82 850 GL Story of WOAH!!!! - Exhaust

[Guest]

Riding home from the office this afternoon I almost got caught in a strong thunder storm. Just as the first HUGE rain drops started to fall my bike suddenly sounded rather "sporty." I was in traffic and a mile from home so I thought to myself, "I think the baffle just blew out." I pulled into the garage just before the bottom fell out. Lightening, torrential rain, wind, etc.

I looked down to check the baffle and was baffled. Where's my tail pipe!?!?!

Jumped in the truck, drove back out on to the bypass and saw the slip on sitting on the center line. I shot a u-turn and pulled into the emergency lane with my hazzard lights on. There was a line of traffic coming so I didn't chance running into the road in the middle of the downpour. I watched the first truck in the line of traffic close in and "PANG", ran over my pipe. It shot into median where I retrieved it after traffic cleared. The collector end was flattened.

So here are my options:

1) Replace the exhaust system with the same V&H 4-into-1 system. Vance and Hines V12009 - I was going to have the system ceramic coated anyway because the header is VERY blued and has some rust. The cheapest I've seen the system for is $359.00.

2) Go with another 4 into 1 system. If so, what's available?

3) Try to find a stock system. Then I have to rejet, which I don't want to do.

Anyone have other thoughts?

This is what I'm left with. It does sound mean though.

[Chum]

Oh crap that sucks. Your story was rather exciting to read though and I felt I was there.
Good luck on this one

[OldVet66]

We have to have pictures of this you know. Did the bracket break, or did you just loose the baffle, a $22.00 part? No you said the megaphone is missing. My old one is fused at the collector (probably rust) I'm scratching my head trying to picture how it could happen.

[Good Times]

I know OldVet, what was I thinking not posting pictures?

[stiksave]

If the header is good, just shop for a new or used pipe. That's what I've done. Yoshi is much cooler upgrade.

[OldVet66]

Well, now I see how it happened. Don't be offended when I say that mounting bracket really sucks. If you leave Murphy a place to strike, he will. What happened to the welded bracket that comes on the megaphone? Vance and Hines has been around for a long time. I would call them and see if you can buy a replacement megaphone, who knows, maybe they will be upstanding and sell you one for cost. That's the way Dynatech operates on long out of warranty failures. After I lost my first baffle, I started drilling and wiring all bolts that could come loose.

[Good Times]

I called Vance and Hines this afternoon. They offered to send me a brand new system for full retail.

The bracket is the one a PO put on the bike. It extends to reach the bracket on the pipe.

I decided to bite the bullet and go with a new header and slip on. Like I said before, I was going to be putting money into this header and pipe anyway.

I also have the jetting and tuning perfect on the bike. If I go with a different pipe I may have to get back into all of that. I would rather ride. I found one on sale with free shipping.

With all the work I've put into the bike a new exhaust will look really good.

[Good Times]

Here's what I wound up with....

[bonanzadave]

Very nice ! I love the RWL Bridgestones. How do you like them ?

[Good Times]

I like them BD. I'm not doing anything beyond cruising so they do great for me. I did a "stockish" restoration and wanted to go with RWL's because that's what originally came on the bike. The windshield is a spitfire as well.