First Ride with new exhaust

[justchillinoutovahere]

Just got my bike back from the shop after work today and went out for a little ride, what a difference! Alot more useable low end torque and it really opened up the top end of the RPM range on my bike. The exhaust actually isn't much louder than an uncorked stock pipe is. It's a great feeling when you're in third gear near the top of the RPM range and you twist the throttle all the way only to have the front wheel shoot skyward. The bike wheelies up now even if i'm riding on the limiter and just gas it. The mechanic that did the work for me did have a little trouble jetting it, but he just called up FMF and they told him what he should run in it, i think they hit it on the head too. My shiny new powerbomb is a nice gold color now ?

[Brian_in_Long_Beach]

The exhaust actually isn't much louder than an uncorked stock pipe is.

Great...... Have you been reading the "Loud bike" threads? I'm glad that you're happy with the performance but 'a little louder than uncorked' is damn loud. I'm assuming you're not in CA riding on public land because you'll never pass 96dB.

Enjoy it while you can...... Whether it's a 'real' issue or not excessive noise is what's going to shut down riding areas.

Brian

[endurodog]

Enjoy it while you can...... Whether it's a 'real' issue or not excessive noise is what's going to shut down riding areas.

I disagree what is going to shut down riding areas is greenies and those agaisnt us. If it's not the sound of your pipe it will be the dust, the erosion, the parking, the injuries and stess on emergency services, damage to animals, plant life, ect, ect, ect. Noise is just one of the many tools to the end of the enviros if it's not that it will be something else.

What pipe did you end up with? Glad to hear your enjoying it!!!

[John_Lorenz]

Endurodog

You forgot also, Bigfoot Awareness Group and save the pacific salmon.

[MN_Kevin]

If it's not the sound of your pipe...

Noise is EASILY the absolute number one issue we have. The greenies may shut down certain areas, but noise WILL shut us down EVERYWHERE!

Case in Point: The city of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) has just passed a noise law against LOUD BIKES and LOUD RAP MUSIC. If there is excessive noise (> 96 dba ?) you WILL BE FINED!

There are more Harley's here than I have EVER seen. We do have Loudon Raceway...but still, I have no clue why there are SO MANY HARLEY'S... ?

And, like your typical Harley, the majority of them have straight pipes. The noise IS so brutal, and there are so many...I can't say I'd miss that.

[ogrebelle]

If it's not the sound of your pipe it will be the dust, the erosion, the parking, the injuries and stess on emergency services, damage to animals, plant life, ect, ect, ect. Noise is just one of the many tools to the end of the enviros if it's not that it will be something else.

Take away one of their tools (noise) and you make them have to work harder to make their point. This extends the fight and keeps us all in the game a little longer. Keep 'em quiet on public lands!

Doug

[WR250fla]

To the people shutting down riding areas, 96db is still excessive noise. People that complain about dirt bike noise don't want to hear them, PERIOD. It rarely matters whether the bike is 85db, 96db or 102db. I think if you guys put so much stock in telling people there wrong for having a bike louder than yours, you should ride on trials tires and limit your bike to 10 hp. That way you would take even more ammo away from the anti-fun folks.

BTW I think a 96db limit is good for for some shared public lands where there are alot of hikers,horses,mtb riders ect.

[Brian_in_Long_Beach]

There are people that will not be satisfied until dirtbikes are legistlated out of existence. However, these people do not have the horsepower - bad pun intended - to close all public lands without the support of the GENERAL population that also uses public lands. IMO 96dB is a reasonable compromise. My bike is at 96dB and I weigh 255lbs w/o gear - I have yet to be in a situation where lack of power was the cause for my inability to do something on the bike. Have there been a few occassions where I felt I needed more power? Yes, specifically at Moonrocks in the deep DG soil on a hill climb - and the KTM520 & Husuberg501 with guys my size were both wanting more power as well. Did I get up the hill? Yes. Would my KX500 (don't know what it measures at dB wise but I'm guessing it's 98/99) been a better choice on that particular climb - you bet.

BTW - my next rear tire will be a trials tire based on the feedback from people that have tried them.

Brian

[captain_S]

Yep i fear the worst that can happen is that common sense will be a thing to remember and every thing(be what it may!)falls into line?,scary! :cry:Glad to see FMF give a jetting base for their pipe`s ?

[oRGie]

There are more Harley's here than I have EVER seen. We do have Loudon Raceway...but still, I have no clue why there are SO MANY HARLEY'S...

And, like your typical Harley, the majority of them have straight pipes. The noise IS so brutal, and there are so many...I can't say I'd miss that.

? If we have to explain you'll never understand

wait, wait, thats a great slogan for a t'shirt !!! i'm gonna be rich!!! :D

[endurodog]

Noise is EASILY the absolute number one issue we have. The greenies may shut down certain areas, but noise WILL shut us down EVERYWHERE!

Kevin I'm gonna have to call you on this one. We have been losing areas to ride for a long, long, time in national forest and blm land. To close an area there is usually an enviromental assesment done. The real focus of those isn't noise, its damage to the trail system, enviroment and stream beds get lots of play because of the silt running in off of trails. A few areas have been close because of running over of endangered animals or plants. I have read parts of several of them. Far and away erosion gets more trails closed than anything, period!!!!!

Then with that if noise is an issue, what is the correct compromise we are willing to make. 89db, 96 db, 99db, 101db?? Whats obnoxious??

[Brian_in_Long_Beach]

Then with that if noise is an issue, what is the correct compromise we are willing to make. 89db, 96 db, 99db, 101db?? Whats obnoxious??

How many of us have actually ridden/compared our bikes in 96dB trim and 101dB/uncorked trim? Assuming the bike has been properly tuned for the configuration did you find that a 'quiet' bike was really that much of a detriment that you couldn't ride as fast (or faster?) or gain as much enjoyment from the ride. I've ridden my bike un-corked in Baja because my quiet core fell out (luckily I found it) and for me the slight increase in power, if any since I didn't re-jet, was not worth the pounding in my head from the increased noise. I'm curious to hear others experiences.

I recall an article in Dirt Rider/Dirt Bike from a few years ago that had Scott Summers running the same course on an XR600, 400 & 250 and compared lap times. IIRC he was just as quick on the 250 as the 600 - mostly due to the terrain I think. I don't know how loud the 250 was but that's not really the point. My point is that most everybody wa suprised at how well the 'kids' bike did. Same could be true for noise output.

Brian

[ogrebelle]

Sorry endurodog, but noise IS the absolute number one issue we face. Think about it...mentalists aren't closing our trails/areas for the reasons cited in the environmental impact studies (yes, I've read many EIS's too). They get off on some issue that ticks 'em off then their lawyers create a legal case to appeal to the masses and the powers that be. We've seen it all before, they want all the land to themselves to use as they wish. They're selfish. They want the land, the bikes tick them off and they are noisy. How are they going to get us banned? I'll tell you, they say that the erosion is out of control, or that the plants are being squished, or that the poor endangered animals are at an increased risk. That's how they do it. Don't kid yourself. The Environmental Impact Study is simply a means to an end. The content is twisted and contorted because they don't like the noise or whatever but it is absolutely not for the reasons cited.

Doug

[endurodog]

How many of us have actually ridden/compared our bikes in 96dB trim and 101dB/uncorked trim?

I have and I don't enjoy it as much on certian terrian. 2 weeks ago above Colorado Springs, Elevation around 8000. Most of the trails were fine with my VOR tip in or out. We did some hill climbs and I didn't like it in.

[endurodog]

Ogerebelle where are the noise regs for. California open space, National Forest, and BLM. How many of these areas have we lost due to noise?? None that I am aware of. How many to the enviromental issues I have cited. 1.3 million acres of Clintons roadless policy. There are lots more. We have lost areas we use to race in, I.E. Pine ridge forest in Neb. can't run a race up there in consecutive years because of the issues I quoted. Not noise at all. I could list other ones too if I need too. Of areas effected by the new noise stuff what have we lost due to noise??

[ogrebelle]

I maintain that, by and large, environmental issues are a facade for a [mentalist's] flawed argument and that noise remains our number one self-detrimental issue moving forward. 'Nuff said.

[endurodog]

I maintain that, by and large, environmental issues are a facade for a [mentalist's] flawed argument and that noise remains our number one self-detrimental issue moving forward. 'Nuff said.

Well your free to believe any way you want but the evidence points else where. Some of the enviromental issues that have caused closures I have thought of off the top of my head.

1) Clintons roadless plans 1.3 million acres. You should be familiar with this being from Utah. This covers all forms of transportation including Mtn Bikes, not much noise from them.

2) Glamis has had over half of the area closed to riding due to worries about plant and animal life in the desert.

3) Rampart Range in Colorado. We lost an area out here "Top of the World Trail" because a fire caused damage and they didn't want the bikes causing any more errosion. While I agree with this closure to protect the area it's another example of closure because of enviromental concerns, not noise.

4) Pine Ridge Forest in Nebraska. The promotor there has been told he can not use an area 2 years in a row for the race because of errosion issues, so we are going to lose that race, like this year, every 3rd year. This is one of the places I have read EA studies from.

5. Here in the Rockies there are many areas that are "White arrow only" that means you can only ride there if the trail is marked with a white arrow. When this was put into play we lost 100's of miles of trails. This was purely because of errosion.

6. The desert areas in Southern California because of the desert tortise.

These are the areas off the top of my head, with a little research I know of a few more I could confirm.

Do you have any because of noise? ?

Again your free to believe what ever you want, lots of people believe in UFO's also. Thats not gonna get us to an understanding of the issues as multiuser group of the National forest lands.

[WR250fla]

Here in Florida,we lost part of the Ocala national forest to...yep you guessed it wear and tear on the wet lands. Noise wasn't an issue. I think noise is always a big issue when you have a riding area (usually private land)next to where people live and the neighbors get fed up with those gol dern motorbikes. At least we all agree we still love dirt bikes, right?

[MN_Kevin]

IMO,

Noise IS the match that starts the fire.

I do realize that the CA desert and my noise opinion doesn't fly. Unfortunately the greenies (seemingly) have flocked to CA, along w/ all the psycho democrats.

I live right next to a State Park (where any motorized vehicles are N/A). My neighbor, on his KTM 360 MXC, was riding through the park one evening. I was astonished, and yes horrified, that I could hear his bike so well. He was ~ 1 mile away AND surrounded by forest.

You cannot tell me that noise isn't the issue here. If no one can hear you, they don't know you are there. Tire tracks will prove it later, but in that instant you do not exist.

Noise gets their attention, THEN they capitalize on whatever they can to get us out, i.e. squashed turtles, broken ferns, cigarette butts, pre-mix oil containers, exhaust smell, NOISE , you name it!

[endurodog]

You cannot tell me that noise isn't the issue here

Ok here goes, noise isn't the issue!

Its part of the issue, it’s much bigger than saying getting our bikes to 96 DB is going to open ground and we will have no more problems.

You illustrate the point very well with you last post. Your friend on his KTM360, I would guess his DB level around 98 give or take a couple. You can hear it. There in lays the problem. People that are offended by the noise of dirtbikes are going to be offended by 96DB bikes also. So why are we giving in so easy on this issue to get our bikes to 96 DB. Don't get me wrong I don't think we should be running around in the woods with full on MX systems putting out over 110 DB's. Where is the happy medium? I don't believe 96 DB is the happy medium yet. By yet I mean that the technology is not in place yet to meet this and have good performance from our bikes. Right now there are systems that are around 100 DB that are a good compromise. In time 96 DB systems will be available. If there was a phase in the manufactures could have met the demand. Right now they are scrambling, as are we.

As far as noise drawing attention to off road issues, you may be right I'm sure that some have been drawn to the issue by noise, but many more by other issues. That’s not what closes areas, its other environmental issues, as witnessed in my previous post.