450l Muffler options?

[-Air-Cooled-]

Alright I have searched quite a bit on this site but I have not found any solid answers to my question.

I cannot stand the look or sound of the megaphone mufflers on my bike.

I would like to put on a muffler that will sound less like a dirt bike and more like a traditional cruiser would.

To be clear, louder is not my goal. I am not looking for it to sound like a Harley with open pipes either.

I just want more of a rumble type sound and less dirt bike sound

I would also like something that would give me a similar amount of back pressure.

So what are my options?
I work at a welding shop, so it does not have to be a slip on muffler. I can make most any thing work.

Thanks for your input
Cody

[Dave8338]

I take it that what's on there isn't stock?
A stock setup should be what you're looking for.

[-Air-Cooled-]

Yes it has stock mufflers now. The big chrome megaphone looking mufflers.
I know that theses are the preferred choice.

I just don't like the look or sound of them. I guess dirt bike sound may be a bad description of them. But that what it reminds me of. Probably more of a street bike/crotch rocket sound.

I want more of a cruiser/chopper sound. Again I realize its a 450 and will never sound like a big V twin. I just thought there may be some options that better suit me.

[-Air-Cooled-]

By the way my reason for this is:
I have always liked big cruisers,harleys,shadow,etc
Unfortunately I do not have big cruiser bike money.

I liked the 450L for reasons that many on this forum do not like L models.
I like the Cruiser look these bikes have. I am slowly trying to build it into my little Suzuki Sportster.
I am just looking for mufflers that might help me achieve the look and sound
that I am after.

[tkent02]

Used harleys are cheap now, save up and get a nice loud one.
You too can go as slow and make as much obnoxious noise as your buddies.
Pirate costumes are on sale this week after Halloween.

[-Air-Cooled-]

I realize many on these forums do not like Harley's or even cruisers in general.

Is this the reason That this question never gets a straight answer or is it simply a unrealistic question.

If there is no exhaust that will make it sound more like a cruiser without making the bike run like crap. I can understand that.

If it simply comes down to not liking someone Else's choice in motorcycle, well that seems a little senseless to me.

I have already stated I am not looking for it to be loud and obnoxious. Not sure how to make that more clear.
As far as going slow, I wouldn't own a 450 if speed was a concern of mine.

[tkent02]

It's not the muffler, it's the engine.
You have a 450 with tiny little pistons.
They need to spin at a really high RPM top run correctly.
Really high RPMs do not sound like your buddy's sportster.
Sounding like potato guns is not what little engines with tiny pistons do well.

They are efficient, quiet, and yes even powerful if run at the correct high RPM.

You want a different bike. Or ride it and enjoy it for what it is, a really good motorcycle with a small engine. It will outrun those bikes but it will never be one of them.

[Dave8338]

MUCH love to the L!

The problem with going to a different exhaust with the inline four is that no matter what you put on, you're not going to achieve that sound you're looking for. Most of the big cruisers are V-twins and as such, have a completely different sound. By simply changing the exhaust to one directly off one of those bikes, is that you'll still have the inline sound. That really can't be changed (though it can really be made to sound "neat" with a custom header, think firing order & routing) but you can change the tone of the exhaust note through larger/longer muffler and or header.

[Steve]

MUCH love to the L!

The problem with going to a different exhaust with the inline four is that no matter what you put on, you're not going to achieve that sound you're looking for. ...

One problem with that, Dave, is that he's not starting with an inline four. He has a 450L, which, the last time I checked, was a two-cylinder bike.

Air Cooled, As tkent mentioned, you have smaller pistons that have to beat quite a bit quicker than the big cruisers you admire. Not only that, but the firing cadence is considerably different, and I think that has more to do with the sound you are looking for than a set of pipes would be able to provide. The bigger V-twins (whether they are Harley, Honda, Yamaha or even Suzuki) have their cylinders at about 45-50 degrees apart, your pistons are set 180 degrees apart, so the sound will be different.

.

[-Air-Cooled-]

Thank you for the informative responses.
That is exactly what I was looking for.

I definitely understand it will never sound like a big cruiser.

I am not only after a different sound. I am not big on the look of the stock muffler either.

Can I put a stock slash cut muffler from another bike on mine without hurting performance? It does not need to be loud what so ever. Just a little tougher sound might be nice though.

For the record. I really like my little 450l I am having a lot of fun working on it and riding it.

[rideOn]

i have a non-factory 4 to 1 pipe (i know it's not a 2 like yours), but the principle may be the same: mine was a poorly done after market by a previous owner. the bluing runs up the exhaust pipe and 12-14 inches of the muffler. tells me the harmonics are not correct (remember those old popular mechanics techniques of tuning exhausts). might want to check that to get a more even tone.

other than than, the other guys in this thread are right. the pistons move at a higher frequency. even with a signal processor, you cannot get a low e from the high e string of a guitar.

but, the guys on my bullet forum have mentioned glass packs for some low-end. the singles on these bikes have a long stroke, so i don't know how much the differences would matter.

[Dave8338]

One problem with that, Dave, is that he's not starting with an inline four. He has a 450L, which, the last time I checked, was a two-cylinder bike.


.

Did someone slip some Kool-Aid in my coffee this morning? (thinking 550)

Even at that, as was mentioned, the short stroke and small displacement will not allow for the 'thump' that only a large cc engine will produce. Even the Vriago-project has a 'lighter' thump than say a sporty of the same size (883-1200) but I prefer that.