Ok I think I've changed my mind on the V-Twin. An idling Shovelhead is definitely better sounding than a Vincent Black Shadow.

@JohnSmith-kw9yc

2 жыл бұрын

And it's realistic to own one, but also really like my SR500.

@MrEddiedk

2 жыл бұрын

Erh... what about V-fours? V-max (because that do not need any introduction) Honda VF, VFR - etc...

@johncunningham4820

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrEddiedk . Panigale' would win that . V-4 config doesn't actually sound that good really , overall . Which seems odd , but true .

@danielhristov6175

Жыл бұрын

That BSA single sounded unhealthy af 😂

@Cologne_Trooper

10 ай бұрын

@@danielhristov6175yeah on the brink of death bad. I don’t think they can even idle though.

I definitely think V4s should have been included. I'm really biased as I own a few V4s, in no small part because I love the sound, but you have a lot of options from Ducati, Yamaha (VMAX 4-into-1 exhausts sound amazing), Honda (V65s from the 80s, Interceptors, ST and CTX bikes, RVFs), Suzuki had one or two IIRC, the RSV4 and Tuono, and even Motus.

@cemoguz2786

Жыл бұрын

I don't own v4 and I belive v4s are the best sounding racebikes.

@herculestsagas5593

Жыл бұрын

My father owned a honda vfr 750 f , v4 engine with amazing sound

@04m6gto

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, what? He included single thumpers, but not V-4's? The best sounding motorcycle engine ever is a V-4. Thanks, Aprilia.

Owned a 1979 CBX and YES there's nothing like that sound it is the top of the heap!

@tedmarakas2626

2 жыл бұрын

I want one so bad.....I'm looking for a very clean and restored one.

@warpedwarped

2 жыл бұрын

87Wayne : You "owned" as in passed tense, omg "tsk tsk tsk" if so why did you sell it? I'd give up my left one for one of those, lol.

The cbr250rr (the 90’s one) definitely should’ve been the i4 spot imo, and it would’ve been cool if you’d done a bit about the V4

@wethepeople1973slt

2 жыл бұрын

A mention to cross plane crank i4’s would have also been nice

I am partial in the 2 Stroke Sound category. Most enduros of the 60’s & 70’s sounded pretty similar … not great. Street bikes all suffered from induction howl. But the ‘68 Kawasaki 350 had a bark at idle and a developing scream as it reved up at speed that was rather unique. The carbs were installed at the end of the crank shaft and rotary induction valves contained induction noise. For what it is worth. The 500 triple sounded better with the stock exhaust than after market expansion chambers. It flew either way.

@rogerthat10-47

2 жыл бұрын

The "Howl" was telling you the "Carb's" weren't set properly, almost no one knew how to do them, & they still don't, the Suzuki GT's were a far better bike(my beautiful wife still has a 380 & I have a road legal 750 on Nitros) & they were behind the incredible Yamaha RD's, but all pail when compared to my Gamma 500, it is sublime.

@pgbpro20

2 жыл бұрын

@@rogerthat10-47 Yeah I had an RD350 and I think that sound better than the triples too. I'd rather have the triple, but the RD350/400s sounded better imo.

@brapamaldi7666

Жыл бұрын

@@pgbpro20 those RF350s were mean as! I remember hearing one in my neighborhood when i was a kid and loving it

@JETZcorp

Жыл бұрын

You guys are all nuts. The intake howl on a Kawasaki triple comes from the fact that they're piston-port and their ports were made too big, all of which amplifies the sound to a big harmony. The 500 had this problem the worst, which is why it sounded the best. I do like how a twin sounds but the triples are something special when you're riding it and open the carbs up. Also, the stock exhausts made them sound like those enduros, and really choked performance. Good baffled expansion chambers sound amazing.

all great sounding bikes, but wow... the CBX is in a world of its own!

No V-Four?!!! Disappointed. Always loved the sound of my SuperMagna. The VFR and VMax sound awesome as well.

The CBX had the best sound across ALL configurations if you ask me.

Speaking of tractors, it's too bad you couldn't find a Laverda 180 degree crank triple. Of the 24 bikes I've had over the years, my 1975 Laverda 3C is my favorite. The intake howl always sent my heart racing.

It’s hard to appreciate the sound of a Kawasaki triple, until you experience it from the saddle. Ride the 750, give it a fistful of wick, and let her eat. It’s life changing. 🇯🇵🏁

Overall the CBX is hard to beat. The big Ducatis (like 900ss) of the late 70s early 80s are great too. They were common enough. That MV Augusta sounded good, but any hi perf 750 with a good exhaust from the 90s would have matched it. The japanese L4s open 4-1 was a sound I grew up with along with 2stroke dirtbikes. I know a 70s 80s Husky anywere. The sound of a 80-500cc 2stroke dirtbike is exciting if you know the power that comes with it. The amazing feeling, the smell of 2stroke oil, brisk air in the fall, going out on a trail, fast trails and more tricky parts. Vibration from the handlebars, bike light as a bicycle, heat from the exhaust, engine revving to the moon without even trying and high pulse from excitement. That's two stroke.

The best sounding inline-4 I ever heard was my friend's 1991 Kawasaki ZX-6D with a full Vance & Hines exhaust. There's depth and tone and character, and when it's a little ways away echoing through the trees it sounds like the entire Indianapolis 500 grid is coming. It's freaking awesome. As far as the 2-strokes, the magic of the triples is really when they're wide open. The intake howl is outrageous. If it wasn't for the sound, I would have probably sold my 400 triple a while ago. But GOD you can't get rid of something that looks and sounds this good.

I4 - mid-70s CB400 for me. That hi pitched howl from even a mile away was so distinctive.

@savage22bolt32

2 жыл бұрын

CB400 was the inline 4 that first popped into my head!

@user-se7vt5ow4e

2 жыл бұрын

My first choice n the I4 catagory. They just howled.

As a 1200RS owner and a triple fan, I’m totally with you on this.

XR750 flat tracker, BSA tween, BSA Victor 441, & old 70's KZ1000 with header are my favorites

The best sounding triple for me is the Laverda Jota. (180 crank.) The v twin is the Yamaha MT-01.

@bimble7240

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely. I was scrolling through the comments to find someone else who loves this noise. When these bikes were on sale new everybody raved about the sound.

In my opinion, a music instrument company from Land of the rising sun makes the best Triple. Yamaha engineering team every now and then drop their engines at their sound tuning department just to make sure the Triple is not only characterful but also full of soul.

@TheAsheybabe89

2 жыл бұрын

Yamaha makes great bikes. But the amount of internet (and especially YT) fanboyism over Yamaha is beyond logical. MT07/09/10 are apparently the only naked bikes worth buying and no 600 class sport bike ever topped the R6, etc 🙄.

@Cinoism

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheAsheybabe89 10 years ago, I picked CBR600RR over R6. I'll do it again if my back is still good because the whole riding experience of CBR is much better for me. I like torquey engine and agility of CBR on the street. Nothing wrong with praising Yamaha what they have done right. A perfect bike for you, may not be for others. And a perfect sounding engine doesn't make it the perfect bike.

Best sounding bike for me by far is the 750 Norton, The two strokes were on after market exhausts that make nothing more than an annoying crackle, Original exhausts had a nice low down moan much deeper sound.

I had a 65 Triumph 650 that had 11:1 pistons and racing cams and competition megaphones that sounded better than anything else I've ever heard. I sure miss that bike.

I've never been much of a sports fan but always enjoyed going over to the house of a friend who loved football and was a master with a BBQ grill. Those times spent with him were a hoot. It's kinda like that with you. -I don't have your sensibilities but thoroughly enjoy your enthusiasm and sharing,. I'm a very long time fan & rider of motorcycles lacking articulation such as this.

Awesome video again. Congrats.

I'm digging deep into my memory bank and the arrhythmic idle of a 1960s BMW R/50/60/69 is still my benchmark. At full song, the CBX is my favorite. At various city and highway riding, I love the sound of any old Ducati 750. Different throttle settings reveal different harmonics.

I love this video! great content

The Aprilia and Ducati V4s are pretty spectacular.

I owned a 1979 CBX for 14 years. I sold it in 2004. I was the second owner. It was in showroom condition. I should have kept it. I agree that it is the best-sounding bike of all time. However to get that sound you need to have a 6-into-1 exhaust system installed, which I did. With the stock 6-into-2 exhaust system, it doesn't sound nearly as good because it so muffled. All of your sound clips of the CBX had an aftermarket 6-into-1 exhaust system installed. My vote for best sounding V twin would be one of the modern Ducatis. You also should have included V4 engines. They sound great especially the 65 degree V4s such as the VMAX and Aprilia.

My favourite sounding parallel twin is the Husqvarna Nuda900 (or BMW F800 +100cc) a great example of which can be heard on the Royal Jordanian channel. I have a Husqvarna thumper (TE511) that sounds half as good, but its not quite the same, haha. My two stroke KTM gets my heart pumping when it hits powerband, so I'll always love the sound of an enduro 2 stroke. From this video tho the inline 6 sounded divine, but that Triumph speed triple was pretty nice too. I wanted one as a kid, I probably wouldnt exist now if I had got my hands on one tho, hahaha.

Good video. Helping your algorithm.

I remember all the fun I had trying to start my "Panther 650" single aged 12.

well, your vid and my morning coffee...thank you for that start. cheers from Bavaria

I love the sound of my triumph triple. low end grunt and high end whine. Best of both worlds. sounds like and engine should sound.

Enjoyed the video very much. Funny how sound becomes SO much of the experience, so much of the sensory feedback that makes any sport vehicle fun or not fun. BTW, I loved your "tractor" reference regarding the triples. I had a '78 Yamaha XS 750 triple with the factory-matched Pacifico fairing, and that fairing definitely reflected a very cool tractor sound from the engine up into the rider's face.

it's hard to imagine why you wouldn't choose Harley for the best sounding v-twin. The single pin crank is not perfect but it is the most unique and best sounding v twin ever made. every manufacturer wanted to copy Harley and be Harley. Harley haters need to understand that.

@curtislynch8189

2 жыл бұрын

There’s some weird fascination with concours rare birds that are absolutely unattainable for the common man among motorheads. The guy who did this video will never touch one let alone ride it but he is going to fawn over them like the giggly annoying woman in the 1st sound bite.

@TheAsheybabe89

2 жыл бұрын

Not a HD fanboy, but I've definitely heard many Harley's and even Japanese V twins that sound better than his choice for the vTwin

I feel like I love all engine sounds. 😀

Personally for Inline 3 I like the Triumph Daytona 675. The sound is just cool

The 500 bullet sounds the best in the single category and they actually idle.

I've owned a couple of two strokes, a few thumpers, an inline twin, an inline triple, a V4, a 90 degree V-twin, and a 45 degree V-twin. My favorite sounding engine, the 45 degree V-twin in my Sportster Forty-Eight (with Vance & Hine slip-ons).

I own a CBX and as a street bike it certainly gets my best sounding vote. But the best sounding bike engine ever is the original 60's RC166 six. Track down the Isle of Man recording made at the time. There's a few more recent recordings of the bike on demo runs but it's the original Hailwood riding it flat out that you need to hear. Listen to that and dismiss the rest. If we're talking track bikes you might like to listen to in race recordings of the BSA /Triumph triples from the early 70's. They certainly get my vote in the three cylinder section.

Benelli 900 6-cylinder and Kawasaki 1300 6-cylinder. Missed those and those sound Awesome as well!!!

This video is like a great orchestra for my ears 🔥

great video !!! ... best sounding single IMHO is the Manx Norton ... great sound !!!

Great Vid Bart. Thanks for being so gracious about English bikes. We love our Americana too! 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

My fave is the 69 Trident with the fishtail exhaust and/or the Rob North 3 into 1.

The Speed Triple kinda sounds like the original Trident without the balls. The howl of a Trident on full song is addictive.

Every time I consider selling my Street triple R, I just throw out the thought the next time I take it for a ride. I don't think I'll ever sell it. Whether I add more is a different story. But man that bike just sounds SO. DAMN. GOOD. especially with my exhaust

SMOG lover here! Single cyl 2 smoke: 1970 Bultaco Matador 250cc.

15:36 Is no one going to mention how the grasses were moving along with the bike? MY GOD!

the intro is 🔥🔥

Fun video, thanks. Now, it's time for best sounding boxer motorbike. Good luck discerning but I'd go for the R51/3. But I'm biased.

That intro is fire.

My first triumph was T509 and that bike had a sweet sounding engine, now have a 2018 street triple RS with a delkevik slip-on and wow that really woke up the sound. Video on my page if you want too check it out. Thanks bud love the video 😀

Everybody loves the CBX, but in my opinion a KZ1300 with stock exhaust sounds every bit as good, plus a bit better. The Honda is very much "All show, no go"- it's big, it's impressive, it looks great, BUT the frame is tiny, it's only 1000cc, and it's so heavy that most contemporary performance 4-bangers could beat them at, well, anything. The KZ is just a big, unrefined lump of metal, and the sound reflects it- it's throatier, lower, it's got bass to it. Some say the CBX sounds like a F1 car- I say it sounds tinny and whiny. Check the KZ1300. You won't be disappointed.

Cbx1000 6 cylinder. Hands down best sounding bike EVER.

now THIS is good

Hey - I know it's just for fun but... don't get me wrong, I love Triumphs, I have a Triumph twin and have previously had one of their triples (955i Daytona) but you really need to stand next to a Laverda 1000 Jota and give it a rev to hear the best ever inline triple. The spits, pops and bangs at tick-over makes the hair on your arms stand on end and the guttural roar when you open up the throttle resonates through your entire body and leaves you feeling light headed. Just saying is all :)

Almost all four strokes I love with the inline fours being least favorite. Mach 3 I would describe as terrifying. If you get a chance, see if you can find a Suzuki "water buffalo" to listen to somewhere. The water jacket somewhat muffles the rattle-can aspect of the two-stroke sound and lets more of the combustion sound come out.

@winksmt01

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah the GT 750 sounded better than the H2 in my opinion.

@lordchickenhawk

2 жыл бұрын

Came looking for this comment... or I'd have posted it myself. Except here (Australia) I have only heard them referred to as a "water bottle"

I ride a '72 Norton Commando 750, and there's not a bike meetup I attend where heads don't turn the minute I start it.

As far as v-twins, I love the honda cx500's sound

CBX wins hands down! VFR800FI was also a great sounding bike to me and seeing no V4´s was odd

No mention of the best sounding 3-cylinder bike of the '70's.....the 980cc Laverda 180 degree Jota.....key into KZread and have a listen.

A parallel twin that i reccomend is the aprillia sxv 550. Its super high revving and screams loud!

@paulbarnes6124

Жыл бұрын

V2 ?

@vtec_c1loop844

3 ай бұрын

​@@paulbarnes6124 oh yea ur right

My uncle has owned a BSA Gold Star since the early 1970s, a clubman special built on a Norton featherbed frame with many hand-machined aluminium components. It is the first motorbike I ever saw, heard, and rode (pillion). It therefore defined 'motorbike' for me for many years. I concur that the high-compression BSA 500 was an absolute bitch to kickstart, requiring a combination of skill, strength, and endurance beyond average human capability. The sound is just amazing, one of the best thumpers ever.

@martinnielsen5851

2 жыл бұрын

Thumpers are awesome! 👍

I do not agree with all of your pics... but you nailed it with the cbx.....definitely the best sounding production bike ever....sounds like an F1 car!!!!

Should try them all with the same silencer - perhaps a shorty muffler?

Even after all that time, whenever I hear a BMW twin boxer I still think 'Dad'.

Without Ducati and Honda V4's you'll only listen to car engines and garden tractors with higher RPM's

The Honda ATC200S has the best sounding single I've ever heard.

I personally thing that the actual exhaust pipe(s) make or break a great sounding bike. Eg. as for a Kawasaki triple the stock exhaust sucks. Now you put on a set expansion chambers the sound is transformed into something stellar. As a owner of a Z1 the original 4/4 exhaust sounds all stuffed up. But you put on a 4/1 megaphone header the bike wakes up and sounds like the meanest bike on the planet even though it only makes 85 hp. The tuned aftermarket exhausts are what makes a bike sound great. That’s why aftermarket exhausts are one the first substitutions (upgrades) made on any bike.

Almost correct :D Best sounding 2 stroke is any 250/300 dirt bike. I can't believe how that MV augusta F4 sounds! I thought you might go with a cross plane R1: but that doesn't hold a candle.

"They sound like tractors at idle" *Laughs in DR650* A lot of smaller diesel tractors use three cylinder engines. I've had a couple of interesting sounding bikes, like a harley that doesn't sound like a harley, and an old 1400 Intruder that sounded like a washing machine tumbling down a flight of stairs. I'd say you missed an important thing with the parallel twins - what kind of crank do they have? Some have both pistons coming up at the same time, some have the crankpins 180 degrees from each other, and some have the crankpins 270 degrees from each other. One example of the latter is the Royal Enfield 650 twins, found in the Interceptor and the GT. They sound great stock, but when you put some good pipes on them, they sound amazing.

Nice idea for a vid. My takes. Single none of them sound very good to me Parallel twin the rs660 sounds great but agree the commando sounds pretty good V-twin really needs to be a Pantah Ducati or perhaps a bevel. The Vincent sounds like an old a series in-line 4 British car engine all white noise Triple the BSA Lightning / Triumph Trident In-line 4 no contest the cross plane crank R1s. Ariel square four for just the surprise sound that causes dissonance with how it looks In-line 6 Honda CBX 2-strokes Yamaha RZ500 Best V4 Aprilia RSV4

Great video, but not inclined V4s was a big, big miss!

If you love listening to motorcycle engines, do it at 0.75 or 0.50 speed, it sure is something else 😎

For the In Line Triple, Have a listen to the Laverda JOTA , It is a beast of a bike! If you had to have a best of the best my money is on the Goldie oh and for the in line twin The Rocket Gold Star is my favourite! but hey I'm British and from that era!!!

@johncunningham4820

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree on the JOTA . 180 deg Crank made a Unique noise . They went to 120 deg later on the Corsa Models .

my favorite vtwin has to be the moto guzzi v50

I think Benelli was first with an inline 6, the Sei. Kawasaki and BMW also have inline sixes.

Have a listen to the Laverda Jota if you want hear what a triple should sound like.

The Triumph sounds great, across all their models.The BSA gold star too, the joke was it only fires as you pass each lamp post!

@johncunningham4820

2 жыл бұрын

Every SECOND lamp-post , Thank you very much .

@mrofnocnon

2 жыл бұрын

@@johncunningham4820 Haha my mistake!

I was lucky to have owned a 1970 M V Augasta 750s and yes it did sound like a Ferrari and i also owned a honda six and a mach 4 Kawasaki. Three of the best in sound

My line up would be The only good sounding single is a two stroke. P twin Yamaha T7 etc V2: Ducati round case 750 Triple: triumph speed triple Inline 4: Yamaha M1 cross plain crank version V4: Honda 750 I6 Honda Two stroke: there isn’t a bad one once they are on the pipe. Castrol R oil in the mix, there’s nothing better

It's pretty unfair to exclude the boxer, it's a mass production engine with millions of sales, it's not obscure, in fact, BMW made them popular, so people obviously like them.

Every triple sounds like a pissed off miniature Supra to me. I need to get a damn xsr already 🤣

270degree inline twin, is definately my choice. It just does it for me. And the torque-curbe makes it so injoyalbe.

@SteveSmith-wk9dx

2 жыл бұрын

I own and ride one of these (Triumph 1200), so I am clearly biased. Love the sound, the torque, the punch, the whole experience.

@martinnielsen5851

2 жыл бұрын

@@SteveSmith-wk9dx A truely nice bike. They are not mere bling! 😉

Rz 500 v4 2 stroke is awesome sound.

There was also in the 80´s a Kawasaki 6 cylinders the 1982 Z1300

My list: 1 SRX 600 2 TDM 850 V2 Virago 535 3 TZ750 4 R1 crossplane V4 V-Max

@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter

2 жыл бұрын

Tier II: 1 Manx 2 Commando 750 V2 Monster S2R 3 Brutale 750 4 K100 V4 VFR 800 6 Valkyrie

You forgot V4's :( those sound awsome too!

3 cylinder - where's the early 180 crank Laverda triples? An 'on song' Jota has a truly operatic voice (to wrestle with! : )

No V4 motors i am kinda Biased there as i have a Honda VF1000 Interceptor but definitely love the Kawasaki triples and the CBX sound. Inline 4s id uave to say the modern R1s that crossplane motor sounds amazing. For me twins both V and parallel are the hardest to choose from as i like some modern stuff and some olders stuff from like the 70s. But for me i think the best souding single is the older Honda XL600 or 500 as far as a kinda street realted bike goes. My actual favorite would be the XR600r but thats a pure offroad bike in my state anyways

Anything with carburettors and old cast barrels.

A friend has a benelli 750sei 6cyl and it sounds ok but the stock exhaust kills it.

WOW! Epic fail Bart.... To pick the sewing machine sounds of the Vincent (albeit only at idle), over what's UNIVERSALLY considered the best sounding V-Twin (idle) ever produced, The Harley Shovelhead, is such a fail on your part. For Realz.... :(

@andrewloach

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree.

@TheAsheybabe89

2 жыл бұрын

For real. The Vincent sounded like a weird tractor sewing machine hybrid. It sounds less like a v twin than even the parrelel twin in a Triumph.

HEY YOU ! Four Stroke Triple ? Laverda JOTA . Or Corsa . JOTA 180 deg Crank Triple . Odd Beat to it . Corsa 120 deg . Triples sound like Lazy Sixes . Great sound . My personal Favourite configuration . The Suzuki Two-stroke Triples sounded better than the Kawasakis . A Pleasant mellifluous sound . For the Six Pack . Yes the CB-X did sound great , but I think the Kawasaki (K)Z-1300 sounded better .

The MV Agusta engine sounds like a Ferrari because the radial valve heads are the same as a Ferrari. I had one of those too (4 cylinder) but the big Laverda is still my favorite.

@mrspandel5737

Жыл бұрын

The F4 engine was apparently quite literally directly developed from Ferraris F1 V12 of the early 90s.

Honda Valkyrie with cobra 6 into 6 pipes and no baffles sounds exactly like a Porsche 911

im doing this, instead of listening to my own while i get food

The main difference in comparable configuration engine 'sounds' is due the exhaust system fitted (although firing order and degrees of rotation between cylinders do also play a part). For example, a Japanese inline four would sound the same as the MV Augusta F4 with a similar exhaust system. However, if you're sticking with original factory fitted exhaust systems only, then fair enough.

@martinnielsen5851

2 жыл бұрын

Airbox and carb, also play a big roll in engine sound. Not to mention counterrotation-shafts and the configuration of the crank. I'd say you are way off in your statement, but that is just me. 😉

@MiguelHernandez-hc8ui

2 жыл бұрын

I think you're not too far off with an inline four or thumper, but there's a lot of internal variation with other engine types. The crank pin offset in twins and triples varies a lot, and in V twins and V4s the angle and crank pins make for a lot of variation.

@pgbpro20

2 жыл бұрын

If I can seriously get my CBR600F4i to sound like that Augusta whatever the cost is might be worth it. I like it's little rattle can / sewing machine / howlie sound, but it's like a parent loving their ugly child.

My fave six is the 250 six at 16 - 20,000 rpm

10:59 that's because it is half a ferrari F1 engine. The F in the F4 logo is literally the same F used on the Ferrari logo.

One man's meat is another man's poison! Motorcycles all have their own character 😋✌️🌟

My V-rod with Cans on instead of OEM, you really need to hear it. How can I post?