My bike sounds horrible!

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:52 pm

Just traveling north on 405 in Bellevue in the carpool lane, the bike had been singing all morning just as smooth as you could ask for. Blue sky, a Supersport, and a good day ahead.

Then the bike started to get a bad vibration, the exhaust became noisy, and I swear the engine was missing on one or more cylinders.

Paranoid, I revved the engine a few times, didn't notice any change, then backed off the throttle a bit and listened. Everything cleared up. Hit the gas, charged ahead up to traffic in the carpool lane and....

...the noise returned. Once again, the bike felt *bad*. Something was obviously amiss.

That's when I realized that I was riding behind another bike in the carpool lane and had been slowly creeping up on them. A Harley. The Honda was running just fine- the stacatto blast of the Harley was reverberating through my own bike, making it feel like that and causing its exhaust note to mix with my own.

That made me smile. Just when I thought something was wrong with my 23 year old Honda, it turns out the poor running / performing motorcycle wasn't me, but instead the 2005 Harley ahead of me.

Heh. It's convinced me I never want to own one of those.

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:54 pm

Vegaman_Dan wrote:

Heh. It's convinced me I never want to own one of those.

Smart man Dan, who needs a noise like that when your F makes the symphony sound come out the pipes.

CB1100F Joined: Mar 03, 2004 Posts: 3278 Location: Seattle

Comment overheard while a pack of Hardleys were motoring away.......

"Most damn noise I have ever heard getting to 25mph!!"

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 5:23 pm

Thats the same reasoning i use about why i dont like harleys any more, they are slow, handle awful, and are bloody noisy...

....of course it has nothing to do with the fact that i just couldnt afford to keep mine.. Smile

Nitro

CB1100F Joined: Jul 02, 2003 Posts: 3189 Location: Phoenix

Nitro wrote:

Thats the same reasoning i use about why i dont like harleys any more, they are slow, handle awful, and are bloody noisy...

....of course it has nothing to do with the fact that i just couldnt afford to keep mine.. Smile

Nitro

I actually rode with a V-rod and he gave the crotch rockets a good run for their money. Despite his clearance problems, he rode the piss out of it.

Hawk Joined: Sep 18, 2003 Posts: 317 Location: Bangor, ME.

I don't even like to park next to them, afraid my bike might catch something.

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:42 pm

I was riding behind a pickup truck yesterday and was wondering why my bike was popping all of a sudden. It was an F alright--an F150.
Jim

Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:51 pm

Talking about F150's one of the Harley Davidson versions with a supercharger tried to take me. I didn't know it was a race until I heard him squeeling next to me with his passenger staring at me. I took him at about 65mph when I got the clutch to catch. Just proves that I dont even want the Harley name on my truck. The whole thing did make me want a bit of a faster running F though. For a truck it moved pretty good. Not like my Dodge will, but descent.

CB1100F Joined: Mar 03, 2004 Posts: 3278 Location: Seattle

www.f150online.com

Rolling Eyes

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 4:26 pm

[quote="solman
I actually rode with a V-rod and he gave the crotch rockets a good run for their money. Despite his clearance problems, he rode the piss out of it.[/quote]

All the VRods I've seen sound like CX500's.......

Hawk Joined: Sep 18, 2003 Posts: 317 Location: Bangor, ME.

And are about as good in the twisties. I'll give any V-Rod rider out there 30 seconds and I'll catch him every time.

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:51 pm

I was prepared to give H&D kudos for building a new motor for the first time in 100 years, however, just a little research revealed (reading Cycle world on the pot) that Porchse built the motor.
Kudos kept.

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:58 pm

solman wrote:

Nitro wrote:

Thats the same reasoning i use about why i dont like harleys any more, they are slow, handle awful, and are bloody noisy...

....of course it has nothing to do with the fact that i just couldnt afford to keep mine.. Smile

Nitro

I actually rode with a V-rod and he gave the crotch rockets a good run for their money. Despite his clearance problems, he rode the piss out of it.

i agree with you...a vrod is a fast slick piece......not the old tech harleys....but the vrod is sweet........ Wink

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:26 pm

I have seen them around town, but I have yet to ride with one, or know somone that owns one. They look okay, but seem to shy away from the Harley D trademark. Kinda like Porsche building a truck. Might be cool, but it's not what I think of when you say Porsche.

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:55 pm

I sat on one at the dealer last fall, couldn't believe how much more comfortable my 1100f is, I walked out to the parking lot, straddled the F and rode away smiling Very Happy

I think we win in the grins per dollar category, hands down Mr. Green

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:06 pm

eatpasta wrote:

I was prepared to give H&D kudos for building a new motor for the first time in 100 years, however, just a little research revealed (reading Cycle world on the pot) that Porchse built the motor.
Kudos kept.

But the still tie both pistons to one point on the crank,
Thats just wierd to me Rolling Eyes

They should know better by now...Nah....

Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 4:55 am

Heck Ya! $900 bucks BABY!