??? for previous Cruiser Guys

[mzrsq]

What gives any aftermarket exhaust on a Metric cruiser that deep throaty HD sound

We put a Samson Cannon on my riding buddies VTX1800 and it's more of a raspy sound than that deep gowl/grunt we all hope for. I installed a set of Roadhouse Dulleys on my Star last year and was very happy with the exhaust note/tone

So what causes that noise that makes Harley riders grin and and children run in fear? Is it pipe design, pipe diameter, baffles...........What?

I was thinking maybe baffles might have something to do with the actual tone of the exhasut note beyond just attributing to the Volume/Decible of noise.

OK, now tell me this is a Busa site and to go away

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Single pin crankshafts are what makes the (potato potato) sound. Dual crankpins make the bike NOT shake and shimmy the way ol Harleys do. I used to have a 93 Suzy 1,360cc V-twin 4-speed that was really a Harley killer after I had the carbs and intake worked over and all I did was gut the OE megaphone pipes. Was very loud and sounded like an ol panhead with fishtails on it but with an overhead cam instead of pushrods and a dual crankpin, I was never able to get the 'Harley" sound with it. Frankly, it ran too smooth to sound like a Harley.

 

[Rayabusa0818]

The Cobras on my VSTAR 650 sound good. They are a little loud for my taste, but they have a really good sound.

 

[thebbbusa]

Single pin crankshafts are what makes the (potato potato) sound.  Dual crankpins make the bike NOT shake and shimmy the way ol Harleys do.  I used to have a 93 Suzy 1,360cc V-twin 4-speed that was really a Harley killer after I had the carbs and intake worked over and all I did was gut the OE megaphone pipes.  Was very loud and sounded like an ol panhead with fishtails on it but with an overhead cam instead of pushrods and a dual crankpin, I was never able to get the 'Harley" sound with it.  Frankly, it ran too smooth to sound like a Harley.

Dunno if that's the exact reason, but I remember seeing a program about Harley engines and that their engine design is patented and the sound is a large result of the engine design.

So you may get loud and deep, but it will never sound like a harley, or an american vtwin.

 

[Mr Bogus]

Harley motors also fire both cylinders on the same stroke where most other vtwins move the powerstroke to opposite ends of the 4 cycles... a big part of the unique sound of a harley is the bang/bang on the same revolution

 

[thebbbusa]

Harley motors also fire both cylinders on the same stroke where most other vtwins move the powerstroke to opposite ends of the 4 cycles... a big part of the unique sound of a harley is the   bang/bang on the same revolution

This sounds more familiar to what I heard.

Found this on the net

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org....01.html

Excerpt:

<div class="iF-Passage"><div class="QUOTEHEAD">Quote:[/Quote]<div class="QUOTE clearfix"><span class="quoteBegin"> </span>
II. V-Twins and Crankpins

To address this question, it is essential to know a bit about the motorcycle engine mentioned in Harley's application to the PTO. First, a "V-Twin" motorcycle engine refers to an engine that fires on two cylinders which are joined at a 45 degree angle.[7] A "common crankpin" design means that the connecting rods to the cylinders share one crankpin.[8] The common crankpin V-twin motorcycle engine has powered most Harley models since 1909. Of course, from 1909 through today, Harley has designed and manufactured several generations of V-Twin engines with a common crankpin.[9] According to Tim Hoelter, Harley-Davidson's vice president and general counsel, "We've been designing, manufacturing and selling our motorcycles with the unique Harley-Davidson sound for decades in the United States, but our competitors have not been, and in fact they have made fun of us for maintaining the tradition and heritage that is so interwoven within our brand."[10]
¦5
These details are critical because the "unique" Harley-Davidson sound owes its existence to the common crankpin V-Twin engine design. Joseph Bonk, Harley's trademark attorney, has noted that the design results in a syncopated, uneven idle which, when simulated verbally, sounds like "potato-potato-potato," as demonstrated in Figure 1.[/quote]

 

[mzrsq]

OK, so beyond the unique POP/POP of a Harley V-Twin, is that also where the deep throaty tone comes from?

I know different Busa pipes produce different tones and notes. What cause the deep resonnance on a good Busa Pipe versus just a staight out loud open header pipe sound.

Maybe I just got lucky on the Star.

 

[proud dad]

Harley motors also fire both cylinders on the same stroke where most other vtwins move the powerstroke to opposite ends of the 4 cycles... a big part of the unique sound of a harley is the   bang/bang on the same revolution

+1

You'll never get that harley sound out of a VTX it's just too smooth compared to a harley,overhead cams makes a differance in sound also.That one thing I alway loved about my 1300VTX with its vance and hines cruisers had its own sound.Calm at a idle and cruise but talks to ya when ya twist it.Real smooth like.

Vance and hines big shots on that 1800 will wake the dead when ya twist that big boy.

 

[proud dad]

Run smaller baffles to change tone.You can gain a couple of ft ibs of torque at the same time but will loose about 2 hp on top

 

[megawatt]

Not only single pin but there is a difference between air and liquid cooled engine notes.

 

[djorgensen3]

My dads Road Star has Bubs Jug Huggers large diameter pipes on it and holy moly that dang thing is loud. It sounds exactly like Harley but will spank anyone of them that tries to run. I grew up with my dad into the Harley thing so I know what you are talking about with the deep sound. These pipes are it! It's way too fricken loud for my taste.

 

[Mr Bogus]

Not only single pin but there is a difference between air and liquid cooled engine notes.

may or may not have an effect but camshaft profiles are probably different...

 

[JET-A]

My brother is a big Harley guy. He can tell the difference between a Harley adn a metric cruiser from a half-mile away. Long before he sees the bike. While I have been with him, he has NEVER been wrong. I can only assume there is no way to make a metric sound exactly like a Harley.

 

[Mr Bogus]

My brother is a big Harley guy. He can tell the difference between a Harley adn a metric cruiser from a half-mile away. Long before he sees the bike. While I have been with him, he has NEVER been wrong. I can only assume there is no way to make a metric sound exactly like a Harley.

Harley has a patent on the configuration of their motor... The japs have been trying to duplicate the sound without infringing on the patent for a lot of years...(They lost a couple lawsuits early in their fails)

 

[djorgensen3]

I'm telling ya my dads Road star sounds extremely similiar. More so than any other cruiser I've heard. Tomorrow I'll try to take it out and get a sound clip for you.

 

[V-Max 2 Busa]

I think the deepness of the tone has a lot to do with the diameter of the exits and the design of the baffles or lack there of in most cases.  I still think one of the wickidest sounding bikes is the V-Max, intake and exhaust set-up can drastically alter the sound of these bikes, here's a couple for a quick listen.

http://www.ufocycles.com/UFO_Vmax_exhaust.htm  

http://www.ufocycles.com/UFO_V-gas.htm  

 

[proud dad]

I think the deepness of the tone has a lot to do with the diameter of the exits and the design of the baffles or lack there of in most cases.  I still think one of the wickidest sounding bikes is the V-Max, intake and exhaust set-up can drastically alter the sound of these bikes, here's a couple for a quick listen.

http://www.ufocycles.com/UFO_Vmax_exhaust.htm  

http://www.ufocycles.com/UFO_V-gas.htm  

them sounded good

 

[Rayabusa0818]

This one sounded good...I never bothered to put any pipes on it

 

[mzrsq]

Good info guys,

Sounds like he's stuck with a Metric Rasp.

Like I said, I must have got lucky with the Star cause the Roadhouse Exhaust sounds really good. Of coarse, the RoadStar is a close to a Softail as one can get without actually buying a softail.

Does EFI or Carb make any difference? The Star and HD's are carbed where as the VTX is EFI.

 

[V-Max 2 Busa]

PM -->

1361375[/ATTACH] PM]
I think the deepness of the tone has a lot to do with the diameter of the exits and the design of the baffles or lack there of in most cases.  I still think one of the wickidest sounding bikes is the V-Max, intake and exhaust set-up can drastically alter the sound of these bikes, here's a couple for a quick listen.

http://www.ufocycles.com/UFO_Vmax_exhaust.htm  

http://www.ufocycles.com/UFO_V-gas.htm  

them sounded good  

Ya and both of those are runnin full baffles, I've got an 85 Max with full race stage 7 Dynojet kit and custom exhaust, basically open headers seems the D&D cans are shortened to 6" and hollowed out with no packing, talk about loud, neighbors run out of the house and grab there children when they hear this thing.