Loud Pipes (When Lane Splitting In California)

[Vance]

Just got a 2004 FJR as totaled my 2003. See my next post, Crash, Miracles still do happen. Need to make the darn thing loud as humanly possible. Any suggestions? Think Santa is going to get me a gift card to Let's Ride Motorsports so I can pick out my pipes. Should I also get a power commander? Don't know what I'm talking about so asking for help.

Has anybody checked out www.droptail.com, the

FJR1300 Auto-Exhaust Cutout Controller with Stealth Switch Accessory
​from JSC Engineering. Has a remote that you can open it and close it, automatic after 5,000 RPM. The guys says louder than the Harleys. What's nice can turn it off for normal non-traffic riding.

Here was his email to me:

"You have to install (weld) a cutout valve flange for your cutout onto the bottom collector as my video shows. Our controller then controls it, and is also connected to your rpm and battery power if you want the automatic feature to work for high rpm. I find it useful to have the bike roaring when I run it up to high rpm, let alone make some more power if it is given more fuel and air. See this ebay ad for the exhaust cutout already welded on an FJR header.

That is the header I actually have on my bike. That price includes the controller and everything, a
bolt on. If sold, I would pull it off and make another. I will never be without this safety feature ever again, it has saved my ass more than once already. Tap my thumb, dial in the noise I need. I don't even take my eyes off the road.

I can't really recommend a cutout, this HPE are all I've had for any period of time due to their compactness, and
have had some reliability issues. Last only about two years. I am on my third motor, they're cheap enough. Heat
is the problem. Packaging seems to work, not sure of the others. There is clearance issues on sharp speed bumps,
have to crawl over them. Still, its been well worth it. DMH is another I've had in the shop for other customers, but
only for bench testing. They seem better built, and I like them better. Lots of bad California traffic here in L.A."

What is HPE and DMH. What only lasts for two years?

Anyway, let me know what you think guys!!!!

Safe Riding!!!!

 

[jmdaniel]

 

[Vance]

I saw that shirt somewhere before. Not a matter of knowing how to ride. It's a matter of those rude "cage" drivers on the 405 freeway that won't or don't move over so we can ride the line out here in California. At least with something loud they might get scared and think I'm a rebel biker behind them. Think California is one of the few left that let us go between the cars in traffic. Think that's what might keep me here.

 

[TheZsdad]

I don't think a cut out will make an inline four sound like a rebel biker. Squid maybe.

Honestly I'd spend the money on some good aux lights and Hi-vis gear. But it is your

money.

Ride Safe.

 

[wfooshee]

I read the first post and took it to mean your crash was because someone didn't know you were there, and you're thinking an audio input for them might have helped. Finding your other post I see that the crash was by yourself, running over something you didn't see. You were either riding faster than your lights, or too close to leading traffic. That's the only way you can hit something that's laying in the road in plain sight. Unless you were just plain inattentive...

So what do loud pipes have to do with that?

You'll find a number of aftermarket cans for the FJR that have some level of additional volume for the exhaust sound. I have a set on my own bike. But none of them will compare to the V-twin open pipes crowd. They won't really even compare to the fairly open pipes you can get for a liter superbike.

As far as how cage drivers feel about the loud pipes you find on cruisers, in all my years I have yet to hear someone say, "Goddamn, it's a good thing I heard that guy, 'cause I'da kilt him for sure otherwise." The absolute universal response. and my own opinion as well, is, "What the fuck do those assholes think they need to make so much goddamn noise for?!?!??!"

Were I a cage driver who though motorcycles were onmoxious machines ridden by scumbags who thought they had more rights than I do, I'd do what I could to make life difficult for the really obnoxious ones, like close up a lane gap and block in a loud pipes guy. Just to show him who's boss.

I'm not one of those cage drivers, but I can imagine some who are.

 

[AlleyCat]

Being heard is no guarantee the others know where you are. Many accidents happen when a cager makes a left turn in front of a bike and loud pipes have nothing to do with that. It's all about riding to be seen (proper speeds in areas with intersections etc, use high beams during daylight, defensive driving, etc). I don't believe in loud pipes and actually loud bikes hurt the sport as folks are more than fed up with the noise pollution (we have cities in Quebec that have no motorcycle zones - google Quebec City). There are studies that even show that accidents occurred because of sudden lane changes due to the bike noise which lead to the cager thinking the bike was in fact in other lane (sound will bounce off walls, other vehicles giving a false impression of the source).

I also use the weaving technique which consists of breaking the straight line of travel when coming up to an intersection or when you have an opposing car that is waiting to make a left turn. It increases your visibility to others by 'catching' the eye.

If your state allows for it, more and more folks are using headlight modulators to increase visibility.

Also, it is good to practice emergency braking, evasive maneuvers (push-push) on a regular basis (like once a week) just to keep the skills sharp and to develop the reflex reaction when the shit is going to hit the frying pan.

And last but not least, a prefer using my horn to catch someone's attention rather than relying on a loud constant noise which is no guarantee of safety (also, think of your neighbors who may not appreciate your loud bike).

 

[exskibum]

At a loss to see how your accident (hitting junk on freeway -- I know the Grapevine on 5) would have been avoided, or affected in any positive way, by more exhaust noise.

Very sorry to read that you are thinking about joining the ranks of those inconsiderate and self absorbed assholes who annoy the living shit out of everyone else (including those of us with decades of riding experience) by turning your motorcycle into a deafening noise nuisance.

The rest of us will get to pay for your noise as blanket restrictions are legislated on aftermarket exhaust systems (to abate the real nuisances) in response to the complaints of those you scare, piss off and offend. Yet what you propose to do will have NO benefit on lane sharing safety. What you will do is scare the living shit out of a lot of drivers as they become aware of the sudden hellacious noise simultaneously with you passing between their car and the one next to them. (Never been in that situation yourself?) So, with a little luck, you can not only help F#@% the rest of us out of aftermarket exhaust systems, but also play a big part in making sure that cagers lobby their legislators to criminalize lane sharing in the only state permitting it.

 

[Vance]

I'm actually liking the responses. And I did change out my OEM 55 watt to 110 watt, added some LED fog lamps. Damn loud pipes would mess up my music or podcasts anyway. Thinking I'm taking the advice from the forum. Wouldn't add much more horsepower either, huh, even with the power commander. Hell, not that I need any more. My first FJR the guy told me it would make my arms straight. Heard every biker term but not that one. First time I got on it I understood what he meant, damn bike was two blocks ahead of me hanging on stretched out. Now love my bike. I'm an ex-Harley guy as you can tell. Maybe that's why I still got that loud pipe thing in my head.

 

[Vance]

And sorry, the two posts you are right are unrelated. Just thought the forum would like to hear about one that somebody walked away from. I've known too many that haven't.

Also there is some truth about paying attention as I had just got done getting my music together on my cell phone behind a car chilling and then went to shoot around it knowing there were no cars but not really panning the road for a few seconds to make sure of no junk in the road. Hey, won't make that mistake twice.

 

[PhilJet09]

Glad to hear that you're coming around. Get a really loud horn, that way you can be selective about who you blast on the road.

 

[Vance]

my wife is very happy to hear that people that ride motorcycles don't like noise and think it is disrespectful to neighbors because she fought for three years to get vehicle codes in our neighborhood to get the dirt bikers with no exhaust out of our canyon and off others property.

 

[FJRay]

Silence is golden.

 

[Bugnatr]

I will go against the grain here. Riding in the city with lots of lane splitting it is very helpful to have pipe's that are louder than stock, not open Harley loud pipes but some that do have a rumble sure are nice while lane splitting. I never liked lane splitting on the FJR because no one could hear me but when I rode my FZ6 or FZ1 and now my KTM with aftermarket pipes lane splitting was so much easier and safer IMHO.

Nothing wrong with making some noise. There are plenty on this forum who run aftermarket pipes that are louder than stock-you know who you are.

 

[jmdaniel]

Slimline PIAA horns, (which I have), headlight modulators, (which I won't use), and high viz clothing, (which I wear), are all designed to make you stand out, without being a PITA.

 

[juniorfjr]

I love my Beowulf aftermarket cans, but keep the baffles in so it's really not that loud. It's amazing how the noise goes behind the bike and at speeds can't be heard from the front. So the only way they could help you is if someone was running up your backside. And for that there are others here that are experts on that.

 

[phroenips]

t's amazing how the noise goes behind the bike and at speeds can't be heard from the front. So the only way they could help you is if someone was running up your backside.

This. All the noise from the loud pipes is behind the bike. Think about when you pass a Harley with straight pipes...the sound goes away as soon as you're along side them.

 

[FJRay]

I will go against the grain here. Riding in the city with lots of lane splitting it is very helpful to have pipe's that are louder than stock, not open Harley loud pipes but some that do have a rumble sure are nice while lane splitting. I never liked lane splitting on the FJR because no one could hear me but when I rode my FZ6 or FZ1 and now my KTM with aftermarket pipes lane splitting was so much easier and safer IMHO.

Nothing wrong with making some noise. There are plenty on this forum who run aftermarket pipes that are louder than stock-you know who you are.

If you put loud pipes on the Hippo it will sound like a Corvair with asthma.

 

[whataboutbob]

Had loud pipes on a v-star before fjr.....would never go back to that shit

 

[SacramentoMike]

Nice to see some good advice actually taken. I'm glad you've seen the wisdom of what most folks are saying, Vance.

When I pass somebody in traffic, I just slip through and I'm gone before they know about me, unless they happen to have glanced in their mirror, which I never count on, even though I've always got my very bright Clearwater LEDs blazing. (They're also good for lighting up those axles and ladders in the roadway, too.

) If I wanted to have them hear me too, I'd use something that faces forward. Like my horns.