straight mufflers and centrestands

[rkubik]

I now have Emgo slip-on mufflers on my bike. They are the tilt-up-a-bit kind, very much like stock. The bike runs well, but I've had to lean out the jetting quite a bit, making me think those mufflers may be a bit restrictive.

So I'm considering putting on some surplus H-D Sportster slip-on, as they are available for very little money, and I see on this site that some of you have installed these kind of straight mufflers.

To those of you who have done this, did you find it interfered with the centrestand? Did it make the deployment tab stick down farther, creating an issue for cornering clearance?

[fat_sac]

My PO had Hardley slip ons but I took them off and welded something else on. I didn't like the sound. Flowed well, but they were hard to tune. I like whats on there now much better.

* Edited b/c I missed the point. I took the center stand out and still have straight pipes but don't feel a CS is necessary for anything anyway. I hang mine from ratchet straps if I need it lifted or centered to work on it.

[txironhead]

With most aftermarket exhausts, removal or modification of the center stand is necessary. I personally don't like "upswept" exhaust, unless you're building an era chopper, and that's what most factory exhaust is on most metric bikes of the '70's-90's. I've seen a lot of people modify or extend the center stand "arm", but sometimes the center stand itself hits the aftermarket exhaust. I had to take the stand off of my '85 Shadow when I put aftermarket mufflers on the factory header pipes. The stand was missing from my GS, which came with a V&H 4-1.

The center stand is very handy for tire changes, chain adjustment, checking oil level, front fork work and several other things, many of which may be necessary roadside when access to a hoist or floor jack is impossible. It's not 100% necessary, just very handy.

If you're good with a torch and welder, or have a buddy who is, you should be able to modify a workable center stand that is compatible with whatever exhaust you decide to put on.

[Buddy]

I put sportster mufflers on my 850L with no mods to the stands. I welded 1 3/4" sleeves to the old pipe right behind the heet sheild. Then clamped the mufflers on to that. The mufflers sweep up like the original, and I think I can get the rear axle out with dropping the swingarm.
Buddy

[snowbeard]

I used an old set of GS headers that were rusted at the cans, but good up front. cut off the cones right behind the weld for the cone/baffle, welded a fender washer to the baffle pipe for restriction, and slid a piece of harley exhaust pipe on the baffle pipe, then slipped my on the new cans. right now, for the "test" I have them wrapped with an aluminum duct tape to seal them, but I'll do it better at some point when I'm sure I like it.

They were originally set up to have both pipes on one side on the harley, one over the other, so the tabs on the harley pipes are opposed when on ours, one up and one down. The up one actually matched up nicely with the hanger plate that was on my OEM for the left side, but the other side tab is down. I used an eight inch piece of scrap metal, drilled two holes and gave it a little bend to fit the pipe round, and it worked very nicely. it worked for my next set of take-off harley pipes just as well, with slight modification.

I really like the fact that when I do this, the harley emblem is upside down on the underside of my pipe. serves two purposes, ****es off "harley guys" (not real riders, but "those" guys ) and keeps it from being totally conspicuous anyway.

[t3rmin]

So does the afterage HD muffler flow more than stock GS mufflers? Is the Sportster model the way to go as far as looks, fit, and flow?

[rkubik]

more flow, I hope

Since they are made for a much larger displacmeent motor, I'm hoping they flow better. But I also hope to hear from those who have actual experience with them!

[txironhead]

I had 1200 Sportster Screamin' Eagle mufflers on my 700 Shadow and they were definitely freer flowing than the stock mufflers. They also had a nice throaty bark without being obnoxiously loud. According to my plugs, I didn't need a rejet, but I think the factory mufflers were too restrictive because the bike was much more powerful than before.

[snowbeard]

I have two sets, one is the turnout style, what model Harley I have no idea


Shot at 2007-07-11

these flow very freely and I had to go up from 110 jets to 115. at 15 it ran very well, but sometimes would wind down at stops and just idle itself to stopped. I didn't change the air filter, but I also did weld in the washers. these are quite loud, just ask Dan the Man


I did clean up that ugly a$$ weld, I'm teaching myself on a cheapie 110V and this was about the first attempt at anything for real.

these are the other pipes I have. again, no idea what Harley they came from, but they have much more backpressure than the turnouts. they are super quiet, and I can feel a bit of sluggishness, especially at low RPMs getting up to speed, but the bike runs better overall, idles really solidly after warmup, adn maybe even better gas mileage. I didn't change anything else, same washer, jets, etc. I did add some duct tape to seal them better than the turnouts were, but I don't know how much difference that made. no backfiring tho!


Shot at 2007-08-21


Shot at 2007-08-18