In Praise of Quiet Pipes

[clearviewx]

When I saw this topic heading I smiled from ear to ear. I thought I was the only one who thought like this. I’m one for the quiet pipes. Thank you for posting this.[/php]

[Yanivic_imp]

The quiet stock exhaust was and is a major plus of the CB1100 for me.

It is also part of the appeal of electric motorcycles and bicycles too. I like riding through the woods and being able to hear the birds, other wildlife, and wind in the trees.

I know that I'm in a minority, so if you absolutely must tell the world how awesome your 140 db aftermarket straight pipe is, please start another thread... We'll still be able to hear you!

What are some other bikes that are reknown for their quiet sound profiles?

If I remember, cbr1100 blackbird is remarkably quiet (with stock pipes) and smooth. It had much smoother engine than the cb. it could be because of LC vs. partially air-cooled? At least, that’s my observation based on what I remember of 1100XX.

[rboe]

Proven that loud noise is fatiguing so put me down for quiet pipes.

Plus it's just public relations for the non-riding public.

[Cormanus]

Put me down for quiet pipes too, please.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Put me down for quiet pipes too, please.

Yeah, +one for sure.

People have enough to manage in their lives. The last thing they need is a low self-esteem rider barking "look at me!", "hear me!". Those riders would have a more success getting therapy.

[pdedse]

I had a sportster and a couple of xs650s before purchasing my '14 cb1100 standard...I was shocked at first at how quiet the cb was and really missed the sportster's growl and the xs650s' throatiness. But the quietness grew on me. And with a couple of friends developing tinnitus I knew I didn't want overbearing loud anymore. But with my recent purchase of a W800, I'm enjoying a bit more engine music--it's more there than the cb, a slight agreeable rumble.

[Cormanus]

I don't have a Staintune, but I've ridden a bit with Pterodactyl who does. It provides, in pdedse's terms, a more 'agreeable rumble' than the stock pipes without being loud. Having a tonally agreeable rumble can be achieved without making excessive noise.

[GoldOxide_imp]

All sounds agreeable.

No pointless HD acceleration "thunderclaps".

[Dave Swanson]

I enjoy the sound of my stock pipes also. Come to think of it I really liked the stock pipes on my CB-750 in 1974.

When I scan the CB1100 ads on CycleTrader I notice quite a few of the black standards with aftermarket cans tacked on them. Am I the only one thinking that the prior owner was trying to make a CB1100 into something that it is not, and became disenchanted with it?

[j3gq_imp]

Did a sound check for y'all today. A quiet, winding country road with no traffic at all was repeatedly asking for 4000 - 5000 on the rpm gauge, in 3rd and 4th, the open shield, and cold air helped acute hearing. If anybody thinks that this 2017 EX sounds like a sewing machine ... man, ... it doesn't. Honda promised better sound with that newer model, and they delivered. You can go it quiet if you like, and your neighbors will appreciate your nightly returns from the bar, but you can get all the sound you like if that's what you want. Not a brutal Harley sound, instead a deep Honda roar, which beats anything I have heard from a 750 Four - or a Kawa, and it comes with exactly the right vibrations under your skin.