A while ago, I wrote this post that explained a possible link between the sound of a high performance car engine and testosterone level spikes in men. I provided my own anecdotal evidence of my similar (motorcycle engine instead of car engine sound) theory with my observation of a bunch of men and my one year old son gathered around my old Harley Davidson when I started it. Lately I've been thinking that these visceral experiences may go away in the next decade or two with the advancement of electric powered vehicles.
In the past, I was very against anything but a gasoline powered motorcycle. I was a proud advocate of "Loud pipes save lives" and "If it's too loud, you're too old." Now, I think that anything that keeps me riding on two wheels will make me happy. I was concerned about motorcycles losing performance with the change to electric motors, but I've read quite a few articles detailing the power some electric bikes have (see this Victory motorcycle with 170hp and 177 ft-lbs of torque!!!!).
With all this being said, I am still a sucker for the sound of a Harley, liter bike, two stroke dirt bike, etc. I feel I will never get over my love of the noise a motorcycle with a gasoline engine makes. However, I did read that electric car companies actually create sound that correlates with the vehicle's speed (kind of a whine), which is actually meant for pedestrian safety (no one wants a silent one-ton vehicle moving 70 mph across their path). Who knows, maybe our kids will marvel at the simulated noise that their brand new electric Harley Davidson makes in 30 years.
"I think there is something strangely musical about noise." - Trent Reznor
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