They’ll still produce that distinctive Harley growl — just not at the same decibel level.
Perhaps more importantly, said Gasoline Alley Harley-Davidson owner Grant Price, the header pipe system his dealership has developed will not result in a loss of power.
“As far as I know, we’re the only people that can build them at this point,” said Price, who hopes to be installing the equipment on customers’ bikes by Christmas.
Loud motorcycles are a problem, he acknowledged, describing an ear-splitting roar that can set off car alarms. The City of Edmonton recently passed a bylaw imposing limits on motorcycle noise, and other municipalities are poised to do the same.
Regulations aside, said Price, most Harley owners don’t want to be auditory irritants.
“They want the horsepower, but they don’t want that really loud noise that annoys other people.”
Unfortunately, muffling a bike’s noise has meant muzzling its horses as well — until now.
Working with Colin Jones, an engineer with a Harley-Davidson dealership in Geelong, Australia, staff at Gasoline Alley Harley-Davidson have developed header pipes that can accommodate a quieter exhaust system without sapping power.
Price said Jones installed such a system on a customer’s bike in Australia, but hadn’t undertaken the extensive testing and fine-tuning that his counterparts in Red Deer now have. That included using a dynamometer to measure power loss from a pair of high-performance motorcycles fitted with the system.
“When we originally put them on we lost about eight horsepower,” said Price, adding that this equated to about seven foot-pounds of torque. “Then we retuned them for the quieter pipes and we got it all back.”
That means a customized bike with a 113-cubic-inch engine is able to retain its 120 horsepower and 118 foot-pounds of torque, while operating more quietly.
The only adverse impact is at very high r.p.m.s, said Price, when the bike sheds about one horsepower and a single foot-pound of torque.
“But nobody every rides it at the very top end,” he pointed out, adding that a rider wouldn’t be able to detect the difference anyway.
And for those concerned about the resulting sound?
“It’s still got the Harley rumble to it,” assured Price.
The header pipe system will only benefit high-performance bikes, but stock vehicles don’t have problems with excessive noise.
The equipment is in place to build the special header pipes and Gasoline Alley Harley-Davidson is now seeking a local fabricator to produce them.
Price doesn’t plan to apply for patent protection, but also won’t share the system with other dealerships. He explains that his Red Deer business does a great deal of customizing work and can ensure the equipment is properly installed and modified.
“We’ll be able to do all the noise-testing and let customers know exactly where their bike rates so they don’t get a surprise and get a ticket.”
He expects similar systems will eventually be developed elsewhere, although the Canadian market isn’t big enough to attract much interest from U.S. companies.
The header pipe system will also be available at Geelong Harley-Davidson, where Jones works.
“It’s his idea and his expertise that got us there,” said Price.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com