Engine Sound

[Zorlac]

A 100hp electric motor doesn't make a lot of noise but oh baby.

Turbines spin up rather innocuously but oh baby.

I was at a bike fest in Wildwood NJ where they had a loudest pipes contest that I couldn't quite fathom, let alone get near, so I asked a guy we rode with if he thought that a "most HP least noise" contest would outdraw a "most noise least HP"..... no was all he said.

I kinda like the George Jetson feej sound, but you're right, a Busa running through its power band does sound pretty intense.

 

[tripletango]

Best sounding bike? Definitely the attack bikes in the new terminator movie, no whining there.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

The 'aural quality' of motorcycles is no small matter. Potential sales are directly related to the sound (noise) the bike makes.

At one notable brand the dealers are forced to remove (many of) the govt. mandated legal mufflers before even selling (some) bikes.

The more noise motorcycles make = the stricter the regulation and enforcement.

A 100hp electric motor doesn't make a lot of noise but oh baby.Turbines spin up rather innocuously but oh baby.

I kinda like the George Jetson feej sound...

A way long time ago I attended a motorcycle road race where one of the fastest bikes on the race track was the (then) new Suzuki X-6 Hustler -- with its big complicated but well designed muffers, it was by-far the quietest...!

 

[TechJunkie]

Lots of factor play into how an engine sounds. Ever hear a v8 that sounds like a v6? Depends on how you tie the exhaust tubes together. Cam profile also make a difference, one of the "nicest" sounding motors I have ever heard on the street was a big cammed HD. Man that thing had an awesome lope to it. The R1 and Busa are tuned for higher rpm power, probably have bigger cams in 'em.

On the flip side when I was installing my Holeshot header I ran it without the mufflers, sounded pretty fierce then.

I so wish you had that on video! My son and I just talked tonight about what the FJR would sound like with open pipes. That would have to get the neighbor's attention and the friendly constable as well. B)

 

[C&C]

This may be an appropriate answer as well: "Speak softly and carry a big stick". Yeah, I like that philosophy a lot.

 

[v65]

I so wish you had that on video! My son and I just talked tonight about what the FJR would sound like with open pipes. That would have to get the neighbor's attention and the friendly constable as well. B)

I did it in my small garage, I guess I'm old 'cause it was loud. I almost immediately put the Holsehot cans on, didn't really see much of a difference. :huh: I was very glad I bought the DB killers.

 

[Big Sky]

One significant difference here is Yamaha did a superb job of damping out intake honk; perhaps the airbox is a little smaller, too, since the FJR only has to pump air at a max of 9,000 RPMs as compared to an R1s...what?...14K? My Blackbird had quite a lot of resonance from the intake. My GSXR 750 has more intake than exhaust noise (same rear-wheel maximum HP as the FJR). My new 1000 V-Strom has very noticeable/audible intake pulses, almost a "popping" at certain RPMs. My guess is you're not hearing induction sounds with the FJR, but are with the other big bore, high-RPM, freer-breathing "sport" bikes - that "throaty," almost nasally, sound described earlier.

 

[ionbeam]

...Yamaha did a superb job of damping out intake honk; perhaps the airbox is a little smaller...the FJR only has to pump air at a max of 9,000 RPMs...My Blackbird had quite a lot of resonance from the intake...1000 V-Strom has very noticeable/audible intake pulses...

The air intake has to pass the volume of air that the engine requires at full throttle. It is not a smooth flow though, the air flow oscillates and the oscillation rate varies with speed. The air box is a Helmholtz resonator that has been tuned for each intake/engine/exhaust configuration. On the one hand the air box can be tuned to kill intake noise, and on the other can be tuned to reinforce some pressure waves actually increasing air flow beyond normal viscous flow. When the box is tuned to reinforce resonance it is possible to see 10-15% boost in pressure, though it will be in a narrow band.

On the flip side there is a strong faction on this Forum that drill, cut and/or remove the air box all together and accept what ever noise change happens. This also adds lots and lots of horsepower and vastly improves 1/4 mile times. Word.

 

[Crash Cash]

One significant difference here is Yamaha did a superb job of damping out intake honk

Not on mine!

I got a Cee Bailey's +6+4 with flip, and I was able to go without earplugs for the first time in years. However, my bike had a very loud and very annoying whistle/hollow moan/vacuum cleaner sound coming from the left side of the bike, and it was bad enough to give me a headache after an hour. One weekend I removed all the screwed-on plastic intake garbage over the air filter except the cover itself, and the sound is gone. Now it has a sort of electric motor whine and the tire noise, and that's it. Much better!

 

[UselessPickles]

Lots of factor play into how an engine sounds. Ever hear a v8 that sounds like a v6? Depends on how you tie the exhaust tubes together. Cam profile also make a difference, one of the "nicest" sounding motors I have ever heard on the street was a big cammed HD. Man that thing had an awesome lope to it. The R1 and Busa are tuned for higher rpm power, probably have bigger cams in 'em.

On the flip side when I was installing my Holeshot header I ran it without the mufflers, sounded pretty fierce then.

I so wish you had that on video! My son and I just talked tonight about what the FJR would sound like with open pipes. That would have to get the neighbor's attention and the friendly constable as well. B)

Here's a video of the stock header and no mufflers:

 

[MojaveFJR]

I personally LOVE the stealthiness of the Feej. People often comment on it after they have been passed in the canyon about how quiet it was, "like getting sweet whispers in the middle of the night".

:blink: