Why are Harley's so loud?

[Fritzo]

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.

...and he was definitely single

 

[Vdubchaos]

...and he was definitely single

Actually he wasn't.....well, I guess you can say he was married to a ex stripper.

So yeah, he was single.

:biggrin:

 

[pauldun170]

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.

http://motorcycle-vermont.com/the-effect-of-motorcycle-type-on-braking-distance/

A safer assumption would be based on owner demographics. Inexperienced men with bigger wallets than riding experience.

 

[Zenmervolt]

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

Which, naturally, is why cars, which today typically weigh between 3,500 and 4,500 pounds, are always flying out of control...

My ~600 pound Harley will brake from 60-0 in ~110 feet according to figures published in Cycle World. ~124 feet for the models with only a single front disc instead of the dual discs. That's not unsafe by any stretch.

I get that a supersport will post better numbers than my Sportster, but a 4.5 second 0-60 and a 114 ft 60-0 stopping distance aren't even close to being sluggish. As long as the rider is paying attention and not trying to ride outside his limits or his bike's limits, he's going to be fine.

ZV

 

[JulesMaximus]

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.

:thumbsup: True. Just not my bag I guess.

 

[WilliamM2]

Which, naturally, is why cars, which today typically weigh between 3,500 and 4,500 pounds, are always flying out of control...

Of course cars have 4 larger tires, and larger brakes in general. And they take a lot less skill to stop quickly, and are more forgiving of mistakes. Even if you do lock up the wheels, they remain upright.

 

[pauldun170]

Of course cars have 4 larger tires, and larger brakes in general. And they take a lot less skill to stop quickly, and are more forgiving of mistakes. Even if you do lock up the wheels, they remain upright.

Lock up the wheels?
I don't think anyone buys a Harley without ABS nowadays.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Lock up the wheels?
I don't think anyone buys a Harley without ABS nowadays.

Is it an option on Harleys or is it standard? Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would not want ABS on a street bike. All BMW motorcycles come standard with ABS and many Ducatis do too.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Of course cars have 4 larger tires, and larger brakes in general. And they take a lot less skill to stop quickly, and are more forgiving of mistakes. Even if you do lock up the wheels, they remain upright.

That's nice. Now please address the substantive portion of my post which you have conveniently ignored.

ZV

 

[pauldun170]

Is it an option on Harleys or is it standard? Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would not want ABS on a street bike. All BMW motorcycles come standard with ABS and many Ducatis do too.

Standard on their high end bikes, optional on others I think.
I don't think you can get it yet on their entry level bikes.

 

[WilliamM2]

That's nice. Now please address the substantive portion of my post which you have conveniently ignored.

ZV

You mean you need me to point out that a 4.5 second 0-60 is VERY sluggish for a motorcycle? I assumed you really knew that already.

 

[WilliamM2]

Lock up the wheels?
I don't think anyone buys a Harley without ABS nowadays.

I didn't realize they all had new bikes. I see many older cruisers all the time.

 

[Zenmervolt]

You mean you need me to point out that a 4.5 second 0-60 is VERY sluggish for a motorcycle? I assumed you really knew that already.

I see you're still ignoring the substantive points. When you have a point make it. Otherwise, I think we're done.

ZV

 

[WilliamM2]

I see you're still ignoring the substantive points. When you have a point make it. Otherwise, I think we're done.

ZV

My point was obvious. Lighter bikes stop and handle better in emergency situations. It was right in my original statement.

 

[BoberFett]

Lighter bikes also look like ass and are driven by bros with more money than brains. Sorry, but I stopped wanting to do wheelies down the freeway on a neon green piece of plastic at 160mph when I was 6 years old.

Look at us! We're douchebags!

Cruisers with loud pipes over assholes driving dangerously? I'll take the cruisers any day.

There, now that we've got the stereotypes out of the way...

 

[hanoverphist]

You mean you need me to point out that a 4.5 second 0-60 is VERY sluggish for a motorcycle? I assumed you really knew that already.

youre high.

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/technical/200801perfindex.pdf

4.5 sec for 0=60 isnt super fast, but its far from the slowest out there. there are a good amount of bikes under 4 sec, but the list gets much shorter the closer to 3 you get. and compare that to cars, that 4.5 looks very good. especially compared to the weight ratio.

my stepdad has a 105 ultraclassic factory trike. they are HP limited from the factory to meet some states standards, so he dumped 8 or 9k into redoing the top end to recover that HP/TQ. its a fast trike, for sure. he has gone through 7 or so different pipes to find one that sounds decent (not really loud, but good) and didnt sacrifice performance. i think he has some one-off ceramic lined pipe on now that gave him a good boost. he has wasted cash on so many dynos i told him he should have bought his own.

 

[Greenman]

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.

I don't know where you get this stuff. 60 to 0 in under 110' is pretty good stopping, for anything.

 

[Zenmervolt]

My point was obvious. Lighter bikes stop and handle better in emergency situations. It was right in my original statement.

Yes, and a Lotus Elise stops and handles better in emergency situations than my Volvo, but only a complete idiot would suggest that the Volvo is somehow a death trap because of that.

What you've stated isn't a "point;" it's a knee-jerk reaction devoid of substantive thought about what causes most accidents. It's based on the faulty premise that sportbikes stop faster (you can see from the MC News link that there are stock Harley Sportsters that stop faster than CBRs), and on the equally faulty premise that the variation in stopping distances from bike to bike is large enough to be a material factor in accident rates.

The idea that "I can better avoid an accident in X vehicle," while technically correct, ignores the fact that in 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of accidents the vehicle's capabilities are NOT the limiting factor. No matter what every 16-year-old boy with a sportbike may claim, accidents on the street are simply NEVER caused by the vehicle being insufficiently maneuverable. It just plain doesn't happen.

What does happen is the vehicle's operator fails to properly pay attention to his surroundings and lets himself get surprised. While I've never seen a person get into an accident because the bike couldn't maneuver, I HAVE seen inexperienced kids drop a sportbike because it was too twitchy for the kid to know how to handle it.

Bottom line, you have clearly not given any substantive thought to the fundamental causes of motorcycle accidents and the longer you talk the more obvious you make it that you are painfully inexperienced as a rider.

ZV

 

[WilliamM2]

Bottom line, you have clearly not given any substantive thought to the fundamental causes of motorcycle accidents and the longer you talk the more obvious you make it that you are painfully inexperienced as a rider.

ZV

I have 43 yeas of riding experience, 33 on street bikes.

I originally responded to a post that said weight disappeared after you get moving, which is ridiculous. You seem to think that physics don't apply to bikes. I never said that a heavier bike was a death trap, just that a lighter one will handle better. Keep denying it if you like, it's okay with me.

 

[pauldun170]

I have 43 yeas of riding experience, 33 on street bikes.

I originally responded to a post that said weight disappeared after you get moving, which is ridiculous. You seem to think that physics don't apply to bikes. I never said that a heavier bike was a death trap, just that a lighter one will handle better. Keep denying it if you like, it's okay with me.

What bikes have you owned?

 

[Leyawiin]

stock they aren't that loud... except nearly every Harley owner is a douche bag that thinks being loud = being cool, err wait, they'll claim = safe, but they're wrong.

I bet the 50s+ crowd of Harley owners with loud pipes, always bitch about them kids with the loud stereo's

I don't think I've ever seen a Harley being rode by anyone under 40. They're like the Buicks of the bike world.

 

[BoberFett]

I don't think I've ever seen a Harley being rode by anyone under 40. They're like the Buicks of the bike world.

That's just plain stupid. I know lots of people under 40 who ride them, and even more people under 40 who have other brands of cruisers.

Crotch rockets are for morons and frat boys, in my experience. 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS YO!!!