Noise level while riding(HATE IT!)

[Iceman57]

Ear Plugs on a stock sled that really sucks. I HATE the sound of a stock apex riding one they have a tinny rattle sound that has some weird resonence that just rattles in your head. I am happy to say any sled I have ridden with Excell exhaust has stopped that. White knuckle makes the problem about 10x worse.

I agree 100%. I had the White Knuckle and it literally hurt my ears. I wore ear plugs one weekend and that sucked. I now have the Excell and the problem is solved.

 

[halfast]

I agree the sled is too loud for a stock exhaust. It sounds sporty but resonates at some rpm's. I wear foam earplugs and I am fine. Only problem is I am half deaf too and when I stop I have trouble hearing people without taking everything off.... My MachZ with twins was quieter !! Just a couple db less would be great.

 

[TurboJamie]

Excell really changes the sound to a lower rumble sound. Not cheerleading for them I use one but they don't owe me anything it just works well.

On a side note there is none of this trouble on the new nytro FX at all man they are quiet.

 

[Tal]

I have the same complaint - is there any aftermarket exhaust systems that would quiet this thing down a bit.... without losing horses??

 

[kinger]

I guess in CA customs section there is a new exhaust by Hindle coming out next year that is supposed to drop weight and sound but not power. Could be a big hitter

 

[yamadoo]

I have tried ear plugs and they help alot, BUT I can't hear the conversations then. I though t mine was a combo of track how and exhaust and the howl is better at most speeds since I studded.

As I have said before I think there is HUGE market for a STEALTH High performance sled.

Silent BUt DEADLY I guess for us old farts ( pun intended) that works

Yamadoo

 

[redrx1rkt]

have 1 complaint about my 06 and it is the track howling and noise Its just plain obnoxious.I have the Icerippper and havent tried another sled wih the stock ripsaw so i dunno if it is just the ripper or common with the seld any thoughts on this will be appreciated

It's not just your Iceripper. As others have noted, my track has a nasty howl that's just as bad as the exhaust drone at low speeds. However, this only seems to happen when snow conditions are not ideal (for example, when riding alongside a road shoulder without much loose snow). When there's enough snow to lube the sliders, the sound is a lot better but definitely louder than the Ripsaw set up on my RX-1.

 

[studdog]

My major complaint with my 06 and 07 Attaks was the noise level. Loud loud! I run long distances and after a long day I'm sick of the noise. In every other way the sled is great.

 

[nate007]

Has anybody figured out what make these sleds have so much track noise comared to other sleds, or is there other sleds out there that have the same issues? If not, what can we learn from their setup to make ours quieter.
I love the exhaust noise form the Bender pipes (which I believe are made by White Knukle), but I have a new model that came out this year for quieter trail riding. I grew up on sport bikes that all had pipes on them, so for me, I love the sound, but I do agree that some may not like it.
I should see what it would take to post a video with a sound clip, maybe it may interest some others. I tried once before, but after about 25 minutes of uploading, I gave up.
Nate

 

[ReX]

I too find these sleds way too loud. I'm running a 1" Predator track and only on occasion do I hear it over the exhaust noise.

Personally the exhaust noise doesn't get to me too much through my helmet (I think the quieter track taking out the drone when the track and exhaust get together makes a big improvement) - but where I hate it is when I'm riding through town or out sledding late at night. I just can't make this thing quiet enough no matter how fast/slow I ride.

I'd even be willing to throw away a couple hp to make it quieter.

The Arctic Cat 660 turbo is the right sort of sound level for a trail to me. Now that's a quiet sled, especially at low speeds.

 

[nate007]

I thought the same thing Rex, but my wife has heard me come home very late often enough to confirm with me that it must be worse on the sled than what other people can hear. Just for grins, I sent a buddy of mine down my street with my sled (after pipes) and I could barely hear it once it got past my next door neighbor's house. I really isn't very noticeable even at a short distance. Just don't be honking on it, and the even drone you hear in your helmet is not very bad. I have had guys ride behind me with no helmets just because I wanted to have some feedback as to the noise level, and most responses were that once I got about 40 feet away, they could barely hear it. No one in my riding group can hear it while riding, also.

 

[ReX]

I thought the same thing Rex, but my wife has heard me come home very late often enough to confirm with me that it must be worse on the sled than what other people can hear. Just for grins, I sent a buddy of mine down my street with my sled (after pipes) and I could barely hear it once it got past my next door neighbor's house. I really isn't very noticeable even at a short distance. Just don't be honking on it, and the even drone you hear in your helmet is not very bad. I have had guys ride behind me with no helmets just because I wanted to have some feedback as to the noise level, and most responses were that once I got about 40 feet away, they could barely hear it. No one in my riding group can hear it while riding, also.

We've actually found the opposite with the stock exhaust.

Late at night my buddies and I have swapped back and forth and ridden away and back towards us on our sleds and from the rear especially these sleds seem quite loud compared to most other current year stock sleds.

When I ride at higher speeds for long periods of time I think the wind noise gets to my ears more than anything else (but I would prefer the exhaust to be much quiter even for me).

Other than that I actually like the sound in general of these sleds (at least stock - I haven't really heard an aftermarket exhaust in person without already riding my sled). My problem is I like riding at night and many of the trails ride past houses.

 

[studdog]

I think the noise or howl is not the exhaust or the track but some kind of harmonic combination coming from the tunnel area. I hear it most at steady crusing speeds of 35- 60 MPH. It's almost enough to make me change sleds. My wife's venture 120 HP touring sled is much quieter.

 

[Iceman57]

I think the noise or howl is not the exhaust or the track but some kind of harmonic combination coming from the tunnel area. I hear it most at steady crusing speeds of 35- 60 MPH. It's almost enough to make me change sleds. My wife's venture 120 HP touring sled is much quieter.

I believe its exhaust harmonics that we are hearing. The track or tunnel is not that much different then other sleds and the Apex seems to have what to me sounds like harmonics. A common source of buzzing noises in the exhaust, especially on high revving four-cylinder engines, is harmonic resonance. This is typically loudest at certain engine rpms and/or when accelerating hard under load. Original equipment exhaust systems are typically tuned to dampen the more annoying high pitched tones, which is why many OEM Auto exhaust systems have a second muffler or resonator. The length, shape and chamber design of the resonator is designed to silence certain sound frequencies in the exhaust. I use to hear that noise when I had my stock exhaust and since I installed the Excell it is all but gone. This convinces me that it is exhaust harmonics.

 

[nate007]

I would have gone with teh Excell exhaust also, but I just couldn't bear to give up the look of dual exits. That is one of the first things that caught my eye with Yamaha, before I even knew anything about them. I had been away from sleds off and on for about 10 years before buying this one, and I pretty much missed the RX-1. If Excell would somehow make their side panels look better, I think I would like it more, but it just looks like it didn't have a whole lot of thought in the asthetics of the replacement side covers. Maybe it wold look better with a different seat, kind of like the Hindle exhaust. If you haven't seed photos of that exhaust, check out Custom Sled Shop's page, the look more like a bike pipe tucked up under a custom seat. That I could go for.
Nate