muffler elimination

[dmc]

I am thinking of removing the mufflers from my 81 XS11 and running straight pipes in approximately the same location as the stock mufflers. What problems, if any, might I run into?

[Pat Kelly]

Ticket for open/loud exhaust?

We ran open headers on my (ex) roommates 68 Impala, 396 ci. We made it 1½ blocks from home and were pulled over and cited.

You'd probably lose most low-end power but above 6000 RPM it should feel healthy.

Just my opinion...

[chevy45412001]

hearing loss

total loss of hearing

[Ken Talbot]

I tried firing up one of the fleet in the carport one time with no mufflers just for something to do. Interesting sound. You might want to make sure the neighbours are all awake already.....

[Pat Kelly]

I have started my E with mufflerless Jardine pipes a couple of times but I never left the driveway.

[dntemp_ca]

I met a guy in Regina who chopped his XS11 and put straight pipes on. He said he had to experiment a lot on carb jetting...about 5 sizes off stock IIRC. Anyway, he had it running like a clock and idling so slow it sounded like a HD (only better). Hard on the eardrums tho'. I wonder how those cheap aftermarket shorty muffs like from JCW would sound? Not much baffling in those. Anybody tried 'em?

[TopCatGr58]

Can't say that I have, but I know that my 4-1 pipes with megaphone only has that 8"long center pipe with depression cuts into the side of it like vents, and is amazing how much it reduces the sound vs. running without it.....happened on a short trial run down the local highway...baffle fell out , amazing how loud it got . I was able to see the baffle tumbling down the road behind me since I had an audible alert as to what had happened, just went back and picked it up, rebent it and put it back in with a better bolt/nut combo!! I have since drilled four 1/4" holes in the end of the baffle/megaphone plate which has deepened/richened the exhaust note....not so tinny, but didn't make it much louder than before!
T.C.

[Targetman]

Running strait pipes will make people who don't like motorcycles already,hate them..... and you , and the rest of us,..... even more.
(This also goes with parking on the sidewalk, and zig-zagging in and out of traffic).
It won't be any faster, and will probably run worse.

Unless you're going to the track, there's really no GOOD reason for removing them.

[beechfront]

i ran mine about 150 mles without a muffler. just the 4-1 dumping out somewhere underneath my right foot.


loud as hell. could not ride more than 5 min without getting a headache. seemed to run really well though. i didn't really notice any loss of power on the low end, though it did seem to like the higher rpms a lot more.

[2fast]

My 4 into 1 megaphone core bailed out on an Iron Butt ride last spring in rush hour Denver traffic. MAN, was that loud! Made my head hurt and probably took a couple of years off my hearing ability. Lost the core and did a temp fix with steel wool and mechanics wire. Finished the trip that way. The guys with me would not ride behind me cause it was too loud. I don;t recommend open pipes for your sake, not to mention the folks unlucky enough to be near you.