[ This will also be published on the site; written by the Editor of Dirt Rider Magazine for RideStealth/LoudSucks . ]
Blow My Horn.
I've got a reputation for having an ego that is loud, so I don't need my pipe to sound off for me. I have a few real good points on why loud pipes are for idiots and I dare you to challenge me on it. First, I'm like 99% of us riders out there, meaning that I hardly use my bikes power to its full potential. That means there is usually more available if I just twist the throttle farther. Why do guys put louder exhausts on their bike in the first place? Because they want more power. Well keep the quiet one and twist the throttle farther. Check your throttle position next time you ride and think about it. It is that simple. Plus any tuner knows that a properly tuned quiet pipe can put out MORE peak power. The delivery is what suffers. Again, twist that f-ing throttle farther and shut up!
Some more enlightened or educated riders may claim they want more snap. Truthfully a loud pipe accomplished this quite easily. By freeing up the flow you gain an increased rate of rpm increase, and this is where most riders feel they are getting more power, where in fact they are just feeling snap. Typically the snap and delivery of a current motocross bike pops about as much as a tire is willing to bite off for you under most traction situations. Upping this increases wheel spin on all but the most skilled riders, so you are not really going faster, even though you may feel you are. Take some lap times, I dare you. Off-road this is an even larger problem as traction is even more of an issue, so upping the power, especially on the bottom, accomplishes little. Well it helps tear the crap out of technical trails, but that is a whole another issue. And back to my original point, if you want more power, and snap, twist the throttle farther and then use the clutch. Because if you are so slow and have so little control of your bike that you need the initial twist of the throttle to get you out of trouble, I suggest a riding class. Even on the most corked up of bikes, I can, with a twist of throttle, get the front end to come up. You say it doesn't have enough power on the bottom and it stalls? Learn to use the clutch, or better yet, if you were riding faster (which is easier with a quiet pipe, time yourself anyplace, I dare you) this issue would be a mute point. And I wish it were.
There are plenty of other arguments; most revolve around riders not wanting "the man" coming down on him and his machine and being free. You know I sympathize with you and being free is what being an American is all about. But about 99% of the non-riding public wants to be free of your loud noises, wherever they are and whatever they come from, motorcycles or not. Another part of being an American is living in a democratic society where we have the right to vote. Well do the math and you'll see that if it were put to a vote, you and your noise would be out. Just don't let it get to this like it has in some places (Riverside County, Millsap’s' Training Facility, etc.) Keep it quiet. Out of sight is out of mind most of the time and being noisy just gets people looking.
I'm the last guy to ever say "less sound equals more ground". I know the first guys to put mufflers on their bikes in the early 70's. I ride with these guys and they tell me about all the places they used to ride. Sound was hardly the issue that closed most of the places they rode; it has been urban encroachment and the rise of radical environmentalism. But for the most part those trends are being addressed as much as possible. The latest trend is sound and its past time to get it under control before the perception of a motorcycle is firstly a huge noise disturbance, like it used to be a "druggy biker".
So if you’re this far into this I have one last point. Think of how mad you’d be if you couldn’t ride your bike any more. You’d be so pissed you’d be willing to do anything, maybe even break the law and just do it anyways. Well, this is how mad our opposition is in this fight and they are using that motivation to get rid of you and your bike. Think of how mad you’d be. Imagine the desire and anger. Feel how driven you’d be and how nothing is going to stop you from doing what you want. They are pissed and they are using it against us. It is pretty simple to keep it quiet and it won’t get to this!
Jimmy Lewis
Editor Dirt Rider Magazine
Blow My Horn.
I've got a reputation for having an ego that is loud, so I don't need my pipe to sound off for me. I have a few real good points on why loud pipes are for idiots and I dare you to challenge me on it. First, I'm like 99% of us riders out there, meaning that I hardly use my bikes power to its full potential. That means there is usually more available if I just twist the throttle farther. Why do guys put louder exhausts on their bike in the first place? Because they want more power. Well keep the quiet one and twist the throttle farther. Check your throttle position next time you ride and think about it. It is that simple. Plus any tuner knows that a properly tuned quiet pipe can put out MORE peak power. The delivery is what suffers. Again, twist that f-ing throttle farther and shut up!
Some more enlightened or educated riders may claim they want more snap. Truthfully a loud pipe accomplished this quite easily. By freeing up the flow you gain an increased rate of rpm increase, and this is where most riders feel they are getting more power, where in fact they are just feeling snap. Typically the snap and delivery of a current motocross bike pops about as much as a tire is willing to bite off for you under most traction situations. Upping this increases wheel spin on all but the most skilled riders, so you are not really going faster, even though you may feel you are. Take some lap times, I dare you. Off-road this is an even larger problem as traction is even more of an issue, so upping the power, especially on the bottom, accomplishes little. Well it helps tear the crap out of technical trails, but that is a whole another issue. And back to my original point, if you want more power, and snap, twist the throttle farther and then use the clutch. Because if you are so slow and have so little control of your bike that you need the initial twist of the throttle to get you out of trouble, I suggest a riding class. Even on the most corked up of bikes, I can, with a twist of throttle, get the front end to come up. You say it doesn't have enough power on the bottom and it stalls? Learn to use the clutch, or better yet, if you were riding faster (which is easier with a quiet pipe, time yourself anyplace, I dare you) this issue would be a mute point. And I wish it were.
There are plenty of other arguments; most revolve around riders not wanting "the man" coming down on him and his machine and being free. You know I sympathize with you and being free is what being an American is all about. But about 99% of the non-riding public wants to be free of your loud noises, wherever they are and whatever they come from, motorcycles or not. Another part of being an American is living in a democratic society where we have the right to vote. Well do the math and you'll see that if it were put to a vote, you and your noise would be out. Just don't let it get to this like it has in some places (Riverside County, Millsap’s' Training Facility, etc.) Keep it quiet. Out of sight is out of mind most of the time and being noisy just gets people looking.
I'm the last guy to ever say "less sound equals more ground". I know the first guys to put mufflers on their bikes in the early 70's. I ride with these guys and they tell me about all the places they used to ride. Sound was hardly the issue that closed most of the places they rode; it has been urban encroachment and the rise of radical environmentalism. But for the most part those trends are being addressed as much as possible. The latest trend is sound and its past time to get it under control before the perception of a motorcycle is firstly a huge noise disturbance, like it used to be a "druggy biker".
So if you’re this far into this I have one last point. Think of how mad you’d be if you couldn’t ride your bike any more. You’d be so pissed you’d be willing to do anything, maybe even break the law and just do it anyways. Well, this is how mad our opposition is in this fight and they are using that motivation to get rid of you and your bike. Think of how mad you’d be. Imagine the desire and anger. Feel how driven you’d be and how nothing is going to stop you from doing what you want. They are pissed and they are using it against us. It is pretty simple to keep it quiet and it won’t get to this!
Jimmy Lewis
Editor Dirt Rider Magazine
