What exhaust options give a deeper sound without being loud on a CB500F?

[Timothy.M]

I’m trying to decide if I should get a new exhaust for my CB500F, but I’m worried it will just be obnoxiously loud for my neighborhood and my own ears on longer rides. I love the idea of a better sound and maybe a bit more character, but I don’t want to be that guy with the straight pipe waking everyone up at 6 a.m.

[Jonathan3]

I did something similar last year. I swapped to a mild slip on that was louder than stock but not insane. Neighbors gave a casual 'nice engine' look a couple times, and I tried to avoid early starts by warming up in the driveway.

[AvaJ]

Sound is great, but after a long ride the note can grate. I kept it civil by choosing something with a small can and a resonator, and I rode with ear protection when needed.

[Abigail42]

I keep wondering if it’s the sound you’re chasing or just a change you expect. I rode a week with stock and then with a louder setup; the difference in throttle feel wasn’t huge.

[Matthew_G]

I found that a decently quiet exhaust with a resonator keeps it civil and still has character.

[Madison_T]

Neighbors sometimes asked me to notch it down and I even measured with a phone db app to get a sense of it. It helped me not be the loud guy at dawn, at least in practice.

[Dennis56]

Do you actually need more sound, or could the real problem be something else like riding style or a rattly fairing? I keep second guessing myself on this one.