness) chart states that 90 - 95dB may result in hearing loss with sustained exposure. It also states that OSHA Daily Permissible Noise Level Exposure at 101dB is a maximum of 2hrs, and the NIOSH Daily Permissible Noise Level Exposure at 101db is 1/4hr or less.

The stock exhaust is 86dB at 5000RPM, and the Decibel (Loudness) chart states you can be exposed to that level of noise 6+ hours a day without possible complications.

I guess my question is, when you are riding are you hearing the full 101 dbs or is some of the noise lost since you are speeding forward, and it is behind you? I don't want to be deaf after 2hrs of riding with an aftermarket exhaust. When I have rode with my stock exhaust for long periods of time, it wasn't the exhaust noise that bothered me some much, although it was there, but rather the wind noise because of the OEM windshield directing all the air right at my head.

The following really helped me understand the possible noise difference. The Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart,' states that an increase of 10dB is perceived to be about twice as loud, and an increase of 20dB is perceived to be about four times louder, which means going up 15dB (the approximate difference between an aftermarket exhaust and the OEM exhaust) would be perceived as 3Xs as loud.

Thoughts and more specifically, how loud is it for you while riding on a HWY or freeway for long periods of time? Have you ever wished the OEM exhaust was back on during these times?

Thanks in advance for you comments and feedback.

NOTE--The poll is supposed to state: How loud is it for you while riding on a HWY or freeway for long periods of time with an aftermarket exhaust--silencers in?

Why not just ride with ear plugs?

If i were following you I'd say you have a valid point, but you're likely getting more damage from wind noise through your helmet if not wearing ear plugs.

Long distances - ride with ear plugs or use a Sena etc so you can listen to music.

Problem solved

I have the Leo Vince exhausts with the silencers and "It's a bit noiser than OEM exhaust". But over a long haul, I haven't really noticed because the noise is behind you and going away from you. You'll notice a sound difference, but for me, it was not a big deal. I like the sound much better!

I've only ridden about 3.5 hours long distance and like FinalImpact said, I had more wind noise than exhaust noise.

At or around 50-55mph I hear more wind noise then exhaust noise. Above 55mph, the only time I hear the exhaust is when I go WOT. I think you'll find that to be true except in the most extreme cases.

Even with a stock exhaust, if you are concerned about your hearing, wear ear plugs. Wind noise inside most full face helmets is going to be 90dB or above.

One of my long time hobbies is audio, audio equipment, audiophile, so I try to take care of my ears. I've also been riding since I was 9 or 10 (I'm 51 now!!). I wear ear plugs quite often but not all the time. I still hear very well up to 15Khz and as low as 18hz.

You probably don't want to be too cavalier about this, but still, you can't go through life sweating the small stuff.

FWIW: I voted"The noise from an aftermarket exhaust doesn't require ear plugs; I don't experience hearing loss." because The exhaust is not why I wear ear plugs, it's the wind noise.

I voted for earplugs. I wear them because of wind noise. Like others have said.

I had to go with "did not notice a difference."

While riding on the highway, you don't really hear the exhaust, just the wind.

I wear ear plugs every time i ride (atgatt), but it is not due to my exhaust.

The problem with the poll is that you put down earplugs due to exhaust noise, but a lot of people are going to select it due to them wearing them anyway due to wind.

It is going to throw off your poll due to it making it look like the exhaust is really loud when it truly is not.

At highway speeds when your bike settles into a constant rpm you end up hearing the wind more than the exhaust... That's the way it is with my V anyways... And my fart cannon is a bit louder than the two bros so I think your safe... Earplugs +1 for long trips... Wind noise is fatiguing


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i wear ear plugs, but because of the wind noise, not exhaust

I have Akropovics on mine and I wear ear plugs cos of the wind noise of my helmet. I have noticed a definite increase in exhaust volume when taking the bike from home at 1,800m above sea level to Cape Town at the coast.


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Wow, thank you all for your votes, but more specifically your comments. I am surprised to learn that the wind noise, for most people, out weights aftermarket exhaust noise. Unfortunately for me now, I want to buy an aftermarket exhaust. The possibility of an aftermarket exhaust causing too much noise was holding me back, but you people have squashed that concern.

I know for myself, I was astonished by how much noise the wind created when going on my first long trip, which was at fairly high speeds--speed limit 80mph. I had a hard time hearing after 2 & 1/2hrs and realized that I had to change my windscreen for sure and maybe possibly use ear plugs in the future when going on long trips.

I bought the Cee Bailey windscreen, which has helped a lot, but it has its pros and cons. The big con is there is limited air flow behind the windscreen now, so air doesn't flow through my chin vent in my helmet, which means fogging happens easier. The other con for me is, I bought the 22inch, which means the wind is now directed right at my visor, so I still hear all the wind noise. I aired on the side of caution when I bought the screen, which is what Cee Bailey suggests when you order your screen size. I should have bought the 24inch. The pro is it really settles the air behind the windscreen; so, when I lay on my tank, it is really quiet--minimal wind noise.

Thanks again everyone for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated. It's going to cost me $600-$800 though. lol...

Never laid on my tank but for more than a mile. Save your ears and get used to plugs. The #1 reason, you will be more alert to everything around you if your ears aren't shut down from ringing. Plus it'll bite you later in life.

A short ride around town where I never break 50mph, maybe plugless. But pretty much always have them in and it bugs me if one doesn't seal right. I pull over and fix it. My daughter bought me box of 80, rated at 32db! :thumbup:

Haven't installed an aftermarket exhaust yet, but plan to. Leaning towards Scorpion or Two Bros. w/DB killers.

I wear ear plugs all the time (unless I forget them). I find I can "hear the engine and transmission better" with ear plugs in. Maybe they kill wind noise and high pitch whine more or something.

- Mark

With the new exhaust on my sv1k i can definitely hear it on the freeway lol. It sounds like a mean Harley. I also ride with a sena and music but i find on the freeway the sena in order to overcome my exhaust has to be turned up. The high volumes cause high pitched sharp snare hits. Sooooo i might be joining the ear plug club soon I just want to find some disposables that only lower the decibels a few db and not so much that i can sleep LOL.

Also my exhaust is only a few days old so im also not used to hearing it yet. Its got an amzing sound to it but i get nervous starting it in my back alley in the mornings haha.

+1 on the highway earplugs thing... its the wind that I get most, and I have a full custom exhaust (suppahh loud)
around town I usually dont wear earplugs (my commute to work is ~2 miles) but almost always on the hwy.

do all slipons have inserts to reduce db while town riding? i have m4 cf slipons, do these have one and if so how do i remove it

What????????

kennedyted said:

do all slipons have inserts to reduce db while town riding? i have m4 cf slipons, do these have one and if so how do i remove it

Click to expand...

Not all of them come with DB killers. I remember seeing some posts about people buying universal ones from Europe though


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ear plugs on long journeys are a must! it will make the journey so much easier as the wind noise on the highway leads to fatigue.
i wear ear plugs on long spins and they seem a doddle compared to shorted spins without the plugs is like being in purgatory :Flip:

And as the pld saying goes 'loud pipes save lives' :thumbup: