09-11-2014, 03:22 AM
Well the water jacket does attenuate sound and it is used to control the over all acoustic signature of a machine (Europe has done wonders with diesel motors in this regard) so I'd give him a pass on that one. I missed where he said the Boulevards are air cooled; I read a different bike (checked the article again and he used the blanket term Boulevard and I'm pretty sure he was talking about the S-40 - clear as mud 
).
I really can't ride my Griso without ear plugs (it also has an oil cooler with special attention on oil flow in the heads); she is just a loud bike. The Honda CB is much quieter and for in town riding ear plugs could be optional. I've done it, it's OK but I still prefer using them. To be fair to the Griso; she is tuned to be louder at the pipe and I think the valve train, using screw adjustment, is naturally louder than the shim under bucket affair. The Griso creates a lot of noise just from the heads alone.
The CB1100 is liquid cooled (oil is circulated around the sparkplugs) so our motors are a bit of a hybrid when it comes to cooling. Now it would be very interesting to compare our CB1100 to the water cooled CB1300 or the older 919 (I rode one once, impressive motor and quiet).
I'll add that I wish my XR650L had an oil cooled head. That sucker runs too hot. Especially in Phoenix.
). I really can't ride my Griso without ear plugs (it also has an oil cooler with special attention on oil flow in the heads); she is just a loud bike. The Honda CB is much quieter and for in town riding ear plugs could be optional. I've done it, it's OK but I still prefer using them. To be fair to the Griso; she is tuned to be louder at the pipe and I think the valve train, using screw adjustment, is naturally louder than the shim under bucket affair. The Griso creates a lot of noise just from the heads alone.
The CB1100 is liquid cooled (oil is circulated around the sparkplugs) so our motors are a bit of a hybrid when it comes to cooling. Now it would be very interesting to compare our CB1100 to the water cooled CB1300 or the older 919 (I rode one once, impressive motor and quiet).
I'll add that I wish my XR650L had an oil cooled head. That sucker runs too hot. Especially in Phoenix.