exhaust sound

MustangGuy · January 4th, 2012, 10:55 AM

Based on my experience with car forums, very few other topics elicit more opinions than that of exhaust sound. I have yet to hear what a new-gen sounds like at idle. I am curious to know how the new-gen sounds compared to a pre-gen (like mine). When I was looking for a new system for my Mustang, I listened to lots of sound clips but to my ears they didn't really sound like they do in real life. Luckily, I knew a few people with different setups on their cars and that helped me pick out what I wanted. My pre-gen ninjette (stock mufflers) sounds good (but not loud... that's ok) when the rpms are up but kind of "putt-putt" at idle.... maybe it's me, but it makes me think "scooter!" Do the new-gens sound any better at idle?

choneofakind · January 4th, 2012, 11:25 AM

No. Same same sounds, but the exhaust on the new gens is actually more muffled than the OEM cans on the pre-gen. My buddy's new-gen is quieter than my bike was when I had the OEM cans on it.

The "putt-putt"ing is because the bike is a 180 degree parallel twin engine. No matter what exhaust system you have on the bike, you're still going to get that basic pattern because of the firing pattern of the engine. Although, with an exhaust system, you do get a significantly lower pitched "brum-brum" instead of a "putt-putt"

greg737 · January 4th, 2012, 11:56 AM

Quote:

The "putt-putt"ing is because the bike is a 180 degree parallel twin engine. No matter what exhaust system you have on the bike, you're still going to get that basic pattern because of the firing pattern of the engine.

Absolutely correct. If only everyone understood this fact.

Cylinder #1 fires, then cylinder #2 fires 180 degrees later, then nothing happens for the remaining 540 degrees of the four-stroke (720 degree total) engine rotation. Thus the "putt-putt" sound that no exhaust system can change.

That's the problem with building a parallel twin engine: the best, most mechanically efficient, lowest weight, highest revving, fastest-revving configuration is also the worst sounding one. This is definitely a case of life being a bitch.

Quote:

Based on my experience with car forums, very few other topics elicit more opinions than that of exhaust sound.

Other manufacturers of parallel twin engines have taken what I would call drastic measures against the "putt-putt". Avoiding the "putt-putt" means not using a flat-plane (180 degree) crankshaft.

For example, Triumph motorcycles has chosen to use a 360 degree crankshaft in some of their twins and a 270 degree crankshaft in the rest of their twins. Both of these configurations take a real hit in mechanical efficiency (performance) but they deliver better sound.

Just imagine a 360 degree crankshaft in a parallel twin. It's a hideous thing. Both of the pistons go up and down together, with one piston firing each time they reach the top. Makes a great sound, but you have huge rotating mass and reciprocating mass issues. You end up having to build a really beefy crankshaft that has giant counterweights on it. And this means you can't have a high-revving, free-revving engine.

Oddly enough, the flat-plane type of crankshaft delivers the best sound in almost any other cylinder count you can think of. All inline four engines are flat-plane, Ferrari V-8 engines are flat-plane, all the great old Kawasaki 2-stroke triples and the Triumph triples are flat-plane.

MustangGuy · January 4th, 2012, 07:44 PM

Actually, I do understand... and it's definitely true that different engine configurations produce different exhaust sounds. Thanks for the responses!

greg737 · January 4th, 2012, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MustangGuy

Actually, I do understand... and it's definitely true that different engine configurations produce different exhaust sounds. Thanks for the responses!

Sorry if you thought we were implying that you didn't understand. No offense was intended.

It's just that your post happened to walk right into the middle of an issue we have to deal with regularly here on the forum. You wouldn't believe the number of people who don't get the fact that it's the engine that "plays the tune" not the exhaust.

massacremasses · January 5th, 2012, 07:57 AM

I didnt know thats why they made that noise... lol

Never really bugged me though

MustangGuy · January 5th, 2012, 05:57 PM

LOL - no, it didn't even cross my mind to be offended! I've been on different forums where I've seen people go ballistic over the littlest things, though. I used to be on a V-6 Mustang forum (now I have a V-8

) and the newbies where always looking for some magical combination of exhaust components and mufflers to get their 6's sounding like the gold standard OHV 5.0's. Of course, not possible because of the physical differences in the engines. The only thing you can do is find a setup that gives the best sound for YOUR engine. BTW, I don't really mind the ninj's idle note... the sound of the little engine at high revs makes up for it!

massacremasses · January 5th, 2012, 08:30 PM

I had a car with a V6 once... of course it had two things attached to each manifold

I spanked V8's with it

January 5th, 2012, 07:57 AM	#6
massacremasses Avid Kitteh Poster Name: Justin Location: Norcal Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Yamaha TTR 50 SUCK IT Posts: A lot.	I didnt know thats why they made that noise... lol Never really bugged me though __________________________________________________ I powdercoat stuff Help me pay for my addiction I say funny stuff. http://twitter.com/JustinPWNSyou sometimes... I write like a 12 year old too, http://justinpwnsyou.wordpress.com/

January 5th, 2012, 08:30 PM	#8
massacremasses Avid Kitteh Poster Name: Justin Location: Norcal Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2006 Yamaha TTR 50 SUCK IT Posts: A lot.	I had a car with a V6 once... of course it had two things attached to each manifold I spanked V8's with it __________________________________________________ I powdercoat stuff Help me pay for my addiction I say funny stuff. http://twitter.com/JustinPWNSyou sometimes... I write like a 12 year old too, http://justinpwnsyou.wordpress.com/

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January 4th, 2012, 10:55 AM	#1
MustangGuy ninjette.org member Name: Roy Location: Cathedral City, CA Join Date: Nov 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 650 Posts: 164	exhaust sound Based on my experience with car forums, very few other topics elicit more opinions than that of exhaust sound. I have yet to hear what a new-gen sounds like at idle. I am curious to know how the new-gen sounds compared to a pre-gen (like mine). When I was looking for a new system for my Mustang, I listened to lots of sound clips but to my ears they didn't really sound like they do in real life. Luckily, I knew a few people with different setups on their cars and that helped me pick out what I wanted. My pre-gen ninjette (stock mufflers) sounds good (but not loud... that's ok) when the rpms are up but kind of "putt-putt" at idle.... maybe it's me, but it makes me think "scooter!" Do the new-gens sound any better at idle?

January 4th, 2012, 11:25 AM	#2
choneofakind ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: . Location: . Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): . Posts: Too much. MOTM - Feb '13, Feb '14	No. Same same sounds, but the exhaust on the new gens is actually more muffled than the OEM cans on the pre-gen. My buddy's new-gen is quieter than my bike was when I had the OEM cans on it. The "putt-putt"ing is because the bike is a 180 degree parallel twin engine. No matter what exhaust system you have on the bike, you're still going to get that basic pattern because of the firing pattern of the engine. Although, with an exhaust system, you do get a significantly lower pitched "brum-brum" instead of a "putt-putt"

January 4th, 2012, 07:44 PM	#4
MustangGuy ninjette.org member Name: Roy Location: Cathedral City, CA Join Date: Nov 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 650 Posts: 164	Actually, I do understand... and it's definitely true that different engine configurations produce different exhaust sounds. Thanks for the responses!

January 5th, 2012, 05:57 PM	#7
MustangGuy ninjette.org member Name: Roy Location: Cathedral City, CA Join Date: Nov 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Ninja 650 Posts: 164	LOL - no, it didn't even cross my mind to be offended! I've been on different forums where I've seen people go ballistic over the littlest things, though. I used to be on a V-6 Mustang forum (now I have a V-8 ) and the newbies where always looking for some magical combination of exhaust components and mufflers to get their 6's sounding like the gold standard OHV 5.0's. Of course, not possible because of the physical differences in the engines. The only thing you can do is find a setup that gives the best sound for YOUR engine. BTW, I don't really mind the ninj's idle note... the sound of the little engine at high revs makes up for it!