Eli5: why do sport bikes/cars sound different to normal ones even at the same speeds?
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Tuned exhausts.
Sports cars and high performance motorcycles have exhausts which are designed to resonate like a wind instrument at at specific engine speeds. This reduces back pressure at the exhaust valve so the piston needs to work less to expel exhaust.
Their very function causes tuned exhaust systems to be acoustically distinct from regular exhaust systems.
People who drive regular cars don’t want to hear the engine the whole time so manufacturers try to make the sound as quiet as possible. On a sports car or bike the driver wants power and doesn’t mind the sound so manufacturers focus on maximizing flow and worry less about making it quiet.
This has been answered well already, but I’ll add that sportscar/bike riders are far more likely to “drive it loudly”, meaning using a manual transmission or manual mode to keep the engine spinning fast and making noise more than necessary while just driving around. Most unmodified sportscars aren’t too much louder than a normal car when driven normally.
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