Author Topic: It’s the sound.  (Read 829 times)

Online Scout63

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It’s the sound.
« on: May 01, 2021, 10:17:04 PM »
I juggled yard work with several around-town rides on the v50 and Commando today. Not for the first time I was thinking that the sound of the bike may be the most important factor for me. Both bikes sound wonderful above 4k.  Guzzis, Nortons, big singles, Ducatis, CBXs etc. have it all over heavily muffled UJMs.  Just sayin.
Ben Zehnder - Orleans, MA USA

Online cliffrod

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2021, 10:48:27 PM »
Similar feelings here. Based upon previous threads, my V7 Sport is apparently too loud to be PC.  An acquaintance has a pristine restored V7 Sport, with perfect repro silentiums.   He cranks it up and it just isn't the same to me.  Certain engines sound great to me.  Others just don't.  Your list is good for me plus good iron Sportsters and Shovelheads. 

Always wanted to do some mods to my Quattro so it would somehow not sound just like a ujm 4 cylinder but didn't get that far before it went away.  Listening to it while riding was a Major buzzkill..
1973 V7 Sport  "Now THAT'S a motorcycle!"-  Master Sculptor Giuliano Cecchinelli
1967 V700 Corsa Record
1981 Lemans CX100
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Online Huzo

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2021, 12:30:27 AM »
Well.
I’ve heard a lot of bikes over the journey as have y’all, but I have NEVER heard one that has a better all ‘round tonal rumble than Christopher’s (V85 lover’s) 1200 Sport.
There have been authoritative Ducati’s, Screaming CBX’s, TZ 750’s, Mc Intosh Yoshimura equipped GSX1100 Suzuki’s at Bathurst in the hands of Roger Freeth and wicked GSXR’s.
But that thing of Christopher’s is the duck’s guts.... :bow: :thumb:

« Last Edit: May 02, 2021, 12:31:25 AM by Huzo »

Offline lucky phil

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2021, 02:48:41 AM »
Nothing beats the sound of a Ducati WSB twin for mine. At the Phillip Island WSB races in 98 starting our bike in the pits we used a Honda stationary engine on a small trolley with a longish handle and a T bar with a twist throttle. The Honda engine had a Go cart wheel and tyre on the end of the crankshaft and the process was with the 996 Corse spec Ducati on the race stand I'd push the Go cart tire hard against the rear slick and give the little Honda engine Full throttle and spin the rear wheel up to maximum revs which took about 5 seconds. You could hear the drive chain whizzing around over the exhaust of the little Honda engine and Mal would pop the clutch on that angry 996 engine and it would start instantly. I was less than a metre from those Termi pipes as the engine lit up in an instant and it was a glorious sound. An angry, impatient, dangerous sound full of menace, with the big 65mm throttle bodies lending their voice. No Japanese four even at WSB spec could come close to that sound. I'll never forget that sound. Starting that bike was always a joy and just thinking about it gives me goose bumps.

Ciao
« Last Edit: May 02, 2021, 03:33:06 AM by lucky phil »
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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2021, 02:48:41 AM »

Online Huzo

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2021, 02:55:07 AM »
I guess it depends what emotion you’re looking for in the sound.
No question that the full spec Ducati has more menace and simmering anger than the “basso profundo” of a mellow sounding Guzzi.
Then there’s the sound of an early TZ750 that rips the air like a chainsaw, they cannot be compared.

Offline John Croucher

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2021, 03:41:27 AM »
My 2-1/4 inch gas hole sounds great.  I can keep it quite or wake the country side.  I was pulled over for making too much noise in the tourist trap part of the City. Price Sloan 2 into 1 glass pack. One of very few made.






Offline chuck peterson

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2021, 08:29:28 AM »
Nothing beats the sound of a Ducati WSB twin for mine. At the Phillip Island WSB races in 98 starting our bike in the pits we used a Honda stationary engine on a small trolley with a longish handle and a T bar with a twist throttle. The Honda engine had a Go cart wheel and tyre on the end of the crankshaft and the process was with the 996 Corse spec Ducati on the race stand I'd push the Go cart tire hard against the rear slick and give the little Honda engine Full throttle and spin the rear wheel up to maximum revs which took about 5 seconds. You could hear the drive chain whizzing around over the exhaust of the little Honda engine and Mal would pop the clutch on that angry 996 engine and it would start instantly. I was less than a metre from those Termi pipes as the engine lit up in an instant and it was a glorious sound. An angry, impatient, dangerous sound full of menace, with the big 65mm throttle bodies lending their voice. No Japanese four even at WSB spec could come close to that sound. I'll never forget that sound. Starting that bike was always a joy and just thinking about it gives me goose bumps.

Ciao

Ditto, but i was pit crew in 1979 or so w AMA Pro yoshimura punched out Suzuki...my god..

The seared sound i have is a Superbike start of 2 waves of 20 bikes...while standing 10 feet off to the side

I remember the bike at the end of the ama national at Loudon...every metal piece seemed to swollen w heat, the motor was almost molten, it seemed. You could feel amazing amounts of heat melting the air around it.

I’ve been plain lucky outfitting mufflers...just the right sounds

The LaFranconi’s on my V7 Nevada (used scratched purchase both bike and mufflers..guzzi content) want me to ride at 6k all the time

6k in 3rd gear nets me 65mph, but it’s feeling like a superbike twin in full song

Yeah baby, go guzzi.



"I'd like to thank all my friends who have kept my Guzzi's going, but mostly...TOMB."
150k on Verts
750 Nevada
400f
R5 Yammie
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Offline lucky phil

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2021, 04:34:34 PM »
You and I are going to be ex motorcyclists when everyone is forced to ride electric bikes.

Ciao 
If you're not living on the edge you're taking up to much room.

Online Huzo

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2021, 05:36:58 PM »
You and I are going to be ex motorcyclists when everyone is forced to ride electric bikes.

Ciao
I’ll be dead.

Online cliffrod

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2021, 06:56:38 PM »
You and I are going to be ex motorcyclists when everyone is forced to ride electric bikes.

Ciao

Not to worry... 

By then, someone will have an app for your phone or device.  It will synch to your engine rpm and speed via GPS and feed the engine and exhaust note of your choice through your earbuds.  You can be riding the electric version of Huzo's postal Honda and it will sound exactly like your favorite WSB 996 or whatever you feel like listening to at that moment. 

The smart money says that someone is already working on it.
1973 V7 Sport  "Now THAT'S a motorcycle!"-  Master Sculptor Giuliano Cecchinelli
1967 V700 Corsa Record
1981 Lemans CX100
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExX3YmQel_Q
http://carolinasculpturestudio.com/
Carolina Sculpture Studio YuoTube Channel-
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzSYaYdis55gE-vqifz

Online Huzo

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2021, 07:04:16 PM »
Word has it that the electric bikes of the future, will have a rotating switch fed into a relay that turns the torque on and off as the motor spins.
This it seems, will mimic the pulsing nature of a conventional IC engine. An added benefit, is that at the moment the motor is out of drive mode, it is in re- gen and as such is replacing charge that it will use on the next power “twist”.
A further benefit, is that there is a speaker on the bike that makes a muffled “bang” sound and this coincides with the torque to the wheel.... :thumb:
At least, that’s the rumour.

Offline Roebling3

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2021, 07:37:59 PM »
My son has a Rousch Mustang. Its got a little silver knob to dial whatever you like. You all have seen the car adds; where that silver knob actually changes the seasons.
Damn! THAT's engineering.
   Personally? It's big diesels w/turbos feeding a roots blower. Or for recreation get me back my Gamma and a coast to coast, in mountains, w/no Gendarmes.  R3~
But then there are those pesky fuel stops. 

Online cliffrod

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2021, 08:05:41 PM »
Decades ago, there were articles about tuned free flow exhaust systems with noise-cancelling electronic sound generators.  Now it's generators to produce an exhaust sound when no exhaust gases are present on the machine.  Seems like we're coming full circle.

I wonder about first becoming used to and then becoming an aficionado about EV bikes. It will Helen because I doubt they'll all be exactly the same.   New sensory experiences must be part of the experience and probably will be different that what we now understand.   I don't want to give up my old IC engines, but expect that the human experience part of the new technology will be just as motivated to find & define the visceral. Full torque at instantaneous demand is a big grin factor that's hard to deny.  Every squid out there will have to find some way to make his better than the rest.
1973 V7 Sport  "Now THAT'S a motorcycle!"-  Master Sculptor Giuliano Cecchinelli
1967 V700 Corsa Record
1981 Lemans CX100
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExX3YmQel_Q
http://carolinasculpturestudio.com/
Carolina Sculpture Studio YuoTube Channel-
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzSYaYdis55gE-vqifz

Offline wavedog

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2021, 08:11:02 PM »
The 600 hp radials that I used to fly behind on my Airtractor and Agcat sounded pretty dang good. The 2800’s and 1820’s were awesome to listen to from the cockpit. Now a Rolls Royce Merlin during a semi high speed pass at low level is poetry to the ears. Sounds like tearing silk.
 However what gets my attention is a properly exhausted big block Guzzi running thru the gears. Now that’s a sound!
 A Norton 750 Commando with stock exhaust comes in second.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2021, 08:14:49 PM by wavedog »

Offline Turin

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Re: It’s the sound.
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2021, 08:28:18 PM »
It's not always so much the bike as it is the exhaust system. Pipe diameter, length, material and muffler design all affect the sound. Think of it as a musical instrument... tuba vs trumpet.

Personal observations:
I have a 90's ducati 900 that has a crap exhaust note due to a pair of Aluminum F1 canisters. They sound Tinny.
Staintunes also sound tinny to my ear.

My triumph came with a set of D&D carbon cans. They are an open through design and made the in lime 4 produced a shrieking sound. I bought a different set of carbon cans from Trident Exhausts. the different design produces a softer, deeper tone.

To my ear, nothng sounds better than a set of BUB conti replicas.


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1974 850-T Sport
1969 A-series Ambassador
1996 Triumph Daytona 1200
1996 Triumph Daytona 900
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