Thursday, September 29, 2011

Change A Motorcycle Exhaust

Replacing the factory-equipped exhaust system is one of the first modifications most motorcycles receive. Although most motorcyclists swap stock pipes for aftermarket systems to enjoy a deeper exhaust tone, these systems are usually less restricted and can provide an increase in power. Changing the exhaust systems can be a fairly simple project. However, the complexity of the installation depends largely on your motorcycle.


Instructions


Installation


1. Examine your motorcycle to determine what, if any, body components must be removed to access the exhaust system. For a full system swap, you'll need to access the exhaust headers, the pipes that connect directly to the motor, so any components that are in the way will need to be removed or worked around.


2. Lay out the new exhaust and take an inventory of the parts included with it. In particular, look for any exhaust gaskets that may be needed. If none are supplied with the new exhaust, purchase new gaskets from your local dealership.


3. Remove any body components that obstruct access to the exhaust. Place these components and their hardware in a safe place.


4. Loosen the exhaust manifold flange screws and any mounting bolts that secure the exhaust to the motorcycle.


5. Remove the muffler's mounting bolt(s) and the muffler. Next remove the mid-pipe, if any, then the headers.


6. Clean the areas of the motorcycle that were previously obscured by the exhaust. Remove original exhaust gaskets and clean any carbon buildups in the exhaust manifold. Install fresh exhaust gaskets.


7. Install the header onto the motorcycle. Apply a drop of thread-locking adhesive onto the threads of the mounting bolts before tightening loosely.


8. Apply thread-locking adhesive to the threads of the mounting bolts and onto the inner sleeve of the mid-pipe and the muffler, then connect the mid-pipe and muffler to the header. Loosely tighten the mounting bolts.


9. Align the components of the exhaust system and tighten the mounting bolts, starting from the headers and working back to the muffler.


10. Reinstall any body components removed earlier and go for a ride.

Tags: mounting bolts, access exhaust, body components, exhaust gaskets, exhaust system, components that, exhaust manifold