Help with exhaust muffler mounting

[felixcontour]

Bit of background: my '81 Special came with MikesXS Ascot system already on it. The guy two owners back put it on. None of the original exhaust stuff came with the bike, including the hangers (which I think I'll need, but I'm getting ahead of myself).

I am replacing it with a MikesXS Commando system for Specials. My questions is what to do with mounting the muffler. As you can see in the photo below, the muffler has the strap with the holes in it. And the passenger footpeg is off the bike, and then there's the nut/stud ahead of that where I think the old exhaust hanger went.

The kit came with an angled bracket, but it doesn't seem to go nicely from the old exhaust mounting point and the muffler strap. And, there's only one of them.

My guess is that I need to pick up a couple of OEM exhaust hangers, right?

Or am I missing something?

PS - it sounds utterly fantastic. I want to get it bolted down properly so I can go riding!

 

[nj1639]

On my Dunstall repop muffs, I had to use/fab an angled bracket that is attached to the passenger footpeg stud. The stock bracket isn't in the mix. If you're not using the passenger pegs you might get a decorative acorn nut to hold the bracket in place there.

 

[5twins]

Yes, acquiring some stock muffler hanger brackets might be the best bet. With all the guys sawzalling these bike (into oblivion sometimes), it should be easy to score a pair. Try an ad in the classifieds.

On my buddy's Special, we utilized the stock hangers but needed to move them back like you've discovered .....

 

[scabber]

I used the chrome flat bar with the holes in it. Drilled the top hole to fit over the passenger stud. Bolt arrangement in the slotted bracket needs to have a bar in the slotted bracket. Mikes sells them or make one. Lined the holes in the bar bolted it to the muffler. Saw off the excess.

 

[felixcontour]

OK, last question. Are the stock hangers from all years the same, or do I need ones from the Special?

I'll post an ad asking for Special hangers in classifieds but if someone has some on hand that are for an earlier bike, I'd like to know if they'll work.

Thanks for all the help guys. I want to get it back on the road without my mufflers falling off!

 

[5twins]

The hangers from a Standard model are different. I don't know if they would work or not, never had the opportunity to try one. They come in two configurations, one with the muffler mounts a bit farther back than the other. Both also incorporate the passenger footpeg so if that's something you're looking to retain, it may be worth looking into. Neither is chrome, they're just painted black .....

The hanger from a TX/XS500 may also work .....

 

[felixcontour]

Cool. I found a guy who's going to hook me up with some hangers. I'm sure I can modify them slightly if they're not perfect. I just need something that's pretty close.

Another question - the mufflers are able to slide pretty far up into the headpipes. Is there any guideline as to what the correct "overlap" should be? I assume the further up the pipe the muffler sits, the more baffling is covered up by the headpipe.

 

[5twins]

I don't think there's any guidelines. I like at least a few inches so the clamp area of the muffler is fully over and sitting on headpipe. I would base the overlap on lining up the muffler mount. If you end up sticking 6" or 8" into the muffler, you could always shorten the headpipes a bit. The ones I've done were the "kicked up" headpipes so the mufflers wouldn't go on very far. Enough but not more than a few inches. The mufflers actually ended up farther back than ideal for aligning the hanger. Here's my buddy's Special again. As you can see, the mufflers were a bit too far back and we had to extend the hanger rearward to catch them .....

 

[felixcontour]

I don't think there's any guidelines. I like at least a few inches so the clamp area of the muffler is fully over and sitting on headpipe. I would base the overlap on lining up the muffler mount. If you end up sticking 6" or 8" into the muffler, you could always shorten the headpipes a bit. The ones I've done were the "kicked up" headpipes so the mufflers wouldn't go on very far. Enough but not more than a few inches. The mufflers actually ended up farther back than ideal for aligning the hanger. Here's my buddy's Special again. As you can see, the mufflers were a bit too far back and we had to extend the hanger rearward to catch them .....

Thanks! That definitely helps.

If I had a vice, a bandsaw, and a drill press, I'd just make something. But I don't so it seems like the stock hangers are the way to go.

 

[5twins]

I prefer to use factory hangers of some sort whenever possible, maybe slightly modded if need be. I would make custom hangers if the stockers could not possibly be made to work somehow. I use TX/XS500 ones on mine because the muffler mount holes were farther back than the ones on my stock '78 hangers and, well, because I had a set laying around, lol. The only mod needed was to slightly ream out the upper hole so they would fit the stud on the 650 frame.

 

[gggGary]

I think it would be too hard to find stock hangers.





Then some jerk is going to want a million bucks for them and will never get them shipped.