Do I need a louder more powerful pipe?

[XNAGEX]

Does anyone ,other than myself, find that while wearing earplugs that they can ride faster?I find that while wearing earplugs I push myself harder thus I ride faster.

 

[Dirtbike Racer 592]

I didnt read all of it :laugh: To much to read :bang: :blah: :coocoo:

 

[bikepilot]

I always wear ear plugs, but never really thought about being faster with them. Certainly more comfortable and better able to hear what the bike is doing (they filter out much more wind noise than engine noise, especailly for street riding IMHO)

 

[SpeedyManiac]

I just found that my bike was getting really loud. Found that a bolt holding the exhaust flange had gone missing. Picked up a new gasket and bolt, now the bike is really quiet.

I had a good laugh about loud bikes when I was racing my XR200R. This bike was bone stock, complete with snorkel in the airbox and baffle in the exhaust. Only modification was barkbusters and thicker fork oil. I managed to beat a lot of people on a bike that NONE of them could hear coming up on them. Only way they knew I was there was when I yelled to move over or showed them a wheel. I can't stand loud bikes, I'm still trying to think of ways to quiet my Gasser, and it's pretty darn quiet already.

 

[Dirty Di]

My advice is to do something now! Write the manufactures, the after-market people and the race organizations to demand quiet pipes. Contact the clubs and demand quiet races, repack your own silencer, and educate your friends and family. Lead by example because our future depends on our making a difference. Like Billy said, if we wait for the government to do it for us, we will not like what they do.

--© 2004 Charlie Williams & Bill Uhl. For comments or questions on this article, the authors may be reached through the BlueRibbon Coalition: 4555 Burley Drive, Suite A, Pocatello, ID 83202. Phone: 208-237-1008, Fax: 208 237-9424. Bill Uhl, Senior Instructor, OHV[/QUOTE]


My husband says there is a difference between loud obnoxious pipes and a sweet sounding louder exhaust and I agree with him. I know there are bikes that are really loud and those I could see putting pressure on but eliminating all exhaust systems because they make more noise than a vacuum cleaner is crazy. Why don't we just kick back and plant ourselves on the front porch with a cold one. I guess I don't understand anyone that would go from one extreme to the other just to say they made a difference. My bikes all sound nice and yeah, they're louder but not near as loud as some. If you want quiet, buy a sound proof booth and isolate yourself from reality because there are many things out there I consider much louder than bikes.

Dirty Di

 

[ScottS]

read this guys. It works !

http://www.dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=119390&highlight=snorkel

 

[KTM Mike]

My husband says there is a difference between loud obnoxious pipes and a sweet sounding louder exhaust and I agree with him.

Dirty Di

I too can appreciate the sound of a well tuned, "sweet sounding" bike (or car, truck etc.) but if doing so leads to loss of riding areas - it is NOT worth it.

"Loud" and "Quiet" and "Sweet sounding" are relative terms. What is "sweet sounding" to you and I may be obnoxious to someone else. Somewhere there is a point where the sound level of anything crosses a line of what is or is not reasonable. Trouble is, that point varies from person to person.

Sorry to flame on you Di - but I just gotta tell you that to essentially suggest "go loud or go sit in a sound proof booth" is just flat out irresponsible - that is what i expect from a 17 year old kid out to impress his buddy's! What is important to me is that I CAN RIDE - not that i CAN be loud!

ScottS - I to have one of those snorkles (I just added my feedback on it to the thread you posted a link to). good product!

 

[Dirty Di]

I too can appreciate the sound of a well tuned, "sweet sounding" bike (or car, truck etc.) but if doing so leads to loss of riding areas - it is NOT worth it.

"Loud" and "Quiet" and "Sweet sounding" are relative terms. What is "sweet sounding" to you and I may be obnoxious to someone else. Somewhere there is a point where the sound level of anything crosses a line of what is or is not reasonable. Trouble is, that point varies from person to person.

Sorry to flame on you Di - but I just gotta tell you that to essentially suggest "go loud or go sit in a sound proof booth" is just flat out irresponsible - that is what i expect from a 17 year old kid out to impress his buddy's! What is important to me is that I CAN RIDE - not that i CAN be loud!

ScottS - I to have one of those snorkles (I just added my feedback on it to the thread you posted a link to). good product!

I doubt there will ever come a time when you can't ride Mike and while they may be taking some areas, it really hasn't effected my family because there is a whole lot of desert out west. If I wanted a bike that sounded like a Hoover I would have purchased one but I didn't. Now, I have seen or heard of areas being closed because of environmental issues but I have yet to hear of an area that was closed due to sound. There may be some private closed course that got closed because of issues with neighbors but an open public area like BLM land or a forest, please tell me where sound alone has been the mitigating factor which closed the area to riding. Here in California we are limited to 96dbA for dirt bikes and whether you know it or not, that's loud by any reasonable persons standards. So, when they can't handle 96, does it go down to 82dbA like streetbikes and cages and if that's not acceptable do they cut it even more. Maybe we should just give up and buy electric scooters then the environmental community would be happy as would the old fart that gets his/her hearing aid pegged when a legal 96dbA bike rides by. So, at 96dbA you CAN STILL RIDE AND BE LOUD TOO........

Dirty Di

 

[KTM Mike]

Di - I sure hope I wont be impacted by loss of riding areas due to noise - so just to be safe I wont take that risk. Right now there is an issue playing out locally (Northern Michigan) that would have (potentially) OPENED up access that was shot down in part due to NOISE concerns! So noise has impacted me and my family's riding rights. (actually an expansion of a priviledge). Good for you that you and your family have not been impacted however.

You do acknowledge the legal limit of 96 dbAas being "loud" - your prior posts seemed to suggest you should be able to be LOUDER than that even. (you mentioned aftermarket loud pipes either in this post or another similar thread). Your last post seems to suggest that you are coming in at or below that limit. I am very happy to "hear" that! (pun intended!). Here in Michigan it is 94 dbA - a bit quieter. As it stands today, these both are what have been defined as that invisible "line". So I think we all need to try to work within those limits. If we do work within them, I think we reduce the chance of someone taking issue and pushing the limit lower. I would think It is the bikes ABOVE that limit (say a 102 dbA bike) that really push people to want the limit lowered!

 

[Dirty Di]

Di - I sure hope I wont be impacted by loss of riding areas due to noise - so just to be safe I wont take that risk. Right now there is an issue playing out locally (Northern Michigan) that would have (potentially) OPENED up access that was shot down in part due to NOISE concerns! So noise has impacted me and my family's riding rights. (actually an expansion of a priviledge). Good for you that you and your family have not been impacted however.

You do acknowledge the legal limit of 96 dbAas being "loud" - your prior posts seemed to suggest you should be able to be LOUDER than that even. (you mentioned aftermarket loud pipes either in this post or another similar thread). Your last post seems to suggest that you are coming in at or below that limit. I am very happy to "hear" that! (pun intended!). Here in Michigan it is 94 dbA - a bit quieter. As it stands today, these both are what have been defined as that invisible "line". So I think we all need to try to work within those limits. If we do work within them, I think we reduce the chance of someone taking issue and pushing the limit lower. I would think It is the bikes ABOVE that limit (say a 102 dbA bike) that really push people to want the limit lowered!

Mike, I can't speak for Michigan and I have had to ask a few questions before I got to my present view but lets try this. The test they use here has this little meter that sticks out from the side of the pipe and then they use another meter to know what rpm the bike is at. The problem is that the sound level where the bike is tested is not reflective of the sound the bike is actually capable of producing. My husbands Harley will make the 96 while he is riding and off the throttle cruising as will his KTM while it is just sitting there doing the test. However, neither bike will make it when he is on the pipe. The same holds true for my R6 and the DRZ. While I am just cruising they can all be pretty decent but on the pipe they can peg the meter. So, all do pass the limit but not in reality. If your bike is limited to 94dbA that's good but what is it really capable of. My point is this, noise is the responsibility of the rider and they alone control it so they can also choose an appropriate spot to be noisey rather than doing so right next to a campground or public place that is not pro riding.

This reminds me of people complaining about jets at airports and trains. Problem is they, the jets and trains, were there first and we were riding in many of the areas before some idiot moved in and wanted to change it all for their selfish pleasure.

Dirty Di

 

[motometal]

regarding your last paragraph, it doesn't really matter if the complainers are right or wrong. We are the minority. The majority rules, right or wrong. To preserve our riding areas, our bikes need to be on average quiter than they are now. We know what needs to be done, let's do it!

I have started to approach and talk with riders at our local park that have loud exhaust. Some are jerks, but surprisingly, most are very polite and say something to the effect of "I never really thought about it that way". Just talking to people like that, we can make a difference.

Heck, i'm a motorcyclist and I will admit I don't like the fact that some days I can hear bikes from my house and the riding park is over three miles away! There is no reason that I should be able to/have to hear them, they can have fun without making that much noise.

 

[12voltguy]

great read & I run the quitest pipe on my cr250 96db fmf turbine core 2, at races they see that & put the sound meter away and wave me through tech :cool:


but what did he mean " when they outlawed 2 strokes" you can still buy a new cr250......... :ride: have I missed something?

 

[smasheromalley]

Wow great read. I have never for the life of me understood why people thought loud ****ty sounding exhaust was cool.

 

[cr80rRipper]

now that im reading this article im concerned myself, about 2 or 3 times a month ill take the silence out of my stock muffler and ride the trails near my house. I usally start the bike up in my drive way and w/o the stock silencer it sounds lound but when i look to see how the people out side reacted to it and they dont even realized it happend. So my question is it ok for me once in a while to ride w/o the silencer? Because honestly is it me or does the deffining(sp) sound of a lawn mower dorf the sound of an un corked tt-r90?

 

[Okiewan]

So my question is it ok for me once in a while to ride w/o the silencer?

Why?

 

[little Loopie]

AWESOME READ :cool:

Growing up as a child my fathers main 'tick' about me owning a dirtbike was the noise issue. Even though he loved the outdoors, he didn't want to take me out with him to enjoy the outdoors and have me ripping up his peace and quiet scenic time on my DB. Kinda sucked for me as a young lad, but I understood his point. We'd be out wheeling/hunting or something and hear dirtbike's rip around un-seen for hours. The first bike he let me own was a KDX because they were the quietest DB he'd ever heard.

I'll never own a load bike because of this, we're not the only ones out there in the forrest either. Even if there is no residential house's near by. In my area, there are TONS of lakes often frequented by people fishing and camping, it's just not worth ruining the noise polution.......I like to take other outdoorsman/women's enjoyment into consideration. Also because of the abuntance of this, I can't just 'put' around these area's, they ARE my riding area's. So I gotta, by my own accord, keep it as quiet as possible.

For every 3db's added the sound pressure double's. So, if people can just take 3db's out of thier exhaust, they will efectively DROP the noise pressure by 1/2!! 3db's ain't much, but it has THAT much effect on whomever DOESN'T want to hear it.

 

[Lokair]

I have three points of veiw on this. One I was a sound guy for a lot of bands in the 90's, louder is not always better, a good sound will always sound crisp and get through a messy sound. Great bands use lots of power for thier pa's and then run them in the low range. this makes them run cleaner and will make them sound better(IE tune your bike, a ratty sounding bike will get you lots of unwanted attention even if it is quiet enuff for the specs).

Point two, I am a dragracing nut, But I like my 1970 GTO only be load enuff to be smooth running, smooth running for me has better ET's and less manteince. Now one could disagree and say top fuel is loud and they go the 1320 in the ~5 second range. This is true, But I am not John Force and my 13 second timeslips are very competitive for an all pure stock muscle car. Remember this on the trail you are not out to race and if you are racing , a uncorked exhaust should be the last of your worries unless you are (insert in your mind the best riders name here) . Be a better rider, train, learn the skills to make it to the top, 95%rider 5% bike. You all know someone who can take a steel tank 80 and whoop you on your dream machine.

Point three when have you ever known the government to make things better, if they implement a sound restriction on bikes, they will crush alot of rider trails and even open area's. Sound may not even be the reason , but it well could be the excuse.

Extra point, I am Partially deaf in my right ear, Being a bass player i n metal bands since I was 13. And having a drummer to my right side who did not know the meaning of restraint has left me saying "excuse me" to alot of people who are talking to me. Its not the end of the world , but sometimes it makes me look like a fool(missinterpratation of words has had me put my foot in my mouth more than once).
Lok

 

[OLDSCHOOL-MUSCLE]

Dirty Di you are the only person coming out and expressing opinions different to what most people have been saying here, and I agree with you 100%. I am all for responsible use of loud noises, yada yada, otherwise you encounter problems. The diminishing popularity of two strokes, loss of tracks, etc. The main argument being put forward here is that louder exhausts don't necessarily increase power or make you go faster. This in my opinion is besides the point. Most people just enjoy the sound of a louder exhaust. It's the same as cars, people put exhausts on their cars because they sound better, and I for one think theres no sweeter sound in the world than a loud V8. It's just the sweetest sound in the world, the louder the better IMO. I think it's a bit silly and expecting a lot to tell people to go and buy the quiet exhausts. I understand that there are issues of noise pollution, but if having a louder exhaust satisfies you then you should do it. Compare it to cars, whoever heard of a quiet sports car or musclecar for that matter?

 

[AssistSuper]

This is an awesome read.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy noise to an extent. I absolutely love the rumble of a loping V8 or a racecar. I enjoy the way the thumpers sound when they take off from the gate and the way the motor sounds while I'm watching a race.

I don't enjoy trying to take a nap and hearing insanely loud vehicles. I don't enjoy trying to BS with someone in the pits and having to yell in their ear because the track is packed with thumpers and I can't hear a thing.

I definately don't like the possibility of the areas I have the priviledge of riding at being shut down due to noise.

It's going to be a pressing issue especially with areas that are growing in population as the rural areas become neighborhoods.

Is my bike loud? Well it depends on how you look at it. I do have an FMF pipe and silencer on my pipe, so it's probably a little louder than stock, but the sound just doesn't carry like the thumpers do.

My next silencer will most likely be a quiet one. Is a little bit of a power sacrifice going to hurt me? No way, I don't race and I can't use my bike to it's full potential anyway. I just like getting out on the track and having a good time. When tracks start getting shut down is what will hurt me.

Would you rather have a quieter bike with more places to ride, or would you rather have a loud 'cool sounding' bike that just sits in your garage because you have no place to ride it?

 

[yz450_0506ryder]

i tried ear plugs and a mp3 player
i ride better when i hear the motor rev

 

[SVTMc-G]

Thanks for the article. I believe the idea that it's about the rider. Being a musician, if you can't play...you'll never sound good no matter how sweet your extra gear is. Same idea ith the bikes for sure. Thanks again
Mc-G

 

[Racerdude]

just a word of advice, dont try to convince a dirt track tuner that sound isnt needed. we have some of the loudest bikes of them all, but its never a problem for us because we race at tracks where cars race, and we are about 1/10th of the noise of a car race. for those of you who want to dispute that, i live 3 miles from the car track where i also race my motorcycle. every friday night i can hear the cars racing from 6-10pm (i love the sound too) i ran home this weekend to get my spare ez-up in the middle of the racing, i couldnt hear one single bike. i have down pipes on my race bikes, sound just isnt an issue for us really in our sport. after all this nonsense i just posted though, i will save face and look responsible. my trail bike will always have a stock exhaust on it, maybe even a q pipe in coming months. i ride a lot at the land between the lakes recreation area, and it has been under the watchful eye for years now. i also have a practice track outside of the city limits where i grew up. when you are in a situation with neighbors and non riders, its not an issue of power, its an issue of you having fun while respecting others that dont share the love of the sport you are involved in. what i have noticed is that since my sport takes place at designated racing facilities where people expect noise, we dont have a problem with our pipes. most motocross tracks are put on an old farm or something of that nature where people dont expect it. it all goes back to the "jet plane" analogy. if you are riding in a place where people dont expect the noise, just ride quiet. and with words from forrest gump, thats all i have to say about that

 

[THE J MASTER J]

Ok, This Is Like The Best Article Ever. I Was Looking For Loud Pipes And Posted A Forum On Here About Which Loud Pipe To Get And A Guy Kept Deleting Them And I Asked Y He Did That And The Guy Said To Just Read This Article And U'll See Y I Did That. So I Did And Here I Am Writing About How Good Of An Article It Was. I'm Def Not Gettin A Loud Pipe Now, I'm Gonna Spread This Around To Anyone Who Wants A Loud Pipe. Thanks For This Article

 

[RedStreak]

There's nothin wrong with four strokes! But if you own one you just need a good muffler

JB

 

[mxrider76]

great article i use stock exhaust when riding on trails behind peoples houses and when being sneaky