Sounds Just Like A Harley

[Kiwi_Roy]

I was in our local multi brand dealer the other day at the counter buying an oil filter when one of the mechanics walked past and commented to the sales clerk "Did you hear that V7, boy is it loud, sounds just like a Harley".
Later on I walked out into the show room and here is a brand new V7 Stone with the pipes chopped off at the footpegs, no mufflers, headers wrapped, dropped mirrors and a knobby front tire.
The salesman told me they had customized it, seemed quite pissed off when I told him it will run like crap.

Made me wonder what Pete would say LOL

[Kev m]

Last fall a younger rider on a "customized" V7 showed up at the same place we were having our MGNOC NJ Breakfast (small local airstrip). He had a shorty chopped exhaust and very little to speak of in terms of a muffler. Didn't seem to care how well it was or was not running.

It's a thing... not my thing, but a thing.

But everyone of them is another sale for Guzzi.

[twowings]

Ah, yes...mid-20th century tuning tips collide with 21st-century electronic engine management...loud means lots of horsepower, right?? 

[Sheepdog]

It took me a while to learn about all that stuff, too.

[Lannis]

Last fall a younger rider on a "customized" V7 showed up at the same place we were having our MGNOC NJ Breakfast (small local airstrip). He had a shorty chopped exhaust and very little to speak of in terms of a muffler. Didn't seem to care how well it was or was not running.

It's a thing... not my thing, but a thing.

But everyone of them is another sale for Guzzi.

I've noticed it quite a few times.   On my (used to) commute home from work, there were three traffic lights on a rural 4-lane highway.   At reasonable intervals during the summer months, I'd be stopped at one of them, lined up next to some dude on a sparkly 600, 750, liter or Hayabusa extended swingarm custom.   You could hear as he revved it up prior to takeoff that it was running like crap.

Of course, "racing on the highway" is a serious offense here, so I would NEVER do that, but I certainly didn't hold back the Stelvio or the 1000SP if it wanted to stretch its legs a bit in such a situation.   You can't "bang" shifts, of course, but you can wind it up and shift carefully at 7K RPM or so and get on down the road.   

And I don't think I remember any Mr. DragBike Racers running away from me.   I kept even with some of them, some slowly drew ahead, and I was actually gaining on a few.   You could HEAR the 4-cylinders crackling and popping and blubbering instead of making power.   

If any of those bikes had actually been tuned properly, I wouldn't have gotten a sniff of any of them (assuming they were really trying to accelerate, wink wink).

But as you say, it's a "Thing" ....

Lannis

[webmost]

Kid down the street here got himself a Honda R600RR. He was determined to chop the exhaust. His Dad, who builds race cars, advised him not to, cause he'd most likely burn the valves. So he went over to his buddy's house, where they removed baffles. Then he promptly burnt the valves. He was not happy with Dad.

[LowRyter]

would that warp the exhaust valves?

[pressureangle]

would that warp the exhaust valves?

*Can*.

If the valves get hot enough, and the pipes are short enough to draw cold air back in onto the exhausts.

[Kiwi_Roy]

It took me a while to learn about all that stuff, too.

Yes - I can forgive some kid doing it at home - but this was a Guzzi dealership, they should know better

[pete roper]

Ah, yes...mid-20th century tuning tips collide with 21st-century electronic engine management...loud means lots of horsepower, right?? 

It's not so much the 21st century engine management as the changes in engine design. A 2V Hemi head engine with a wide included valve angle and side draught induction and exhaust can still use 1950's/60's tuning methods, including but not limited to 'Freeing up the breathing' and making it into an annoyingly noisy turd with a bit more get up and go.

A modern combustion chamber with a narrow included valve angle with side draught induction and exhaust? Much less so.

A Heron head design is very difficult to get much in the way of performance increase out of regardless of anything you do to it so making a pre-III V7 noisy is about as sensible as base jumping without a parachute!

[Kev m]

Yes - I can forgive some kid doing it at home - but this was a Guzzi dealership, they should know better

No honestly I shouldn't forgive either ...


That said, I could have won mint guessing Pete would take it too seriously...[emoji56][emoji23][emoji56]

[Chuck in Indiana]

A 2V Hemi head engine with a wide included valve angle and side draught induction and exhaust can still use 1950's/60's tuning methods,

  Works for me.. but it *doesn't* sound like a Harley. Harleys with open exhaust sound pretty agricultural to me. <shrug>

[oldbike54]

Works for me.. but it *doesn't* sound like a Harley. Harleys with open exhaust sound pretty agricultural to me. <shrug>

 We described the way a friend's Rocket 3 with the TOR exhaust as sounding like an Allis Chalmers WD with a header 

 Dusty

[pete roper]

No honestly I shouldn't forgive either ...


That said, I could have won mint guessing Pete would take it too seriously...[emoji56][emoji23][emoji56]

It's not a matter of taking it too seriously Kev. It's just a dislike of waste and a hatred of stupidity and ignorance.

[kingoffleece]

Why would anyone listen to a salesman?

[LowRyter]

Works for me.. but it *doesn't* sound like a Harley. Harleys with open exhaust sound pretty agricultural to me. <shrug>

45 vs 90 degree vee. 

BTDT

[Kiwi_Roy]

45 vs 90 degree vee. 

BTDT

T think he was probably referring to how loud it was.

On further thought they had a whole bunch of new V7s, perhaps they thought it may appeal to a different market, the hipsters perhaps. Maybe they can ask more for a bike they have "customized"
I'm just glad I can do my own repairs.
They have a new Griso 1200 if anyone's looking for one (black & silver)

[mjptexas]

We described the way a friend's Rocket 3 with the TOR exhaust as sounding like an Allis Chalmers WD with a header 

 Dusty

An Allis Chalmers WD?!  OMG! The mere fact that you even have an inkling of what that is confirms, without any doubts, that you truly are older than dirt!

[Huzo]

45 vs 90 degree vee. 

BTDT

In the context of the post, what does BTDT mean ?

[oldbike54]

An Allis Chalmers WD?!  OMG! The mere fact that you even have an inkling of what that is confirms, without any doubts, that you truly are older than dirt!

 Be nice to the cook Mike 

 Dusty

[SED]

I've seen those on Craigslist!  They seem to have made a nitch for themselves 

[LowRyter]

In the context of the post, what does BTDT mean ?

Been there, done that.

we had a big thread on 270 degree cranks here.  Better than yacking about oil too.