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Rumble and roar?


Bosco-d-gama

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23 minutes ago, y2keglide said:

Gotta love a big block Chevy,I had a '69 Camaro with a 427/4 speed. Originally a 327 small block car but I got my hands on the Corvette 427 and installed it my self in the days of my youth. I kept that car for 14 years, wish I had it back sometimes but my LS powered '01 SS gets a heck of a lot better gas mileage and is plenty fast .lol

They called it the great orange pumpkin.  Hugger Orange base with a very custom black stripe accent paint job  and a black vinyl top.  I rigged it up to hold 1/4 barrels in the trunk with a tube that ran up to the passenger compartment, loaded up with Pioneer Tri and Co ax speakers and some cheap amps and I believe a Pyramid EQ.  Youth, what a wonderful time that we all wish we could transport to.  I would have kept the Chevelle and long been retired. 😃

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Nothin' like the lope of an old Chevy Big Block with a wild cam!

Bikes, yea some are very loud, most are moderate to me.  Anyone in Daytona last month, or is it still spread out towards New Smyrna south and St Augustine north?

If you've ridden in traffic like I-4 between Maitland and Disney daily during rush hour you will notice others notice you by hearing you coming. Resisting the urge to not pass dozens of stopped vehicles at 50mph will save you life more quickly though!

 

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11 hours ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

Yet you say that the ‘sound’ of your ride puts you in a “zen” state.  These days you do not require the noise to ride fast. You say the noise is not to gain attention. So is it a pacifier - a sound that adds value to the experience and would detract from the experience if absent? From my perspective the only thing motorcycle noise effectively does is render the vehicle menacing which any number of riders and riding clubs do employ to ‘flex’ the power of their presence.

 

If I hear you correctly the rowdy noise is a learned association with pleasure. If so have you ever tried riding without the noise? If not then you’re argument becomes a presumption. In fact you may find more pleasure riding w/o the unnecessary rumble. To be clear I do not want anyone to feel threatened with my concern. I am NOT dissing motorcycles or their riders, and I am not advocating against them. I am saying that they are unnecessarily made to be far too loud when for all practical purposes the excess noise adds nothing to the ride nor to the character of the rider. The take away is until you try riding silently you cannot make a valid argument for or against noise containment. On the other hand I have not done much riding at all so my perspectives are pretty limited as well. But I do read here that most bikers use ear plugs and other sound dampening devices - so noise is truly an issue for most folks.

You simply do not understand and I see in this post the smack of stereotyping.

Sure there are those types but as a whole H-D riders are as diverse a group as you'll ever find.

In my travels I've meet people touring here and there from around the globe and from all walks of life,doctors,nurses,cops,firefighters,truck drivers,housewives you name it.

I don't bar hop or cruise around town dressed like a pirate, I have no use for clubs or group rides much preferring to go alone or with one or two others I know well and trust to ride with.

I avoid cities like the plague, I like country roads or long stretches of desert highway and even when I take weeks long multistate tours I tend to stay off the freeways and out of the cities as much as possible. As for the sound it's much more than just the sound it's the whole experience the vibes the feel of the machine connected to me but I wouldn't expect you to understand,I don't believe I stated that the sound puts me in a zen state at least that was not what I was trying to convey.

The sound is only part of it and no other engine sounds or feels like a Harley,I hate the sound of even fire engines with loud pipes as there's no cadence that reaches the soul.

Again I wouldn't expect you to understand and for the record (again) my bike has mufflers and there are some folks that ride completely stock H-Ds which are as quiet as any other make as they have to build under the same EPA guidelines as any other make.

Your perception is based on your little area and what you see and hear there,mine is based on covering most of the country and meeting people along the way.

It's been a million mile journey that continues as long as I can throw a leg over, hopefully quite a few years yet!

 

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9 minutes ago, Pete H said:

 Youth, what a wonderful time that we all wish we could transport to.  I would have kept the Chevelle and long been retired. 😃

I hear that, a lot of cars I wish I had back but I just wish I could just be retired. lol

Almost 63 and see no end of working in sight at this point. Not without selling my home and moving into a cardboard box anyways heh heh.

 

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9 hours ago, HDBRbuilder said:

 

 

IMHO, the very most important two things on a motorcycle are the tires and brakes!  Both of those HAVE TO BE GREAT!

I would put those things 2nd & 3rd with the rider being #1, I survived bikes with lousy drum brakes horrible suspensions brick with wheels handling and tires that by todays standards are laughable for quite a few years and many many miles before I got anything even remotely modern by today's standards. :happy:

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53 minutes ago, y2keglide said:

You've obviously never ridden an FXR series Harley, they had a hand built frame designed by Erik Buell when he was an engineer at the H-D Motor Company.

Very different animal than the typical Harley...

As you say "The Look" is one of the reasons the FXR series was replaced with the Dyna and the other is the cost to manufacture them..

I consider myself fortunate to have owned two "stepchildren" of the HD family:  '90 FXRS-SP which I kept for 20 yrs, and my current ride, an '010 FXDF.  Both these bikes were controversial in their appearance relative to much of the MoCo's products, but are now somewhat esteemed by a small portion of the Harley riding populace.  I rode the FXR through the Mojave Desert on the way to the Grand Canyon, and both bikes have seen PCH-1 along CA's coastline and US-50 going up to Lake Tahoe.  I don't hit the road as much as I used to, but whenever I do, it still makes the day end better than when it started.

 

To the OP: I can understand your angst regarding the unwelcome intrusion of hi-decibel exhaust tones from certain bikes, whether its the banshee wail of a high-revving 4/6cyl "track bike" or the rolling thunder of a big-bore v-twin.  Hopefully these raucous episodes are short-lived and spaced far apart; even more, I trust you won't develop any prejudices against the motorcycling public as the vast majority of them are really good people.

~

 

 

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On 4/22/2019 at 10:34 AM, Bosco-d-gama said:

Ah spring, finally I get to start working on the yards and enjoying them. I live where mountains channel out onto a prairie. Essentially I live in the throat of a giant natural horn. Spring also means the return of motorcycles, in singles and throngs. Traffic noise of any level resonates and amplifies around here and motorcycles, well they can be quite a nuisance.

 

Okay, I definitely understand that many here are motorcycle fan(atic)s and I would never suggest that any of you should curtail your enthusiasm for open air riding. But we now have the advent of truly serious and capable electric motorcycles that offer the wonderful addition of a more silent power plant. So how important is the rumble and roar to the experience of being a biker? Would riders be just as happy, or perhaps happier, riding a quieter high powered electric bike? Off road vehicles have the same problem. Imagine a pristine snowfall deep in the forest and the addition of whining snowmobiles permeating the landscape for miles around. It is noise pollution that can now be controlled. Would any of you motorcyclists consider electric for your next purchase? 

I've been driving a 100% electric Nissan Leaf for just over two years and I LOVE IT!! The performance is amazing, and NO GASOLINE, NO POLLUTION, ETC! NO Farting!! 80 miles a charge, and I outdrive every Internal Combustion Engine powered vehicle out there!!

I DO NOT burn petroleum gratuitously anymore, ever! ON PRINCIPLE!! And because I HAVE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE.

John Kuthe...

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1 hour ago, scalawag said:

I consider myself fortunate to have owned two "stepchildren" of the HD family:  '90 FXRS-SP which I kept for 20 yrs, and my current ride, an '010 FXDF.  Both these bikes were controversial in their appearance relative to much of the MoCo's products, but are now somewhat esteemed by a small portion of the Harley riding populace.  I rode the FXR through the Mojave Desert on the way to the Grand Canyon, and both bikes have seen PCH-1 along CA's coastline and US-50 going up to Lake Tahoe.  I don't hit the road as much as I used to, but whenever I do, it still makes the day end better than when it started.

 

To the OP: I can understand your angst regarding the unwelcome intrusion of hi-decibel exhaust tones from certain bikes, whether its the banshee wail of a high-revving 4/6cyl "track bike" or the rolling thunder of a big-bore v-twin.  Hopefully these raucous episodes are short-lived and spaced far apart; even more, I trust you won't develop any prejudices against the motorcycling public as the vast majority of them are really good people.

~

 

 

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Very nice rides both, sure miss my old FXR. I had it ten years and did well over 100,000 miles on it.

It was down all the roads you listed and many more, some of my favorite haunts! West coast rules!

Remember the days before helmet laws? <sigh>

 

 

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9 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

Awesome, it's safer on the track. Was the track surface bad back then, because it's been terrible for 20 years? It did recently get a re-pave.

 

The short answer is yes.  If you want the long answer, read on.

 

The pavement at Ledges was bad in the Seventies, when I rode three 5 hour events ('73, '74, and '75) and quite a few sprint races, on the TD-3, a 350 R5, and an RD350, and it was even worse in the Eighties, when I was one of the riders on Team Leonard, in the 1984 and '85 24 Hours of Nelson events.  I really recommend the 24 hour races, because each rider gets so much track time (6 hours if you have a 4-rider team, 8 hours with 3 riders.  2 riders are not enough.), in varying conditions (day, night, dry, rainy, who knows?), and you learn to ride at endurance pace, not sprint pace, because a crash will cost your team time for repairs, or might end the race for them, which would be extremely disappointing, after all the planning and prep it took just to be there to start the race.  This means you keep more of a safety margin than usual, while the sprinters pass you and crash, because it can be hard to be at 100% of your attention at 4 am in a downpour, after you personally have raced for 250 miles, and hopefully have another 250 to ride before the chequered flag falls at 3 pm on Sunday afternoon. In the 1985 event, I crashed the team's bike (an '84 RZ500, with top speed around 220 km/hr (140 mph)) and broke my ankle, but it was in Turn 1, not far from the pits, so we were back on the track in less than 15 minutes, and I was able to finish my shift before becoming a spectator for the remainder of the race.

 

We did well in both 24 hour races, but the pavement was so rough in Turn 1 by then that speeds had to be kept down somewhat, because the bike would be skipping from bump to bump, so extreme lean angles were definitely out.  If the track has recently been re-paved, that would be great.  It deserves it.  The track layout is excellent, with several high speed sweepers, my favourite kind of turn.  Turn 1 is the first- high-speed sweeper, exiting onto a slight downhill and a second small turn that's important to be well aware of, or you'll find yourself running wider than you had planned on, at a pretty high speed.

 

Nelson Ledges has either 8 or 13 turns, depending on whether or not you count the small kinks here and there, like the slight one on the back straight, before the actual kink.  If you look back while entering the Carousel, the big banked right-hand sweeper that wraps around well over 90 degrees, then sends you onto the back straight, you'll see your fierce competitors leaning hard left in Turn 3 (or is it Turn 5?).  That looks weird and cool, because you'll be leaned over hard right at the time.

 

Wow, that went on for a while!  For anyone who read this far, thanks for your patience!  Ceptorman, I realize that this will mostly be familiar to you, so the explanatory parts were for those who've never seen that track.  It's a fondly remembered piece of history for those of us who raced or spectated there.

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9 hours ago, oldtimer said:

None of those cars are retirement worthy, unless it happens to tip the scale on top of other savings.  Retire on a Chevelle?  Maybe in Ecuador.

Not exactly what I meant.   Not selling the car would only be one of many things I would have done differently so that I would have already been retired.  Not selling the car was referencing that I wish I never would have sold it.😄

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On 4/23/2019 at 6:11 AM, HDBRbuilder said:

I've been running Metzler for decades...they don't last a long time, but they are really excellent tires...if you can afford to replace them Like I have had to do way too quickly

I ran 880s a long time and yes poor wear, not so with the new 888s. Much better wear same great handling.

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I used to work with a guy who'd owned a Harley, a BMW, and a Gold Wing.  He told me each bike was a pretty good machine that he'd been happy with.  He also said that each one had its own cult following, and each one looked down on the other two.  He found all of it amusing.

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19 hours ago, Islander said:

I used to work with a guy who'd owned a Harley, a BMW, and a Gold Wing.  He told me each bike was a pretty good machine that he'd been happy with.  He also said that each one had its own cult following, and each one looked down on the other two.  He found all of it amusing.

I find it amusing as well,I have friends I've ridden with that ride GoldWings and BMWs. Whatever gets yer knees in the breeze is what I say,it's all good.

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On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 8:00 AM, Bosco-d-gama said:

Couple of points. 1st my experience is with noise I hear but do not actually observe. I do know the sounds I am hearing come from motorcycles but it could well be that I only hear the noisy cycles and the more muffled units glide by unnoticed by yours truly. 2nd it would be nice if my concerns were acknowledge as merit worthy. There are cities that pass sound ordinances and they do enforce them. Where I live we have an ordinance against the use of air brakes on trucks because of noise. So y’all can listen to the concerns of citizens or ignore them until they pass laws to regulate the problem. Being considerate of others is fundamentally worthy. 

 

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 8:58 AM, HDBRbuilder said:

Pretty sure you meant engine exhaust "jake" brakes...right?  I don't like those either...not supposed to be used in town limits anyway!  They were originally designed to save brake shoes of semi rig brakes when going down steep slopes!...by using engine compression and choking what came thru the exhaust itself...increasing the "slow-down" factor.

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 9:15 AM, CECAA850 said:

 

 

On ‎4‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 9:15 AM, CECAA850 said:

We have that ordinance in the town where I work.  Logging trucks frequently pass the business where I work and some use Jake brakes.  I'd classify them as loud and ratty sounding.  Nothing good about that sound but I do suppose that they help save brake pad wear.

 

Jake brakes are a compression release basically, an engine brake not air brakes.

They don't have to be loud but some trucks (loggers often) run straight pipes and un-muffled engine brakes.

With a good exhaust system they aren't very loud at all, as for being legal in town it depends on the town.

Some places have signs posted no engine or exhaust brakes and others do not. Some post no un-muffled exhaust brakes and some at certain hours of the day.

I'm a driver, it's part of my job to know these things and pay attention to signage when I roll into a town.

The main purpose of the "Jake" brake is to pervert brakes from overheating and failing going down a long steep grade.

Brakes can get too hot and completely lose friction or even catch on fire if held on too long holding back a heavy load going down a big hill.

 

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