Originally Posted by JnT4Life

One of the best things about a Vtwin is the sound. Now that being said, I don't like obnoxiously loud pipes either, but stock is just too quite.

Originally Posted by hcmiller92

I recently bought an immaculate 1997 FLHTCUI with 18K, thousands in chrome and a good service record.

I love this bike, except for one thing: the exhaust system would raise the dead. It is some aftermarket brand and not a straight-through, baffleless design but still makes - for me - an outrageous amount of noise. I need to wear earplugs whenever I ride it. As I write this, my dealer is swapping those pipes out for stock.

My question is, it appears to be a regular practice of H-D owners to swap out stock pipes for even louder aftermarket, or Screamin' Eagle pipes. My '04 Sprortster was the same way.

My question is "why?" I don't think the answer is a simple "different strokes" or "individuality." Not even getting into the "loud pipes save lives" (for which no evidence exists), these noisemakers alienate non-riding neighbors of mine and yours and seem to do nothing for performance.

I bought my Ultra-Classic for comfort and touring. I ride 25,000 miles a year. I also own 3 late-model BMWs. I am accustomed to power, speed and nimble handling. An FLHTCUI, no matter what year, has none of these. It is what it is, and I like it for what it is, but nothing I'm going to do is going to make an 800 pound bike fast. My R1200S is a 1200cc opposed twin (I love twins, hence the Harley) and it has more torque and hp than an FLHTCUI in a 450 pound body - with 1/3 the noise!

Getting back to my question: why the noise? The power doesn't come close to justifying the racket.

Thanks,
Curt

Originally Posted by SteveUltra

Sometimes a BMW guy or two will ride with us and they are not all like that, I got nothing againts BMW's or BMW guys, just something against asshats that want to come on here and talk sh@t.

I guess I am just a "good ol' boy"

Originally Posted by karz10

I'm sure we'd all get a warm reception if we went into a bmw forum and asked questions in a condescending manner about the stereo types of their riders!

That aside, there are many legitimate reasons for it, but not everyone likes the loud pipes, and for those that do, they all like different levels of loud.

As part of a complete modification of some sort, higher intake breather, higher outflow exhaust, and remapping of EFI, to many people is setting it up RIGHT, what the government won't allow HD to do directly these days. Some get better mileage this way, better performance, and find themselves w/ a cooler running, more efficient engine, but YMMV

Some think loud pipes draw more attention to them, which may actually help others notice them, from a safety perspective. I have heard riders before I saw them, and not always from 'obnoxiously' loud pipes, just like I've heard big trucks or muscle cars sometimes before I saw them.

People and things still get hit by trains on occasion, even though there are TRACKS everywhere that trains go, and in many cases signs and signals notifying you of the train, imagine how many people would be killed by trains if they made NO noise. Matter of fact, our stupid light rail has only been up about a year and is already killing people.

Aside from that, things take on a personality, and in some minds, a preconceived notion of what they should look like and sound like. The human mind naturally correlates repetitive attributes about an object or person and assigns stereotypes to it, or him/her.

Ever see that full blooded Asian comedian w/ a deep Texas accent? Catches you off guard the first time. Ever see a big guy w/ a soft voice, or meet someone w/ a deep voice over the phone and then see them in person and they're 85 lbs soaking wet?

If you saw a Prius w/ flames coming out the back and a roaring engine, would you not think something was wrong w/ that picture?

If you like muscle cars of old, you probably like a little rumble in the exhaust. Some prefer headers and straigt pipes like they're at the drag strip, others prefer a milder rumble of glass packs or something that they can still drive around, but very few people that like hot rods try to put the quietest exhaust possible on them, right? Even though some modern techically advanced imports might outperform some muscle cars in certain aspects. Like even a built out hot rod of old may not keep up w/ a porsche in the twisties, but that's not what it was made for.

I see Harleys the same way. Some like to tour w/ them for thousands of miles, some like to bar hop, some like to stare at em in a garage or a trailer, but they're still Harleys, and enough people have seen enough Harleys that have louder pipes and appreciate that for whatever reason, and emulate that in their own rides. Others like Harleys but choose not to go that route.

I don't see why that is so hard to understand, or why anyone would want to condemn what some feel to be a positive trait about a well known machine.

Take that atypical response and shove it up your quiet pipes, sir. Have a nice day.

Originally Posted by hcmiller92

You know, I'm talking about real PAIN from my pipes. I'm talking about ringing in my ears for 1/2 hour after getting off my bike.