Well, as much as a cheat it is, I'm happy that those bikes can go quiet on slow (city) streets but as loud as possible on the highway (increase security and swag).
It's not true this helps on the highway. In my car, which has double glazed glass, you can't hear a bit until it's right outside the window.
When I'm walking along with the dog and kids, an open pipe Harley riding past is particularly not safe, because it scares the crap out of them.
One idling Harley is louder than a thousand idling Volkswagen diesels.
I despise loud pipes, just frigging hate them. But I live in deer country (Santa Cruz mountains) and I've hit a deer at speed on the GS (did not wipe out, lifted the front end and had my front tire hit it square in the hind quarters, spun the deer around, I dropped the front wheel down and did a very shaky coast to a stop. My hands were shaking like a vibrator on steroids).
After that experience I really wonder if loud pipes would have scared the deer off. I tend to doubt it, I've not installed a louder pipe, but it's made me less pissed off at the loud pipe people. Not a lot less pissed off, but some.
BTW, shoutout to the Ninja 250 and especially the 500 version. I had two of the EX500's and those were by far my favorite sport bikes. Lots of torque, could pull any 600rr off the light (yeah, the 600 was blasting by me 2/3rds of the way down the block, but do you really want to ride a sewing machine? I don't. Loved my 500 twins.)
On a motorbike all it takes is a bump,and, you have to be lucky not to end up in hospital.
Btw in no way im for window rattling. However, EURO4/5, I would not be surprised if my vacuum cleaner was louder
I understand the point you are trying to make, and perhaps I wasn't very clear in my off-hand comment. I agree that overly loud bikes are annoying, however, as I stated before, sound is a necessary evil[0].
Do I believe that motorcycles should use straight pipes and increase their sound output? NO, in fact its quite annoying. However, louder bikes will get your attention.
In fact, in reference to [0], there is a standard that some vehicles had to INCREASE their decibel output because of less risk to pedestrians. This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison as this study was mainly geared towards electric vehicles, but it did state that vehicles should have an output of ~ 55dB for pedestrian safety (page 102).
Secondly, I couldn't find good stats on motorcycle decibel output, but I did find a study of some motorcycles and their average output[1]. What I learned is that most bikes are fairly equal with regard to output and all are at, or above the, legal limit[2].
I took a single bike you pointed out `Honda CBR250R` and was curious how the noise output performed to a Harley: `Honda CBR250R`: [3] - With dB-Killer fitted: 86 dB @ 4,250 rpm - Without dB-Killer fitted: 94 dB @ 4,250rpm
2006 Softail Standard 1,400 cc: [4] - 97 decibels at idle - 102 decibels at cruising speed - 111 decibels revved
So what it appears to me is that most motorcycles are `roughly` the same decibel output and that having a vehicle that outputs sound to make yourself known to other riders is beneficial. Should you be increasing the sound trying to be cool? No, I don't think so. In fact its annoying when the 5 Harleys are sitting outside my window on Friday night revving their engines to be "cool".
[0] - http://www.motorcycledaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Qu... [1] - http://audiologyworld.net/img/rnhposter.pdf [2] - http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXI/266/266-59-a.ht... [3] - http://www.autoevolution.com/news/honda-cbr250r-gets-street-... [4] - http://lic.abateflorida.com/Library/Library/cycle_news__nois...
That's not a good statement. Just because a number is logarithmic does not make sound logarithmic...Here is a video that shows two different exhaust with similar dB output: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax6W-V9bsmg
As a side note, opening a can of coke will record 101.5 dB from one meter away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAd2BUB6XqQ
> Two, you are comparing factory exhausts on the Harley meant to comply with noise regulations with top of the line aftermarket race exhausts for the Honda (which is probably as loud as you could make the Honda without removing the pipes entirely). They are not anywhere near each other - and the data in [1] really makes that point,
Honda are subject 1 and 3, Harley are 5 and 6.
Subject 1 - 105 dB A, Subject 3 - 99 dB A.
Subject 5 - 101.8 dB A, Subject 6 - 106.7 dB A.
The two Hondas are not the same one you mentioned in your original post, However, stock exhaust is 72dB at idle and 86dB at half throttle on Honda CBR250R. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2013/03/article/2013-honda-crf...
With the level of acoustic engineering that goes into modern vehicles specifically to block out external noise, combined with radio / in car entertainment, relying on other drivers being able to position you from audio is a bad idea. Now if bikes were to be fitted with cell phone jammers, that I could get on board with.
its the cagers that are the problemo, thus the comment
(FWIW, I hate loud exhausts)
Electric vehicles are sustainable, motorcycles are death traps that can't be made safer (said as an ex-owner of a Katana, and both a Yamaha R1 sport bike and Roadliner cruiser).
I'll be happy when motorcycles are electric, and therefore silent. If your vehicle can't carry you safely without being unnecessarily noisy, then it just shouldn't be on the road.
When the answer is 'ban it' there is something wrong.
I also agree that you don't have to make your bike EXTRA loud to be noticed but there is a perceived safety in sound. And if majority of the sound is exiting towards the back, there might a point to be made that the decibel level should increase to "hopefully" make the person in front of you aware.
All my bikes are quiet, even my Buell (relatively speaking). I have installed extra loud horns on them and I'm not afraid to use them. That's what horns are for: to say "I AM HERE", nothing more, nothing less. Save your engine for moving the bike forward, not making all of us bikers an anathema to civil society.
However, as I answered in a response to one of the other commenters, sound is an essential element in bringing awareness to yourself.
`All my bikes are quiet, even my Buell (relatively speaking)` - From what I've found in my short research is that most bikes are in similar decibel level output (within similar engine capacity) and that they are all fairly loud. Clearly there's something to that.
But I degrees, I never meant to say that you have to be extra loud to be an ass, I was merely pointing out that sound is an element of awareness, like your horn or the headlight.
I dont like loud bikes driving by and waking them up :-/
I didn't meant that you had to be extra loud or replicate the idiotic behavior of our neighborhood bikers. I was merely pointing out that loud sounders are safer. I had a more detailed reply above.
So right, too much noise = bad. Just enough sound = maybe good.
You make a valid point "... implying that drivers have less need to perceive small bikes...or other cars, apparently."
As I stated above, but will re-iterate because its a valid reply here, there seems to be a necessary of roughly 55db produced by a vehicle to ensure safety for pedestrians and other vehicles. [0]
My initial comment was incomplete: it's not okay to have an extra loud bike to be "cool", however, it is important to have a high enough decibel output that other people can hear you. Most bikes produce similar dB off the manufacturing plant for a reason and electronic vehicles are required to output more sound to be safe.
So no, i'm not implying that drivers have less need to perceive small bikes or other cards. I'm implying that all vehicles should produce the necessary decibel output to bring attention to themselves.
[0] - http://www.motorcycledaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Qu...