K11 Owners Group

[SugarHillCTD]

As some of you might know, this is Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire. An annual event that uses races at the Loudon track as the centerpiece of a HUGE gathering of bikes. Apparently the racing is becoming a smaller and smaller part of the week (which is now starting to stretch out to the middle of the week before Bike Week). Now it is come and be seen. We go out of our way to avoid the Loudon area due to the huge crowds.

Good side of this is that bikes are EVERYWHERE. We live about an hour north of Laconia/Loudon and even here bikes are in many restaurant and motel parking lots. Some single riders, some twos and threes, some very large groups of 20 to 30+. LOTS of bikes on all the roads around here.

Bad side- I don't think that there is ONE H-D (more than 90% of the bikes) here for Bike Week with a stock exhaust system. Casual observers would think that Harleys don't come from the factory with anything but straight pipes.

While businesses welcome the bikers (many have signs that say just that)and the $$$ that they spend, I can't imagine anyone welcomes the nearly constant NOISE.

Sorry for the RANT, but what is up with this racket?? Maybe H-D riders weren't allowed to put baseball cards in the spokes of their bicycles and are now making up for it. Maybe it is "hey look at me".

Yesterday Cathy and I were out for a ride on the 'Kanc to N. Conway then ate early dinner at a restaurant on Rt 302 before returning home. Every few SECONDS multiple bikes would go by and the racket easily drowned out our conversation (we were inside).

The excuse of "loud pipes save lives" is getting really old (and disproved), so we have to figure that it is just to be obnoxious. We got stuck in a pack of H-D's on the 'Kanc and I could not hear my own bike.

This is not to offend anyone (god forbid- but then again what about the non-riders who have to listen to this noise) but maybe someone can explain it to me. I am really tired of the #@!%$#!!# Harley noise.
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John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[BlackHoof]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've felt the same about noise pollution
until I examine my own transgressions.

'71 BSA-shorty mufflers
'69 Sporty-Off road only pipes
'78 SR500-SAuperTrapp pipe
'82 Katana-SuperTrapp pipe
'83 R80ST-D&D pipe
'93 R100GS-SuperTrapp pipe
'93 K1100LT-Remus pipe

Maybe it's the NIMBY effect, I still get pissed when straight piped
HD's roar up the road past my house...
_________________
Kent

'93 K1100LT- Blurple Colored
Lucky # 887
'27 Bugatti Replica/Kit Car-Dark Purple
'05 Suzuki Brugman/Russell Seat...

[Milton]

Here is a link to what Denver has done about the problem.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=73328

This all came about because of some "inbred hillbilly stumpf**k scoggin" biker bar close to a residential neighborhood. People were getting tired of hearing this bunch of inconsiderate louts lighting up their bikes at 1-2 in the morning and not just roaring off but sitting in the parking lot to see who could damage their hearing first. The homeowners complained and Denver took action.

It is this type of inconsiderate behavior that will get the majority to piss on us the minority. Same thing can be said for the sport bike stunt riders who do their "look at me stunts" on the freeways and other venues where there is a lot of automobile traffic. If you need to do this sort of thing do it where it doesn't bother anyone but yourself. If we start to lose some of our motorcycling rights it will be directly related to these 2 groups.

And it isn't just Hardley Ableson riders. Most V-Twin riders pull the baffles or put straight pipes on.

I try to save my speeding for outside of the metro areas on little used roads. Notice I did say try as I'm not totally innocent.

I truly love the way my K100 sounds. When I duck my head down out of the wind and can hear the engine it is just purring along. Such a rich refined power it doesn't need a load pipe to cover up any short comings.

I do have a passion for Hardley Ableson's.

Thanks for reading my rant.

Milton S.
_________________
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick!

1992 K100RS 48K. Dead for now.
1998 Triumph Tiger 43K->56K. Doin it in the dirt.
1978 Honda CB400T 32.5K. For my boys.

[Off the grid]

I'm ambivalent about loud pipes, but I can see how they can piss off a neighborhood.

That said, I absolutely love the sound of my K with the Remus on it. Nice throaty growl like a motorcycle should, but not loud enough to be obnoxious.

I think with the stock pipe the bike sounds kind of....wimpy.


/ducks
_________________
Bane of your existence since July 2006
2007 Triumph Tiger ABS. "Sabertooth"
2009 Husqvarna TE610. "The dirty Italian mistress"

[Flying Duck]

I want the quietest pipe I can get - makes it easier to sneak up on squirrels.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[Jim]

I know what you mean about ringing ears! I hate, loathe, and detest loud pipes. There is absolutely no redeeming value to them. I don't even like to hear lawn mowers, leaf blowers and weed whackers.

Some asshole decided to take five or so turns around the block with his exceptionally noisy bike recently. Just about the time I figured I should go out and have a chat with this dirtbag, he moved on - no doubt to disrupt the peace in some other quiet neighborhood. I don't understand what pleasure these bumwads derive from making more racket than a loaded tractor trailer on a steep downhill grade with the Jake brake on.

Loud pipes lose rights - there's no doubt about it. Laws have been enacted to bar these noisy lowlifes from neighborhoods, parks, etc. Some states are enforcing decibel level laws. I believe there are now international laws pending that will prohibit the alteration or modification of factory exhaust systems.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

[owrstrich]

please... in great detail... describe exactly what is a bumwads...

thanks...

... j... o...
_________________
yeeeeeehaaaaaaa...

[manybikes]

I am quite happy with my stock K11 pipes.
My Ducati...well..that is different.
On my Duck I have the full Arrow system. I like it because it has removable baffles.
Baffles in it is as about as loud as my K11.
Baffles out it has a nice deep burble. Takes about 2 minutes to either insert or remove the baffles.
Anyone who has heard it without baffles (including non-bikers) have told me they really like the sound because it is not too loud but still has a deep throaty boom.
I too get a little pissed at Hogs with straight pipes. There are great systems out there for HD that sound good but not ridiculously loud.
When I was in Scottsdale, AZ this year, Cave Creek had a decibel law. Can't say as I blame them, on a typical Sunday hundreds of bikes would go to the local watering hole there.
We will probably end up facing ridiculous laws regarding aftermarket pipes.
I used to own a HD...but I just didn't get it. I liked the bike but couldn't get my head around all the other nonsense.
I have had 39 different bikes and logged hundreds of thousands miles and consider myself a biker (or should I say enthusiast) but I never felt comfortable or really welcome with many HD riders (I even drink,smoke and use foul language on occasion!!).
As for the sport bike crowd, what can I say, I only wish I could still do some of the shit they pull off!
_________________
You only live once
K1100lt
Ducati Multistrada
72 Yamaha RD350

[mnb]

Every style of biking has it's share of douche bags. Harley, sport bike, motards, whatever. But they also have cool people. I haven't found a crowd I really enjoy hanging with all that much because I either catch shit from the sportbikers for riding a Harley (even when I dust most of the squidcyclers on it) or the Beemer riders diss my K bike because "it's not a REAL beemer" (says who? yours sounds like my mom's sewing machine!)

They're just bozos trying to put someone down so they can feel better about themselves. Ride your own ride. You'll meet plenty of good people on the road. And with any luck, maybe some in your neck of the woods that you can ride with regularly.

As far as loud pipes go... most sport bikes around here (80% of the bikes you see), most of em have after market pipes. They all complain about the loud harleys, and then fire up their own modified system and ride off... Ok, sure... whatevah... See paragraph 2, line 1.
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M N B
1997 BMW K1100LT ABS Special Edition
2003 Husqvarna TE610e
2007 Harley Davidson Road King
2009 BMW F800GS
2011 Husqvarna TE310
2014 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak MNB Edition

[Flying Duck]

You want ridiculous laws? Try this one here in Washington:

[tmarshall57]

A complete coincidence but I just happened to be driving through Laconia last Wednesday in the middle of motorcycling week. We stopped for a couple of hours to have a look around. I knew Harleys were prominent in the US but still could not believe that they would represent well over 95% of the bikes in Laconia. Also Harley had a major event in the town centre comprising rock bands, bike demos, portable Harley museum etc etc. It therefore isn't surprising that, given the lack of attendance by any other m/c manufacture (to my knowledge) at this event, that HD rule supreme.

What also surprised me was the complete lack of safety gear worn by most riders - most seemed to be wearing jeans/shorts and t-shirts. I appreciate that laws in the US tend to vary on a state by state basis but are there so many states who do not insist in wearing helmets?

As far as the noise was concerned - yes it was noisy - but I suspect the bikers were welcomed by the townsfolk as they provide a good source of income. SImilar to the TT races on the Isle of Man - an institution.

Just a few thoughts from across the pond

Tony
_________________
K1100RS Special Edition 1997
Arctic Silver/Black

[Flying Duck]

It's mostly the liberal leaning nanny states that have helmet laws.



"Limited" helmet laws refer to such things as requiring insurance or 18 or 21 year old age limits on helmet laws.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[tmarshall57]

Thanks - that explains why, although riders might not have been wearing their helmets at the time I saw them, most had helmets strapped to their bikes.
_________________
K1100RS Special Edition 1997
Arctic Silver/Black

[Klinker]

[SugarHillCTD]