New '81 Special - time to make the exhaust tasteful

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felixcontour

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That's my "new" '81. 10k miles. PO did a full top end rebuild with valve job and new pistons (.020 over) ~500 mi ago. Rear shocks replaced, rear swingarm upgraded with new needle bearings and bushings. New stator and battery. New bendix starter gear and clutch springs. Replaced CV carbs with Mikuni 34mm round slides. 31-tooth rear sprocket (taller). Reupholstered seat and repainted tank and side covers.

Unfortunately, the guy before him did this 2-into-2 Ascot pipes (not bad) with what looks like XS Performance or Ascot reverse megaphone mufflers. It's just not my style, and they're really loud even at low throttle settings.

I think I'll keep the pipes, as I don't have the originals and I don't mind 2-into-2 one the side, but I need to at least make the mufflers quieter. Can I pull off the ends on these and repack them?

If not, is there a different muffler I can put on? I wouldn't mind if new mufflers sat a little more parallel to the ground than these.

Thoughts? BTW, I love the bike despite wanting to change a few things. It's gorgeous.
 
Ooh, those are very nice pipes. That's much more the look I'd like. Do you know how they compare to the stock pipes in terms of sound and carb jetting? I'm asking because it might be cheaper to find a decent pair of stock pipes and mufflers, and I'm sure they're loud enough for me. Maybe I can find someone to trade.

BTW, I looked at your build thread for your bikes. I really like the way your '83 ended up. So you started with the stock "stepped" seat? Did you just cut the foam down and recover it? Do you have pics of how you did that?

I'd love to have a flatter profile, but the lines of the bike seem to call for the front of the seat to be a little "saddle" shaped and the rear to be very slightly higher, just the look you got. In fact, I think you nailed exactly the look I'd like.
 
I may be in the minority, but I like the stock exhaust that came from the factory. I also use the stock air box/filters....................I know it's hard to believe I don't use pod filters:)
 

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retiredgentleman said:
I may be in the minority, but I like the stock exhaust that came from the factory. I also use the stock air box/filters....................I know it's hard to believe I don't use pod filters:)
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You may not be in as much a minority as you think. It probably runs best that way. For certain, the factory installed carbs like the still air of the airbox.
 
felixcontour said:
Ooh, those are very nice pipes. That's much more the look I'd like. Do you know how they compare to the stock pipes in terms of sound and carb jetting? I'm asking because it might be cheaper to find a decent pair of stock pipes and mufflers, and I'm sure they're loud enough for me. Maybe I can find someone to trade.

BTW, I looked at your build thread for your bikes. I really like the way your '83 ended up. So you started with the stock "stepped" seat? Did you just cut the foam down and recover it? Do you have pics of how you did that?

I'd love to have a flatter profile, but the lines of the bike seem to call for the front of the seat to be a little "saddle" shaped and the rear to be very slightly higher, just the look you got. In fact, I think you nailed exactly the look I'd like.
Click to expand...


The '83 seems to be a continual work in progress, no telling where she'll end up. Fortunately I have two runners now and can afford having one down for adjustments and still be able to go for a ride.
On the seat, I removed the upward protuberances from the seat rail and then fabbed a fiberglass pan to fit over the rail up to where the seat fork would still work. I then trimmed the foam down to fit and then made a cover from some scrounged vinyl. I was having an issue with holding down the rear of the seat, used straps but didn't like it......so I took the seat apart, trimmed the rear stepped section down to match the lower front, reworked the cover and then before reassembly I set the bare pan down in place, drilled two holes port and starboard at midship and attached a couple of snaps into place. Now it's an easy removal but stays in place. Front seat fork goes into place and then the rear of the seat is lowered onto the rail and snaps into space. Gravity, friction, forks and a couple of snaps........though she's pretty much a one up rider with that seat. I need to get her recovered at some point, maybe professionally.
 
jetmechmarty said:
You may not be in as much a minority as you think. It probably runs best that way. For certain, the factory installed carbs like the still air of the airbox.
Click to expand...

Well, I should emphasize that I have a pair of 34mm round-slide Mikunis on the bike. It came that way. The old CV carbs were worn out. So since I haven't done any of the tuning or setup on the bike, and these are non-stock carbs, I don't think stock will be better or worse than anything else in terms of carb tuning. That being said, stock might be the cheapest, and all other things being equal, that's fine.

I guess what I miss is the deep sound at idle and just starting off that, of all things, my old GS450L's stock megaphones had. It was **much** quieter overall but had a nicer tone at idle. My XS is just loud and nasty right now.

I'll have to take a video of mine to see. I'd like it to be both deeper and quieter.
 
The Commando pipes will do that. They sound wonderful, like a real motorcycle should sound in my opinion.
 

Just for reference, video of the bike idling after warming up for about 10 min. Sounds pretty accurate to real life, actually, although missing some of the bass. And on reflection, the idle's not terrible. As you can see though, cracking the throttle is not so good.

I think you guys have sold me on the Commando mufflers, I was leaning that way anyhow.

Maybe I'll get lucky and someone will want to trade.
 
5twins said:
The Commando pipes will do that. They sound wonderful, like a real motorcycle should sound in my opinion.
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Gathering some pennies now to make that muffler purchase. I've got some Dunstall replicas on the '77 and a set of Mac headers with the kick up that will go on the '83 along with the Commandos here shortly. Need to find some 1.5" clamps for the headers to mount to the stock header frame mount location.
 
+ 3 on the commandos, get the long ones (26 1/2"?) the short ones are too loud IMHO. I have those on stock headers on the 77/9 love 'em and I don't like loud.
 
I "rolled my own" P clamps for my MAC headpipes from S.S. strap. I also started with the Dunstall replicas (fixed baffle type) on these headpipes. I didn't think they were all that bad ..... until I got the Commandos. I mounted just one along with a Dunstall and started the bike. What a difference hearing them side by side like that. The Dunstall reps really did sound like crap, lol.

Commando-MAC.jpg
 
The commando 2 into 2 is definitely the way to go. I just took my bike out for a ride today. I put a new set on my bike and they sounded good before the ride. They sound even better going down the road. I had the short cones like the ones on your bike they were loud. :agree: with nj1639 and the symmetry those ascot pipes look out of place on your bike. Your bike looks like the rear shocks are shorter than the stock you will probably drag the head pipe on a good lean. Your pipes are in very good condition and a lot of street tracker style bikes use that style exhaust. Sell yours the commando system on sale at mikes $ 279.00. They would look better and sound better on your bike. That is a nice bike you have. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for all the help! I can tell this is a good forum community already, because no one's trying to convince me to learn to love the exhaust I have. This is all useful advice and suggestions.

Only question left is: normal Commando, or "upswept" Commando? The bike is lowered a fair bit, and I wonder if the upswept would keep the mufflers from dragging.

Anyone have pictures of the upswept type?
 
Commando's on early stock headers. Bit of a story there. And it's not an ideal setup, t'he LH early headers bend doesn't let the pipe tuck in as far as I want it to. Wide band stainless clamps found in farm store, ag sprayer parts


79xsfall.jpg

There's pic of ??? dragging short commandos without the upsweep at Dragons Tail.
 
felixcontour said:
Only question left is: normal Commando, or "upswept" Commando? The bike is lowered a fair bit, and I wonder if the upswept would keep the mufflers from dragging.
Click to expand...

I think you should put taller shocks on the bike. It will drive much better with more load on the front wheel. The stock 12.5" shocks will improve it greatly, IMHO.


xs650-7388842010_1140c30c8e_h1-600x399.jpg
 
With the upsweep pipes the mufflers sit higher. The ones on 5twins bike a good example of how much higher the mufflers are. The bike in the picture has the pipes cut off no up sweep with short reverse cone mufflers. It has been lowered it has an 18'' Front wheel and the fork tubes stick out of the trees another inch. The mufflers won't drag with the upsweep pipes.
 

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