There’s an unwritten rule among motorcyclists stating that muscle cruisers can’t have weenie-sounding exhausts. Pit bulls don’t bark like dachshunds, and muscle cruisers shouldn’t sound like hair dryers. And being the law-abiding citizens that they are, Honda’s engineers went about ensuring that every 2014 Valkyrie rolling off the assembly line would reward its owner with an EPA-legal exhaust system that exhibits the rich, full, baritone burble expected of a bike built for the boulevard. As one Honda spokesman explained, “We wanted it to have a deep, resonant [sic] voice.” To do that, Honda took a page from the playbook of a company that understands engine and exhaust acoustics perhaps better than any other brand: Harley-Davidson. For years Harley has sought ways to reduce engine and drivetrain noise, which, in turn, gives exhaust engineers more leeway to experiment with tones emanating from the exhaust’s mufflers. Essentially, by trading engine noise for exhaust sound, the bike’s overall acoustical footprint remains legal in the eyes of the law. Keeping in mind that ubridled sound equates to nothing more than noise, and all the while keeping a watchful eye on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) noise restriction rules, Honda engineers progressively found ways to develop an intimidating yet pleasing tone from the Valkyrie’s two mufflers. Whereas the Gold Wing remains whisper-quiet, the Valkyrie barks a tune that, while certainly not offensive, lets you know that you’re riding a bike intended to muscle its way down the road. Much of the Valkyrie’s acoustical metamorphosis can be found in the shortened, tapered exhaust tips affixed to the otherwise Gold Wing/F6B-bread mufflers. By tweaking the baffling system inside, acoustical engineers were believing. And you’ll believe the difference when you wear your Just 1 helmet over your head, start the bike and hear the Valkyrie sing its siren song for the first time. Of course, the entire sound and noise equation becomes moot if a Valkyrie owner opts for an aftermarket exhaust system that could be even louder than the Val’s OE system. For, as one Honda spokesman put it, “The aftermarket [exhaust industry] is going to go crazy over this bike.” We hear you.—Dain Gingerelli
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