Harley people rant!!!

[FastPlastic]

A friend of mine has the loud harly pipes. One time he revved the engine so people would know we were there. Scared an old lady so bad she almost hit him with here car.

[shovel]

I don't see a problem with moderately loud-ish pipes and am willing to at least partially agree that loud pipes might save lives.

The super loud megaphone pipes are farking unnecessary, disruptive, and rude. I'm three residential streets and a canal away from a main road, and inside my house with the windows shut - I shouldn't be able to hear motorcycles on the main road over the sound of my HVAC fan. Especially at 2am when I'm trying to sleep. Wish those guys would learn a bit of manners...

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by bikin' Ed

I got this from a Harley rider. The reason is so that everyone around them (read idiot drivers that don't pay attention)will notice them and not cut them off or run them over.

Sure. That's why they do it on residential streets, with not another car in sight, I suppose?

And if you're riding a motorcycle (which I've done most of my life, though never Harleys - I could never manage the legally-required beer gut :-)), you'd better know, deep down in your soul, that no one is ever going to give you the right of way, and that about one in ten drivers really want to run over you, if you just give them the chance.

[Frank Lee]

I just want to run over the noisy ones. The rest are OK.

[JasonG]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I just want to run over the noisy ones. The rest are OK.

Amen to that.

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

I figure they are checking for plug fouling, or are a bit concerned about stalling from a low idle or choke situation.

I grew up in a racing family. Most Harley riders don't get the concept that when you change exhaust pipes you need to match the jetting to them. Often the short "drag" pipes will never idle right due to harmonics I won't go into here. Usually to keep them from leaning out and blowing a hole in the piston they need to be a tad rich n the top end. Add a monkey wrencher that goes up another size "to be safe" and the thing will foul plugs worse than a 2 stroke at idle.

P.S. Don't idle a 2-stroke for more than a couple of seconds. WOT or off. Makes for better FE too now that I think about it......

[Peter7307]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Say it with me.... loud pipes save lives!

I have seen some drivers - and I use that term very casually - have a Police car behind them with lights and siren both on and STILL didn't move over !

Loud pipes ain't gonna do it guys.

Didn't know the "pinkie" went overseas. Works very well too by the way , especially when done my an attractive female.

Pete.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by FastPlastic

A friend of mine has the loud harly pipes. One time he revved the engine so people would know we were there. Scared an old lady so bad she almost hit him with here car.

You should have smacked him upside his stupid head for her.

[bgd73]

jetting, pipes, it doesn't matter. they like the big jugs because it has to chase more than 360 degrees to gain another fire. A flat two, subaru nicknamed 360, is exactly how many degrees it has to wait. A 90 degree vtwin has to go 90 farther, 450, some joking of making a 420 with advance. (still doesn't float my boat, harley einstein).. making an ass out of themself...bad math. simply so. Its a rebel, a jerk, a terrorizer, ought to be as illegal as EGR ought to be illegal...both still out there to hurt us all...like a bad exhaust system...

bmw has a flat two motorcycle, it is high priced for a better reason than harley.

[Coyote X]

Loud pipes, small ***** that is more like it

The main problem with the idea they are safer is you can't hear them in front of the bikes at all, only after they have passed you. Also low deep bass sounds don't carry direction well so you might know there is a poser harley guy within a 1/4 mile of you but not have any idea what direction he is. I hear people always trying to tell me they are safer by saying how they never get cut off anymore. I tell them I put 20k miles a year on my 85db quiet bike and never get cut off. Mainly because I know how to ride and watch out for other cars instead of trying to impress pedestrians with my cool bike and not watching the road.

I figure a loud horn is more useful so you can be a normal quiet person going down the road till you need to be loud then you can hit a button and make all kinds of higher pitched noise that everyone will know where it came from.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

The oddest thing about Harley engines is the single crank pin, and the "knife & fork" connecting rods. This is inherently (very) unbalanced, and so they cannot rev very high, and they must have bizarre intake and exhaust pressures. LumpLump...LumpLump...LumpLump...

The 90 degree twins that I know about (Ducati and Motto Guzzi) have 270 degree cranks, making them primarily balanced. BMW boxer engines have 180 degree cranks, so they are also primarily balanced.

[Edit: small pinkies -- that's it!]