There could be any number of reasons why you didn’t end up buying that Harley-Davidson you had your eye on.
Maybe you even bought one but it doesn’t sound like a Harley enough for you.
Jump Ahead To:
How to Make Your Motorcycle Sound like a Harley
In this post we’re going to look at how you can make your motorcycle sound like a Harley so you can be happy with how it sounds and impress everybody else around you.
Let’s jump right into it!
Buy Used Pipes (If You Have a Harley Already)
If you have a Harley-Davidson already, one of the smaller ones for example, the easiest way to get that Harley sound is to buy used pipes.
Head to your local market place, whether it’s Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, and do a search for Harley-Davidson pipes or Harley-Davidson exhaust.
Depending on where you live it should give you a pretty big list of options, especially during the spring and summer months.
People like to try different pipes on their Harleys and will be selling them regularly to look for the perfect one.
If you happen to buy some pipes that you don’t like the sound of, it should be easy enough to resell them afterwards.
Replace the Mufflers
Another easy way to get your bike to sound like a Harley-Davidson is to replace the mufflers.
This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get your bike to sound better and there are a lot of different brands out there that are making amazing slip-ons.
It’s a good idea to check out YouTube and your favourite Harley-Davidson forum to see what slip on mufflers people are using.
The beauty of slip ons is that there are so many different ones to choose from. Most of them are rather affordable and not too noisy, unless that’s something you’re looking for.
Another benefit is that you don’t need to change the air intake or use a fuel management module if you’re using a slip on muffler for your Harley-Davidson.
Buy a New Motorcycle
No matter what Method you try, your bike is never going to sound exactly like a Harley-Davidson.
You might get close but at the end of the day you’ll still be on a Japanese Cruiser, or something else, if you’re not riding a Harley.
While there’s nothing wrong with this, buying a Harley-Davidson will get you the closest to that Harley-Davidson sound that you’re looking for.
Remove the Baffles
In most motorcycle exhausts is a baffle. This is a component that helps to manage the sound and keep the exhaust on a quieter side of things.
On most bikes, it’s possible to remove the baffle using a few easily available tools.
There are plenty of YouTube videos online that will detail this process for your specific bike.
Keep in mind that there can be some drawbacks to removing a motorcycle baffle. If you’re looking for that Harley-Davidson sound, it’s worth giving it a try either way.
Should You Change Your Motorcycle Exhaust to Sound More Like a Harley?
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with wanting your bike to sound like a different bike.
A lot of people change the exhaust to get something louder, more aggressive, or just sound different than what you’re used to.
It can be a fun experience trying to chase that perfect sound and at the end of the day it’s definitely worth doing if you’re already so invested in this lifestyle.
