look twice!!! motorcycles are everywhere!!!

[Kiltedfirepiper]

I agree with the sentiment, but do me a favor and remove the commas after 'I saw you' before you repost this anywhere else. They are incorrect and unecessary, and in the worst case change the intended meaning of the sentence.

"I saw you go home to your family"

== You went home to your family, and I saw you do it.

"I saw you, go home to your family."

== I saw you, and I order you to go home to your family.

/pedant mode off

ok two things .....

1 this was copied and pasted and posted ...I did not write this nor do I take credit for its inception and as its very long ...I really dont want to spend alot of time correcting it when it gets the point across just fine as is

2 this is a poem .....the whole thing is saying "I saw you but you didnt see me " hence the I saw you at the begining of each sentence..... I think the commas are intended as a pause.

oh nevermind


KFP

[Caradoc]

[COLOR=Navy]Its weird how some people just have a disposition of fear over a certain "look" people have when you swing that leg over a Harley.

I know a few really nice guys who just happen to be bikers.

The part I can't figure out is why companies like Harley-Davidson can't come up with a decent muffler. Namely, one that won't wake me up at 3AM when the neighbor decides to come home and rev his engine hard in his driveway across the street.

And I don't buy the "...so drivers can hear me coming in traffic" excuse. Too many cars are soundproofed better than my bedroom window, and with the stereo going they can't even hear a fire truck or ambulance, let alone the Harley rumble.

[sean_cummings]

I have been in the motorcycle business for a good number of years. I am clean cut and dont look like your normal "biker". I have noticed over the years bikers are some of the nicest, giving people around. And more than not the rougher they look the nicer they are. Most of the bikers I know would give a stranger the shirt off of thier back if they needed it.

[RK-REX]

I know a few really nice guys who just happen to be bikers.

The part I can't figure out is why companies like Harley-Davidson can't come up with a decent muffler. Namely, one that won't wake me up at 3AM when the neighbor decides to come home and rev his engine hard in his driveway across the street.

And I don't buy the "...so drivers can hear me coming in traffic" excuse. Too many cars are soundproofed better than my bedroom window, and with the stereo going they can't even hear a fire truck or ambulance, let alone the Harley rumble.

Been a "biker" for about 30 years now. I don't ride a Harley, no reason, just not my thing. My bike does however, have a loud exhaust. It's a performance modification. It's no different then putting dual exhaust with turbo/cherry bomb mufflers on a car or truck.

Keeping it quiet, now that is about consideration of those around you. When I'm riding in a residential area, especially at night, or when I leave my house at 4:30 in the morning, I keep my bike quieter than most cars. I choose to do this, just like I choose to make it scream like a banshee when I'm in an area where it doesn't matter. Even your neighbor's Harley can be quiet. Your neighbor needs to learn some respect.

Oh yeah, I agree with you on the loud pipes save lives BS. If anythign, they scare people who aren't expecting it.

[Fearnest]

The part I can't figure out is why companies like Harley-Davidson can't come up with a decent muffler. Namely, one that won't wake me up at 3AM when the neighbor decides to come home and rev his engine hard in his driveway across the street.

Actually, they can - and do. Street legal bikes being produced after 1985 come from the factory with pipes that emit less than 80db under test conditions (a specified engine RPM with the meter 20 inches from the tailpipe at a 45 degree angle, I think).

It's generally the rider who punches out the baffles or replaces the stock pipes with aftermarket pipes who ups the noise level.

A lot of municipalities are getting more active in enforcing noise limit violations. Violations as you described (the 3AM "wake up" engine rev) sounds like a neighbor who is not as considerate of others as he/she should be. Just like the big rig driver who decides to "jake brake" his rig coming into a residential area in the wee hours - but typically he doesn't live across the street from you and subject you to it over and over again.

[Caradoc]

My bike does however, have a loud exhaust. It's a performance modification.

Interesting.

From an engineering perspective, sound == energy. So, the louder an engine is, the less efficient (without the use of a muffler, which does nothing but baffle the compression wave coming down the pipe to drop the amplitude and smooth out the sine wave)

Wouldn't you get more performance out of it by tuning the engine such that more energy is transmitted to the drive mechanism than wasted going down the pipe?

That said, I can understand how allowing the exhaust to escape unbaffled would improve that side of the performance equation. Less back pressure and all.

Here in Southern Scottsdale, we get a lot of the "weekend rider" crowd. They tend to be less polite about their motorcycling habits than the every-day bikers, I think.

[RK-REX]

Interesting.

From an engineering perspective, sound == energy. So, the louder an engine is, the less efficient (without the use of a muffler, which does nothing but baffle the compression wave coming down the pipe to drop the amplitude and smooth out the sine wave)

Wouldn't you get more performance out of it by tuning the engine such that more energy is transmitted to the drive mechanism than wasted going down the pipe?

That said, I can understand how allowing the exhaust to escape unbaffled would improve that side of the performance equation. Less back pressure and all.

Here in Southern Scottsdale, we get a lot of the "weekend rider" crowd. They tend to be less polite about their motorcycling habits than the every-day bikers, I think.

You are correct on all counts. However, in order for most bikes to pass emissions laws, they are jetted very lean to reduce the output of all the bad stuff that melts the ice caps and such. The exhaust is tuned to get the most power from this lean mixture. Smaller diameter, heavier material pipes and a quiet(restrictive) muffler. This tuning is based upon the type of performance you want from the bike. Manufacturers go for all around power, which makes sense. The formula is based on the operating rpm of the engine or where it will see the most use. I forget what it is now, I have it at home, but it's something like LENGTH=250,000/.8 X rpm.

So in order to get the most power from a stock engine, which is just an big air pump, we increase the fuel intake, which requires increased air intake to maintain a correct air/fuel ratio. Normally in the form of a less restrictive air filter. Now that we've got the right ratio of air and fuel. The books say 14:1 is best, but the dyno test sheet always says that it's around 12 to 1 for best rear wheel horsepower. Anyway, now that we have determined the right amount of fuel/air that the engine needs, we have to evacuate the burnt gasses as quickly and efficiently as possible so that we can take in more air/fuel mixture. Now the larger, free flowing, light weight exhaust comes into play. A good titanium system can weigh as little as 15# where a stock pipe is around 40#. Again the length of the pipes are tuned to where you want the bike to perform. In all actuality it all has to be done at once, but you can estimate what you'll need, then fine tune the air/fuel once you've got the pipe on and are hooked up to a dyno with a exhaust gas analyzer.

I'm a torque junkie, I could care less about going 150 mph, I want to be the first to 70mph, so I normally try to find a stepped pipe that produces more low end power. For example, on the bike I ride most, a Kawasaki ZRX1200R, I run a pipe that goes from 4 pipes into two pipes, into one pipe then into the muffler.

I'm guessing with the exception of Caradoc, that just bored the heck out of everyone. LOL

Weekend warriors are bad news no matter what the event, sport, etc....

[Sciuropterus]

I know a few really nice guys who just happen to be bikers.

The part I can't figure out is why companies like Harley-Davidson can't come up with a decent muffler. Namely, one that won't wake me up at 3AM when the neighbor decides to come home and rev his engine hard in his driveway across the street.

And I don't buy the "...so drivers can hear me coming in traffic" excuse. Too many cars are soundproofed better than my bedroom window, and with the stereo going they can't even hear a fire truck or ambulance, let alone the Harley rumble.

A stock Harley from the dealer is as quiet as your car and meets EPA-mandated noise levels. Some people want a louder exhaust for it's own sake, or want more power with louder exhaust as a side effect, and undertake those modifications after delivery. Noise is also a by-product of operator input: Some people over-rev the engine and/or use engine braking more than they should. That is an issue with the operator, not the manufacturer. Revving any vehicle at 3AM is inconsiderate, blame your neighbor- not Harley.

The thing is, you need to be aware of "selective validation"- You probably only notice the loud Harleys, because the quiet ones do not register in your awareness, you notice the one loud one and the 5 quiet ones never make an impression. Once someone decides that something is annoying, they can't help but notice it. I'm the same way with car stereos rattlle my windows.

Make a deliberate effort to spot Harleys that are not annoyingly noisy and you will see them everywhere. (Unless you look in my garage- my Harley Softail is a bit louder than normal, but I make sure to keep the noise down in residential areas. Our Harley Sportster has a stock exhaust and is very quiet)

[Fearnest]

I'm guessing with the exception of Caradoc, that just bored the heck out of everyone. LOL

And me - that was great! Muitos obrigados, Rex!

[bikercelt1]

Thanks for posting this. It's one of the better versions that I've seen. This is just such a normal part of my life that I don't think much of it anymore. I just assume that every car out there is going to try and kill me. Take MSF courses regularly, be aware, don't ride impaired etc, etc.

The part I can't figure out is why companies like Harley-Davidson can't come up with a decent muffler. ...And I don't buy the "...so drivers can hear me coming in traffic" excuse.

In the infamous words of Pogo, "we has seen the enemy and he is us". I don't buy the "Loud Pipes Save Lives". I think it's just justification for the fact that we love every aspect of our machines, including the exhaust, so much that we overlook the fact that others may not share our passion. I don't think most of us want to anoy our neighbors, I think some of us just don't care about our neighbors. (I did see a version of this that was great, "Loud Pipes And Drums Save Lives - Seattle Firefighters Pipe and Drums, St. Patricks Day 2007)

Jamie