03-22-2015, 12:36 PM
Well, we're not that much in disagreement. And I didn't want to get in the weeds too deep, with engineering minutia - which I'm not qualified to discuss. I get the general principles; I don't have the specifics.
However a muffler need not restrict exhaust unduly. One interesting schematic I came across was of, IIRC, an early Yamaha system, that used a huge-bore pipe to turn sound waves on themselves. No baffling; just an engineered shape.
To "muffle" is to mute. If you talk to me through six layers of cloth, your voice is muffled.
As for the reaction some people show for compliant pipes on H-D and other bikes, where the SOUND recalls open pipes but is within noise-regulation standards....remember, some of this is a sort of dentist's-chair reaction. We hear that sound and immediately THINK of open pipes...some moron is bearing down on us, loud pipes. We THINK that because it SOUNDS JUST LIKE open pipes, just not so loud.
We react emotionally. Again, this is because so many imbeciles have made SUCH a nuisance of themselves with their loud pipes. I used to get the same reaction, in another part of the USA, just by riding a bike. Fully stock, noise-compliant...and apartment managers and business owners would tell me to "get that d*mned thing off my property NOW!"
Irrational? Of course. But after dealing with brain-dead troublemakers and their loud scenes, they just have a knee-jerk reaction.
Interestingly, I had a different sort of reaction when I was working temporarily in northern Michigan and staying at a good-sized, non-chain hotel. The owner was a former Chicago cop...and saw my bike and warned me that if I was in the parking lot, revving it and waking everyone, he'd "tune me up." I told him I got it; and he had nothing to worry about.
A week later, as I was warming it up (quietly) (cold mornings) he came up...he was curious. Wanted to know about the machine...it was a big thumper, with a carb...he was all questions.
Once I showed him I could behave like a civilized human; and once he understood that the muffler was on and working, he was nothing but friendly.
However a muffler need not restrict exhaust unduly. One interesting schematic I came across was of, IIRC, an early Yamaha system, that used a huge-bore pipe to turn sound waves on themselves. No baffling; just an engineered shape.
To "muffle" is to mute. If you talk to me through six layers of cloth, your voice is muffled.
As for the reaction some people show for compliant pipes on H-D and other bikes, where the SOUND recalls open pipes but is within noise-regulation standards....remember, some of this is a sort of dentist's-chair reaction. We hear that sound and immediately THINK of open pipes...some moron is bearing down on us, loud pipes. We THINK that because it SOUNDS JUST LIKE open pipes, just not so loud.
We react emotionally. Again, this is because so many imbeciles have made SUCH a nuisance of themselves with their loud pipes. I used to get the same reaction, in another part of the USA, just by riding a bike. Fully stock, noise-compliant...and apartment managers and business owners would tell me to "get that d*mned thing off my property NOW!"
Irrational? Of course. But after dealing with brain-dead troublemakers and their loud scenes, they just have a knee-jerk reaction.
Interestingly, I had a different sort of reaction when I was working temporarily in northern Michigan and staying at a good-sized, non-chain hotel. The owner was a former Chicago cop...and saw my bike and warned me that if I was in the parking lot, revving it and waking everyone, he'd "tune me up." I told him I got it; and he had nothing to worry about.
A week later, as I was warming it up (quietly) (cold mornings) he came up...he was curious. Wanted to know about the machine...it was a big thumper, with a carb...he was all questions.
Once I showed him I could behave like a civilized human; and once he understood that the muffler was on and working, he was nothing but friendly.