Why are Harley's so loud?

[madoka]

Last weekend, I was in walking around Fisherman's Wharf. The streets were pretty crowded because there were more tourists that weekend than there were residents in San Francisco, but there was one Harley owner who stood out because of his custom bright neon green paint job. Not only was his bike that color, so were his wheels and he wore a color matching outfit and helmet. Apparently he wasn't getting enough attention, so he decided to rev the engine a few times while stuck in traffic. I had partial hearing for several minutes after that, as did many other pedestrians I imagine. Complete asshole.

 

[WilliamM2]

There are a few, the supertrapps mentioned here can be toned down to near stock levels. I've heard others, but I don't know who makes them.

I've had Supertrapps on a couple of bikes. They are much louder than stock, bikes both ran RICHER as well, and lost power, unless you ran the open end caps. So less flow than stock, and still more noise. Don't waste your time.

 

[Greenman]

I've had Supertrapps on a couple of bikes. They are much louder than stock, bikes both ran RICHER as well, and lost power, unless you ran the open end caps. So less flow than stock, and still more noise. Don't waste your time.

I've run them as well, had a different experience. Revo motors produce more mid range torque with a little back pressure, so the supertrapps worked alright. What didn't work is the way the sound comes out of the disk arrangement, it just didn't work for me, so I went back to stock.
Right now I'm running stock pipes with the baffles drilled out, it's a very nice sound and at low rpm's it doesn't annoy my neighbors. I hope the new pipe is at least it's equal. If not, I'll have to devise a baffle arangement, as the only other option has been described as "ear splitting". I ain't going down that road.

 

[Greenman]

Installed the RoadRage pipe today, really loud. Turns out they make a quiet baffle for it, I'll be ordering that.

 

[olds]

Installed the RoadRage pipe today, really loud. Turns out they make a quiet baffle for it, I'll be ordering that.

Pics or it didn't happen...

 

[Greenman]

Pics or it didn't happen...

I'll post a pic tomorrow, don't feel like rolling it out of the garage tonight.

 

[Slickone]

I really wish law enforcement would write tickets for noise. I'm tired of being woken up at 12-1AM by my neighbor and his buds coming/going on their harleys. Getting stuck behind a group of slow-driving harleys with no way to pass sucks (and stinks) too.

Saw a post-wreck just yesterday on the highway involving an SUV and a harley. SUV had no visible damage that I saw; harley was in bad shape. Harley driver was on the ground on his stomach, not moving, in the grass with emergency personnel around him. Couldn't tell much.

 

[who?]

ALL chaps are assless. If they're not assless, they're not chaps.

 

[Greenman]

I really wish law enforcement would write tickets for noise. I'm tired of being woken up at 12-1AM by my neighbor and his buds coming/going on their harleys. Getting stuck behind a group of slow-driving harleys with no way to pass sucks (and stinks) too.

Saw a post-wreck just yesterday on the highway involving an SUV and a harley. SUV had no visible damage that I saw; harley was in bad shape. Harley driver was on the ground on his stomach, not moving, in the grass with emergency personnel around him. Couldn't tell much.

It's a shame your neighbor is an asshole, but not everyone on a noisy bike is. I'm very careful not to disturb my neighbors.

A fellow down the street has a very nice Harley, every six months or so he rolls it out to the driveway and revs the crap out of it for half an hour, then puts it back in the garage. It's pretty strange.

 

[sgrinavi]

I've had Supertrapps on a couple of bikes. They are much louder than stock, bikes both ran RICHER as well, and lost power, unless you ran the open end caps. So less flow than stock, and still more noise. Don't waste your time.

The one I had ran fine on my Ultra for 5 years. Not a single issue. Yes it was louder than stock, but not stupid loud by any stretch.

 

[Sidekicknichola]

All I can think of because of this post:
NSFWish (language)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4

 

[JulesMaximus]

It's a shame your neighbor is an asshole, but not everyone on a noisy bike is. I'm very careful not to disturb my neighbors.

A fellow down the street has a very nice Harley, every six months or so he rolls it out to the driveway and revs the crap out of it for half an hour, then puts it back in the garage. It's pretty strange.

You find those types with Ducati motorcycles too. They buy them and put them in a garage somewhere and just look at them. Then 7-8 years later they pop up on craigslist with 700 miles on them.

 

[Greenman]

You find those types with Ducati motorcycles too. They buy them and put them in a garage somewhere and just look at them. Then 7-8 years later they pop up on craigslist with 700 miles on them.

I just saw a 10 year old V-Rod like that. The fellow dumped $25k into it on top of the purchase price, only has a few thousand miles on it and he's trying to dump it for $18k. He'll be lucky to get $12K.

 

[WilliamM2]

The one I had ran fine on my Ultra for 5 years. Not a single issue. Yes it was louder than stock, but not stupid loud by any stretch.

I must admit I never used them on Harley's. My bikes all had real power....

 

[olds]

I must admit I never used them on Harley's. My bikes all had real power....

So, you never owned a Harley?

 

[sgrinavi]

I must admit I never used them on Harley's. My bikes all had real power....

I've had a couple metric cruisers, they were OK, but if were going to ride a standard configuration bike or a big bagger it would be another Harley.

Very reliable
HUGE aftermarket
Great dealer network
Supportive community
Torque

The metric cruisers felt cheap compared to the HDs.

 

[Vdubchaos]

I just saw a 10 year old V-Rod like that. The fellow dumped $25k into it on top of the purchase price, only has a few thousand miles on it and he's trying to dump it for $18k. He'll be lucky to get $12K.

I used to work with a guy that build his own Harley from parts........he was almost 100k deep into it (without counting his time).

I don't get it, but whatever floats his boat.

 

[Greenman]

I must admit I never used them on Harley's. My bikes all had real power....

The mating call of the beta male, next it will be the oil leak chirp.

I'll grant you Harleys are a little slow, my stock Harley takes almost 4 seconds to get from 0 to 60, but speed isn't what Harley is all about.

 

[WilliamM2]

So, you never owned a Harley?

No, but I've ridden quite a few. Why would I want to own one?

 

[WilliamM2]

The mating call of the beta male, next it will be the oil leak chirp.

I'll grant you Harleys are a little slow, my stock Harley takes almost 4 seconds to get from 0 to 60, but speed isn't what Harley is all about.

That is slow. But I won't comment on oil leaks, That issue went away when they started milling the engine cases in Japan and Taiwan.

 

[JulesMaximus]

The mating call of the beta male, next it will be the oil leak chirp.

I'll grant you Harleys are a little slow, my stock Harley takes almost 4 seconds to get from 0 to 60, but speed isn't what Harley is all about.

Yours is faster than any other model Harley produces by a long shot. Why a motorcycle that makes less than 80hp should weigh over 600lbs is beyond me. I have no idea why people buy them.

 

[pauldun170]

I have spent some time on Harley's (fortunately with stock exhaust) and I enjoyed every second on them.
Harley makes some really nice bikes ridden by really annoying people.

 

[pauldun170]

Yours is faster than any other model Harley produces by a long shot. Why a motorcycle that makes less than 80hp should weigh over 600lbs is beyond me. I have no idea why people buy them.

Sounds like a complaint about cruisers in general.

For the segment, it doesn't need more hp (torque, power delivery is more important). While I agree cruisers in general could go on a diet, the weight disappears as soon as you get moving.

 

[WilliamM2]

While I agree cruisers in general could go on a diet, the weight disappears as soon as you get moving.

Unless you need to stop quickly, or make any other quick evasive action to save your life.

Weight is probably the main reason cruisers have the highest number of fatalities. And 600 lbs is light for a Harley, the V-rod is closer to 700.

 

[Fritzo]

All I can think of because of this post:
NSFWish (language)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4

First thing I thought of too...probably one of my top 5 South Park episodes.

"Maybe they' can't hear us? BRRRRRRUUMMMMMM BRUM BRUM BRUM BRUM!!!!"