An aftermarket exhaust is one of the most common modifications on Royal Enfield motorcycles in India. Almost all of these aftermarket exhausts are illegal because they’re a lot more noisier than stock. However, some of them do sound pleasant enough for cops not to stop and fine Royal Enfield riders using aftermarket exhausts. Here’s a Youtuber who has installed a Harley Davidson exhaust on a Royal Enfield Classic.
The Harley Davidson exhaust does sound quite fruity at lower rpms and almost makes the Royal Enfield Classic sound like a Harley at idle. At higher revs though, the single cylinder engine beat of the Royal Enfield makes its presence felt, making the aftermarket exhaust sound more like a straight through pipe. So, to get the classic Harley Davidson potato-potato beat, you actually need to buy an air-cooled Harley.
There’s a reason why the Harley Davidson exhaust note is so distinctive. It’s because of a slow revving V-Twin air cooled engine, something that single-cylinder engines simply cannot match, despite a long stroke, lazy revving design. Harley Davidson spends hundreds of hours fine tuning the potato-potato beat on air-cooled V-Twin engines for a range of its easy-riding motorcycles. This beat has now become a signature of every air-cooled Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Meanwhile, police departments of various Indian states are cracking down on Royal Enfield motorcycles running aftermarket exhausts. Most of these exhausts are way too loud, and cause significant noise pollution. According to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), all aftermarket exhausts, except the ones approved by RTOs, are illegal. Even manufacturers of aftermarket exhausts in India clearly specify that the exhausts are meant to be used only off the road or on private roads.