[long response for novice - typical for and against etc,
just scroll on bye
littleingrid - there are arguments both ways..
is you sell or trade her at some point its better
to have the original muffler, so from that point of view
you could store the pristine original, for later..
these bikes dont take too much damage from side drops,
partly because their design includes that possibility..
honda tests everything in its designs, including
side drops, which can be seen in how levers,
bar ends, flexible indicator stalks, foot pegs
side under seat fairing part and muffler shield
all take impact from side drops..
mine has gone down at almost standstill on her
leo vince evo carbon slip-on with hardly anything..
it has also taken a solid hit from a moving car
[enough to jump the rear wheel half a meter sideways]
with only a paint mark from the car and zero damage..
good slip ons are well designed and tight fitting
[another reason they look good] and no doubt
have also been variously drop tested on bikes..
as for hearing the engine to help with gear changing,
while this sounds like a handy learning aid, you can
or someone can ride while deaf or wearing ear plugs..
heaps of sensory data is flowing from many, sensors
thruout your body into brain, as it [eagerly] learns
'the new thing' - which is inherently interesting/exciting..
when you do your practicing somewhere quiet away from
traffic and distractions, you will be taking it fairly easily
at first, while brain starts to make sense of it all..
it doesnt take all that long [the more you practice, etc]
to know when its time to change up or down gears..
even with the quiet stock exhaust you will still hear this..
slip-ons with noise inserts especially when ridden off load
at around or near her max torque ['pulling power'] range
say, 4 - 6krpm dont need heavy throttle just riding along
so dont make the louder noise of an engine under load
[such as taking off quickly or uphill etc]
so theres not really that much difference then..
your eyes will see the road ahead, and with practice
see with quick glances the tachometer for revs
[and speed] plus side mirrors and whats behind etc..
brain quickly becomes aware of what certain revs mean
and as relate to particular gears and speeds etc..
just by doing it,, just riding up and down, and around
over and over again in easy practice, this will happen..
there is a fairly wide latitude between possible engine revs,
gear selection, and speed, together with the road conditions etc..
its not all that important to be precise in a particular rev or gear
or speed combo - especially when learning the bike..
in fact everything including missed shifts or whatever
will all be translated as sensory data into brain,
ie, part of the learning..
slip ons are much lighter than the stock exhaust..
weight = horsepower, or as an end result..
so she will feel a little bit lighter, which should
also make slight differences to power output
or giving a slight edge to responses in some
situations [exiting corners under acceleration
was noticeable with my leo vince evoII]..
but really, theres hardly any significant difference
on the road, esp for learning the motorcycle..
people go for exhaust changes for various reasons,
which might not be where youre coming from..
and there are other mods to stock worth considering
before going for a slip-on, such as [imo] a louder
horn,, with a range of types and loudness available
for this bike [mine under $20 thru amazon] easily
installed with or without relays..
personally tho,, the first time i laid eyes on black beauty
the one thing that stood out like a sore thumb
was that oversize, heavy, incongrous add-on
design muffler.. it just looked like a great honda
motorcycle with something added to the original
honda design.. which it is, basically..
mine does, make more noise tho, especially when
under load such as accelerating, taking off from lights
[i frequently filter to the front between cars, now legal here]
to get quickly into clear open road space, plus overtaking
similarly and riding up hills [or with a passenger onboard]..
so there is that.. its not 'the nicest people' quietness..
but with sound reducers installed its acceptable [not to all]..
for me aside from those loadings she can be easily ridden
within low noise ranges in typical backstreet or traffic
situations.. so you can make it, make noise..
here is one area where even tho perhaps minor
there is a real advantage in being able to make noise,
as you think it, more quickly than going for the horn..
ive had a bloke carrying a little baby, engrossed in it,
step onto the road the other side of the small roundabout
i was entering,, which a quick strong blip of the throttle
had the desired effect, he froze on the spot, one foot
on the road.. there are plenty of situations where you
might want to let it be known your existence there
for one reason or another..
these situations go beyond considerations for
making a nuisance by being noisy..
ie, the ability to make some noise
can be a benefit and tool for the
sensible rider..
so if you do go for the slip on, go for a good
brand [search box her full of info etc]
and put the stock muffler away somewhere
to be re-installed later if necessary..
[they also cost a fortune to buy]