Does the loud obnoxious sound that a Harley emits annoy you? I've herd that it's that loud to protect the rider, but when on the highway you don't hear them until they are past the vehicle.

The sound is music to my ears.

It obviously doesn't bother me. But there is a difference in safety between a loud vehicle and a quiet one. I have a friend with a goldwing and car drivers rarely notice him. My bike isn't obnoxious but it is louder than stock. I very, very seldom have a problem with cars noticing me. There are many other things to draw attention to yourself while riding also. I always ride with my high beam on in the daytime. Your choice of riding gear helps. Bright clothes help. But in the end, if someone isn't paying attention, nothing will help you.

No that sound is a HD trademark, nothing can compare to that sound. You should take one for a good long fast ride and feel that Harley tingle!!! It isn't to protect the rider, it is just for the riders enjoyment.

I like the way they sound, much better than that high pitched whiney noise some bikes make.

What I love that music. Did you know H-D has a patent on that sound so no one else can copy it? Too bad the law requires mufflers on them

Yes they do, if cops can and do pull cars over for overly loud exhaust then they should pull over bikes as well.
Australian states are in the process of making bikes( all bikes ) fit mufflers that meet ADR rules concerning drive past noise and Db levels .. if they don't then they are put of the road until they are fixed.
The bullshit about the overly loud noise protecting riders is just that bullshit... the noise ( 90% ) comes after the rider is passed anything... this was something ALL 1st year high school kids did as a science project when I was at school

Yes, overly loud motorcycles (HD or otherwise) are obnoxious.

No, there is no statistical evidence that 'loud pipes save lives', except insofar as public annoyance at loud motorcycles causes laws to be passed restricting their use.

As you note, most of the sound generated by a motorcycle goes behind and to the sides of the cycle, so it doesn't really warn anyone that you are oncoming.

In reality, I think the loud-piped riders are just like the guys with 5000-watt stereo systems in their cars that drive with the windows down.

They may make all sorts of excuses and rationalizations for their behavior, but in the end they are saying "Hey! Look at me!" with their actions.

(Note: I ride a 1995 Honda Nighthawk 750 (stock exhaust)).

Yes the sound is annoying. I think there is a low-life element that is attracted to those obnoxious Two-Wheeled White-Trash Mobiles, aka Harley Davidsons. A few years from now there will be studies revealing high rates of hearing loss among the white trash who love that sound. I cant wait - I need a good laugh. I'm baffled that some people equate being obnoxious, dirty and painfully loud with being tough. God, this country has it too easy that we have the surplus resources to devote to worthless crap for worthless people.

hell yes it does.

who gives a shite if it's a traditional sound.. it's louder than most, if not all, illegal mufflers..

It annoys me.

I wish they'd require increased muffling for those acoustic nuisances.

I think it would be great if they made them live up to their nickname and go "Oink Oink" instead. ;)

Harley's are more pleasent that most, except when people deliberately rev or drive to areas they know will reverb. That said, I generally view motorcycle noise as obnoxious noise polution. If you stood on a street corner with an airhorn and that much noise you'd be busted for disturbing the peace, if your car made that much noise it's probably be impounded-why are motorcycles any different?

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. [ smile ]

Harley Davidson's are poorly built, sellout motorcycles. Anyone with a real sense of independence or individuality would spend those types of dollars on a custom bike. Any REAL rider would spend some quality time putting together his own bike, instead of aftermarket-pimping his queerbait Harley.
And that noise is for less-endowed men who need to tickle their own pickle with something they have to pay for rather than earn. In every respect of their lives. If you need that sound, go buy a Gun and go hunt or fight for your country like a real man, instead of sitting on a bandwagon-trophy.

Didn't I just see an episode of "South Park" about this?
Yes, motorcycle noise is annoying, but it doesn't usually last for that long...
It does piss me off pretty bad, though, when someone idles nearby, and keeps gunning it for awhile, just to seem cool. Those types of people are not cool, they are douchebags!

As the owner of two Harley Davidson's i will let you know that the reason we put loud pipes is to protect us, all to often we get hit by drivers no paying attention to thier surroundings and the first thing out of thier mouth's is "I DIDNT KNOW HE WAS THERE!" I have been in four accidents on jap-scrap and everytime they used the didnt know i was there excuse so I went and got drag pipes for my FXR, and Shotguns for my softtail,,,,,Believe me when i say,,,,YOU can hear me coming and going way before i get up to you our pass you,,,Obnoxiously LOUD,,,I have other riders tell me my Stuff is TOO LOUD,,,Do to all the Jap companies making bikes that look and sound like harleys to the non harley rider,,they did try and get a patent on the exaust,,,but the court threw out the law suit! So there is no patient on the sound

That makes all the since in the world. However If you can't hear them until they are passing you does that mean they should make them louder?

Yes, yes, yes!

The sound is emitted from the rear, so unless they learn to ride backwards, I don't think it makes 'em safer. What would definitely make a rider safer is, A. Motorcycle that handles well with performance. B. Operator that's experienced and defensive, not ofensive. C. Corners well, not a HD charactoristic. There is absolutely no gain to be had by modified exhaust. I like the extra money, generated by this fad. They think $1000 th $2000 to modify is bad, wait till I sell the're original EPA exhaust back to them when they figure it out.

Do any of you even own a shit hd,poorly made crap ass shit, oh.. hardlet owning a patent on sound is a myth they tried patent office said huh.. get outta here.Check out this site and see what the average fartly owner is like.http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/harleyfeedback.htm