09-27-2019, 12:53 PM
I've long held a theory that any Harley thread will eventually shift towards the lifestyle, the riders or the uncorked exhaust. Doesn't matter if it starts out about the metallurgy used in the chrome or the metal flakes in the paint....it WILL eventually bend torwards and ultimately arrive at the lifestyle, the riders or the exhaust. So,...here we are.
My Guzzi has the stock exhaust. The XR1200 has the stock exhaust. The CB has a Yosh pipe currently w/o the sound baffle installed. I should note that while accompanying Django on his transect of southern Utah I had the sound baffle installed. Around town it has a low end grumble and unless I go above 4500 RPM it isn't much louder than stock. It doesn't rattle windows in the AM nor irritate my neighbors.
Enter the Road King I bought about 3 weeks ago with the aftermarket exhaust. Pythons to be exact. Knowledgeable Harley aficionados have assured me they are a really, really good piece of aftermarket kit. My personal opinion is they are oppressively LOUD for the rider (specifically me). I did receive the original exhaust with the bike. After discussing putting the OEM stock exhaust back on with the previous owner I found out its not as simple as putting te OEM's back on. I'm the 3rd owner. The first owner (a mutual friend of mine and owner 2) apparently felt the need to increase the performance of the 88cc motor as he found it lacking for 2 up riding. To that end he had a number of things done to increase the performance. Apparently a complete Harley Screaming Eagle Stage 1 upgrade....pipes, air filter, remapped, and I think a cam(s). Owner two (with many Harleys over the years as well as other makes) said if I put OEM exhaust back on I'd have to remap it to deal with the popping, backfires etc.
Right now when I start the bike in the AM I let it idle in the garage and make it point to slowly exit the neighborhood trying to keep it at the lowest sound signature possible until I'm on the arterial feeder to the two main roads I commute on.
So, this experience with the Road King has let me to an epiphany as it relates to my opinion about the "loud pipes save lives" mantra.
1) You have zero credibility if you spout this mantra and ride with a t-shirt, gloveless and no helmet. ZERO!
2) Riding as I have with these loud pipes for the past three weeks I now consider them one more piece (at least while on the Road King) of my safety equipment along with my helmet, boots, heavy gloves, armored jacket etc. I don't kid myself about the fact that they won't make a difference in the event an oncoming car turns left in front of me unexpectedly because they don't see me. However, there's no doubt you'll know I'm in the proximity of your vehicle or in your blind spot (as I'm coming up to get out of it) or to pass you on the left.
I'm not going out of my way to irritate anyone on purpose with the noise and have already adjusted to the shifting pattern required to keep the noise down as much as possible. I'm also committing to be a little less judgmental of the Harley riders wearing ATGATT with louder than stock pipes. That's in consideration of the fact I'd much rather have a loud Harley on the road with a focused rider than a 17 year old in a sewing machine quiet Honda Accord fixated on his/her cell phone. One might be irritating but the other is potentially deadly. YMMV.
My Guzzi has the stock exhaust. The XR1200 has the stock exhaust. The CB has a Yosh pipe currently w/o the sound baffle installed. I should note that while accompanying Django on his transect of southern Utah I had the sound baffle installed. Around town it has a low end grumble and unless I go above 4500 RPM it isn't much louder than stock. It doesn't rattle windows in the AM nor irritate my neighbors.
Enter the Road King I bought about 3 weeks ago with the aftermarket exhaust. Pythons to be exact. Knowledgeable Harley aficionados have assured me they are a really, really good piece of aftermarket kit. My personal opinion is they are oppressively LOUD for the rider (specifically me). I did receive the original exhaust with the bike. After discussing putting the OEM stock exhaust back on with the previous owner I found out its not as simple as putting te OEM's back on. I'm the 3rd owner. The first owner (a mutual friend of mine and owner 2) apparently felt the need to increase the performance of the 88cc motor as he found it lacking for 2 up riding. To that end he had a number of things done to increase the performance. Apparently a complete Harley Screaming Eagle Stage 1 upgrade....pipes, air filter, remapped, and I think a cam(s). Owner two (with many Harleys over the years as well as other makes) said if I put OEM exhaust back on I'd have to remap it to deal with the popping, backfires etc.
Right now when I start the bike in the AM I let it idle in the garage and make it point to slowly exit the neighborhood trying to keep it at the lowest sound signature possible until I'm on the arterial feeder to the two main roads I commute on.
So, this experience with the Road King has let me to an epiphany as it relates to my opinion about the "loud pipes save lives" mantra.
1) You have zero credibility if you spout this mantra and ride with a t-shirt, gloveless and no helmet. ZERO!
2) Riding as I have with these loud pipes for the past three weeks I now consider them one more piece (at least while on the Road King) of my safety equipment along with my helmet, boots, heavy gloves, armored jacket etc. I don't kid myself about the fact that they won't make a difference in the event an oncoming car turns left in front of me unexpectedly because they don't see me. However, there's no doubt you'll know I'm in the proximity of your vehicle or in your blind spot (as I'm coming up to get out of it) or to pass you on the left.
I'm not going out of my way to irritate anyone on purpose with the noise and have already adjusted to the shifting pattern required to keep the noise down as much as possible. I'm also committing to be a little less judgmental of the Harley riders wearing ATGATT with louder than stock pipes. That's in consideration of the fact I'd much rather have a loud Harley on the road with a focused rider than a 17 year old in a sewing machine quiet Honda Accord fixated on his/her cell phone. One might be irritating but the other is potentially deadly. YMMV.