Don't get me wrong, I love my loud pipes (even though 99.5% of society thinks I'm an ******), but there's a certain dignity that goes along with quiet bikes. I know some knuckle-scraper will make fun of me for saying so (my guess is it will be that Bill guy whose entire life revolves around his Harley and his homoerotic lifestyle), but the sound of a BMW motorcycle is a refined work of art. That new BMW K bike that puts out 100 hp more than my Road King is as quiet as can be, and is a technological wonder. Do you think anybody would buy a quiet Harley, or would it defeat the whole "look at me" purpose of buying a Harley?
2006-10-31 09:34:26 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
Yes, Grendle, it would still be cool......much cooler than that BMW you ride. You're a funny guy.
2006-10-31 10:30:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It isn't cool when it's loud, but you understand that the noise and the F-you attitude is a problem already. It's not just the noise, it's the lack of cosideration and the arrogance too. Nothing wrong with a quiet Harley, if you are going to be that loud you should at least be fast, my experience with Harleys has been that they make progress on twisty roads like my grandmother in a Ford Tempo. Loud and slow is just sad, quiet and fast is stealthy. Quiet and slow at least doesn't make me want to take the F250 next time I drive in the mountains, just so I can make the Harley guys breath diesel behind an even slower vehicle.
2006-10-31 10:05:38 · answer #2 · answered by Chris H 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Heck, no! A member in my family has a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic. I can hear it a mile away. The unbearable sound is one thing that adds " coolness" to a motorcycle. I know that I would only buy a bike that makes a vrooom noise. Do you know what I mean. Sure, the BMW's are classy looking, but the Harley's noise make it the big dog of all motorcycles
2006-10-31 09:38:25 · answer #3 · answered by katiebug 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As you already know every HD sold in the world, has mufflers on them when sold. When the EPA puts such restrictions on HD to make the bikes effecient, they run so lean that after 5000 miles, if you do a plug check, you will find that the spark plugs are white.
They should read brown, meaning it's running rich as a HD is designed to.
I changed the exhaust for two reasons.
1.Performance
2.So people in Houston,Tx would stop moving into my lane and attempting to push me out of the lane.
I wish that HD ran as smooth as the BMW K style bikes, and had more than 100 HP. kinda silly that a Hayabusa can make over 150HP and run 200+ mph with only 1300cc's and most HD are 1430cc or more.
2006-10-31 09:42:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Harley sound is part of what makes a Harley appealing. Make it quiet like that BMW and Harley would be out of business. Harley out of business, would definitely not be cool.
2006-10-31 15:14:33 · answer #5 · answered by BikerBob 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, a Harley is a status symbol- the "hey look at me". Notice YOU even said LOOK at me, you did not say HEAR ME COMING DOWN THE ROAD FROM !% BLOCKS AWAY.
Harley makes beautiful bike, a functional piece of transportation, and an outlet for many happy riders/owners. The loudness or lack of proabably will not affect the bike overall. I am in favor of a quiet Harley- and one I could afford to buy for my husband!!
2006-10-31 09:46:52 · answer #6 · answered by rottymom02 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You make the assumption that a Harley is cool to begin with. Harley's have become so common its a joke that people still think that they're a status symbol. In addition, the marketing of these "American" bikes has led all the sheep that buy them to think that they are special because they could "afford" a Harley. If you can fog a mirror, you can finance a Harley. The hispanic maintenance worker at my office building just got one and if he makes over $40k this year I'll eat my shorts. Fortunately, he'll probably have to wait a year to save enough money for the loud pipes so thats one less ****** on the road. But as we all know, the true reason for loud pipes is to announce your arrival and show off your uberhomo buttless chaps and frilly leather jacket and let the world know you could afford a Hardley.... just like the janitor.
2006-10-31 09:55:40 · answer #7 · answered by Studley Von Longshlong 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
The v-rod is definitely water cooled and that engine may one day make its way into a new line of cruiser bikes but that will take awhile. As for the heat, that radiator is down low, in front of the bike and where do you think the heat goes when you are not moving fast. Right up in your face the same as the original Harley. The only way to avoid that will be to relocate the radiator to the rear of the bike. Sorry sweety, but at stop lights you will still get the heat from the engine rising up around your hot bod!!!!!!
2016-05-22 21:05:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A quiet Harley would be great. I am not thinking "cool" when I hear a loud bike, I look yes, but what I'm thinking I can't write for it would not be nice.
2006-10-31 09:36:56 · answer #9 · answered by 'Barn 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To make a Harley as quiet as a Beemer it would have to be water-cooled, and then it wouldn't be a Harley, and for all you keyboard mechanics , the difference in exhaust noise between a water-cooled engine and an air cooled engine has to do with valve timing and lag.
As far as Harley riders putting loud pipes on their bikes, most of the time it has nothing to do with being noticed and everthing to do with performance---See valve timing above---
2006-10-31 12:40:43 · answer #10 · answered by percylenain 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I do believe HD would have a hard time selling quieter Hogs. look what happened when they brought out the water cooled V Rod. it didn't sell very good and some dealers couldn't even sell them at a discount. The true Harley owners will ALWAYS what to hear that rumble. Ride Free.
2006-10-31 14:03:34 · answer #11 · answered by Zig Zag 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋