exhaust

[Blaster]

Originally posted by pgg
Blaster, the K&N filter is a fine metal mesh type. To clean it you swish it around in a dish of turps or suchlike. The advantage is you can use it indefinitely. It gives more airflow but you need a 4-1 or unrestricted 4-2 and slightly larger jets to get the full advantage from it. The result is probably only a couple more H.P. but the motor feels more responsive. A well designed 4-1 definitely gives the motor more top end kick.

well mine is 4-2.....but what do you mean by unrestricted?

[pgg]

Non standard - and loud! Not fully free-flowing though, the exhaust system needs some back pressure.

[pgg]

Blaster if you're happy with your current setup, a K&N filter will still work fine.

[wildbill]

I run a uni filter in the bike I own 78 E also 4 into 2.Either way the filters are reuseable.I think you would be happy either way.

[TonimusMaximus]

Hey guys. What are the outlet diameters on your exhaust pipes? I need to give my bike some back pressure (PO sliced off the mufflers) Some numbers would be greatly appreciated.

[young nip]

pipes

Hi guys,
I put a set of dunstall mufflers on mine.Tapered end , 4 into 2. I had to buy a reducer for the pipes to fit cause the headers were 2.25 and the mufflers were 2 inch diameter.Canadian tire in the muffler section. The mufflers have a heavy metal screen baffle and then a sperater plate with two ports then a honey comb two inch exhaust port on the end. I liked them because they look alot like the orginal and theyre fat on the end like the original too. sorry I dont have the K+N filter number but theyre easy to get also went up a full size on the mains.137 to 142.5 The dunnys sounded a little honda like when I first put them on but after a 1000 k theyre just starting to get that 1100 real low tone and bark. I paid 60 bucks canadian each. Just dont have the cash to buy a real good header. I like the bike to look as original as I can keep it. The xs 650 site ,the guy there restores 650,s and he uses dunstall if you want an idea how they look. hope this helps
Steve

[pgg]

Tominus the outlet diameter on my 'cycleworks' 4-1 muffler is 35mm. Apparently there's quite a few 'secrets' to a well designed system. I also have an older 4-1 system that fits an xs11 - its louder than the cycleworks but has a smaller outlet - only 25mm. The 'quieter'(still loud as) cycleworks gives heaps more grunt than the louder (smaller diameter) older system. Confused?

[TonimusMaximus]

Not confused. That was exactly what I was looking for. I do have my stock system minus mufflers. If I weld an end on the pipes both sides would have 25.25mm (allowing for eddie development) diameter would produce the same backpressure (on paper) as one pipe with a 35mm, not accounting for other barriers. A whole lot better than the 75mm I'm running on both sides right now. Thanks PGG.

[Badger]

Exhausting

I'm wondering about exhausts. The bike had a 4 into 1 on it when I bought it, but I found it loud and the performance seemed to be peaky, ie around 4500 RPM it had a bit of a peak.

There was, I assume, a copy of the original pipes [there are no manufacturers marks on them, though they look like the pipes in the workshop manuals I've seen] with the bike which I refitted. I found the 4 into 2 much quieter, and gave a broader power band. I also like the look of the two mufflers close in and low.

I've always wondered, was there ever a balance pipe, or were the two sides always separate?

This bike has a quirk where on backing the throttle off a little after giving it a bit of a squirt [5500 -6000 rpm top gear 150 -160 km/h], it seems to die for a bit before regaining power.
In short the bike behaves as if the throttle has been closed then opened again.

Is this down to the lack of balance pipes, or is there another explanation? It's been suggested to me that XS's had a habit of doing this, is this right?

I must congratulate everyone involved in this site, it's great to find so many talking about a great bike, and being really helpful too.
I've found the section on the '2nd gear trouble' very useful, and my local bike mechanic who is familiar with these beasts from the days of their first appearance, didn't know that it was possible to get at the gears without splitting the motor. So I got on up on him! I have to enjoy it cause I wont get many opportunities for that!
Once again, good on ya!

[mitch]

Pick up wires

Sounds like you have a broken pick up wire, check the maintence and repair section you will find how to fix it. That is the eaziest thing to check first, if thats not it welcome to the wonderful world of XS carb heaven .....MITCH

[Ken Talbot]

Re: Exhausting

Originally posted by Badger
I've always wondered, was there ever a balance pipe, or were the two sides always separate?

Yes, the original 4 into 2 exhaust on these bikes had a balance pipe. It actually ran between the mufflers. This microfiche view shows it nicely:

[Pat Kelly]

Don't tell my wife but I run my K&N through the dishwasher when it needs it's annual cleaning and she's not home. Officially spring, she's at work, I'm off today but stuck at home with young'uns.... time to clean my filter.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Badger,

Welcome, and you're not alone, there are several from down under that are here and the Yahoo site!! I run a 4-1 generic set and have a pretty decent and broad power band. If yours was limited, it could have been partly a problem with your pickup wires as mentioned, but could also have been your carb jetting. The 4-1 scavenges well and has less back pressure, more air going thru, will run leaner, so you need to up your jets 1-2 steps, and if Indy filters vs. airbox, another step up. The 4-2 you now have probably provide a little better back pressure which keeps it from running so lean, also helps in the lower rpm ranges as well.
Good luck.

[Badger]

Puzzle!!

Thanks TopCat,
The back off problem is at the lower portion of the list just now.

As I said I've had a go at the infamous 2nd gear problem [and installed a new clutch and springs whilst I was there], and had a good look and clean of all sorts of things.

Its been a while, and I'm a little abashed to say the main work this poor bike has done in the last few years, other than a quick blast down to the mail box, is herding sheep! Yes I know....... but the sheep dont get away........unless its wet!!

I digress........after all the poking around, reassembly etc, it doesn't run like it used to. There is a miss. It feels like one cylinder is lazy in the mid range. It starts, idles ok, if you give it the works it goes almost like the clappers, but in the mid range there is this miss.

A mechanic I took it to for a post fiddle tune up has found all sorts of things -- dirty carbs, a touching pick-up wire, faulty spark plug caps, none of these corrections have resolved the problem.

He's checked & adjusted the shims, fitted new plugs, checked the balance [after, he says a thorough, cleaning] and timing.

He's convinvced it's electrical, I'm not so sure, whatever, it is definately different to when I pulled the guts out of it to get to the gears.

I pulled the carbs off and had a look at the diaphrams, but went no further, so having tilted them on the bench could have put some crap somewhere awkward, and when I ran the starter with the plugs out, to re-prime the oil pump, the leads got moved around a little -- I had the plugs in them and had the resting against the head so there shouldn't have been an open circuit in the high tension side, I guess the gremlin could be anywhere....
He's used an in line high tension tester, and the sparks look to be consistant, and in my mind is the 'clean the carbs three times' adage I've seen here, and the fact that it pulls well when opened up......

Last we were trying, it seemed like no 2 was weaker than the rest. I'm tempted to have another look at the carbs, particularly no 2.

Any comments??

When I read the threads on this site, I have to shift quite a way left to right, is there somthing I've done to make the site much wider, or is it at the other end?

I have to say again, I'm impressed at what I read here, the latest that gave me pause, [especially in light of my current woes]
is the talk about the TDI units, avialablility, and or repair there of.

I think it's time I started chasing down the Australian XS'ers to get on the network. Similarly with the talk of carb slides.

Really though, my XS is such a well balanced bike, I could do full lock cirlces all day long [if I didn't get so dizzy],
and the up-side of the weight of the beast is the way it irons out the rough stuff heading across the paddocks. Of course, the shaft allays any worries about grit in a chain [just fitted a new boot].

I do pay particular attention to the air cleaner box though, as the passing years have seen it sag a little [happens to the best of us], and it looks like the seal isn't integral so I take no chances, and seal it with silicon rubber....I cant stand the thought of raw air going where it ought not.

I was interested to see the extra holes in the under/unfiltered side of the box.........

Sorry about the novel, Cheers B

[Ken Talbot]

Sorry abut the horizontal scrolling problem, Badger. That is happening in this thread because of the wide image I posted to illustrate the cross-over between the mufflers. Without that, you wouldn't have to scroll back and forth.