One thing I've really missed on my new bike has been the roar of my old bike. Sure, it was only a little 250cc V-Star with standard exhaust, BUT, the previous owner removed the baffles before I bought it. It sounded much bigger than it was, with a deep, throaty roar whenever I took off, or dropped down a gear.
My new bikes exhaust system make the bike really quiet and it doesn't sound like a motorbike. As one of my acquaintences pointed out it, it sounds like a sewing machine. I didn't take it as an insult, just as a constructive comment.
I could live with it, but I had plans to replace the exhaust with something a little louder (for safety purposes, honestly). After the ANZAC Day ride with the Vietnam Vets, I decided I was going to have to do something about it as I was embarassed at how odd the bike sounded compared with all the other bikes.
Don't believe it sounds like a sewing machine, just click the video below for proof:
Really impressive, huh
Mind made up, I contacted Dean at Express Motorcycles (www.expressmotorcycles.com.au) and organised a shiny new set of Vance & Hines pipes. Pipes fitted, and away we go.
First thing I had to do was take the bike out to the Centenary Highway Extension to see and hear for myself what difference the new pipes had made. Let's just say it's like a completely new bike. The bike now sounds like it has balls, and whereas before no-one would notice the bike, I now notice drivers looking in their mirrors and are well aware that I'm there.
Here's the sound of the bike, post transplant:
Slight difference, huh. Now, I'm not sure if it's the pipes, or the fact that the sound makes the right hand twist harder, but the bike now seems to accelerate much quicker and reach the speed limit very quickly. I did manage to stretch the bikes legs for a few minutes and it didn't seem to have any difficulty reaching and passing my previous top speed, so I'll have to keep a little more control on the throttle from now on...don't want to attract too much attention from the Smurfs.
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