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Poll: How Do You Feel About Loud Pipes?

22K views 80 replies 54 participants last post by  KBear 
#1 ·


'Loud pipes save lives' and 'the louder it is the faster it is' are all phrases you’ve probably heard before, but for a lot of people – particularly the non-riding public – loud exhausts prove to be obnoxious. Which camp do you find yourself in?
Read more about the Poll: How Do You Feel About Loud Pipes? at Motorcycle.com.
 
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#33 ·
Loud bikes

We live on an elevated (hill) area, about 1 - 2 miles from interstate highways.
(N.H. Rt's 89 & 93) Separated by a lot of trees/woods.
Last night while enjoying our back yard from our porch, all we could hear was loud Harleys, and such, echoing across the countryside. Sounded like they were right out front of the house.
We listened for a while, when there was a distant "thud" followed by tire screeching. Things got kind of quiet for a while, until the sirens of fire trucks, and ambulances.

Bike week in Loudon N.H. is coming up mid June. They must be fine tuning their exhausts for the big event.
Hope the thud was not a bike!

Quite is my vote, FWIW
 
#36 ·
Well . . . I don't believe aftermarket mufflers add significant power increase across the rpm spectrum in comparison with OEM mufflers; certainly, with nominally stock engines.

As to, weight-saving, a few pounds to a 400+ pound motorcycle won't produce significant handling improvements, nor mass reduction, seems to me (a half-gallon less fuel in the tank will do the same weight reduction).

Now, as to noise . . . just sharing my own experience: My WINGS muffler (made in Silesia) is lighter by far than the OEM muffler, and sounds GREAT, on my KTM690! Don't know if it has the "db" core, or what, but . . . it sounds good, WITHOUT objectionable loudness.

Someone lusting for muffler weight reduction, and sonorous, lilting (but discreet) sound for their KLR650 might consider WINGS. Reportedly, great customer service and prompt shipping from darkest Silesia.
 
#38 ·
Hmm; never heard of Wings nor did a google search get me anywhere.

On the rest, the hp increase may not be huge but it does exist. Your addition of the word "signficant" saves you! :)

Silencer swaps are only ever tested with the appropriate jetting changes which also include airbox mods so it's difficult to quantify. This one is a bit optimistic compared to most but FWIW; https://www.klrchris.com/ It's my belief that the "stock silencer makes the most power" mantra is urban myth. little power, sure......not much for the extra money? absolutely. None or a negative amount? I call BS....at least for the decent units.

....and to the weight; well it may only be 6 lbs on a 400 lb motorcycle, but it's high up and combined with other weight saving "low hanging fruit" (like a 9 lb lighter battery) starts to add up. I've pared off 25lbs on my KLR's.....AND I've stopped myself from overfueling so I'm routinely running 40 - 50lbs lighter than I used to. VERY noticeable offroad.....particularly when you have to pick it up. All those Gen2 owners cruising the slab with panniers, top boxes, huge windscreens and coffee cup holders won't care! :grin2:


YMMV

Dave
 
#49 ·
interesting.... I will look into it. I want to use this bike to do scouting(So I don't beat the 1 ton up on the back roads unless I have to pull an animal out).

The KLR Is perfect for the task... I can legally take it down the back roads roads... then punch out down the cut lines into areas that I want to scout on foot.. but not walk 10km to get to from the MSR.
 
#50 ·
I hate to say but,,I started my pipe mods by taking out the tweeter center tube,,sounded a bit better but still kindof sewing machine like. Then I saw a vid of some guy who cut open an entire klr stock exsaust,,and I couldnt believe how choked the flow is at the back of the pipe. Looked on the web a bit and saw a vid of a guy who installed a glass pack from the connector back 1/2{next to rear brake fluid tank} and it was a nice sound,,but will he burn valves? Sounded like a Ducati,,nice low thump rumble.Im thinkin of tryin something similar
 
#51 ·
You could do that; a few issues with that solution though;

- weight; the main reason I went with an aftermarket silencer on my KLR's was to save 5-7 lbs. A glasspack or other automotive muffler will likely be much heavier

- Spark arrestor; without a spark arrestor you are illegal on most trail systems in the US and Canada.

- USFS compliance; tied into the spark arrestor issue, the USFS stamp allows you to ride in areas that are inspected.


....those are the biggies though worrying about routing and connections so you don't melt stuff (especially the airbox) are also issues.

My suggestion is to keep it stock or use a good known silencer like the LeoVince X3 or the Lexx if you're on a tighter budget

2 cents,
Dave
 
#53 ·
Loud pipes on a Ducati v-twin are awesome when you rumble through a bridge-tunnel in like, Mobile, AL or Norfolk, VA. Harley loud pipes are just obnoxious. Headers and cammed motor on a LS2 GTO, like I have, are always awesome. Loundness from a Honda Civic is annoying. Loudness from a KLR 650 is....I don't really have a judgement there.
 
#60 ·
It's amazing how many motorcycles need to be constantly revved at stoplights to keep them from dying. I'm glad mine idles dependably..........

Loud things in public spaces are nothing more than a blatant display of the owner's disrespect for those around him/her whether it be an extremely loud motorcycle, a Honda Civic with a Homey Pipe, a Glasspacked "superchipped" Dodge Ram or any vehicles with a thumping stereo you can hear and feel from 2 blocks away even when they have their windows rolled up. Or, most annoying of all, a motorcycle with a stereo blasting loud enough to overcome the sound of the loud pipes.....

It comforts me to believe there's a special place in Hell for people like this: forever subjected to a deafening and never-ending loop of Minnie Riperton's Loving You. and Starship's We Built This City.
 
#61 ·
This is my first KLR, and I love it stock quiet. That said, I have had 9 Harleys, and 3 beemers. Beemers sound terrible loud. Harleys, ( that's part of the napolian syndrome).
The only time I wish I had very loud Harley pipes when I was going through Hartford CT on my quiet beemer. 2 lanes no where to go, and this nice old lady in a big cadilac, just starts moving over to my lane, THANK GOD, they put loud horns on beemers or I would have bean a splat on the jersey barrier. The campgrounds I go to love my stock KLR. My last Harley, I put the stock slipons back on, and got all kinds of crap from the bad to the bone croud.
Ill post a pic of my klr and my last Harley.
 

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#62 ·
Good horns are only used occasionally.

Loud exhausts annoy most other people MOST of the time, that is part of the reason for the creation of the EPA OEM manufacturer noise limits, other people.


On another note, people gripe about the KLR seat. I'd think that HD seat would make one say "Ouch" by the 1st intersection. :)
 
#65 ·
I did upgrade the KLR horn though. I love the bike quiet, but love a loud horn. On the beemers, they sound like a loud old caddie.
As far as a low hard seat goes. Its no difference than if one sucks at sports, and gets to ride the bench all the time. Or putting a lot of time on a wooden bar stool. We could add a lot of time in church on the wooden bench also.
Its the curve of the seat that makes it cool and comfy. Like the old metal tractor seat with all the holes in it to drain water and cool/air the bottom.
Sooner or later, ill come across a good uphostery person and make the KLR seat low and cool, looking, instead of just low, now.
 
#66 ·
Im 38, when i was in my 20s and had a chip on my shoulder, yea i liked loud straight pipes on my harley. Even had a few Honda 4cyl with loud pipes. But these days not so much. I do have the FMF pipe on my KLR, but it was there from the guy i bought it from. I like it, not to loud, gives abit of attitude i guess. (still have a bit o'hooligan in me)
I am my fathers' son and we havent ever been able to leave someone stock. unless, its a classic.
 
#72 ·
I friggin hate loud pipes. If you are any kind of decent rider who is aware of what's going on around you, you don't need to tell the world "I'm here!" It's called defensive driving.
Yes, I know that every car out there is trying to kill you, but really?
I've had multiple people tell me that they appreciate how quiet my KLR and Versys are.
rant over.
 
#73 ·
Valentino Rossi asked Yamaha to make his bike quieter so he could better hear what was going on around him. Yamaha indicated he'd lose a couple of hp. He said he was faster when the bike was quieter. And...he was. Not that I'm Valentino Rossi...
 
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