Nowadays, motorcycle stock exhausts are very quiet, heavy, and very ugly, and after-market exhausts cost a fortune. Investing $500 or more to make the motorcycle sound louder isn’t feasible for everybody. Thus many new riders are achieving their goal by removing the muffler that costs nothing. But is it safe to do so? In the article, we will cover everything to clear the confusion. Here is what you need to know.
So, Is riding without a muffler bad for your bike? Riding a motorcycle without a muffler can cause a lot of problems. Because by removing the muffler you are going to get backfiring due to a phenomenon called cold air reversion. This increases the chances of burning exhaust valves, melting plastics due to the change in heat distribution.
Riding a motorcycle with straight pipes is not only harmful to motorcycles but for the environment also. The problem arises due to the cold air reversion because when you throttle off, it will lead to the sudden lack of hot gases pushed out of the exhaust. It causes the cold air to be sucked into the exhaust that will cause damage to the exhaust valves.
This process works on the simple theory of heat transfer. The thermal energy flows to the system until both reach the same temperature. Thus, as you ride on a motorcycle the temperature of the surrounding air will be cooler than the exhaust hot gases. Thus as soon you throttle off the outer air will travel to the exhaust to maintain the temperature.
Therefore, if you remove the muffler from your motorcycle there are lots of issues you will face.
Does removing the muffler increases the horsepower of the motorcycle?
Generally, speaking stock exhausts are heavy and by removing them you are cutting some weight but, it doesn’t mean you will get any bump in horsepower. Although, you can increase your motorcycle horsepower by opting for aftermarket exhaust or a full exhaust system.
Removing the muffler from the motorcycle makes it louder thus some people may get the impression of an increase in horsepower. But it’s a false impression, According to a test conducted by Ari Henning on his youtube channel with Yamaha YZF-R3 with and without the muffler, there was no difference between the two in terms of horsepower. The only thing changes were the loudness of the motorcycle.
If you were thinking that removing the muffler increases the flow of gases and makes more power. Well, this is not true. For more information check out the video where the test was performed with Yamaha YZF-R3.
Is it legal to ride on a motorcycle without a muffler?
Here is what the rule says for USA states, “Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, bypass, a muffler without baffles or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a highway.”
So, it’s legal to ride a motorcycle without a muffler on it. The only condition is the noise and smoke level must be controlled to meet the federal limit. And, in most cases, motorcycles removing the mufflers from the exhaust increases the loudness and smokes and that’s makes it illegal. If the noise limit of your motorcycle exceeds the permissible level then you will be get busted by your local police. Here is the rule for noise level for motorcycle exhaust.
According to the cga.ct.gov, “The maximum permissible noise level for a motorcycle manufactured on or after January 1, 1979 ranges from 78 dB to 84 dB, depending on the motorcycle’s speed and the road surface on which it travels.”
We all know that after removing the muffler the motorcycle exhaust will produce uncontrolled smoke and noise leading to problems not only for the environment but for humanity. And, you will get busted for not abiding by the law. Thus, it’s better to have a muffler on your motorcycle and if you don’t like the sound of the stock exhaust. Then simply replace it with aftermarket exhaust for a better experience.
Sound Difference with and Without Muffler in motorcycles
Removing the muffler from the exhaust doesn’t increase motorcycle horsepower but one thing is guaranteed to increase that is the loudness/noise and pollution. Some riders want to sound cool and get noticed in the traffic and in front of girls, thus they remove the muffler without knowing the consequences.
Removing a muffler isn’t only bad for your motorcycle or neighborhood but it also affects the environment because of the loudness. Before going forward let’s hear the sound difference with and without a muffler.
Here is the sound of Yamaha R6 motorcycle without muffler (straight pipes). Enjoy the raw sound.
The different motorcycle will sound different with or without the muffler. For demonstration, I have included some sample motorcycle sound samples with or without a muffler.
Here is the sound of Suzuki GSXR 1000 motorcycle with muffler (full exhuast).
Here is the sound of Suzuki GSXR 1000 motorcycle without muffler. (Warning: Lower your volume)
Now, you can definitely hear the difference in the sound/noise of with and without muffler motorcycle exhuast.
How can I make my exhaust louder without buying anything?
You can make your motorcycle exhaust louder without buying anything just take off your muffler. Taking your motorcycle exhaust muffler off can make the exhaust louder for free. But it’s risky and dangerous for your motorcycle so don’t do it even it’s free.
If you want to make your exhaust louder then buy an aftermarket exhaust that will definitely cost more than $500. But it will be safer for your motorcycle engine and for you also. Apart from this aftermarket motorcycle exhaust also improves the horsepower of the motorcycle.
For more information on aftermarket exhaust read this post:- Do aftermarket exhaust increases the horsepower of a motorcycle?
Final Thought
Now, you must have found out that there are no real benefits of removing the mufflers and running with straight pipes. In spite of the benefits, riding with straight pipes has lots of disadvantages that we have already discussed. Thus, make sure to follow safety protocols and rules regarding noise and smoke levels. Riding with straight pipes you may get hearing loss thus don’t mess with a muffler. And, if you like to improve your exhaust sound or performance then go with aftermarket exhausts as these are safe and reliable.
