Is my bike too &@#%ing loud?

[GatorGreg]

I haven't had any complaints from cops or neighbors yet (I try to just idle into the subdivision late at night) and all the bikers I run into seem to love it.  However, I'm starting to think it might be time to put the baffle in.  I love the way it sounds but even with earplugs I'm afraid it still might do damage to my hearing.  Should I be worried about my ears if I wear plugs?

 

 

[CandyRedRC46]

Or you could just get a non Team eBay racing league exhaust lol.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Rectaltronics]

If you have to ask if something is too loud, it probably is.

 

It's nice that other bikers seem fond of the noise you make but the other 95% of the world thinks you're a fag.

 

 

[GatorGreg]

1 minute ago, CandyRedRC46 said:

Or you could just get a non Team eBay racing league exhaust lol.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

Ouch! ?

[GatorGreg]

1 minute ago, Rectaltronics said:

If you have to ask if something is too loud, it probably is.

 

It's nice that other bikers seem fond of the noise you make but the other 95% of the world thinks you're a fag.

 

 

 

LOL - love that vid!  The irony is my VFR has been the direct cause of my scoring not just one but two hot women in the last 4 months ?

[Rectaltronics]

7 minutes ago, GatorGreg said:

LOL - love that vid!  The irony is my VFR has been the direct cause of my scoring not just one but two hot women in the last 4 months ?

 

Thanks.  Guess who made it. 

 

Not ironic at all.  See ~1:10 - 1:16.  By the way, pics or it didn't happen. 

 

Anyway, the "good" news is that a late model VFR is already somewhat baffled before exhaust gases ever reach the muffler because of the catalytics.  So even with open pipes the noise is somewhat limited.

 

But seriously, let's speak and think in practical, considerate terms...

 

And I'm going to first say that I know people are clearly divided in their thinking.  I've spoken with friends whom I believe to be fairly intelligent as well as considerate and yet some really believe that if folks don't like someone else's intentional noise then it's their responsibility to wear earplugs.  I believe this to be abhorrent logic.  Back to brass tacks...

 

Here's a question:  If you believe you have to idle in and out of your neighborhood so that your neighbors don't come out with torches and pitchforks, then why do you think it's OK for you to assault the peace of everyone outside of your neighborhood?

 

 

[Auspanglish]

 
Thanks.  Guess who made it. 
 
Not ironic at all.  See ~1:10 - 1:16.  By the way, pics or it didn't happen. 
 
Anyway, the "good" news is that a late model VFR is already somewhat baffled before exhaust gases ever reach the muffler because of the catalytics.  So even with open pipes the noise is somewhat limited.
 
But seriously, let's speak and think in practical, considerate terms...
 
And I'm going to first say that I know people are clearly divided in their thinking.  I've spoken with friends whom I believe to be fairly intelligent as well as considerate and yet some really believe that if folks don't like someone else's intentional noise then it's their responsibility to wear earplugs.  I believe this to be abhorrent logic.  Back to brass tacks...
 
Here's a question:  If you believe you have to idle in and out of your neighborhood so that your neighbors don't come out with torches and pitchforks, then why do you think it's OK for you to assault the peace of everyone outside of your neighborhood?
 
 

Because he doesn't have to live with that... bit like the NIMBY phenomenon.

Personally I love those sounds, I had Laser X-tremes without the baffles in at first and as much as it gave me wood, I was too embarrassed to get around urban areas like that, people would also put you in either the "simple" or the "show off" box and neither reflect my personality so I put the baffles in. By roadworthy inspection time they were going to have to go in anyway.

I shouldn't have to care what others think but I'm also not into imposing myself on others. It's complicated. Where do your freedoms end and your responsibilities begin?

[thtanner]

1 hour ago, CandyRedRC46 said:

Or you could just get a non Team eBay racing league exhaust lol.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

 

They all sound so farty and cheap...

[Beardedboxer]

Greg I have the same exhaust. Also baffle removed and I love it. Ive had quite a few bikes that were louder than this. I don't think it's too loud. Definitely don't need ear plugs. Coming from my fz09 with akrapovic exhaust and I needed ear plugs with that.  Now that custom exhaust the member made on here (jibbles I think) sounds like it would be too loud. It also may be the best sounding vfr I ever heard. ?

[DiscoStu]

1 hour ago, GatorGreg said:

I haven't had any complaints from cops or neighbors yet (I try to just idle into the subdivision late at night) and all the bikers I run into seem to love it.  However, I'm starting to think it might be time to put the baffle in.  I love the way it sounds but even with earplugs I'm afraid it still might do damage to my hearing.  Should I be worried about my ears if I wear plugs?

 

 

 

Absolutely not. I have the same mini-delkevic without the baffle. Given it's just a slip on I think it sounds pretty damn good. After all I think it's one of the reasons we like V-4's, right? No baffle is my vote. Leave it as is!

 

[Samuelx]

 

[GatorGreg]

3 minutes ago, Samuelx said:

 

 

 I've seen that before and it still made me LMFAO! ?

[DriverDave]

My vote is to put the baffles in for a few months and then reevaluate.

[GatorGreg]

3 hours ago, Rectaltronics said:

 

Thanks.  Guess who made it. 

 

Not ironic at all.  See ~1:10 - 1:16.  By the way, pics or it didn't happen. 

 

Anyway, the "good" news is that a late model VFR is already somewhat baffled before exhaust gases ever reach the muffler because of the catalytics.  So even with open pipes the noise is somewhat limited.

 

But seriously, let's speak and think in practical, considerate terms...

 

And I'm going to first say that I know people are clearly divided in their thinking.  I've spoken with friends whom I believe to be fairly intelligent as well as considerate and yet some really believe that if folks don't like someone else's intentional noise then it's their responsibility to wear earplugs.  I believe this to be abhorrent logic.  Back to brass tacks...

 

Here's a question:  If you believe you have to idle in and out of your neighborhood so that your neighbors don't come out with torches and pitchforks, then why do you think it's OK for you to assault the peace of everyone outside of your neighborhood?

 

 

 

Rectal, you uploaded that vid?  It doesn't show up as linked actually cuz of copyright claims but I've seen vids of that episode before.

 

As for your question, I only take it easy on the throttle in residential areas late at night or early in the morning when I think folks might be sleeping - I think that's the considerate thing to do.  I do subscribe somewhat to the theory that loud pipes save lives so out on the road I'm not concerned with others' feelimgs and hope they do hear me.

 

As for your request for pics, I won't be sharing any pics of the first young lady for the sake of her privacy and because things with her ended on a sour note - I met her as a result of my VFR motovlog (she said my bike was sexy and I had a sexy voice in my vids! LOL).   Here's a pic of the second young lady (aka "gym girl") - she's also in my sig pic - I met her when she struck up a conversation with me at the gym about my bike and wanted to go for a ride - I've since given her several nice rides and I'm taking her on a cruise to the Carribean in a few weeks - she is literally half my age and says I remind her of her Dad - LOL.   I can say with 99.9% confidence that both of them are female and were probably born that way ?   Needless to say I wish I had gotten my VFR a long time ago!

[GatorGreg]

27 minutes ago, DriverDave said:

My vote is to put the baffles in for a few months and then reevaluate.

 

That's what I will do.  Unfortunately with the Delkevic you have to disconnect the can from the connector pipe to get the baffle in so it's not that easy to just swap the baffle in and out like you can with some exhausts.

[jhenley17]

I had the baffles in for a few seconds when I got my Ixil. Didn't like it, took them out. It still wasn't as loud as I expected, but it's pretty much perfect. If it were much louder, it would probably annoy even me, much less everyone else. With the baffles out, it's about as loud as my old 599 with a Mivv/baffle in (I wouldn't ride that bike without a baffle, felt like an asshole). Even with no muffler, I'd have about the quietest bike in the work parking lot. I can't even hear myself over the cruisers idling 20 feet away.

 

[Rectaltronics]

22 minutes ago, GatorGreg said:

Rectal, you uploaded that vid?  It doesn't show up as linked actually cuz of copyright claims but I've seen vids of that episode before.

 

As for your question, I only take it easy on the throttle in residential areas late at night or early in the morning when I think folks might be sleeping - I think that's the considerate thing to do.  I do subscribe somewhat to the theory that loud pipes save lives so out on the road I'm not concerned with others feelimgs and hope they do hear me.

 

As for your request for pics, I won't be sharing any pics of the first young lady for the sake of her privacy and because things with her ended on a sour note, but here's a pic of the second young lady (aka "gym girl") - she's also in my sig pic.  I can say with 99.9% confidence that both of them are female and were probably born that way ?

 

Argh - damn Viacom a-holes.  I'll see if I can fix that.  The video was up for almost three years before anyone cared!  It was just the brum-brum-brum excerpts from the F-Word episode along with a brief text intro/outro.

 

Glad you're getting the wimmin.  Though some of us don't need a bike to do that! 

 

Ya' know, I had a friend here who subscribed to that loud pipes saves lives stuff.  He's dead now, in spite of his Harley's ridiculously f'ing loud open pipes.  Of course he also thought those novelty helmets were good enough too.  Needless to say he was wrong on both counts, even at local street speeds.

 

I actually do still agree with the noise visibility idea - even if it is mostly futile - but we're better off riding defensively and using the horn when we need to make noise.  It's the sudden blast that you need to startle people where the constant drone just becomes background noise to whatever has the idiot driver distracted.  Now, many will argue that stock horns are next to useless.  I would respond that a better horn is a fraction of the cost of an aftermarket exhaust can.  But I know, I know, a loud horn just doesn't impress the wimmins and wow your mates at the pub.

 

I routinely read stories like "I blipped my throttle and the guy went back to his lane".  The horn works just as well if not better and it doesn't affect the bike's handling.  And the VFR's stock horn isn't actually all that bad.

 

I'm happy you're being somewhat considerate but not everyone works during the day and sleeps at night.  Then there are the minor irritations that just add stress to people's lives, every time someone goes by who has the need to be heard, whether it is missing the dialogue in a TV program, something a teacher was saying or just lovey-dovey stuff with your honey.

 

I get that you're not concerned with the feelings of the SUV in the next lane or whatever.  But the sound goes farther than that.

 

In the end, loud, not-so-loud, too &@#%ing loud, it can all be subjective.  But one of the other problems is that every time someone with loud pipes goes by a person who is not a motor-head, it helps creates another enemy who (idiotically of course) sees all motorcyclists the same way and reinforces this image of death loving daredevil anarchistic sociopaths.  That ends up being one more person who instead of giving motorcycle riders a wider berth, gives not a crap at all, and tells their elected officials to vote down anything that would help improve the safety and enjoyment of motorcycles.

 

 

[GatorGreg]

55 minutes ago, Rectaltronics said:

Glad you're getting the wimmin.  Though some of us don't need a bike to do that! 

 

Pics or it didn't happen ?

 

I have to disagree with you Rectal on your opinion of the VFR horn - even the horn on my old scooter (a Honda PCX 150) was noticeably louder than the one on my VFR and by the time I'm able to actually hit the awkwardly placed horn button the danger is over half the time.  Between my LED flasher, the use of high beams, wearing high-viz jacket, and liberal usage of the throttle blip technique I'm hopeful that folks will see and/or hear me coming.  However, I always assume they don't and I tend to ride very defensively as a result - some would say like a pussy ?

 

Very sorry to hear about your Harley friend - my condolences.

[Rectaltronics]

1 minute ago, GatorGreg said:

 

Pics or it didn't happen ?

 

I have to disagree with you Rectal on your opinion of the VFR horn - even the horn on my old scooter (a Honda PCX 150) was noticeably louder than the one on my VFR and by the time I'm able to actually hit the awkwardly placed horn button the danger is over half the time.  Between my LED flasher, the use of high beams, wearing high vis jacket, and judicious use of the throttle blip technique I'm hopeful that folks will see and/or hear me coming.  However, I always assume they don't and I ride very defensively as a result.

 

Very sorry to hear about your Harley friend - my condolences.

 

Har.  I'm settled down now.  But I went through a stage where I was filtering potential dates by choosing all the women with the same name, just to keep things simple and error-free when talking to them.  It only got confusing when talking about them with friends.

 

You can disagree.  And for varying situations you're right.  If I'm next to someone in an Escalade with a 3000 Watt sound system I'm sure I won't be noticed.  And NYC's pedestrians, well, they're a different subject altogether but they do usually change their mind when they hear the VTEC kick in and see my front wheel two feet off the ground.  At the same time that seemingly anemic horn has startled the crap out of enough drivers.  One over-corrected so badly she nearly took out two other cars.  I wish I had video.

 

I too make a lot of use of my high-beams.  And my friends and I are in general consensus that most of the time the energy spent on the horn button is better spent on concentrating on defensive tactics and actions.

 

And thanks.  The tough part was watching him in the hospital bed for a week with a crushed skull.

 

The "funny" part (not haha funny obviously) is that the guy was an active member in the motorcycle rights community here, fiercely fought noise laws meant to address loud pipes, and actively fought helmet laws as well.  That worked out well...

[Corrugated]

Hi GatorGreg,

 

I have the same exhaust as you do, with the baffle in and I find it too loud (especially above 6500 rpm in full VTEC mode!).  

Mind you I had to go a few lights today with a typical loud piped HD and couldnt hear my bike worth a damn when we were leaving the lights.  

No problem when I passed it a second or so later and no issues for me at highway speed, but just a bit too much for me around town at that RPM range...but thats just me :)

 

[GatorGreg]

18 minutes ago, Corrugated said:

Hi GatorGreg,

 

I have the same exhaust as you do, with the baffle in and I find it too loud (especially above 6500 rpm in full VTEC mode!).  

Mind you I had to go a few lights today with a typical loud piped HD and couldnt hear my bike worth a damn when we were leaving the lights.  

No problem when I passed it a second or so later and no issues for me at highway speed, but just a bit too much for me around town at that RPM range...but thats just me :)

 

 

Oooooh that looks nice!  Love the little HRC sticker but wtf is that bird thing above the VFR?  Looks cool though!   So you guys in Canada get the "VFR" and not the "Interceptor" badge?  I thought they only used that overseas - I ordered mine all the way from England but I guess I could have just gotten it from Canada LOL.

 

Your Delk looks slightly different than mine with the turned down tip - wonder if that effects the noise at all?  So even with the baffle in you think it's too loud?  Do you usually wear ear plugs?  In Delkevic's defense it did say on their website that their mini carbon was for "track use only" ?   I hate to sound selfish but my primary concern is that even with ear plugs I might be doing damage to my ears.

[Corrugated]

27 minutes ago, GatorGreg said:

 

Oooooh that looks nice!  Love the little HRC sticker but wtf is that bird thing above the VFR?  Looks cool though!   So you guys in Canada get the "VFR" and not the "Interceptor" badge?  I thought they only used that overseas - I ordered mine all the way from England but I guess I could have just gotten it from Canada LOL.

 

Your Delk looks slightly different than mine with the turned down tip - wonder if that effects the noise at all?  So even with the baffle in you think it's too loud?  Do you usually wear ear plugs?  In Delkevic's defense it did say on their website that their mini carbon was for "track use only" ?   I hate to sound selfish but my primary concern is that even with ear plugs I might be doing damage to my ears.

 

Hi GatorGreg,

 

That is the HRC Red Rooster mascot, he's been hanging around Honda Racing for many years now,  I wanted to continue the tradition on the new bike :).  

Had to do some minor making-my-own to the bike at some point lol!  

I went with the turned down tip to help clear the Honda panniers and its works perfect for that.  

dB's would be the same as yours.  

do wear earplugs when doing sustained highway riding, but I find this bike and my RF-1200 helmet very wind noisy at 100 kmh and above....

The new Puig windscreen did help with that though...

I'm pretty sure my local track would black (?) flag me and this bike down on the straight when they do their sound checks :(

[GatorGreg]

48 minutes ago, Corrugated said:

 

Hi GatorGreg,

 

That is the HRC Red Rooster mascot, he's been hanging around Honda Racing for many years now,  I wanted to continue the tradition on the new bike :).  

Had to do some minor making-my-own to the bike at some point lol!  

I went with the turned down tip to help clear the Honda panniers and its works perfect for that.  

dB's would be the same as yours.  

do wear earplugs when doing sustained highway riding, but I find this bike and my RF-1200 helmet very wind noisy at 100 kmh and above....

The new Puig windscreen did help with that though...

I'm pretty sure my local track would black (?) flag me and this bike down on the straight when they do their sound checks :(

 

Cool - please forgive my ignorance - I knew Honda was into the whole wing logo thing but I never noticed the rooster before.  I like it, reminds me a little of the old Plymouth Road Runner ?

 

[Rectaltronics]

On 5/6/2017 at 5:18 PM, GatorGreg said:

Rectal, you uploaded that vid?  It doesn't show up as linked actually cuz of copyright claims but I've seen vids of that episode before.

 

Video is back up.  Though I'm not sure how long that will last - "fair use" is so subjective.  Thanks for catching the issue.

[GatorGreg]

21 minutes ago, Rectaltronics said:

 

Video is back up.  Though I'm not sure how long that will last - "fair use" is so subjective.  Thanks for catching the issue.

Thanks Rectal!  BTW I took your advice earlier tonight and tried using the horn on somebody - it sounded gay but it worked ?   8th gen could definitely use a better horn IMO.  A buddy of mine has a train horn mounted to his pickup which is absolutely terrifying.  Perhaps I could find something in between LOL.