I don’t think it’s anything so complicated as something that actually moves a baffle or the like. (although I know they make mods for this and I believe some Corvettes have a baffle that can be removed for a freer exhaust) I believe it’s just a designed muffler.
I have a car in this instance, so forgive me, but the essence is the same. I have Borla Touring axle back exhaust. It is relatively quiet at idle and cruising below 2100 rpm. Anytime I really jump on it though, it really opens up the sound and has a pretty loud exhaust note. Just bolt on exhaust.
However, some manufacturers make “straight pipes” with internal restriction plates. Quick removal of the plate allows the exhaust to have true straight pipes. :eek: And vice versa. Loud when you want it, quiet (er) when you get home at 4 am.
As for the safety factor, I think it is rather immaterial to this discussion as it seems largely a matter of opinion.
If the bike is tuned improperly (or tuned for race conditions) it might require a regular blip of the throttle every few seconds to clear out the engine to keep it from starving out or bogging down at idle.
It would be similar (kinda) to a cammed dragster. The reason for the excessively rough idle with performance camshafts is that the engine runs smoother with more power higher in the rpm range. The engine does not “like” to idle because it is meant to go fast.
Lane splitting in California isn’t legal, but more accurately, it isn’t illegal. That’s an important, albeit subtle, difference. There are many ways to get cited while lane splitting: failure to keep your vehicle centered in the lane, weaving and/or excessive lane changes, and breaking “the basic speed law” are just some of them.
I was going to say that before, but when I clicked on the link, the very first sentence from that CMSP page says exactly that and prompted me to mention that here.
On the blipping the throttle thing I often have to do that on my bike until it’s warmed up. It will often stall out when cold if I don’t do this. It’s an old bike though with no choke so setting the idle right so that it won’t stall when cold but will tick over when hot is fairly tricky. Hence I tend to have it set so I do need to blip the throttle when cold in order to have a reasonable low idle when hot which is how the bike will be for the majority of my riding.
On the whole loud pipes thing I like a reasonably noisy pipe but the open pipes you see on a lot of Harley’s these days seem to be taking it way too far. What I don’t understand is from a rider comfort perspective I would have thought having such loud pipes must become really tiring on a long ride. It is odd that you see so many people on Harley’s with completely open pipes as I have never seen that on a sports bike and I cannot imagine anyone getting away with it on a sports bike. I am from the UK though so might have a slightly different perspective on this. In the UK Harley riders tend to be older born again type bikers whereas sports bike riders tend to be adrenaline junkies which is probably why the law seems to crack down on them more than Harley riders.
It’s not a great article to reference though as it’s an opinion piece for a motorcycle magazine. I was hoping that there would be some original data provided and I am sure the editorial/comments section of the following issues was insane.
You can infer both sides of the arguement from what he wrote. That doesn’t do anyone any good.
As anecdotal evidence for the above ‘perceived threat’, back in the late 60’s when I first started riding I needed to borrow a friend’s bike to get parts for my BSA. He had a '64 H-D XLH (base-model Sportster) with a cop-style windshield. I, for my part wore my Ex-C.H.P. leather jacket with it’s fur collar and an all-white helmet. While crossing the Deception Pass bridge (you Pacific Northwesterners know where that is) I pulled up behind a car in front, which pulled over to the shoulder immediately. On a whim, I pulled in behind and sat there for a bit as the driver rolled down his window. I rode away then, but am quite sure he ‘knew’ I was a policeman and was going to get ‘popped’ for speeding on the bridge!
There’s a white Ford Police Interceptor sedan on the island that is now a taxi service car and I always do a double-take when I see it, even though we don’t have WSP stationed here. Just habit, I suppose.
