straight pipes question/what do you have

[usmc_scott]

im planning on running straight pipes on my yammy mainly for saftey so those ignorant drivers that love to cut us off can hear me comming. so, does anyone know how they sound? iv never heard my bike yet. i just want to know if the noise is unbearably loud? should i run a 4 to 1 with a baffle?what do you have? pics? ha it would look silly to cut the pipes half way down the block and leave them like that cut at an angle crazy idea

[tadtl1]

Jat

Ive heard lots of straight pipes and they are a pestilence. I wouldnt think too hard on this one, a four into one with decent baffle should give a little bit extra in the sound and power department. I personally like well baffled pipes, I would like to keep my hearing for a very long time. Straight pipes will do more to pxxx people off than anything. Also, in your suggestion in cutting them so short, you may get cold air damaging the valves by allowing outside air to run back up a very short pipe right after its shut off. Also, if you cut seriously short, you may have flames visible at times at night, haha. The heat would be unbearable during a hot slow ride too. Ive never really heard of anyone cutting anything shorter than just aft of the front footpegs and its prolly for that reason if no other. If you want to ride super safely, there are lots of products available, things like headlite flashers, more and better lighting in general, wearing loud colors. Much louder horns than stock. My own favorite is to transition in my lane of traffic. It keeps others alert when a biker moves deliberately from one side of a lane to the other, say every mile or so, but in heavy traffic, you might want to make it more often. I like to have good horns, not the feeble things most bikes come with and I am not shy about doing a quick blast if there appears to be a non alert driver. I think you will find, a good set of horns, ambulance headlite flashers, and transitioning in the lane will put you in good shape to stay alive a very long time.

[crazy steve]

Ive heard lots of straight pipes and they are a pestilence. I wouldnt think too hard on this one, a four into one with decent baffle should give a little bit extra in the sound and power department...

I'm with Tad on this. The 'loud pipes saves lives' idea is a bust IMO, and open pipes will kill your low-to-mid range power. If they can't see you, they sure as hell won't hear you. The stock exhaust is actually a very good design as far as power production if you can find one.

'78E original owner

[yamahansolo]

kerker nobaffle i have a straight pipe running through the muffler heh heh very loud and no loss of power ask the guys from the sept rally

[Guy_b_g]

I like a healthy growl from the exhaust but not so loud it gets on my nerves during a long ride.

If I am riding with someone else who's running very loud pipes and I am behind them it becomes irritating pretty quick, and I'll politely ask if they would please ride behind me so I can get rid of the frigging headache which might drive me past the edge of sanity by the next rest stop, or I'll pass them and pick up the pace, or drop way back. I had a friend with a Z1 that had no baffles, and he asked me why I didn't ride in a friendlier manner up close where we could occasionally communicate. I just told him I couldn't tolerate the racket...(I answered him after he took off his helmet and pulled out his earplugs)...

You'll also be doing any neighbors a favor, the Harley with straight pipes parked across the street sounds like it's in my living room when he starts it up..sheesh..

[trbig]

Loud pipes lose rights.

Nobody is going to hear loud pipes behind them and all you'll do is piss off the ones you're in front of. Some cars are so well insulated anyway, that going down the road with the stereo on... I've been behind them in an ambulance with lights flashing, headlights on wig-wag, sirens blaring and air horn blasting.. and sometimes was still not heard.

BUT.. that being said, it is still your right to do what you want and have loud pipes if that's what you want, but your reasoning stated is bunk. Have you seen the South Park cartoon about Harleys? lol.


Tod

[fredintoon]

Nobody is going to hear loud pipes behind them and all you'll do is piss off the ones you're in front of. - - -

Hi Tod,
gotta disagree, loud pipes saved the Harley rider overtaking my car & trailer as I was just about to pull out and pass a farm tractor. He musta been in my blind spot. Check mirrors, shoulder check, about to crank the wheel when I hear a noise like a Bofors gun. Shoulda seen him. Not my proudest moment. Drove real careful for half a day after that.
That said, 99.9% of the time the loud pipes will only annoy other road users.
I got me a Stabil-Nautilus air horn instead. 139 dB. Claims to be the loudest bike horn there is.
Now that really annoys people but only those I blow it at.

[trbig]

gotta disagree, loud pipes saved the Harley rider overtaking my car & trailer as I was just about to pull out and pass a farm tractor.

I think you would have heard most bikes, and as you say, a horn probably would have been just as effective. Most of our bikes aren't what I would call quiet anyway. Ever heard a Harley V-Rod? Better be close to it, because THAT is a quiet bike. Even the quieter XS11s I have been around.. that all changes when you rip the throttle.. but they can putt around town without everyone they go by getting a scowl on their face.

Even if you had pulled out, Fred, unless you go all the way over to the shoulder for some reason to pass and ran him completely off the road, you didn't save him from anything.

My point is.. loud bikes give the general public really bad opinions about bike riders. Of course that isn't the only reason, but that doesn't help. The bike owners think the bike sounds really cool. For everybody else, to quote that South Park, "Everybody else thinks you're fags."

Tod

[CA]

yes.

Thank you Tod for quoting that episode. I laughed hysterically.

[barrykustes]

pipes

I am running straight pipes 4 into 1 I did have a kerker header on itwith no bffles in it. decidedto take it off an its not to loud. I picked up some chrome tips with a slntfor 9$ @ autoparts store. It looks good and sounds good not to loud. Nowhee naras loud as a Harley or my friends vulcan 900. I am thinking about wraping the headers and exhaust with black exhaust tape down to the chrome tip just to dress it up alittle bit. I think you will like the sound take your muffler off and check i out.

[motoman]

Well stated trbig.........but there are those that STILL just don't "get it".

[fredintoon]

- - - Even if you had pulled out, Fred, unless you go all the way over to the shoulder for some reason to pass and ran him completely off the road, you didn't save him from anything. - - -

Hi Tod,
umm, unlike you, I was there. With a car full of loud kids and trying to drown them out with CBC radio I would not have heard a quieter bike. With the narrow road, no shoulder and steep drop-off there was nowhere for a diverted bike to go but into the guard-rail.

[DGXSER]

You know after 1-1/2 years on the forum I find this is just about like an oil or tire thread. A bunch of opinions, not alot of facts. Stating your opinion vehemently never changes someone elses opinion.

Me personally, I am not a fan of the LOUDER is BETTER concept. I've been around those harleys with straight pipes revving their engines so loud I can barely think sitting on my XS with a full face helmet closed up. All I could think is "what an AH, put a friggin muffler on it will you!!"

I have also ran my XS project bike with headers and a muffler with no baffles as it was the only exhaust I had for it at the time. I now have a 4-2 kerker system on it and I like it alot better.

[freak_leg]

I can say for sure that just running a 4 in to 2 with no mufflers and short pipes is f-ing loud. I rode for about twenty mins that way and it drove me nuts. I like loud pipes but sawed off headers are way too much!

[nightpilot]

I think the problem comes from thinking in absolutes. From what Fred said I believe that in his case we can believe it made a difference. Whether the biker had a place to go is irrelevant.

However as the learned gurus state, lots of times you cant hear them depending on position, and all the time they are obnoxious. My brother had side cuts on his harley and I could not ride beside him on his right.

I personally believe in assaulting the non bikers with bright lights and loud horns. Research in Europe has shown that a three point presentation is most easily seen and that yellow is the most discernable. I have two big yellow fog lights on my black XJ that my brother thinks are very ugly but I believe people see me before anything else on the road, anyway he is a harley guy and we just need them to focus their attention on getting out of our way.