Kawasaki Concours Forum

The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: basmntdweller on November 22, 2011, 12:30:06 PM

Title: open pipes?
Post by: basmntdweller on November 22, 2011, 12:30:06 PM
A friend was researching audio files of pipes for his V-Max since we both agree that both our bikes are too quiet. We don't want to alarm the city when we fire up but just want a nice throaty rumble. I got to wondering, how loud is a C14 without a muffler, just open after the cat?
Anyone tried it?

Matt
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: Tactical_Mik on November 22, 2011, 02:01:04 PM
We did it while replacing parts from a storm induced tip over.  Not too bad on idle, angry when giving it the beans.  Sorry no audio file.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: basmntdweller on November 22, 2011, 02:29:39 PM
Not sure about "angry" but I thought it might sound rather rough.
I used to race dirt late models with open headers on alcohol. I loved the sound at speed but the idle was pretty hacky and rough.

Matt
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: sherob on November 22, 2011, 04:23:35 PM
I started my Sabre without pipes once... OMG!!!  It kicked off my neighbors car alarm across the street... thought I was going to be deaf afterwards... never again.  :o
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: curly on November 24, 2011, 06:16:51 AM
Head on over to the Harley forum they can probably tell you :)
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: danl on November 24, 2011, 07:35:01 AM
A guy up the street from me has a sportbike with no mufflers on it. Open pipe underneath the bike. It sounds like crap to me, like one of those fart can car mufflers.

I saw a vid on youtube of a Connie with no pipe but you can't really tell anything from videos.

I like a more stealth sound. Something that's nice and quiet until you open it up.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: Shadowofshoe on November 24, 2011, 08:05:19 AM
A guy up the street from me has a sportbike with no mufflers on it. Open pipe underneath the bike. It sounds like crap to me, like one of those fart can car mufflers.

I saw a vid on youtube of a Connie with no pipe but you can't really tell anything from videos.

I like a more stealth sound. Something that's nice and quiet until you open it up.

   Yea I'm with you on stealth....most high performance machines are engineered to sound like"sum-thing might be there" at low revs then sounds delicious when opened up-even My LT sounded mean at WOT...my R32 actually opens the exhaust at +3500 rpm and +45 mph so I have a  mod switch to control that action..quiet-loud( + > 10 hp) or stock. This would be a great farkle for all fun machines!

  Gurgles are nifty!

    Mike
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: basmntdweller on November 24, 2011, 10:03:39 AM
Head on over to the Harley forum they can probably tell you :)

I know what a Harley sounds like! You can't hardly avoid running over them on warm sunny days here!

Matt
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: VirginiaJim on November 24, 2011, 11:01:11 AM
Yeah, darn Harleys, they're all over the place here, even in the winter....  You'd think the riders would know better.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: curly on November 25, 2011, 06:33:18 AM
The days are numbered for the open pipes croud. Just another example of the rights of many being restricted because of the actions of a few.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: danl on November 25, 2011, 07:00:57 AM
Yeah, darn Harleys, they're all over the place here, even in the winter....  You'd think the riders would know better.
They must all have winterized here, I was out yesterday, it was beautiful, mid 50's, and saw 2 bikes, neither HD's.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: ZedHed on November 25, 2011, 07:30:18 AM
Nothin' pi$$es off the Harley riders more than when you blow by on the quietest superbike on earth -- it scares the crap out of them !! They never even know you're coming 'til it's too late. 

Loud pipes lose rights......
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: maxtog on November 25, 2011, 07:32:14 AM
A guy up the street from me has a sportbike with no mufflers on it. Open pipe underneath the bike. It sounds like crap to me, like one of those fart can car mufflers. I like a more stealth sound. Something that's nice and quiet until you open it up.

+1
I find it amazing people would WANT to annoy everyone and create more noise pollution.  Quiet = nice.  To me, a performance machine is smooth and refined and doesn't have to be loud.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: maxtog on November 25, 2011, 07:37:29 AM
Yeah, darn Harleys, they're all over the place here, even in the winter....  You'd think the riders would know better.

Apparently not here.  I took route 5 to/from Richmond yesterday, and I was the *ONLY* bike on the road!  (Of course, it was a holiday, but that doesn't normally make much diff, and there were plenty of cars).  In warmer temps, 5 is just CRAWLING with slow/loud/annoying Harley/Harley-type bikes.

Last night, I discovered my Concours cold minimum riding temp, it is about 32F (that is a whopping 20 degrees higher than my last bike).  I could probably push it lower with even more heated clothing, but I don't think any of it will stop my nose from running :)
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: stevewfl on November 25, 2011, 02:24:47 PM
Totally squiddish topic (http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j180/stevewfl/bigthumb.gif)
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: PH14 on November 25, 2011, 04:56:57 PM


Last night, I discovered my Concours cold minimum riding temp, it is about 32F (that is a whopping 20 degrees higher than my last bike).  I could probably push it lower with even more heated clothing, but I don't think any of it will stop my nose from running :)

Hahaha, well you can definitely get that limit to lower temperatures. I ride all year in Pittsburgh and still own no heated gear. I really want some, I just have never gotten around to buying any. I routinely ride when it is in the teens. As long as you layer properly all is good. Baker Air wings or the like help a lot. I have a pair of riding pants that have a rain liner and a quilted liner and I am finding that I don;t need the quilted liner unless it is in the 20s. That is for shorter trips, for longer rides I would probably put them in anyway. I usually don't have anything on under the riding pants either, they are my pants.

Under Armor cold weather gear is great for a base layer, it is lightweight and very warm. Cover your neck as well. I have a cover for my neck that is basically a fleece tube I bought in Argentina on my way to Antarctica, it works very well.  ;D

 
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: chi-gpz1100 on November 25, 2011, 09:54:58 PM
I had the areaP on my c14 (when I had it).  The pipe was reasonable at lower rpm and made a bit more noise at higher revs.

I tried adapting the areap to work on the fz1, but didn't have the means necessary to fabricate the required adaptor.  I sold the areaP and got a 2brothers pipe.  It took some getting used to.  The 2bros is definitely a considerably louder pipe at any rpm than the areap was.  It bothered me at first... So much that I got a silencer tip (drops it 5 or 6 DB).  After a while, I removed the silencer tip.  Haven't put it back in since.  Plenty throaty without sounding like a rice can.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: Rick Hall on November 25, 2011, 11:12:20 PM
... how loud is a C14 without a muffler, just open after the cat?

No cat on a C-10, but I fired up Sam one day while the left can was off during a tire change. Gave new meaning to "the loud handle".

Rick
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: ZedHed on November 26, 2011, 09:29:18 AM
+1
I find it amazing people would WANT to annoy everyone and create more noise pollution.  Quiet = nice.  To me, a performance machine is smooth and refined and doesn't have to be loud.

Motorcycles are a reflection of their owners' personality.......
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: Son of Pappy on November 26, 2011, 11:01:05 AM
Motorcycles are a reflection of their owners' personality.......
Yep, take a professional politician as an example, I'd like to foam them as well ;D  I did try her when I did the exhaust bob, didnt like the sound, harsh without any melody.  I also did it with the AreaP header, even more harsh.  As described above, the AreaP sounds nice, at idle and roars like a lion WFO.  Cruising is a nice pur, not a droning sound at all.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: martin_14 on November 26, 2011, 04:22:47 PM
+1
I find it amazing people would WANT to annoy everyone and create more noise pollution.  Quiet = nice.  To me, a performance machine is smooth and refined and doesn't have to be loud.

+2
I liked the Remus Hexacone because it's only marginally louder than the OEM bazooka but with a nicer timbre, and it only gets a bit louder yet when giving it the beans at 6 or 7 thousand rpm, which I never do when driving in a neighbourhood or a comercial area. Just out of basic respect, nothig else.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: ZG on November 26, 2011, 04:57:09 PM
Quiet = nice. 

(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb336/jaywilcox/sleep1.gif)
 
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: Shadowofshoe on November 26, 2011, 07:06:00 PM
Hahaha, well you can definitely get that limit to lower temperatures. I ride all year in Pittsburgh and still own no heated gear. I really want some, I just have never gotten around to buying any. I routinely ride when it is in the teens. As long as you layer properly all is good. Baker Air wings or the like help a lot. I have a pair of riding pants that have a rain liner and a quilted liner and I am finding that I don;t need the quilted liner unless it is in the 20s. That is for shorter trips, for longer rides I would probably put them in anyway. I usually don't have anything on under the riding pants either, they are my pants.

Under Armor cold weather gear is great for a base layer, it is lightweight and very warm. Cover your neck as well. I have a cover for my neck that is basically a fleece tube I bought in Argentina on my way to Antarctica, it works very well.  ;D

 This  is a serious question....how much time do ya figure it costs  ya  to gear up?  I get 30  degrees to forty or so but it requires a lot of time on both ends at even those temps I may not be committed enough :)
   But I really miss heated seats and grips-"ya don't know what you have till its gone"
I'll go gerbing and co. I think.

    Mike
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: sf bay rider on November 27, 2011, 09:43:58 AM
I'll stick with the OEM Potato Shooter. A nice purr at idle and screams like a "Banshie" @ 6K RPM
Besides, I've spent enough on farkles already being the curmudgeon I am. Albeit a slightly faster
one.
Title: Re: open pipes?
Post by: PH14 on November 27, 2011, 10:00:05 AM

 This  is a serious question....how much time do ya figure it costs  ya  to gear up?  I get 30  degrees to forty or so but it requires a lot of time on both ends at even those temps I may not be committed enough :)
   But I really miss heated seats and grips-"ya don't know what you have till its gone"
I'll go gerbing and co. I think.

    Mike

At 30-40 degrees it's just a matter of throwing on my Joe Rocket Jacket and AGVsprt pants. Nothing more than usual. If I am only going locally I might just wear a pair of jeans. I can ride in the 30s without putting the liner in the jacket. If I'll be out longer I'll wear a warm under layer but for under 20 miles or so each way just the jacket is fine without the liner even with short sleeves.

If it is in the 20s I'll wear the liner of course and usually an under armor under layer and something on my neck.  Around town the liner in the jacket is fine and by then it is most likely already in the jacket so I just throw the jacket on and go.

If you are riding all the time you'll have everything prepared so getting ready isn't time consuming, no more than usual for the most part.