I've watched a gazzillion videos on the subject recently and gotta admit, most I've seen with Norton Style Peashooters sound pretty darned good. 
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New dilemma with my 75. Not really but still....
- Thread starter Vincenthdfan
- Start date
There are two factors to exhaust sound and both are subjective. First and foremost is how the bike sounds to YOU while you are riding. My Tracker sounds really good to ME for the first 20 minutes of a ride, then it is just too loud... I went with Commandos and 1.5 head pipes on my Red Bike and I do love the sound whilst I ride. The second factor is how your bike sounds while someone else rides your bike away from or past you as you listen. I have quieted the Tracker quite a bit and it does sound lovely at gentle throttle. The Red Bike sounds more refined as it goes past me.
![20220416_210525[1].jpg](https://www.xs650.com/attachments/20220416_210525-1-jpg.251802/ "20220416_210525[1].jpg")
Zonie
XS650 Enthusiast
When I had my XS-2 650 back in the early 70's I bought a set of Dunstall 2-1-2 exhaust pipes and a set of Dunstall decibel silencers. What a mistake. Changed where the power came on and the neighbors weren't happy with me either. I put it back to stock to regain the drivability of the stock bike.
The cam mostly defines the power band. An exhaust can amplify the low end or the high end at the expense of the other parts or amplify the whole power band slightly. I am not of the opinion that my XS will win drag races against Corvairs or Vegas so I look for an exhaust note I like and doesn't bother my neighbors. The Blue Tracker gets torque inducers in the 1.75 inch pipes this winter courtesy of @Ben1 and will likely get a little more restriction in the baffles. It gives a glorious sound now, don't get me wrong, and almost neighbor friendly but I would like to knock it down a few db for the longer rides.
A noise source overlooked is the intake. Many folks go with a slightly more open exhaust, Commando mufflers being one popular choice, and some sort of pod air filter. Do we get 2 extra horsepower from these mods? I don't know, but now I leave Vegas, Corvairs and the occasional Pacer in my dust. The pods are effective for flow but the stock airbox is much quieter and members here have done some neat work using modern high flow filter material in the stock filter design.
The joy I find in these machines is getting a combination that works well in real world riding.
Cool thread. I'm looking forward to listening to these videos when its not 2:30 am and my wife isn't sleeping beside me. 
I have the commando ones like 5T and installed bolts into the threaded hole. I prefer that vs no bolts.
I have the commando ones like 5T and installed bolts into the threaded hole. I prefer that vs no bolts.
I think repo Commando mufflers are a little quieter than those stock (?) mufflers.
They are, which was the point of my original post in this thread. I want to reproduce that beautiful sound with some aftermarket mufflers...just havent found the correct ones yet?
Yamaha knew what they were doing with those OEM mufflers, despite their enormous size they sound so good.
I suspect noise standards were tightened up a bit after 75. I am not enamored with those 75 mufflers shape, IIRC, big volume is important for performance across the rpms that most of us ride our stockish bikes. (hot cams, big headlock excluded)
I'm more and more talking myself into installing the whole mid-year fitting Mikes XS early XS system (XS-1, XS1B, XS2).I suspect noise standards were tightened up a bit after 75. I am not enamored with those 75 mufflers shape, IIRC, big volume is important for performance across the rpms that most of us ride our stockish bikes. (hot cams, big headlock excluded)
It a great sounding exhaust, fits well and preserves the original set from my 75 that will be hung on the shelf.
Not totally convinced yet, but leaning that way anyway.
Why? For who? Have you arranged for your bike’s perpetual care?
I used to know a man who drove a Duisenberg. He would drive it to the local cruise night every month where I often spoke with him. He told me, “I’m going to wear it out! When I’m dead and gone, it’s somebody else’s problem.”
Yeah I know...I have issues.
Fred Duesenberg was a master. He machined cavities in each crankshaft counter weight and filled the void with a volume of mercury then capped the partially filled void. The free fluid mercury acted as a dynamic counter balancer. for the Duesenburg cranks. When I was young, something really nice might gain the comment "That's a doozie"!!! I learned later the reference was "That's a Duesie" or "That's as nice as a Duesenburg" or the like.
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