Quiet bike down for neighborhood? Temporary muffling ideas??

[Anonymous]

I'm the proud, reasonably new owner of a 81 gs550L. It's my daily transport, and I often work late. Needless to say, the residential neighbors of my work are less than happy with hearing the bike at 2 am (stock exhaust and leave pretty quick... but I'll admit it's pretty loud), and my house is at the back of a neighborhood with a 10mph speed limit...

I know that with some of the older cars there was a option of a pull lever that would bypass the muffler, providing a little more top end power...

Does something exist to quiet the bike down some when going thru the neighborhood(s) but that you can open back up when on the open road (annoying other peoples neighbors )

Odd question... but hey... worth a shot right?

Curtis

[focus frenzy]

if you have the stock exhaust and it is loud, something is wrong with your baffles as the stock exhaust is pretty quiet. try up shifting, the lower the RPM the quieter it will be.
you can not run a variable flow exhaust system as it would wreck havoc with your carb jetting.
these are pretty primitive carbs, any change in exhaust flow will have a equal effect of jetting.
jet the carbs for free flow mode and it will be to rich and load up and foul plugs when in restricted mode.
jet them for restricted mode and it will be to lean in free flow mode and that would be even worse that to rich.

[Anonymous]

That's kinda what I figured but I thought I'd ask (god forbid actually doing *gasp* my own research).

How "loud" should the bike be?

I don't think it's excessively loud.... but it's certainly louder than most cars.... It's probably about the volume of one of the older mustangs/ camaros, etc with aftermarket exhaust.... I Generally run in 2nd thru my neighborhood when I get home, but pulling out it's a little grumpy till it's warmed up.

I guess the best way to put it is that I'd like it to be "BMW quiet" in the neighborhood, but sound how it does (beautiful) on the open road.

[beby99]

S***w the neighbors

[Clone]

As for how loud the stock exhaust should be, I had to think a bit about how to put it into something tangible. :? My bike at idle cannot be heard through the closed door of a garage. Cruising at 60km/h or about 35mph, I can carry on a conversation with my wife behind me without needing to yell. Hard on it accelerating on the onramp is about equivalent to the volume of the stock horn.
Hope this gives you enough reference. To decide if your exhaust is shot.

[Jethro]

Didn't someone recently post about an adjustable exhaust with a big washer in the baffle that can be opened or closed? Was it crayonjota?

[earlfor]

I believe that was Mark Harrop.

Earl

Didn't someone recently post about an adjustable exhaust with a big washer in the baffle that can be opened or closed? Was it crayonjota?

[Poot]

I;ve got the same problem now...


what I do, is wheel my 850 (a bit harder to do than your 550 ) down the street, and warm it up there, so if anything I *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ them off, rather than my direct neighbours.

:twisted:

[Anonymous]

Well S**t then.... I guess my exhaust is shot!

At "Idling thru the neighborhood" rpms (1-2K) the bike can be heard when I enter the neighborhood (about 3 blocks)... Granted this is in a sh#ty trailer part where insulation hadn't been thought up yet ;-)

With my wife on board ya kinda have to raise your voice even with it just idling (my bike idles at around 1-2 k depending on it's mood... occasionally down at 600 rpm and I'll admit it's pretty damned quiet then.... as quiet as I'd prolly like it to be at 1000-1500 rpm.

I guess to figure out for sure I'll need to track down some db figures and see.

I'm probably being too anal retentive about this (actually I know I am... there are stock cars that are louder I thinks... and it's certainly quieter than the average harley) but living in white trash hickville tha last thing I want to come out to is a bike knocked over by some stupid redneck *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ed off because he's been hearing my bike at 2am (too in the city for cow tippin)

Off to research re-packing baffles (and the washer idea)

Curtis

Clone Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 8:02 am Post subject:

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As for how loud the stock exhaust should be, I had to think a bit about how to put it into something tangible. My bike at idle cannot be heard through the closed door of a garage. Cruising at 60km/h or about 35mph, I can carry on a conversation with my wife behind me without needing to yell. Hard on it accelerating on the onramp is about equivalent to the volume of the stock horn.
Hope this gives you enough reference. To decide if your exhaust is shot.

[Anonymous]

Been searching for that washer in the muffler post.... can't seem to find it....

Anyone have the URL handy?

Thanks guys!

Curtis