Why do motorcycle drivers rev their engines?

[BigK]

I personally put loud pipes on to keep people from lane changing into me.

I've heard this rationale before and experienced the 'no look' lane change more than once back when I had a bike.

Now that I drive a nice comfy car around, I can't help but notice that I can only hear even the loudest bike when it's beside me or in front of me. I don't hear them when they are in my blind spot.

[dats82]

I think they just like the way it tickles their balls

[G27]

Small penis syndrome.

[Guest alloyguitar]

My 2 stroke cafe (build I'm putting together based around an old mt250 motor) doesn't idle. At all. You have to rev at a light.

My dr250/fzr750 both I can let idle on the choke for a few minutes when it's cold, then I'll leave my house, get to the end of my road, and, if I was to just pull the clutch in, it'd die, so I need to rev it, then. Also, since the dr and mt cafe thing are both kick start, you DON'T want it dying in the road, so you'll pop the throttle every now and then to keep it idling.

Also, most motorcycles use banks of carbs that need to be cleaned/synced regularly, which can make them run like crap if not maintained.

If it's a newer, fuel injected bike, the guy is just being a douche.

[G27ATT]

I rarely see any two smoke bikes on the road but when I do, I completely understand the revving. That is a far cry from some ###hole revving his harley to 5k like there is any power behind it. "harleys, making tons of noise for ages without the horse power to match."

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[Guest italia]

I am thinking you ride a ducati.

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Yes, and I guess you ride a R1!

Edited March 24, 2012 by italia

[Guest italia]

My 2 stroke cafe (build I'm putting together based around an old mt250 motor) doesn't idle. At all. You have to rev at a light.

I rarely see any two smoke bikes on the road but when I do, I completely understand the revving.

I have a couple of friends that have two stroke Aprilia RS125's that are street legal. Absolutely no power below 8K! When starting from a stop, they have to rev the sh!t out of 'em just to get 'em moving. But they smell so good!

Edited March 24, 2012 by italia

[Timestepper]

I have a couple of friends that have two stroke Aprilia RS125's that are street legal. Absolutely no power below 8K! When starting from a stop, they have to rev the sh!t out of 'em just to get 'em moving. But they smell so good!

Oh my god! I think I was married to one of those! I'll bet they don't do dishes or clean the house - just sit around looking and smelling good and costing a man his paycheck, right? Yep, I was definitely married to one!

Edited March 24, 2012 by Timestepper

[Guest italia]

just sit around looking and smelling good and costing a man his paycheck, right?

Nope, not at all My friends ride the hell out of them on the street and track. The RS125 handles incredibly well, and if you weigh under 170 lbs, it has enough power to get you around Barber Motorsports Park with a surprisingly quick lap time. When I go into a corner with my 390 lb. track bike, and somebody on a 260 lb. RS125 or Motard darts through on an inside line, there's no posing going on.

Now if you weren't calling my friends posers, and were only railing on about your ex-wife, my apologies ... and condolences. Of course if she's your ex ... congrats!

Edited March 24, 2012 by italia

[Timestepper]

Nope, not at all My friends ride the hell out of them on the street and track. The RS125 handles incredibly well, and if you weigh under 170 lbs, it has enough power to get you around Barber Motorsports Park with a surprisingly quick lap time. When I go into a corner with my 390 lb. track bike, and somebody on a 260 lb. RS125 or Motard darts through on an inside line, there's no posing going on.

Now if you weren't calling my friends posers, and were only railing on about your ex-wife, my apologies ... and condolences. Of course if she's your ex ... congrats!

My mistake. Actually my ex reminds me of an old Harley Davidson Enduro I used to own: Take her downtown and she smokes, gets loud and raises all kinds of hell - take her out in the country and she won't do a damn thing...

[f3joel]

new riders and douche bags

with a few who don't know how to tune a carb

[Guest DELETED]

They rev thier engines for the same reason some people open carry. It makes them feel powerful.

[Motasyco]

So the idiot in the car next to him, talking on a cell phone instead of focusing on operating their vehicle, can't hear. It could also possibly be the result of a stream of rap music coming from a vehicle's open window that causes the motorcycle operators hand and wrist muscles to involuntarily tense in direct proportion to the irritation received. Of course, I have no personal knowledge of these things happening. Just speculating.

[kieefer]

I have ridden motorcycles my entire life. Mostly dirt...but a lot of road bikes too. Had my motorcycle license now for 30 years. I personally put loud pipes on to keep people from lane changing into me. Don't underestimate the frequency of that when your bike sounds like a sewing machine...and the effectiveness of the pipes at keeping it from happening. It also sounds good to me....but I probably wouldn't run them for that reason alone. I try to keep the RPM's down to minimize the noise when in residential areas or when I am not in traffic. Yes, it's possible to have loud pipes and be polite and considerate.

As for the revving at the light. It's one of 3 things. Either the rider is on a testosterone trip and is just pounding his chest to those around him....or....it's a guy who has been riding a long time and learned how on older carbureted bikes that didn't idle right when warm.....or....he is a dirt bike guy. The latter two do it out of habit, subconsciously and will usually stop if they realize what they are doing. The first type, unfortunately, make up the majority of riders on the road.

Then again...I will occasionally do it on purpose just to get a rise out of the driver beside me gabbing on their cell phone.

I'm a lot like you, having been on bikes since I was 10yrs old and your analogy is about the same as my thoughts.

Owning a vintage bike and a dirt bike I do make sure it doesn't stall at the light with a little blip, old school habit. No need with my modern bike and I like the roar and rush of speed rather than letting everyone know that my exhaust is gutted.

Most of the posers I see are Harley owners with loud pipes constantly revving at every chance. Remains me of the MadMax scene where Toecutter and the gang stops and revs their bikes up before they shut them off.

Some of the Squids have this habit for whatever reason, small balls big ego who knows. It's annoying to me especially when they are wearing short pants or a wife beater and flip-flops ....or all three. I also cringed when I see their petite girlfriend on the back dressed about the same way, I can't help but imagine those pretty legs being scared by road rash.

It's annoying but if they are happy in their skin so be it. Hopefully they'll learn before it's too late.

I tend to think a full-face helmet saves more lives than loud pipes and having learned the hard way that proper riding gear can reduce the pain and recovery if you hit the pavement.

[1gewehr]

The most memorable time I have had a driver move sideways directly at me was when I rode a Harley with loud pipes ('76 Sportster 1000). I suspect she was annoyed by the noise. So was I, so I soon sold that bike.

I have also noticed that with modern sound insulation, you usually only hear those pipes when the bike is visible alongside or in front of you.

Loud pipes just feed an ego and annoy people. Waking up your neighbors when you start your bike or come home late does not make friends.

[TripleDigitRide]

I don't know why they do it. If they do it near me, I generally forget it even happened before I make my way through the intersection. I guess I don't sweat the small stuff as much as some.

I would suspect they do it for the same reasons people install custom exhaust on their cars and trucks. Or custom sound systems that you can hear from a block or two away. I've never owned a vehicle where the stock sound system wasn't loud enough. Or those who put monster truck tires on a vehicle that never goes somewhere I couldn't take my stock 4x2 F-150. Or those who plaster stupid bumper stickers all over the back of their vehicles. Or those who do any customizing to their vehicles that you and I may not.

Some things can be equally annoying to look at as other things are to hear. In the end, I couldn't care less.