Replacing JUST the mufflers on a 1000GL?

[Anonymous]

Hey all-

Just got my 1000GL a few weeks ago.

After riding it to work once, I realized that the exhaust needs some definite work, especially on the left. Cyls 1 and 2, after a plug check, are definitely running lean, whilst cyls 3 and 4 have a nice brown plug color.

Add to that the fact that if you knock on the left muffler with your fist, it sounds like you just shook a gourd full of rice.

From searching, I've seen you can still get good 4-1 exhaust systems for my bike, but I'l like to keep the 4-2 exhaust. Most of all, I want to, at all costs, avoid touching the pipe-to-head bolts. I just don't want to break any off right now. If this were fall going in to winter, no problem. But not at the beginning of riding season..

That said, I think I've heard of someone removing just the mufflers from one of these bikes, and installing a universal aftermarket muffler from JC Whitney or the like.

Can anyone here offer some advice on doing this? Anyone have any suggestions on a good pipe to fit that isn't too loud?

If there's one thing I do NOT want, its to cruise down the road and *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ off everyone in town with my loud, obnoxious pipes.. (no offense to anyone who likes loud pipes - it's just that I dont. It seems as if half my neighborhood owns HDs with straight pipes, and gets great zeal from revving their machine and hearing the blap blap sputter sputter of their v-twins.)

[Dink]

if you look at where the muffler and headers join near the footpeg there is a couple of small tack welds , gring them off and fit new mufflers.
Dink

[SqDancerLynn1]

Another thing you can do is have a pipe made to adapt some late model suzuki mufflers Should be easy to find some stock mufflers on ebay.
JC Whitney also has a good selection

[Anonymous]

The header -> muffler joints on my machine seem to be welded all the way around.. also, are there 'inner' pipes aside from the chrome plated outer section?

Say, the censor on this board is hard core to delete the word I used above that is synoymous with urinate ..

[Dink]

The header -> muffler joints on my machine seem to be welded all the way around.. also, are there 'inner' pipes aside from the chrome plated outer section?

Say, the censor on this board is hard core to delete the word I used above that is synoymous with urinate ..

Yes there is but it is only short about two inches long.
Dink

[Anonymous]

Did just that on my 1000L, ground off the factory welds and added some new Jardine mufflers. Still 4 into 2, and only $65 bucks off ebay, much cheaper than a 4 to 1 header. The 4 to 2 set up just looks better on the "L" models.

I don't know if these mufflers are available from a dealer, but I am certain there is something similar out there.

Might mention, the header pipes were somewhat rusty, so I sandblasted them and painted with *1200 high temp paint. Looks good and holding up well.

[Detman101]

Wow, I wanted to do the same thing with my bike.
Maybe when I posted I didn't explain myself clear enough cause all I got were "Buy a 4-1 pipe" from everyone. :roll:

Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

There may be some slip-on mufflers available from MAC.
There was a set on the 750 when I bought it, the mufflers had turn out ends. Seems like I saw them in a catalog not too long ago, memory fails me...

[redliner1973]

Someone mentioned here sometime that all those new pipes that were removed from those HD's were much quieter, and fit (with real slight mods) to the GS and can be had at the HD dealer's service dept for next to nothing... :twisted:

[Detman101]

That is exactly the mod that I am considering doing.
Plus you get to keep the 4 into two look with some snazzy quiet mufflers.
They practically throw away the stock Dyna mufflers at almost any HD dealership. If they act weird just tell em you need them to restore your old Dyna wide glide slip-n-slide whatchamacallit. The model name doesn't matter as long as "Dyna" is somewhere in there.



Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

Called the local HD dealer today and asked about pipes. He said: "PLEASE come take some off my hands. $20 bucks." I said: "Each?" Him: "No, 20 for a pair!"

So, needless to say, this is what I plan on doing. My only questions are how to get them connected. I read in an old post by Shaftzuki that you have to cut the circumference just where the megaphone mounts to the collector, and there's an inner pipe. I hope so - the OD of the pipe on my GS 1000, according to the circumference, is 2 inches. Every muffler I've seen (JC Whitney, HD mufflers on Ebay) is only 1 3/4 in max.

Also, does anyone know if the HD mufflers can be clamped on, or will it have to be welded? Will they have enough backpressure for stock jetting to not run too lean?

[Detman101]

They should have enough backpressure. The sizing of the pipes is what I'm most concerned about for my mod.

I went by Pep-Boys and they have a set of in-between pieces with various sizes on one end and various sizes on the other. What I mean is that it is smaller on one side then it goes to bigger on the other. With this in-between piece in usge it should be possible to mount any diameter pipe on the GS. The pieces can be welded or clamped in place according to the pep-boys counter dude. When I finally get my GS running I'm going to try the muffler-can mod. I've got my dyna mufflers already too.


Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

Success! Got the new HD pipes on and it works great!

Now I don't need to re-jet it. After testing it out with the new pipes, the plugs are coming to a nice toast color. The stock exhaust was quite trashed inside, as I discovered after cutting it off.

The mufflers I used were off an 03 or 04 HD, likely a sportster or similar. Unfortunately, these pipes have an outlet right next to the input of the muffler for an HD crossover pipe, so I had to weld a plate over that to plug the hole. The Suzuki muffler mount plate had to have an extra hole drilled in it to match up the the front bolt hole on the pipes.

The old mufflers were cut off just at the weld where they connect to the pipes. I then smoothed and ground down the edges. One caveat was that the collector pipes have a seam on the inside, and you can NOT grind that off. I had to notch the mouth of the new pipes to fit around that welded seam, then use some red RTV to seal it up.

The sound is low, and not at all harsh. It's most noticeable during decel. I was hoping for even quieter than it is right now, but hey, it's a heck of a lot quieter than it was, especially for 20 bucks.

I'll try and post pics later today.

[Detman101]

Awesome, I look forward to seeing the pics.
What did you grind the welds off with?
I have an angle grinder at home that I can use.

Dm of mD

[Anonymous]

Here's the pics:

Left side, with heat shield:


Right side, heat shield pulled back (you can see the clamp and the crossover tube I spoke of above here):


Left side, general view: