Meanest aftermarket exhaust for 2006 GS500F?

[Fausty0]

I fell in love with the Vance and Hines aftermarket exhaust only to find they stopped making them after the 2002 GS 500. It sounded amazing and I have been looking for the same sound ( throaty and mean) in other aftermarket exhausts. Any ideas? Suggestions? Ive been looking everywhere.

[Fry]

I have a discontinued Hindle with the Carbon Can option for sale, sounds pretty mean. Its a 1 piece unit, the can and attached pipe which mates to your collector of the stock head pipes. Let me know if your interested.

[tb0lt]

The blunt truth is..... no matter which mean sounding exhaust you put on a 487cc parallel twin GS500, it is gonna sound like a little piece of shaZam! next to any decent sized vtwin or 3+ cyl four stroke equipped bike. Just saying.... don't set your expectations too high.

[Fausty0]

Good point. Well, that considered, what would be the best thing just to satisfy the urge of getting a new exhaust? Understanding it's not going to be a loud V-Twin by any means but it can still sound mean and louder then the stock.

[tb0lt]

No matter what you do, I wouldn't suggest drilling the exhaust (which seems kinda common with this bike).... unless you want it to sound like a pissed off bumblebee.

To get a deeper tone, go with the biggest muffler you can find (both length and inner core diameter).
If you are creative and also good with tools or know a cheap muffler shop, you can even run a cheap eBay "fartcan" (listed mostly for the Civic and such). A lot of people will frown upon it because they just can't think outside the box or detest the idea of adapting something not meant for the GS or even a bike for that matter.... BUT it will sound surprisingly good for about 1/5 or less what you will spend on something meant for the GS or bikes in general.

Also, the 2 most common after market headers sold for the GS don't give much gains over stock as long as the actual muffler used has good flow.

[scottychop]

Centuryghost just put on a Wileyco can and it sounds amazing.  I thought my Jardine sounded good, but the Wileyco sounds just about perfect.  Nice deep rumble.

[ghostrider_23]

scottychop

do you have a sound bite and a part number???

[Bluesmudge]

I have a wileyco too and love it. Careful, some exhausts will make the bike sound like a lawnmower.

You may still be able to find a Vance and Hines. They do fit the F models from what I understand.

[centuryghost]

scottychop

do you have a sound bite and a part number???

Here's a clip. The sound doesn't do it justice.

[tb0lt]

I'm guessing the recording is really bad quality.... 'cause it sounds about the same as a stock F.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/u5MuufBskJD0qP3tLw9T5fMv92Tb7QwH8WLWHf8NsK8?feat=directlink

[centuryghost]

Here's a much better representation courtesy of Roadstergal:

[Twisted]

Yes it is hard to capture the true sound of motorcycle exhaust on a video. A lot of bass is lost. That last one sounded good though.

[Fausty0]

You guys rock! Thanks for all the advice. I called Vance and Hines to see if anyone knew of someone putting one of their aftermarket exhausts on a 2003+ GS500 and the installer said no, and pointed me twords jar dine since he is a GS500 guy himself? Oh well, thanks for all th advice.

[Pelikan]

I have the Yoshi TRS on mine (without baffle).  Can't imagine this bike/engine sounding any better.  Correct, it doesn't sound like an inline four with Akrapovic, but decent nonetheless.  Stock exhaust is embarrassing by comparison.

[MistahT]

I have a Vance and Hines on mine. Sounds great at low speeds but imo cruising at 65 is a bit loud for me and kind of drones. Anyone in MD, DC, or VA wanna swap for a Jardine or Yoshi?

[brad7817]

I have a Vance and Hines on mine. Sounds great at low speeds but imo cruising at 65 is a bit loud for me and kind of drones. Anyone in MD, DC, or VA wanna swap for a Jardine or Yoshi?

I may buy the vance from you if you get another. I am in Baltimore

[Twisted]

I have a Vance and Hines on mine. Sounds great at low speeds but imo cruising at 65 is a bit loud for me and kind of drones. Anyone in MD, DC, or VA wanna swap for a Jardine or Yoshi?

Think you will find most aftermarket exhaust get a bit droney at high revs.

[mach1]

The blunt truth is..... no matter which mean sounding exhaust you put on a 487cc parallel twin GS500, it is gonna sound like a little piece of shaZam! next to any decent sized vtwin or 3+ cyl four stroke equipped bike. Just saying.... don't set your expectations too high.

Thats not true I had a V&H  with no packing that was a custome high mount and one of my frinds had a rR6 with a yoshi slip-on and my bike was louder and throatier than his his sounded like a tow car winding up and he told me mine was better for gurth. another frind had a gixxer750 with a jardine slipon and same thing sounded toyish and mine was louder and throatier. so the GS will always sound louder and beefier.

[Pelikan]

The blunt truth is..... no matter which mean sounding exhaust you put on a 487cc parallel twin GS500, it is gonna sound like a little piece of shaZam! next to any decent sized vtwin or 3+ cyl four stroke equipped bike. Just saying.... don't set your expectations too high.

Thats not true I had a V&H  with no packing that was a custome high mount and one of my frinds had a rR6 with a yoshi slip-on and my bike was louder and throatier than his his sounded like a tow car winding up and he told me mine was better for gurth. another frind had a gixxer750 with a jardine slipon and same thing sounded toyish and mine was louder and throatier. so the GS will always sound louder and beefier.

Um right, maybe on another planet.    The Yoshi on my bike sounds nice...not great, but nice, and probably as good as the GS will ever sound (ESPECIALLY when engine braking)...but it seriously cannot stack up to an inline-4 with ANY aftermarket exhaust.  That rumble/growl those bikes make at idle is just unbeatable.

EDIT:  Getting down to brass tacks, an exhaust upgrade is a vanity thing, not a power/performance thing (on the GS, at least).  And the people we're trying to look good for don't ride bikes themselves (if they did, they'd equate exhaust on the GS with lipstick on a pig).  Soooo, I think the real, underlying question here is:  "Does the Yosh/V&H/Jardine sound good to all those layman/non-riders that I'd like to look good for?"  And the answer?  A resounding "Yes."  

Just pick one and roll with it.  Drilling the stock exhaust is ghetto and looks like trash.  Yosh (IMHO, after a lot of research) looks and sounds the best, easily.  It's seriously a beautiful pipe in every regard.  Jardine would be a close second.  V&H I don't have experience with, but it's steel.  Why roll with a steel full system when you can get the Jardine?