Noise cameras are coming (to Loomies for example). A loud bike at the wrong time / place is just accelerating that. Some cars are needlessly loud as mentioned above (with a lot more tyre noise). I don't think that anyone in the South East of UK (and other densely populated areas) really enjoys loud vehicles going past their gardens on a regular basis, even people with exotic machinery themselves. When I go out on my weekend rides, I see more and more housing estates being developed and you can bet that the majority of these people are there for the tranquility, and will be signing petitions and lobbying about anything that they see as a threat to that! With the significant increase in population occuring, it is only going to get worse. I have put the baffles in the Akras and am still a little embarrassed as it is very noisy (except when it cuts onto 2 cylinders lol). Don't think I will ever take the baffles outt except on track in Spain / Portugal.
I’ve just fitted arrow cans to my scrambler, I took it out for a spin with the baffles out and it sounded great with my ear plugs in but without them it left my ears ringing so I’ve put the baffles back in. They look great, a little deeper sound than stock but not obnoxious, so I think that’s how they’ll stay. I have noticed more and more though that aftermarket cans (road legal stamped) are now coming sealed and welded without an easy option of removing any of the sounded deadening, the SC Project ones for the scrambler being an example and that is the way they are all heading I think?
Although never having any problems with the Akra’s on the V4, I have been pulled with the Termi’s on the 998 albeit not fined just got asked politely to be cautious with the noise, ironic really when you can’t hardly hear the 998 when the V4 is running. Also I’m rather lucky where i live as my 65 year old neighbour says she looks forward to hearing the bikes, she likes the sound
Off-topic but relevant to sound levels. The Panigale 1199, 899, 1299, 959 are the loudest stock bikes available. As an aside, Ducati must have bribed people to pass the government sound limit requirements. Notwithstanding, the Panigales are one of the worst bikes to destroy your hearing. It's not just because of the high exhaust decibels, it also because the sound from the under-slung exhaust bounces off the pavement and then right up under your helmet. Earplug are a must and even then, you will end-up with Tinnitus eventually. Don't ask me how I know.
I'm curious what you mean by that wearing earplugs might still lead to tinnitus? I already have some, but riding with earplugs the bike doesn't bother me at all, in fact with plugs I can hear more wind noise than the bike. My 899 has akrapovic and currently with DB killer, so they make the bike produce slightly higher end sound, which gets cancelled pretty easily with plugs, without DB killer there was a lot of audible low end sound
I have a 1299S with full Ti Akra, but I dont rev it up at 2am nor do I hoon it on the high st. I both leave and return to my street with consideration. No-one hassles me over it. Ear plugs strongly reduces the risk of tinnutus. Up to you whether you wear them or not. I do. If you dont, thats your concern not mine. Pardon.
I had a bloke come across an empty motorway car park once to park along side my 900ss just so he could really appreciate the deep base boom. A very positive effect I’d say.
I was at Willingham woods a couple of Sundays ago, watching Knobs pulling rolling wheelies past one of the partly blind entrances while people in cars were waiting to leave the car park, serious accidents waiting to happen IMO...we all love a loud exhaust etc, but i gather the main reason for plod doing stop checks in the area isn't specifically loud exhaust noise but dangerous and irresponsible riding by fucking idiots.
On our latest trip to Spain the amount of people at the roadside that motioned us to rev the bikes was unbelievable. Even old people did it with a grin. Sometimes we’d blip them as we went past. What they wanted was for us to rev the nuts off it and bounce it off the rev limiter. They’re mad for it. If you really want to melt your ears, go to the big bike shop in Jerez de la Fontera on the MotoGP weekend. They stand there next to their bikes with proud grins and scream 4 cylinder Jap bikes off the rev limiter. It’s deafening and the Spanish crowd around, video it on their phones and totally love it. It’s total mayhem madness.
1198 with just the slash cuts was my nicest sounding Ducati imo. It got more aggressive once i put the full 70 on it. Sigh, I really miss that 1198.
If you really want to melt your ears, go to the big bike shop in Jerez de la Fontera on the MotoGP weekend. They stand there next to their bikes with proud grins and scream 4 cylinder Jap bikes off the rev limiter. It’s deafening and the Spanish crowd around, video it on their phones and totally love it. It’s total mayhem madness.[/QUOTE] Before the fun police got involved, this was going on all day and all night at the Donington Park , GP ,had some bloody mental times there ,
What I find really fuckin annoying are the 125’s and Scooters, didn’t mind when they were all 2 strokes but now they just sound like someone’s stuck a megaphone up a hippopotamus’s arse!
I got stopped last autumn whilst riding my old laverda triple, the very young copper looked disbelieving when I said the silencers on my Jota were standard fitment and unbaffled...he said he'd never heard of the marque and issued me with a producer, they are loud but if they were whisper quiet the whole ownership experience wouldn't cut the mustard.
Loud exhausts may sound OK to the owner, but the owner when riding will have a helmet and probably ear plugs in. The noise is also generated behind the rider which does cut the racket quite dramatically. As in several posts on here though, loud exhausts (car and bike) do seem to piss off the general public. They likely enhance the perceived speed the motorcycle is really doing. Car drivers will get away without all being branded idiots, but anything antisocial on 2 wheels, just reinforces stereotypes against all bikes and bikers. In the UK (not so in Europe) motorcycles have long been regarded as anti social and ridden by the motorised version of paedophiles in the eyes (and ears) of most of the general public. I have a can on my Multi, but not a decat. Even the can is baffled. There is enough hassle out there already with myopic drivers, suicidal cyclists, arseholes at some filling stations almost demanding I strip to the waist and pay in advance for fuel, the old bill and hidden speed camera's. I really dont need another thing to have to watch out or be hassled for
as above, increasing with age, I can see why someone out for a walk in a leafy, sleepy, peaceful village out in the sticks on a summer's day would take exception to a sound akin to thunder passing by when it could be avoided. Being D.A. here, as only have two quiet* bikes out of 8. *still louder than most cars.
