I've never understood the concept of making a bike or car louder. The purpose of a vehicle is to provide transportation. It is not supposed to upset the neighbors with unwelcome noises.
I understand folks who want more air flow to increase performance. But folks who want more performance would get a sport bike instead of a CTX700.
I agree in general with your philosophy on noise, and the nuisance of it, but I also think, especially with respect to those who have a standard-shift model motorcycle, that some exhaust noise would be useful and even necessary for more smooth operation; at least for a sophomore rider like myself.
When I can hear how fast the engine is turning, I shift more seamlessly; have more awareness of what's going on around me, and can accelerate quicker without making abrupt shifts. When I can't hear the RPM; e.g. I'm behind a Harley, loud truck, have the stock windshield mounted at highway speeds, or in high winds; I'm a much worse, clumsier rider.
I totally agree that loud pipes or loud anything has no place in our public spaces and that these laws deserve enforcement but never are enforced. However, I think that there should be enough noise that the rider can not only see but hear the RPM; because there is often traffic situations where I can't look at the dash, and the bike is so smooth, one can't tell by vibration whether he or she is turning 2K RPM or 5K just by feel. At least I can't.
So my personal complaint is not the tone of the exhaust, but the volume. I don't want loud pipes, but I'd like enough noise to know what the drive train is doing in most situations. Currently, since I bought a tall windshield, I can hear most of the time but still around 15% of the time, I can't.
