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Quiet OEM Muffler vs. Aftermarket

NWGABikeGuy

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I have been contemplating a change on my 2012 700X back to the OEM muffler. I bought this bike barely used, with a 2 Brothers Racing slip-on muffler. I am OK with the sound, but would actually like this bike to be my "quiet" one, as I have others that satisfy in the "growl" department. From what I have read here and managed to hear (sort of) on You Tube, the earlier mufflers are very quiet. I hate to pay $350 + for a NOS/OEM muffler, but would really like to give one a try. Does anyone out there have one they have removed and would like to swap or sell for a reasonable price (in good condition)? Can anyone who has made the mod back to OEM comment on the comparative loudness and their satisfaction level? Thanks! Sorry in advance if I posted this in the wrong place. I am still learning about this forum stuff. I have other OEM parts I can swap for one also - seat, windscreen, and a few others.
 
Interesting post. You don't hear of many guys wanting to make their bikes quieter. Good for you. I hate the proliferation of loud motorcycles, whether they are V Twins, P twins, Triples or I-4's.

My 2021 NC750X with stock muffler is easily the loudest bike I've owned since the mid eighties (81 GS1100E with Vance and Hines pipe bought used). In recent memory my Triumph Bonnie, (2) FZ-1 Yamahas, 400 Majesty Yamaha, ST 1300 Honda, (2) CB1100's and an FJR Yamaha were all quieter than my new NC 750. The NC isn't disturbingly loud, but certainly "throatier" than all the others. It wouldn't bother me if it were a bit quieter.

I enjoy not hearing an older Goldwing go past lol.
 
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I “heard” the 2012-2015 round can NC mufflers were slightly quieter than those on the later model years. A good many stock mufflers seem to have been swapped out for louder aftermarket mufflers. Therefore you might expect some original cans are sitting on peoples shelves somewhere and the would be easy to come by. Put a parts wanted ad up in the marketplace section.

I like the original stock muffler, although I would like it better if it was even quieter (I dislike internal combustion engine exhaust noise on any vehicle). I earlier thought I wanted to “upgrade” to the 2016+ muffler for the looks, but I lost all interest in that when some people mentioned that it was louder. I have a spare 2012 stock muffler in a box that I bought for $50 or so, but mine is not for sale.

Good luck. Surely there is a muffler out there for you at a reasonable price.
 
The old style big silver can mufflers are crazy quiet. I hate quiet motorcycles (different strokes for different folks). I couldn't even hear the bike at highway speed whatsoever on my 2013 model. The oem muffler on my 2016 is louder than the old style on my 2013. I went to a Yoshimura on my 2013 and love the way it sounds, wish I had one on my 2016, but the oem is audible enough to where I'm not itching to change it. I don't like excessively loud motorcycles, I just like them to have a "good" (in my opinion) sound to them.
 
Yoshi pipes tend to be good. Nice tone without being “loud”.
And comes with a db killer if you choose to quieten it down even further. I do not use the db killer in mine and it sounds perfect, still not what I would consider loud. I don't think you can make one of these bikes actually "loud" unless you run a decat pipe with a really open exhaust can. From Youtube vids, about the loudest I've heard is the decat pipe with black widow can or decat pipe with the IXIL twin tip.
 
I have been contemplating a change on my 2012 700X back to the OEM muffler. I bought this bike barely used, with a 2 Brothers Racing slip-on muffler. I am OK with the sound, but would actually like this bike to be my "quiet" one, as I have others that satisfy in the "growl" department. From what I have read here and managed to hear (sort of) on You Tube, the earlier mufflers are very quiet. I hate to pay $350 + for a NOS/OEM muffler, but would really like to give one a try. Does anyone out there have one they have removed and would like to swap or sell for a reasonable price (in good condition)? Can anyone who has made the mod back to OEM comment on the comparative loudness and their satisfaction level? Thanks! Sorry in advance if I posted this in the wrong place. I am still learning about this forum stuff. I have other OEM parts I can swap for one also - seat, windscreen, and a few others.
I have a 2016, my first bike at 40 yrs old. Thing sounds like a sad sewing machine lol. I need more oomph, just not looking to spend on all the add ons
 
I have a 2016, my first bike at 40 yrs old. Thing sounds like a sad sewing machine lol. I need more oomph, just not looking to spend on all the add ons
Buy something like a Delkevic slip on exhaust, as they are more affordable and sound very similar to the big name cans like Yoshimura.
 
I “heard” the 2012-2015 round can NC mufflers were slightly quieter than those on the later model years. A good many stock mufflers seem to have been swapped out for louder aftermarket mufflers. Therefore you might expect some original cans are sitting on peoples shelves somewhere and the would be easy to come by. Put a parts wanted ad up in the marketplace section.

I like the original stock muffler, although I would like it better if it was even quieter (I dislike internal combustion engine exhaust noise on any vehicle). I earlier thought I wanted to “upgrade” to the 2016+ muffler for the looks, but I lost all interest in that when some people mentioned that it was louder. I have a spare 2012 stock muffler in a box that I bought for $50 or so, but mine is not for sale.

Good luck. Surely there is a muffler out there for you at a reasonable price.
Since you are in the "quiet" section with me on this one, do you have any recommendations and/or observations about quiet aftermarket mufflers that would compare well with OEM? BTW, thanks for the suggestion about the marketplace, it had completely slipped my mind.
 
The old style big silver can mufflers are crazy quiet. I hate quiet motorcycles (different strokes for different folks). I couldn't even hear the bike at highway speed whatsoever on my 2013 model. The oem muffler on my 2016 is louder than the old style on my 2013. I went to a Yoshimura on my 2013 and love the way it sounds, wish I had one on my 2016, but the oem is audible enough to where I'm not itching to change it. I don't like excessively loud motorcycles, I just like them to have a "good" (in my opinion) sound to them.
I don't disagree at all. My Royal Enfield Bullet 500 announces itself quite robustly, and I love the growl followed by the crackling at decel! I am going further/longer on my NC, mostly on scenic country roads, and I like the "Zen" of the serenity. I also feel a little guilty spooking livestock at rest in the shady spots of the pastures. I guess I am conflicted, because I SURE want the deer and other wildlife to know I am coming! I have a pretty significant hearing loss (thank you Uncle Sam) so I can't really appreciate any tonal and acoustic qualities - it's all either loud or it's not much heard.
 
I don't disagree at all. My Royal Enfield Bullet 500 announces itself quite robustly, and I love the growl followed by the crackling at decel! I am going further/longer on my NC, mostly on scenic country roads, and I like the "Zen" of the serenity. I also feel a little guilty spooking livestock at rest in the shady spots of the pastures. I guess I am conflicted, because I SURE want the deer and other wildlife to know I am coming! I have a pretty significant hearing loss (thank you Uncle Sam) so I can't really appreciate any tonal and acoustic qualities - it's all either loud or it's not much heard.
I was wondering if animals would sense my presence while riding my Zero electric motorcycle, and so far dogs and deer react to me early and consistently, just the same way as they do with gasoline powered motorcycles. My belief now is that the deer and dogs don’t need to hear your (loud) exhaust to hear that you are coming.
 
I love this thread.

I want my bikes so quiet that I can sneak up on a fisherman who is sitting on the shoreline. Simply put, I hate loud bikes. My 2018 is pretty quite but I would be happier if it was silent. I want the DCT shifts and the chain noise to be the loudest parts on the bike.

But I live in the USA where loud bikes are popular.
 
Aren't those still around $400+? I'll just drill some holes in the stick unit for free lol. Just kidding
I paid way less than that for mine, $210 USD.
Love the sound of that can.
I do not like a motorcycle engine that sounds like a sewing machine.

parrot
Delkevic SS70 9" Stainless Steel Oval Muffler to fit NC700 & NC750 (2012-2019)$209.99 USD x 1
 
My 2012 DCT came with a Leo Vince pipe. I found it was way too loud for my tastes and put the stock exhaust back on. I found that the stock pipe was so quiet I couldn't really tell what the motor was doing and when it was going to shift. I put the Leo Vince back on but installed the DB killer that came with it. It's just about perfect now. Has a nice throaty tone without being excessively loud. I can hear it when I accelerate or roll off the throttle but can't really hear it just cruising along on the highway. I think the Leo Vince is one of the quieter exhausts whereas the Two Brothers is generally thought to be a louder exhaust. Maybe see if they make a DB killer you can install.
 
Every Delkevic muffler I’ve heard is MUCH louder than factory mufflers. I’ve never, ever heard any aftermarket motorcycle muffler that’s _quieter than_ the factory muffler.
The factory mufflers have to meet federal (and state) volume limits. While aftermarkets are also _supposed to meet them, sometimes they don’t and other times they just skate much closer to the line. IMO, don’t bother looking to the aftermarket for a muffler that’s quieter than the Honda one.

I hear chain noise much more than exhaust noise when I’m puttering around the neighborhood. I’ve also heard from several friends and neighbors, “Wow! Your bike is really quiet!”
 
Well i'll bite. I came from the louder is better crowd haha. I like loud pipes but not obnoxiously loud if that makes sense. A good Brap Brap on the pipe and i'm happy so i swapped out my stock NC muffler for a nice DanMoto and really loved the sound it gave. For me it was perfect. Then i started listening to music while i rode and i started taking a Pillion along every once in a while and that was not working. I had the tunes turned way up just to hear them and the Sena unit was barely audible when trying to talk with the pillion. So..., i changed back to a stock muffler and have really liked being able to hear music again and enjoy a nice conversation when a pillion is along. Now, i'll also admit that yes i do miss that DanMoto pipe, but being able to listen to music and carry on a nice conversation is much more important at this point in my life.
 
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I was wondering if animals would sense my presence while riding my Zero electric motorcycle, and so far dogs and deer react to me early and consistently, just the same way as they do with gasoline powered motorcycles. My belief now is that the deer and dogs don’t need to hear your (loud) exhaust to hear that you are coming.
Probably not, as their senses of hearing and smell are especially acute, while their visual acuity is relatively poor. One is left to wonder why it is that they so frequently end-up adorning cars, 18-wheelers, locomotives, and motorcycles? Bucks throwing caution to the wind (or the road) during the pursuit of does is perfectly understandable, but otherwise???
 
I thought I would follow-up on this thread and report my conclusion. I installed a Two Brothers Db killer and I am completely satisfied. It is quieter (but definitely no sewing machine), but the biggest difference, and the most pleasing is the elimination of the louder "raspier" sounds and the change to a low, throaty, mellow rumble. At speed it is present but not overpowering, and at idle it is melodious and soothing - perfect background music for a robust motorcycle. Even with my diminished hearing I can appreciate the difference. For me, anyway, a perfect solution for only $35.
 
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