can my honda sound like a harley? ive got cobra pipes..how do i make them louder?

18 Comments

1. TrRy says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   Purchase a cherry bomb glass pack for the muffler, it will sound really loud and really nice
2. roady42 says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   You don’t need to, you are probably ALREADY pissing off your neighbors and the public.

   Besides, why would you want a good HONDA to sound like a POS HD?
3. danielg509 says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   You want the Harley sound? Buy one!!!! They are being made just as dependable as any other bike on the road. Quit being a wannabe an buy one!!!
4. Dale D says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   If it aint a Harley dump gas on it and strike a match!! Then if you want a real motorcycle then by all means go buy a real motorcycle, SURE you can get just as far on a rice burner or any other non Harley but you will never have the pleasure of being a owner of a Harley.
   I just got my first Harley 2 years ago I am 42 and before that I thought the sun rose and set on my crotch rocket jap bike. Now I am happier than I ever have been because I know that not only did I buy an American ICON but I made a great long term investment.
5. rhand182 says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   1. Walk into a confined non-ventilated area with your bike
   2. Start bike and let it run for 10 minutes
   3. Take deep breaths till your spine goes numb
   4. ????
   5. PROFIT!

   Honestly now, who the hell buys a Japanese cruiser and expects it to sound like a Harley? Who the hell buys a Japanese cruiser anyway? The Japanese make the best sportbikes in the world and make some mighty fine standards as well. But their cruisers SUCK. Trying to be cool and fit in is the first step to making sure that you will never be cool or fit in.

   And loud pipes are for losers anyway- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt-ytACeVM0
6. joemaintenance2 says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   Did you get a honda and everyone ask "is that a harley?" You can not make it sound like a harley. Close but no cigar. It has to do with internal parts like cam timing and such. Look around and you can find a harley that is as cheap and new as your foreign names. I work for yamaha and can tell you that there are more harleys in the motorcycle lot than yamahas. Even with our discount. You buy a harley and sell just before warrenty runs out and in ten years are riding a harley under warrenty for just a little every few years. with my discount if i do not sell the yamaha in a year and a half it is hard to get my money out of it while i can break even on the sale of my harley. Just go get the harley and work your way up to the one you want.
7. Doug G says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   If you install louder pipes, you would still only have a loud Honda.
   A four cylinder will never sound the same as a V-twin. Also, a less restricted exhaust flow will require you to replace carburetor jets so your bike runs right.
8. mxlj says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   it will never sound like a Harley on the idle, because Harley has a single offset crankpin. Honda does not. so it wil never have the potato, potato idle. but you can match the volume/sound running down the highway. change baffles to change the sound of your pipes. do not run with out baffles, as this will take away back pressure. it WILL cause you to LOOSE horsepower and can burn out the valves.
9. Ed says:

   August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   I take it that they are cobra slip ons. If look into the pipe you should see a couple of pop rivets or allen screws. If you remove them and pull the entire guts out of the pipe your pipe will become really load. You may need to rejet the carbs after this.

   Now if you can’t pull the guts out of the cobra pipes you may want to get another brand. I know that Jardine slip ons can be gutted. No matter what brand you decide on, you may want to look the pipes over before you buy, if you can. Good luck.
10. Todd L says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    Are you deaf??
    If not, Do you want to get headache from long ride?? and you might not hear other vechicles horns while you change lanes. You will get crash. Look at this . For strong stomach please.sound like moped dont have muffler!!

    http://share.youthwant.com.tw/sh.php?id=23003335

    Oh I see most voters rejected the answered. But It can be true that you cannot hear the truck behind you. The moped rider change the lane while too close. You cannot hear the truck behind. Like loud muffler on bike. you have to think twice about loud muffler. Good luck!! for me, No way!!!!
11. Thunderoadvtx1300 says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    No you will never get it to sound like a Harley ,A Harley has that popping sound like a misfire when you shift gears and so does a VW bug with a bad spark plug , If you are wanting a nice sound on your Honda then I suggest Vance and Hines pipes and a KN Air filter . If done by a professional who knows what he is doing you will get more Kick and a better sound than you will with Cobra pipes .Whatever you do don’t take the baffles out it will only sound annoying to everybody around you. And I can bet you that 99% of these guys calling Honda junk cant tell the diffrence between one bike or the other and people claiming Harley has a better resale is BS the only reason that would be is because there is no miles on it . 1985 Honda Rebel sold brand New $1200Hundred Dollars, 1985 Honda Rebel 50 Thousand Miles still runs great $1500 Bucks .1985 Harley Brand New sold for 5 thousand dollars .1985 Harley with 50 thousand miles .There aint know way in hell any body is going to pay you 5 grand for a bike with 50 thousand miles on it . it just will not happen and they know it . /Peace
12. mike d says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    I know youre going to get 100’s of "get a REAL BIKE" from Harley owners (I am one) HOWEVER:
    Bore and stroke of the piston, cam settings, exhaust back pressure and the muffler all contribute to the sound.
    Unless a manufacturer starts with identical bore/stoke, valve diameter, timing on and on, you won’t acheive the real sound. Harley just happened onto the sound years ago and tune things to maintain this sound on their new stuff since it has become a feature. The new V-Rod doesnt have that sound. Simple: it isnt the same as the tradional V-Twin.
    So, you can get close, but no cigar, unless Honda decides that they imitate it by copying it outright.
    Your bike is a good bike, but it never will copy the sound. Sorry dude.
    PS. When the boys buy their Harley’s the first thing they do to the stock exhaust is "punch it out" Stock harleys dont have the original potato potato sound either, it’s too muffled.
13. sn00p says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    harley davidson actually got laughed out of the patent office when they tried to patent their sound. that said, they’re still safe, because nobody but harley can make a bike sound like a harley. and because of engine design, not exhaust design… you’re outta luck. i do agree with the other posts making fun of you… why would you want a knockoff that looks like a harley and sounds like a harley, but isnt a harley… it’ll never have the right sound, power, or any kind of decent resale. save your money and embrace that it’s a honda, there are buyers that wouldn’t consider a domestic… same as in cars…. i don’t get that myself, but to each his own…
14. Firecracker says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    No, it can’t.
    Mostly for mechanical reasons, listed above.
    At one time Honda came close, but it was with only one model. They got sued, as also stated above. HD may have lost, but it was still a slight victory. Honda pulled that model. There are very few left today. My sister owns one.

    You want louder? Pull the baffles, re-tune, and still lose your bottom end power.
15. Cornporto says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    let me get this straight - you bought a Japanese cruiser so it already looks gay (like a Harley), and now you want it to sound gay too? Don’t forget to buy the buttless chaps and frilly leather jacket to complete the ensemble.
16. bluff mike says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    The Harley’s unique sound doesn’t come from the pipes so much as from the way the engine is constructed. All you’re going to do is lose power and tick people off.
17. Kato says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    It will never sound like a Harley. I can’t remember exactly what they do differently, maybe something with the cam. But anyway, you won’t be able to reproduce that sound with pipes.
18. HD Rider says:

    August 13, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    Loud pipes do save lives, but why do you want to ride a Honda? Sell your bike to a girly man and buy the king of biked the Harley Davidson with the power and sound you can only get from the massive HD V Twin.