Most of the motorcycle creates a lot of noise as you ride on them e.g Jawa, Royal Enfield, Harley Davidson, Sports motorcycles, etc. And driving on the loud exhaust may get you into some serious trouble with the cops and neighbors. That’s where the dB killer comes.
So, What is dB killer? dB killer is a ‘decibel killer’ used to reducing or killing the sound (decibels levels) of the exhaust in motorcycles. It helps to reduce the noise of exhaust and brings down the noise level to the legal permission level.
dB killers are mostly required for those who use after-market exhaust. Because aftermarket exhaust produces a lot of noise while running which is illegal in most countries.
As we already know that sound is a type of pollution and due to the increasing number of vehicles especially motorcycles generating lots of noise in the surrounding. So, to maintain the noise level in the surrounding there is a specified limit fixed for motorcycles.
So, that’s where this dB killer comes into place to help kill the high-frequencies sounds of the exhaust to bring the sound frequencies to the permissible limit.
We must know the range which is the maximum specified limit for vehicles in the U.S (United States):-
According to the cga.ct.gov, “The maximum permissible noise level for a motorcycle manufactured on or after January 1, 1979 ranges from 78 dB to 84 dB, depending on the motorcycle’s speed and the road surface on which it travels.”
(*The law will vary by country and state.)
If you are looking to quit your motorcycle without losing the performance the make sure to read the article “ 8 proven ways to make motorcycle quieter without losing performance.“
Now, you know that if the decibel level of your motorcycle exhaust is above the specified limit then you will have to use the dB killer that will save you from the cops and neighbors.
| Pros of dB killers | Cons of dB killers |
| It reduces the noise level to permission level. | It affects the performance. |
| It is good for the environment as it reduces the sound. | It adds up slight weight to the motorcycle. |
| Your neighbors will be in peace. | dB limits to engine power. |
8 proven ways to make a motorcycle Quieter without losing performance
Does Db killer affect motorcycle performance?
As dB killer is used inside the motorcycle exhaust, it can affect the performance.
You will see the performance decrease a bit on your motorcycle. This might happens because of the extra component you have added to your motorcycle exhaust which is basically not letting the CO2 out of the exhaust effectively.
It might be blocking air to with sound, this will build up heat in the exhaust. This will also affect the performance of the motorcycle.
Most of the new riders may not notice it but if you have to ride the motorcycle for a long time then you will notice a decrease in the performance a bit.
It happened to me, as I accelerated on my motorcycle with dB killer I felt the acceleration is not taking place effectively. Also, the speed seems to be slower than usual.
Then I decided to remove the DB killer from my motorcycle. Then, it felt like a totally new experience.
The acceleration starts to take with its total efficiency that helped me to drive with the full potential of the motorcycle.
If you are a guy using the motorcycle daily to got to the office then you will not even notice the change. But those who ride on full throttle and push the motorcycle to its furthest limit will definitely find a difference between riding with and without dB killers.
Do you need dB killers for your motorcycle exhaust?
Most of the factory-installed motorcycle exhaust come with pre-installed dB killers or are designed in a way to produce noise level to permission level. So, those who do not mess with their exhaust system and don’t have any interest in after-market exhaust. You don’t need dB killer for your motorcycle exhaust. As you are already safe with the factory-fitted exhaust.
dB killers are mostly used by riders who use aftermarket exhaust, as their noise level is above the legally specified level. Thus, the component called dB killers is used in the stock exhaust to limit the noise to legal dB limits.
Conclusion
So, dB killers are very useful components that help to reduce the level of noise of exhaust. Although, I understand that most riders who wanted to experience their after-market exhaust sound while riding have been a little disappointed. But, you should understand that not everyone likes the motorcycle high decibel exhaust sound. Thus, keeping this in mind must use dB killer to keeps the neighbors and cops away.
Why are Harley-Davidsons motorcycles so loud? Surprising things to know
FAQ
Does dB killer really work?
DB killer helps to reduce the noise level of the motorcycle exhaust. But, it doesn’t entirely mute the exhaust sound. If you were thinking of something like reducing your noise level of exhaust to a level where you yourself can’t hear the sound then you are wrong.
Db killers do reduce the high-frequency and thumping sound coming out of the motorcycle to the legal permission level.You can still be able to hear the exhaust sound but the higher frequencies will be reduced or killed because of the dB killers.
Does removing dB killers affect performance?
Removing dB killers doesn’t affect performance but it will make the motorcycle louder. Despite removing dB killer can result in increased performance of your motorcycle as it allows the C02 to leave fast.
