Motorcycles come with different variation in engine sizes, displacement, configuration and firing order. All of them factor in making the bike gets its signature sound and orchestra to our ears. For example, an even-firing engine, say an in-line four, will give a smoother audible tone having a higher frequency while a V-twin motor gives out a barking rumble.

People love their own choices. Some love the sound of British Twins, while a few like the Japanese fours. Americans are proud of the V-Twin roars, and the Italians make their own sounds. Major manufacturers have sound engineers working on controlling vibrations of the bike and the engine, making bikes from that particular bike sound similar.

Single cylinder engines are called as “Thumpers” since they have only one firing order. The engine fires evenly, but the interval is only once every 720 degrees. Here is a video capturing the different sounds made by motorcycles that vary from carrying a single cylinder, all the way up to eight cylinders.

Silencer or mufflers are used to reduce and manipulate the noise. It uses a principle of resonance to achieve that. By modifying inner structure of it, one can cancel specific frequency or pitch and by increasing thickness of insulation, one can decrease the amplitude or volume.