louder exhaust system

[charismaticmegafauna]

<snip>I like the added sound my Holeshot slip-on exhaust give my FJR, but they are relatively tame in the great scheme of things. At least compared to the fukin open pipes that most of the dimwit cruiser crowd run. For a lot of sound on the FJR, you will need to remove the catalytic converter by purchasing either the Muzzy or Holeshot header system combined with their louder slip-on exhaust. That will definitely get you some sound. Not as much as the open pipe V-Twins, but more than many around here can stomach.

Sounds like the alchoholic pointing to the guy further down the bench and saying, "He's a lot worse drunk than me." So, is there an acceptable decible level for 'noisy'? My FJR mufflers say 80db on them and have some legal jargon stamped on them. Seems to me noise is noise -- if the Feds and Yamaha agree what sound must come out the mufflers; then all the noisy scofflaws are doing is inviting more restriction, harrasment, and regulation. To the detriment of the rest of us legal riders.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Most around here feel the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" claim to be utter and total ********.

We also believe that helmets actually save lives, unlike many of the "Loud pipes" set.

What's this we stuff? You got something stinky in your pocket? Please don't presume to speak for me just because I'm a member of this forum.

 

[SkooterG]

Sounds like the alchoholic pointing to the guy further down the bench and saying, "He's a a lot worse drunk than me." So, is there an acceptable decible level for 'noisy'?

You make a good point. I was waiting for someone to make that argument.

All I can say is my comments are based on my own subjective judgement. I know I can definitely say that I, and even many I know, are not bothered *some* exhaust note that one gets from many aftermarket mufflers/slip-ons, even including Harleys. But the trend that I have personally observed is that more and more bikes seem to subscribe to the "louder is better" mentality and have no limits when it comes to how loud they make their bike. It's almost like a competition or pride thing. More motorcyles on the road, aftermarket exhaust being more popular on those bikes, and REALLY LOUD exhaust being the standard adds up to big problem IMHO. It's not just the occasional loud bike out there like it used to be years ago, they are EVERYWHERE now. And if it is pissing me off, no doubt it's pissing off the cagers in droves.

Back to your original point. I make a very subjective judgement of how much noise is ok, and how much is not, based on my own internal reasonable meter. I think it tends to fall into the middle. It's ok if you don't agree. I'm not trying to make anyone subscribe to my views.

 

[Tropical FJR]

I think he has got the message by now.....

 

[FJRottie]

The only people that hear them are those behind you, and they aren't the ones you need to worry about

+1

Don't get me wrong, I love the sound of a nice engine, I enjoy a nice rumble.

Some things sound great with a throathy roar, to me. I have had all kinds of bikes and I still have a love for rigids with a nice exhaust, because I like to hear the engine. There is excessive as well.

The phrase "loud pipes save lives" is a bit of a laugh, because only those Cagers behind really hear it.

All the Cagers infront or beside don't really, unless you are in stop and go, slow, or downtown traffic where everyone can hear everything around them anyway if the stereo is not cranked.

Freedom lets you buy what you want. Nice exhaust sounds nice...to me

Excessively loud, open pipes ruin it for everyone and smacks any bikers image because of the general view of the non-biker who lumps us all together. Excessively loud pipes also belong to those "look at me" types who think people give a rat's ass. Noise pollution is bad, but where is the line.

Anyway, that is my rant. Holeshots are cool IMO, but just can't do it yet.

 

[kballowe]

Gee, what was the original question? Something about adding "loudeners" to a FJR. OK.

Assuming that you're looking at a fuel injected model, you will probably need some sort of fuel management. They're rather lean these days..... and opening up the exhaust will lean them out even more. Power Commander comes to mind here. Then open up the intake......K&N filter.

Check out the web for companies that sell slip-ons for the FJR. Give them a call and see what they say. Most are very happy to talk to you.

Good luck on your quest and let us know how it works out.

 

[mike25]

How about a "Baffelectimy"?

 

[worldbound4now]

Funny how the initial poster has not commented. My two cents, loud pipes kill people. Especially when I'm in my car enjoying some calming music and some f'n queer bait maniac idles up beside me in a wife beater shirt, jean shorts, and a t-shirt with a skull cap for a helmet, rattling my brain in my skull. All I want to do at that moment is cut the ******* off and get rid of that noise. Safer... my ass. Think about the increased incidence of road rage these days. Why provoke people like me. I get equally as mad with my shopping cart at Walmart when the toothless PWT (poor white trash) gets in my way just to gawk at the cheap auto accessories while I'm searching for my Rotella T.

 

[SkooterG]

Funny how the initial poster has not commented. My two cents, loud pipes kill people. Especially when I'm in my car enjoying some calming music and some f'n queer bait maniac idles up beside me in a wife beater shirt, jean shorts, and a t-shirt with a skull cap for a helmet, rattling my brain in my skull. All I want to do at that moment is cut the ******* off and get rid of that noise. Safer... my ass. Think about the increased incidence of road rage these days. Why provoke people like me. I get equally as mad with my shopping cart at Walmart when the toothless PWT (poor white trash) gets in my way just to gawk at the cheap auto accessories while I'm searching for my Rotella T.

Dude!

You need to relax and have a beer.

With me. Cause I feel the same way. Especially about those inbred relatives of Twowheelnut's at Walmart. That's why I don't carry.

 

[worldbound4now]

With me. Cause I feel the same way. Especially about those inbred relatives of Twowheelnut's at Walmart. That's why I don't carry.

I'd meet you tomorrow if the drive wasn't so boring. Heading to Page, AZ instead. As my favorite porch resident old people used to say, "Thank you for your support"

 

[TruWrecks]

If you want the cars behind you to notice you, try a brighter and modulated tail light. People need to see you long before they hear you. By the time they hear you, you're already in serious trouble if they didn't already see you.

Try this one.

FJR Brake Lights

The blue stripe that scrolls up is from my camera. It can't adjust fast enough to capture the flicker effect of the brake lights. People really notice it from a distance. Cars also back off when I tap the brakes. This setup is more than 2 times brighter than the stock brake lights, and it uses 1/3 of the power. B)

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Most around here feel the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" claim to be utter and total ********.

We also believe that helmets actually save lives, unlike many of the "Loud pipes" set.

What's this we stuff? You got something stinky in your pocket? Please don't presume to speak for me just because I'm a member of this forum.

+1

I owned a cruiser and the hardkrome pipes on it got a nice mellow sound with some carbon buildup. People generally liked the sound. And my wife to this day says riding the FJR isn't as fun (her opinion, obviously not shared by most here) in part due to the lack of the mellow notes on the cruiser.

But the reason I replaced my stock pipes was because I was tired of deer started in front of me, beside me and everyplace else. When I went around a curve and a deer's nose missed my handlebar by less than a foot. I switched. In 8000 miles afterward I never saw anything but deer running away.

Just my experience, and I personally hate loud brassy pipes in close quarters like inner cities where sound reverberates. But mellow, louder but not obnoxious pipes sound like music to me.

Now it smells funny that the original poster never defended himself, so it was probably meant to be inflammatory. My post isn't. Merely a different perspective.

 

[kballowe]

It's interesting to me the completely different opinion on pipes I'm finding on this forum (as opposed to a "cruiser" forum). I'm new here so I'll listen for a while.

I really don't blame the initial poster for not responding. He asked a question and got "beat down".

 

[Bounce]

Naw. he tossed chum in the water and left.

 

[raclow]

It's interesting to me the completely different opinion on pipes I'm finding on this forum (as opposed to a "cruiser" forum). I'm new here so I'll listen for a while.
I really don't blame the initial poster for not responding. He asked a question and got "beat down".

Did your previous bike have loud pipes, or you may still own it? Certainly, you can cut your pipes off and ride your new 07 like a cruiser. If that is the case, why buy a bike that is so much quieter? You couldn't possibly need more HP on the FJR. SO. the loud pipes won't make a big enough difference to make the thing sound like a cruiser bike.

The original poster was concerned about a NEW purchase of a quite bike that no one could hear in a car. If that is one of his biggest concerns...concerned enough to post it on this forum...then my thought is this "he has a lot of other things he needs to consider before he purchases a new bike...FJR or other". Yes, people add slip-ons to their bike to add a more deep or throaty sound to the bike. I believe the bike sounds just fine with the stock pipes.

IMO...when a person has these loud pipes, it is a "look at me thing". Don't I sound bad? So, I must be bad. What is the purpose of having pipes so loud that you can't hear anything other than the pipes? It is just noise...LOUD noise. Does it add SO much HP, to the bike, that it HAS to be that loud?

 

[kballowe]

Why buy a bike that is so much quieter? Aren't they all that way? They don't get loud until you change the exhaust.

Yes I own bikes with loud pipes. (Is that "code" for 'do you own a Harley'?) :lol:

I have three bikes (currently) with Vance & Hines pipes. Yes they are loud and I like it that way. They have baffles in them, but still loud. Or are you talking about those folks running pipes with no baffles? I'm new here, so I'm not quite sure about the definition of "LOUD".

Personally, I don't want to change the exhaust on MY FJR, but the fact that there are aftermarket vendors that offer these things means that there are some that do. Can't help thinking that it would sound like a Honda Civic with a fart can on the back..... probably not, but that's the vision that I have in my head. And I agree with the horsepower thing - I'm fairly convinced that adding loud pipes to an FJR would just screw up the powerband without some extra money invested in fuel management and a couple dyno runs to get a good tune. Although I DID see a Valkyrie once with straight pipes (and baffles) that sounded like a high performance Porsche. THAT was cool.

This FJR is bike #38 for me (not counting dirt bikes). Maybe ya'all can teach me something about loud pipes. Hey - I'm willing to listen. Oh, but please try to go easy on terms like "*******", "idiot", etc. Most folks stop listening when the name-calling starts.

2007 FJR1300

2007 HD LowRider

2006 Road King Classic

2006 Road Star Warrior

1983 ElectraGlide Classic

2006 XL1200 Sportster

2005 Triumph Speed Master

2005 HD Dyna Custom

2005 VTX1300

2004 V-Star Classic

2000 YZF-R6

2000 Kawasaki ZR-7

........ and so on and so forth......

 

[BeeLine]

Slightly off topic: I’ve had several very loud bikes in my past and I now get to pay for it with tinnitus. I really wish I had known more about this in my early motorcycle days because it is extremely annoying and you never really get used to it. My tinnitus is most noticeable when the environment is quiet, like when trying to enjoy being out in the country or trying to go to sleep. And once you have it the ringing just keeps getting worse over the years.

More to the subject: I personally have stopped more than once at intersections because I heard an emergency vehicle that I could not see. Had I not heard the siren I would have rolled right into EV’s path. Most aftermarket cans will still allow you to hear sirens but seriously modified or open pipes could indeed cause a problem. Even the stock pipes on my 62 Harley XLCH made it hard to hear sirens. I know because the LEO that pulled me over said he had been behind me for a quarter of a mile when he finally caught me at a stop sign. Didn’t even hear him until he was within several feet of me.

I also think it’s a false sense of security to think that drivers will give way just because they hear you. I always assume they don’t see, hear, or even care if I'm there.

My 2¢

 

[airboss]

It's interesting to me the completely different opinion on pipes I'm finding on this forum (as opposed to a "cruiser" forum). I'm new here so I'll listen for a while.
I really don't blame the initial poster for not responding. He asked a question and got "beat down".

Naw. he tossed chum in the water and left.

and the water got choppy.

I prefer the noise on demand option

 

[raclow]

This FJR is bike #38 for me (not counting dirt bikes). Maybe ya'all can teach me something about loud pipes. Hey - I'm willing to listen. Oh, but please try to go easy on terms like "*******", "idiot", etc. Most folks stop listening when the name-calling starts.

2007 FJR1300

2007 HD LowRider

2006 Road King Classic

2006 Road Star Warrior

1983 ElectraGlide Classic

2006 XL1200 Sportster

2005 Triumph Speed Master

2005 HD Dyna Custom

2005 VTX1300

2004 V-Star Classic

2000 YZF-R6

2000 Kawasaki ZR-7

........ and so on and so forth......

Most members of this forum wouldn't start the name calling unless it was warranted. This is a pretty civil group but can be stirred up quickly.

I'm still not a proponent of loud pipes and still don't see the reason for having them. A different header or a change in cam or change in fuel management doesn't have to have loud pipes to get the effect you are looking for.

Performance is the key here....smooth, strong, sit you on your rear performance without the bike sounding like it is about to explode or come apart....

It isn't...can the people in the car hear me coming? It is...you better be watching the people in the car. :huh:

Stick around, this is a great place for the FJR. I'm sure you and I can always learn something here.

 

[Figstr]

Now it smells funny that the original poster never defended himself, so it was probably meant to be inflammatory. My post isn't. Merely a different perspective.

With all the loud pipe bashing I'd be afraid to try and defend myself too. Hell, I don't even have my FJR yet. I still have my Warrior with HK American Classics that are rather loud when I hit the throttle. I've been riding cruisers all my life and there is some merit to loud pipes save lives. Granted, not in all cases, but my pipes have gotten the attention of idiot cagers who weren't paying attention on more than one occasion. I do not plan on putting loud pipes on my FJR, but rather something more mellow sounding, without all the noise. I too like loud pipes and I have to disagree with those that say loud pipes give bikers a bad name - ********. What gives bikers a bad name are the few obnoxious ******** on loud bikes who like to rap up the throttle for no good reason other than to say "look at me being an inconsiderate dumbshit, I have loud pipes." The other group that gives us a bad name are the kid sport bikers who do stupid things in the street, rather than in parking lot or the track. So please, give ideaguy a break everyone. He's probably like me - leaving the cruiser world for the sport bike/tourer world. We both have a lot to learn and by bashing the guy, he won't want to learn, but rather be afraid to ask a question next time he has one.