Is my bike too &@#%ing loud?

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?

Or you could just get a non Team eBay racing league exhaust lol. [image: emoji14.png]

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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.

1 minute ago, CandyRedRC46

Or you could just get a non Team eBay racing league exhaust lol. [image: emoji14.png]

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

Ouch! 😁

1 minute ago, 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.

[video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/xGyKBFCd_u4?feature=oembed]

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 😃

7 minutes ago, GatorGreg

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.  :biggrin:

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

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?

Rectaltronics  
Thanks.  Guess who made it.  [image: emoji3.png]
 
Not ironic at all.  See ~1:10 - 1:16.  By the way, pics or it didn't happen.  :warranty:
 
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?
 
 

1 hour ago, CandyRedRC46

Or you could just get a non Team eBay racing league exhaust lol. [image: emoji14.png]

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

They all sound so farty and cheap...

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. 😜

1 hour ago, 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?

[video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y7X3KxaPtN8?feature=oembed]

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!

3 minutes ago, Samuelx [video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/C8cfCetuqds?feature=oembed]

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

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

3 hours ago, Rectaltronics

Thanks.  Guess who made it.  :biggrin:

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

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!

[image: IMG_1426.JPG]

27 minutes ago, DriverDave

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.

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.

22 minutes ago, GatorGreg

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!  :wink:

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.

55 minutes ago, Rectaltronics

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

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.

1 minute ago, GatorGreg

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...

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 :)

[image: eZG-26p0cwraOvsSzhsmbufe4F4VxC1ZCWoPe7g-fA3ZL7B4-E6SwiDBq1sB1Ah-VLD6TV8pTwg4aveK6gyJPS6o0riNBV68XsCHgTuXFiGC21BmTukyQxhJ3rsg71ISVDCv6wvXNAlk8Yi2fCxu-Cuct-HLnm6VwsQtFUs4AGo9fvOGBw2pm33ZnfWFVeQEafOapvB7DA-88qimVy1VODzZ-49wZJfFda1eYj7BzOBNAoQGKHEgBvMuwNl7l1ZXKnCg_VAnNCacEll0ODI5j8-6DaLFTEg38tGO65vVvYdHPc_VHCvzzyWcIvFCZAWyH5YLX2MKL0MlQm8C0_8yAUgtsIw0FIWpF5yGCkOQl30xEikCRtsUlvZ4Uib8NKCbs3zj1FGhS6Fl0k4UeKOSQoe400qquhYi6I8alwF_Oz2y2kJMoG9hCOa9W_BfV3HVqtPtNvWWpsn6Eez3G4P6K4md53sRQXriMmp0ecV961bfRrOprzNvwwwJKfz7CohxecpxEvZFWglpo6NDTkvS47kAjulXr5F8yZLJ7H59hIECl1oD9xo4tjAPg8l5Myd5MoAx_uyXTOzqhcDsE_kENTu6AY47AH6PgyzzHXEnUzpBNUUhfZ2o=w1311-h940-no]

18 minutes ago, 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 :)

[image: eZG-26p0cwraOvsSzhsmbufe4F4VxC1ZCWoPe7g-fA3ZL7B4-E6SwiDBq1sB1Ah-VLD6TV8pTwg4aveK6gyJPS6o0riNBV68XsCHgTuXFiGC21BmTukyQxhJ3rsg71ISVDCv6wvXNAlk8Yi2fCxu-Cuct-HLnm6VwsQtFUs4AGo9fvOGBw2pm33ZnfWFVeQEafOapvB7DA-88qimVy1VODzZ-49wZJfFda1eYj7BzOBNAoQGKHEgBvMuwNl7l1ZXKnCg_VAnNCacEll0ODI5j8-6DaLFTEg38tGO65vVvYdHPc_VHCvzzyWcIvFCZAWyH5YLX2MKL0MlQm8C0_8yAUgtsIw0FIWpF5yGCkOQl30xEikCRtsUlvZ4Uib8NKCbs3zj1FGhS6Fl0k4UeKOSQoe400qquhYi6I8alwF_Oz2y2kJMoG9hCOa9W_BfV3HVqtPtNvWWpsn6Eez3G4P6K4md53sRQXriMmp0ecV961bfRrOprzNvwwwJKfz7CohxecpxEvZFWglpo6NDTkvS47kAjulXr5F8yZLJ7H59hIECl1oD9xo4tjAPg8l5Myd5MoAx_uyXTOzqhcDsE_kENTu6AY47AH6PgyzzHXEnUzpBNUUhfZ2o=w1311-h940-no]

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.

27 minutes ago, GatorGreg

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 :(

48 minutes ago, Corrugated

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 😃[image: 1968-plymouth-roadrunner-badge-mike-mart]

[image: il_340x270.1009683281_ovsv.jpg]

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

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.

21 minutes ago, Rectaltronics

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.

I've always figured if somebody thought their bike was a little bit too loud, then it actually was waaaay too loud. Hell, even racetracks have decibel limits. That's one of the nice things about the VFR: they sound great even at lower levels.

I like nicely muffled exhausts..

... it makes it easier to here the WVM hurling abuse at me..

I just don't see the point in changing out the restrictive factory muffler for a straight through race muffler, only to put a restriction back in it, because said muffler was too low of quality to bring the noise level down to a reasonable range. With a high quality Akropovic/ Arrow/ Leo/ etc, you can still have the performance of a straight through race muffler, without the overly loud race noise. The Akro slipons sound very good, with out being obnoxious and sound pretty much stock with the restrictor in. The delkivics, on the other hand, sound very farty with the restrictor in, while still being fairly loud and probably flowing the same or worse than the factory muffler.

If I spend $600-$1000 on a can and still can't hear it, I'm going to be pissed.

well thats one way to look at it lol

But probably the wrong way. :wink:

Indian sells an electric model that you might dig. Hearing the V4 was the main reason I bought a VFR over other options.

Yeah who was that guy that won the race up, was it Pike's peak three times and the last time he did it on an electric bike to prove it could be done and seeing as they are silent they had like a fire alarm noise built in so spectators wouldn't get run over... Talk about distracting!

Dont get me wrong, I love hearing a quality open exhaust on a healthy V4 as much as anyone else, but an overly loud ebay pipe that doesnt do much for performance, doesnt do anything for me, especially an overly loud ebay exhaust with a baffle in it that is more than likely restricting power and making fart noises. I am all for quality, name brand exhausts, that don't need a restrictor in place, to be at a reasonable volume.

I guess "reasonable" is subjective. I certainly don't like overly-loud vehicles either, especially if they aren't at least (legally) raced regularly to justify all that noise, but as nervous as I was riding a brand new bike home after a 4-year hiatus, my first thought was "this thing can't be running."

3 hours ago, CandyRedRC46

Dont get me wrong, I love hearing a quality open exhaust on a healthy V4 as much as anyone else, but an overly loud ebay pipe that doesnt do much for performance, doesnt do anything for me, especially an overly loud ebay exhaust with a baffle in it that is more than likely restricting power and making fart noises. I am all for quality, name brand exhausts, that don't need a restrictor in place, to be at a reasonable volume.

I sense that Candy is not a big fan of Delkevic products 😃

Allow me to briefly sing their praises.  The Delk mini carbon adds 2.96 hp to the 8th gen VFR if we can believe the dyno chart on their website which I have linked below - this is roughly a 3 percent boost in wheel horsepower.  According to the same chart it also smooths the VTEC transition significantly.  In addition, it cuts slightly over 7 pounds of weight off the bike per my own measurements compared to stock.  This equates to a roughly 1.3 percent reduction of the bike's wet weight.   IMO these are decent performance gains for only $240 or whatever I paid for it and my butt dyno tells me the bike has a better power to weight ratio now.  Can someone please point me to a better performance bang for the buck whether it be through power gains or weight loss?

Yes, this particular Delk "mini carbon" model I have is loud without the baffle, but in Delk's defense it did say "track use only" on their website description when I bought it.  I personally think it sounds fantastic - you can definitely tell a V4 is hiding behind those lovely fairings and it totally transforms the riding experience for the better IMO.  As I noted earlier I've managed to avoid getting any noise complaints by being somewhat considerate with my riding habits so perhaps I'm being a worry-wart as others have suggested above.  However, I am somewhat worried about damaging my own hearing even with the use of ear plugs.  The mini is Delk's smallest and presumably loudest model so if you don't want an exhaust this loud they have about a dozen other models to choose from to suit your needs.

Most biker folks and people out on the street also seem to love the sound - in fact I just had a random dude in a parking lot come up to me last night and compliment my bike when I started it up - he said he was the owner of a ZX-14 and yet he seemed mesmerized by the look and sound of my little VFR.  He said it sounded "bad ass" and made no use of the word "fart" in describing it 😃

Lastly, I keep seeing the phrase "eBay pipe" as if it was a bad thing when you can buy just about anything on eBay these days including Akrapovic, Yoshimura, etc..  Not that it really matters but I bought my particular Delk pipe directly from the Delk website, not eBay.  However, I have bought plenty of awesome stuff on eBay that I would have never found anywhere else - so I guess I have a more positive outlook on eBay's offerings 😃  So far I have zero complaints on the Delk's quality - no it's not an Akropovic but it has held up very well and still looks great IMO.  There are tons of folks on the two major VFR forums with the various Delkevic exhaust models and I don't recall seeing any quality complaints.

[image: product5147_27p.jpg]

GatorGreg  
I sense that Candy is not a big fan of Delkevic products [image: emoji2.png]
 

On the subject of exhausts, thinking of trying to make a screen like this. Might not look as good on a bike that doesn't get rebuilt weekly, though.

[image: 15-yamaha-m1-7.jpg]

GatorGreg, 5/8/2017 at 10:29 PM

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.

LOL.  I fancied the notion of a train horn but after witnessing a couple of examples of over-reaction from that seemingly anemic typical Asian vehicle meep, I've decided that there's a not-so-fine line between the volume of personal safety and the literally self-endangering volume of anger.

That being said, if there was room to hide the air tank I'd be ruthlessly using the thing on NYC's pedestrians.  Because, like, F them... :pissed:

There are options.  You can go to the local wrecker and pull a set of hi/lo disc horns from a large old American sedan or pickup and find someplace to mount them.  Or there's the Hella Supertones which are similar in concept but come with pretty red cages that might closely match a red VFR (or could be painted to match) and might or might not look so "gay" if you can't find a place to hide them.  Or - and folks can be a bit split on the sound of small air horns - there are the Stebels, which can be had in handy re-branded kits that separate the compressor and horn, making it much easier to stash all the bits out of sight.

PS, check this out:

Some people feel the need to Justify why they spent 3 or 4 times what others did on the same type of product. I think the mini carbon is too much for me, but that's me, I went with the 13" tri oval , TO EACH HIS OWN.

Now I used to give my best friend crap for spending $500-600 for Shoei helmets, he asked how much my head was worth etc. Well last week I tried on a shoei , damn him, it was like a feather on my head compared to my not so cheap Nolans I have worn for years. SO now I eat crow when we ride , oh well.

BTW you can buy new VFR800's on ebay as well so saying ebay is not always a bad thing LOL

55 minutes ago, Rectaltronics

LOL.  I fancied the notion of a train horn but after witnessing a couple of examples of over-reaction from that seemingly anemic typical Asian vehicle meep, I've decided that there's a not-so-fine line between the volume of personal safety and the literally self-endangering volume of anger.

That being said, if there was room to hide the air tank I'd be ruthlessly using the thing on NYC's pedestrians.  Because, like, F them... :pissed:

There are options.  You can go to the local wrecker and pull a set of hi/lo disc horns from a large old American sedan or pickup and find someplace to mount them.  Or there's the Hella Supertones which are similar in concept but come with pretty red cages that might closely match a red VFR (or could be painted to match) and might or might not look so "gay" if you can't find a place to hide them.  Or - and folks can be a bit split on the sound of small air horns - there are the Stebels, which can be had in handy re-branded kits that separate the compressor and horn, making it much easier to stash all the bits out of sight.

PS, check this out:

[video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/B3e5BCE9zFI?feature=oembed]

Nice Caddy!   Looks a lot like the one my Mom had when I was a kid - she could have used that horn the way she drove LOL.

This is both sad and amusing at the same time 😃 Would come in handy for NYC traffic!

GatorGreg  
Pics or it didn't happen [image: emoji2.png]
 
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 [image: emoji2.png]
 
Very sorry to hear about your Harley friend - my condolences.

It's just a question of getting used to the changeover of positions. Find now I pip the horn whilst trying to indicate on my cbr.

If one owns a fifth gen, the gear-driven cams should make enough noise to alert anyone nearby to ones presence. Indeed, enough to cause hearing damage, if one is exposed to it for any length of time. Typically, when I'm going down the road at 6000 RPMs or more, traffic behind me falls back (or tries to speed past) proportionally to the RPM.  On an interstate at 8000 RPM often trailing traffic is out of sight. I'm quite sure I'm the most popular person on earth to those lucky folks back there.

But the real downside to loud machines is having to have everything said to me repeated LOUDER at age 67. In a room with several peeps talking, I can hardly hear a thing. And I can't afford hearing aids. (Would cost the same as several weeks on the road riding my fabulous mc.)

Twelfth row, Rolling Stones concert, in front of the right hand speakers in the old Metrodome in MInneapolis, 20 years ago: my ears have never stopped ringing. In spite of wearing earplugs and a Schuberth C3 helmet, the ringing is a little louder after a longer ride, say 50 miles on the freeway. Wind noise adds to the general racket, especially if there is any significant head wind. 

Here is the financial play of the 21 century: buy stock in hearing aid companies. There are going to be a lot of hard-of-hearing old (and not so old) pharts who wanted to he heard while riding in the name of safety or sweet sounding pipes and other mechanical music. Unfiltered. 

So, yes, your bike is too loud.   

Anyone who doesn't wear some hearing protection while riding is at risk of sensory loss.  :goofy:

I've got an Ixil with no baffles. I barely hear the motor while cruising. Wind noise is far louder and is the real reason I wear earplugs.

23 minutes ago, squirrelman

Anyone who doesn't wear some hearing protection while riding is at risk of sensory loss.  :goofy:

Definitely.  And yeah, as jhenly17 points out, wind noise is huge.  Even with aftermarket pipes, at highways speeds the wind noise is a far greater threat to your own hearing than your own loud pipes.  If on the other hand you're behind someone else with loud pipes for extended periods, that's a horse of a different color.

rckrzy1, ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 2:14 PM

Now I used to give my best friend crap for spending $500-600 for Shoei helmets, he asked how much my head was worth etc. Well last week I tried on a shoei , damn him, it was like a feather on my head compared to my not so cheap Nolans I have worn for years. SO now I eat crow when we ride , oh well.

I've always worn Shoei - I think my first helmet was an RF200.  Right now, I'm wearing an X8 (yeah, I know they discontinued them back in 93 or something like that  lol) and just bought a new RF1200.  Never got into Arai cause it was too expensive and never got into lesser expensive helmets cause I got used to Shoei.  That being said, I'm about to cave in and try a Bell - specifically the Revolver EVO.  Great features, decent/good reviews, replacement parts (e.g. pads, face shields, etc) are cheap, and a great bang for the buck price (<$200). 

10 hours ago, squirrelman

Anyone who doesn't wear some hearing protection while riding is at risk of sensory loss.  :goofy:

  Pardon ?

sorry. I couldn't resist !

I'll get my coat !

19 hours ago, squirrelman

Anyone who doesn't wear some hearing protection while riding is at risk of sensory loss.  :goofy:

Watching TV with closed captions: becomes mandatory

Superballs, 5/21/2017 at 1:52 PM

Please teach me.
 

Teach you what?  How to ride like a pussy?  Just watch my motovlog - link in my sig  :tongue:    Gonna try to get a new GoPro vid uploaded later tonight of our little groupride on the Daytona Loop.

Since we're talking about ear pro, I'd like to *plug* (hurr hurr hurr) deep impression molds. 

For $100-ish will get you professionally fitted and molded deep-canal plugs rated for about a 24db reduction. This is important because: 

-The noise environment in a helmet at highway speeds is about 96-106dbs

-OSHA industrial sanitation requirements for hearing is 85dbs sustained noise environments obligates the use of hearing protection. 

Deep canal plugs will protect you from hearing loss. As an air traffic controller and OSHA rep for my union, hearing is essential for my job. One already loses hearing due to natural senescence. And once it's gone, it don't come back. Why rush things? 

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post other businesses up in here, so let me know or shoot me a PM and I'll set you up with some quality small business owners that would love the work. 

SubjectArc, 5/27/2017 at 0:25 AM

Since we're talking about ear pro, I'd like to *plug* (hurr hurr hurr) deep impression molds. 

For $100-ish will get you professionally fitted and molded deep-canal plugs rated for about a 24db reduction. This is important because: 

-The noise environment in a helmet at highway speeds is about 96-106dbs

-OSHA industrial sanitation requirements for hearing is 85dbs sustained noise environments obligates the use of hearing protection. 

Deep canal plugs will protect you from hearing loss. As an air traffic controller and OSHA rep for my union, hearing is essential for my job. One already loses hearing due to natural senescence. And once it's gone, it don't come back. Why rush things? 

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post other businesses up in here, so let me know or shoot me a PM and I'll set you up with some quality small business owners that would love the work. 

Im sorry, did you say something?  Please speak up - I can barely hear you  :tongue: .  Seriously though, thanks for the offer but the cheapie disposable ones seem to be working fine for me (I hope).

I may get some customs one day (some guy was selling some at a track day years ago that you could mold yourself), but right now, yeah, I just grab a handful of Hearos or Gordon Leights from work and I'm good to go. May actually be something to think about for my wife, though. I wear them for 10 hours a day, but they're a little big for her.

Have just invested in some costumes ear plugs.  2 sets one normal other with speakers.  £ 230 for the pair. What a difference using the speakers ones have turned the music/ sat nav volume down by more than 75%.

the plain ones are just as good can hear what you need to hear but blocks out the noise at speed 

It's not the loud pipes that make you deaf, it's the loud wind.

And sitting in front of the speakers at a rock concert.

You now rockers only know one volume. Loud!

That's OK by me, turn it up! But you need to protect your ears.

Not a fan of the foamies, I prefer the ones that are ribbed for your protection and pleasure.

Oops copied from wrong product box. :unsure:

Like these. I bought a sampler of a whole bunch of different plugs a while back.

Does anyone have a Werkes exhaust on their 8th gen ?