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How come motorcycle riders like the machines to be so loud?

We live on a country road and the motorcyles that go by here shake the windows, scare the horses and are just plain rude, even at 3am.

What is the deal with the loud motors?

17 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    2 decades ago
    Favorite Answer

    There are a number of reason that bikers change their pipes to ones that are louder. Primarily, it gives you more horsepower when you reduce the back-pressure on the engine. Secondly, since most drivers of automobiles are so busy seeing how loud they can play that Rap-crap, or talking on their cell phones, loud pipes let you know that the motorcycle is somewhere near you, and you just MIGHT take a look around. Safety! I agree that those riders who go blasting through a residential neighborhood after hours are rude. They can go slower, which doesn't cause such loud exhaust noises. A solution is to ask your local PD to lower the speed limit on those roads to 20 MPH, and then get them to patrol. I have a loud bike, but at 20-25 MPH, it just putts.

  • 2 decades ago

    My motocycle performs better and gets better gas mileage as well, with the aftermarket pipes which CAN make it sound a lot louder. However, you can still baffle the exhaust at the end of the pipes and reduce the noise without a negative effect on the performance of the bike. Not everyone knows that!! Simply making the exhaust louder isn't necessarily better. People who use the reason that "loud pipes save lives" are only fooling themselves. People will generally ignore loud motorcycles too, not because they can't hear them but because driving is primarily a visual task. People just don't SEE motorcycles. The reasons for opening up the exhaust to eliminate backpressure is partly true. You need to open the exhaust mainly at the exhaust ports on the cylinders where they enter the exhaust pipes. Most original equipment exhaust is very restrictive at this end and causes most of the problems. Also, a lot of the Metric bikes have canister mufflers, usually under the rear swing arm which causes several 90 degree bends in the pipes, more back pressure and adds more weight to the bike. Removing all of this usually allows a greater air flow for the exhaust allowing the engine to "breathe" better and get the combusted air out of the cylinders. However, most are "attitude" related, a chance to show off, sound cool, or to just hear the engine.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    2 decades ago

    Not all motorcycle riders like loud pipes. The ones that do have some infantile need to be noticed by others and they think that excessively loud motorcycle exhaust noise is the way to do it.

    I prefer to think that quiet pipes save riding privileges! There are too many people (Spelled VOTERS) today who are annoyed by loud motorcycles and are asking their local and state governments to do something about it. There are already several communities who have passed noise ordinances specifically aimed at motorcycles, and a few have tried to ban motorcycles altogether.

    If you want to continue the freedom to ride your motorcycle anywhere you want to go, then ride smart, obey the laws and tone down the noise, because if you don't the cops will do it for you!

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    that's an argument of ego! The look at me and spot what I extremely have. some bikers attempt to assert that loud pipes keep lives, to which there is no info or documentation. The biker must recognize the perceived possibility till now ever mounting a motorbike. The "injury document", a learn of motorbike injuries disproves the loud pipe saves lives fantasy and extremely factors out that "chopper form motorcycles" have been in contact in a severe form of injuries. Others state for overall performance, which back is greater rubbish. a motorbike will out preform any automobile on the line. normally the biker wanna be will installation pipes with none carburetor exchange and injury the exhaust valves of their motor. that's via no back rigidity on the valves and greater normally or no longer, the changed exhaust extremely shrink overall performance. extremely, that's approximately ego, selfishness, self based and screw you concepts-set. They call for rights on a similar time as treading on the rights of each and every guy or woman they rigidity previous. Loud Pipes Violate Rights - driving a motorbike is an authorized privilege no longer a superb. to boot, the noise is being projected in the back of the motorbike to boot via fact the Doppler results of sound in wave compression. Ask any Cop, ambulance driving force and fireman approximately how human beings pay interest to sirens.

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  • 2 decades ago

    Unfortunately, all motorcyclists get lumped into one group. The bikes that shake the windows and scare your horses are probably the cruiser bikes. Sportbikes are loud but don't make that "slapping 2x4's together" sound.

    None of the bikes sound like that until the owner changes the exhaust to a high performance exhaust. The benefits to the rider include:

    • Less weight. 6lbs vs 15lbs for my R6

    • Better performance due to higher flow rate

    • Louder to be noticed

    That last one is a double-edged sword for us. We DO want to be noticed by the soccer mom in her SUV on the phone eating a cheeseburger yelling at her kids while changing lanes on the freeway. We DON'T want to be heard by the law. We DON'T want to disturb residents at 3:00am. The benefit of being seen by soccer mom outweighs the cons.

    I'm sorry that the actions of a few inconsiderate people make you feel that we are all that way. I actually pull in the clutch and coast by babies in strollers and people on horseback.

    Source(s): Experience.
  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    Because you idiots obviously don't look so maybe you will hear

  • 2 decades ago

    The deal is that many motorcyclists are wannabes. They think that loud and obnoxious equals "tough" so they make their bikes loud, even when that degrades actual performance.

    Loud pipes don't save lives, or hearing. But if they're deaf, the wannabes can't hear the real motorcyclists laughing at them, either, so it's a wash.

  • 2 decades ago

    You're probably hearing dirt bikes, right? Usually stock dirt bikes are pretty quiet, but some people put after-market exhaust on them to improve performance. But improved performance usually goes hand-in-hand with increased sound. I am a dirt bike rider and I hate to think that you and your horses are being bothered by some inconsiderate riders. We aren't all like that!

  • 2 decades ago

    Loud pipes save lives… Motorists are the least cognizant drivers on the road. The last thing they are looking for is a small maneuverable motorcycle. If they can’t see you they certainly can hear you!

  • Anonymous
    2 decades ago

    Many riders don't like them loud. Usually it is a certain segment of the Harley population who are obnoxious ******* and give us all a bad reputation.

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