Do loud pipes save lives?

Fixed with a non-word.

You're not going soft on us are you?

I have the stock muffler on my imaginary bike and have had no problems with motorists...no more than what I encountered in my small car.

Yes, exactly what I meant.

My "issues" had to do with being immature, and selfish as a kid, it had nothing to do with pipes loud or quiet.

I remember how so many people walking around would look at me when I had loud pipes. It finally dawned on me that "the look" wasn't admiration, respect, or jealousy, it was annoyance, hate, and them wishing I would get run over by a truck. I'm not the brightest BB in the box and I figured it out, unfortunately way too many riders are dumber than average or just don't care.

This explains it for most.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/254815/we-have-had-it


http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/254813/brub-brrub-brrrrub


http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/254814/were-turning-some-heads

Exactly! We all pay in one form or another for that selfishness and eventually it will lead to legislation that restricts our rights. Snowmobilers saw the writing on the wall years ago and self-policed for the most part before it was too late. Smokers didn't, and look what happened to their "rights."

Ain't that the truth! Leave it to South Park. Gotta luv 'em.

So you're telling me that my K1200R which produces ~140rwhp, is performance limited by the stock exhaust? A full tune with aftermarket pipe and PowerCommander barely nets over 150rwhp, a whole 7% gain. HOLY COW! WTF am I thinking, I now have to go out and spend big bucks on a full exhaust plus a custom fuel map, dyno tuning, etc. With the new parts I can enjoy sub 10sec 1/4 mile acceleration and also annoy anyone within earshot, plus burn more fuel to boot.

The only reason that I could possibly see for replacing the stock exhaust on my bike is to get rid of the catalyst and reduce weight.

cheers,
melby

Some people like to screw with their bikes and get all they can out of them. Harley crowd probably screws with there bikes more then the other brands.

Guys have been hot rodding there cars, since they came out of Detroit.

I'm guessing you are talking about paying their mechanic to bolt more chrome turds on their Harley Fergusons.

Granted, lots of Harley riders don't work on the rides. But on average more Harley riders wrench then metric. Look Dennis Kirk or J&P catalog, you can build an entire bike.

Go on a Harley forum, they will be talking cams and heads. How about here?

So I wouldn't poking fun, its the metric crowd that takes there bikes in, to have the tupperware removed.

Can you open up a catalog and rebuild the engine of your bike?

A little different than:

Assuming that your 7% number is correct it certainly does not = 0 (as in "no performance limitations"

Besides I have read it is fairly easy to squeeze and extra 10% out of it. You may not want to and that is fine... Nobody needs to IMO but the bike is choked up a bit from the factory.

Honestly, no, i can't open a catalogue and rebuild the engine of my bike. I have yet to find a catalogue dealing specifically with a War Dept. 1942 Norton 16H.

Did traditional hot-rodders build their cars from a catalogue? Nope.

Dammit. you guys keep sucking me in to replying. I need to quit reading this thread.

So exactly which performance metric is being limited by the stock, EPA compliant, exhaust and induction systems? Is it maximum speed, 0-60 acceleration, 1/4 mile time, 70-100 roll-on? Would it even be possible for a mere mortal such as myself to even tell the difference between 140rwhp and 150rwhp? I know for certain that the bike would be louder; maybe I could then claim that I was opting for safety with the full race exhaust, induction mods and power commander.

cheers,
melby

What about your new bike? It just proves that people are wrenching on Harleys.

Unlike the guy below, Harley riders tend modify there bikes more. The lure of Harley is they are easy to work on. I don't know to many metric guys that even change there tires let alone rebuild the engine.

Yes, those things. First thing to do is maybe to a auto class at a vocational center near you.

Tell us again about your ride down the haul road, it's been a few minutes

Are you a union painter? That brush is pretty big you're painting with......

I don't need to, my legend lives on.

So do you wrench on engines? Modify your stuff?


Even my Magna I rejetted. Warmed up better after that.

I can go online and get everything I need...

You and me both...

Can't speak for the other but I have been working on cars and trucks for over 30 years. Motorcycles just a few years. I never take anything I own to a mechanic unless it's absolutely necessary. I wouldn't consider re jetting and bolting on another exhaust pipe as "wrenching" though. That's pretty simple stuff...

I have a quiet, stock exhaust. However, in the last week I noticed TWO kids preemptively cover their ears when they see me. It really pisses me off that some jerk has left an impression on the kids and parents that all motorcycles are loud.

Also, I've been working with a group of riders in NYC for more than two years to try and persuade communities and city gov't that motorcycles are good and should be encouraged. Frankly, I'm just about out of hope. Every time I see a guy on a chopped out bike making a racket, I feel like any progress I have made is being unmade.

Never mind that those guys ride when the sun is warm, and only about 1-3k miles / year, and that I commute in on bike every day, all year (16k miles / year). People don't hear me. They only hear/notice the guy making an ass of himself.

So, when you ponder "do loud pipes save lives" you have to weigh the possible benefit to one rider against the possible cost/consequence to every other rider. That's why I try to tell any riders I speak to that, for better or worse, they are representing all riders.

Maybe we should start another poll to see what is considered wrenching. Changing jets is a far cry from rebuilding an engine.
The only things done to my new bike are a few farkles added on. Fortunatly when i bought it, it had a reasonable amount of power and won't need a rebuild annually. Unlike a harley. I'd like to see some stats as to how many hoglettes actually do their own work. probably 80% of the guys i hang out with can and do thier own work. But most of them are "Whitworth" guys. My wifes 1957 Triumph Tiger Cub (which won first in her class) was completely restored from the ground up by yours truly, with the exception of chrome and a cylinder bore. Would that be considered wrenching? Does that make me "cooler"? I f@#king hope not!