Are Exhaust Noise Different in Cars and Motorbikes?

The engine in a motorbike is smaller than a car engine, yet its noise profile is louder than its four-wheeled highway cousin. Admittedly, that larger engine is concealed in the car engine compartment, an enclosed alcove that can be soundproofed, while the two-wheeler wears its power plant out in the open. Still, this question begs an answer. Are there exhaust noise differences between cars and motorbikes?

exhaust system noise

Motorcycle Culture

Unlike cars, motorbike owners often buy their wheels with the sole intent of putting the bike on steroids. The biker immediately opts for aftermarket pipes. The bike pipes are shorter than a car exhaust system, though, as is the muffler housing. The upshot of this condensed exhaust system is more noise. Essentially, that biker culture and the motorbike’s streamlined form encourage noisy leanings. That bias demands svelte pipework, tighter turns on a slimmer frame, and a near obsessional need to feel that noise vibrate the owners’ fillings.

Engine Architecture

The backpressure generated by a car is mitigated by other systems in the engine compartment. Among these, the coolant system drops engine temperature, which then cuts exhaust fumes, and then attenuates exhaust system noise. In other words, the byproducts produced by the car are minimised by some highly effective innards. Most older motorbikes don’t have this luxury. They’re air-cooled, so the raw gaseous emissions leave the engine manifold hot and loud. Noisier air-cooled bikes are currently on their way out, but there are plenty still to be found. Next, the noise isn’t just louder on a motorcycle, it also sounds totally different from the growl generated by a car exhaust. That’s because their condensed two-stroke and four-stroke engines don’t use an extended camshaft or multiple cylinders.

Going Deaf on Aftermarket Purism

Besides shedding weight, a solid titanium set of curving tubes augments bike performance. Yes, it sounds different because that unrestricted engine doesn’t have baffling or bodywork to attenuate a frame-mounted power plant, but the fuel tank absorbs some noise, and perhaps a superior engine header helps, too. Any noise dampening aids are welcome, though, because an aftermarket exhaust system will exaggerate the motorcycle’s sound signature as it exits the glossy exhaust tips.

Two-stroke engines and their four-stroke siblings produce unique noise profiles. The sounds are obviously loud, plus they’re radiated at a higher, tighter pitch than a car, probably because of the engine displacement architecture. Then the pipework curves tighter, the muffler is smaller, and there are few soundproofing options available on the bike. Happily, the biker culture likes noise, just as long as it doesn’t upset the local authorities and/or the neighbours.


Location: Melbourne VIC, Australia

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