Is there a big proformance and/or sound difference between drilling out and replacing the exhaust on my 06 gs500f? I would really like to upgrade to the Yoshi slip on, but am a little under funded. Can I get the same results by drilling?
The older I get, the more I think street bike exhausts should just be left stock. If you need a performance boost, a few track schools (or better yet, a few dirt schools) will do far more for you than a few holes in the exhaust.
You'll get more overall utility out of suspension and brake mods.
(You'd want to rejet if you open up the exhaust. Now get off my lawn.)
Quote from: TheDrunknmonky on February 09, 2009, 05:04:37 PM
Is there a big proformance and/or sound difference between drilling out and replacing the exhaust on my 06 gs500f? I would really like to upgrade to the Yoshi slip on, but am a little under funded. Can I get the same results by drilling?
Drilling your exhaust will make it more annoying. If that's what you're after, go ahead. My exhaust is drilled and it is annoying to the point where I feel bad for the neighbors coming home late at night, but it still isn't loud enough that you hear it on the freeway... I'm with Roadstergal on this one, put money into brakes and suspension and possibly track days. All of those things will be worth far more in terms of performance you get out of the bike than holes in your exhaust will...
+1 on suspension and brake mods.
forget the slip on, get a vance & hines system, drop one tooth in the front, rejet the carbs , get a K&n Filter , do suspension mods and roll on. I love how loud it is a long with the performance. I can run circles around a stock GS. drilling bad!
The stock exhaust is full of baffles. Drilling only makes holes in the last set of baffles - achieving very little performance-wise. If you look down the end of a sports exhaust you will notice that it is made up of a perforated tube that runs the length of the can. In between this and the outside of the can is damping material. As a result it provides very little restriction to the flow of exhaust - something that you just won't achieve with a stock can and a hand drill.
As for sound, I guess it is all down to personal taste - but having said that, there are many tales on the forums of people that have inherited bikes that have been drilled and wished they hadn't.
Lastly, if you are thinking of putting on a sports exhaust I would recommend looking at a highflow filter for the other end (eg the lunchbox). You will need to rejet for your new exhaust, so you may aswell rejet for a performance airfilter at the same time.
Quote from: Roadstergal on February 09, 2009, 05:23:43 PM
The older I get, the more I think street bike exhausts should just be left stock. If you need a performance boost, a few track schools (or better yet, a few dirt schools) will do far more for you than a few holes in the exhaust.
You'll get more overall utility out of suspension and brake mods.
(You'd want to rejet if you open up the exhaust. Now get off my lawn.)
+1 bazillion
I wish I'd spent a year's worth of pizza on track days and leathers, right off the bat. leathers are comfortable , non-flapping-in-the-wind, and give a little feeling of protection even if I look like a dweeb.
i also wished the PO of my gs had installed a FE and rear shock from a katana instead of a V&H and DynoCRAP kit.
there is so much to be learned from experienced riders, wrenches. this past weekend I enjoyed a tour of the hills in north eastern b'ham with a really good rider. very little speeding, very good lane usage, very good roads. i could have given a rats ass if i was on a gs, a beemer, or a super sexy duc. there was no hurry, no need to worry about tickets, just good motorcycling FUN.
today I spent an hour or so replacing my non o-ring chain with a DID o-ring jobby. even though the bike is greasy, rear wheel mis-aligned, and chain too long by one link, I'm happy with the maintenance. after the rain this week i'll finish up. a louder pipe wouldn't do a thing for me. or 3.5 extra horsepower.
- yep, put your money into good gear, or some track learning. there's so much to learn. :)
I can core the stock pipe to be louder and more burblier than any exhaust you can buy. Just drilling wont cut it though. Yes perforated tube - I have a plenty ... but its not a mod that anyone can toss in. I will have to cut and core it. I have did it to several other bikes, usually ones with a removable can that can be shipped for 10-12 bucks, but a GS isn't feasible for the mod. For the simple reason you have to send me the whole pipe and I work on it and send it all back. That gigantic pipe costs a fortune to ship, you might as well buy whatever and slip it on.
Cool.
Buddha.
I'm with most of the others. Drilling a stock exhaust just makes it louder. I agree with the old guy.. hey, wait a minute.. I'm old too! :mad: If you want a F1 slip-on I have one for you. You'll have to cut your old muffler off, or just buy my whole system and repaint the pipes. You'll need a high flow air filter and re-jet the carbs, but if you want loud, this puppy howls like a banshee!
how much are you wanting for your F1 Bill? :thumb:
I'm in a good mood so I'll let it go for a song. How's $50 and shipping sound for the whole thing?
Dont drill they sounds really really really bad. did I say they sound really bad cause they do. look on ebay for slip-ons they have alot if you find one for another find for cheap buy it you can always have a muffler shop make and expanded pipe and weld it on for you to slid your new can on.
I gutted my stock can, and liked the way it sounded. I cut off both ends, and torched out everything that was inside it. welded a 3/4 pipe nipple to the outlet, and welded it back up. recently I put a 1.5" pipe to replace the 3/4" nipple, and I really love it now
Yeah. I love a good nipple.
do not drill your exhaust! I did!! It sounded so bad that it forced me to buy slip on... I could have just re-welded the holes but I went for Leo Vince SBK slip on.
Do I like it - YES. Would I do it again - not so sure. It's really nice at stand still, but after 100 miles of continuous riding it gets annoying - it's loud.
If I were you I would leave the stock pipe for now and do what others say - suspension, SS brake lines and HH Front pads, I do not know about track days cause I never attended but it must be a great experience!
I just bought an 07 GS500 from a guy who cut the exhaust cone off the end, removed all of the baffles and re-welded the cone back onto the can. It sounds awesome. As for performance, I've got no clue but the guys I ride with comment regularly how incredible my 500 sounds. It's the inline sound everyone drools over.
Quote from: jonathanneely on July 16, 2009, 12:20:20 PM
I just bought an 07 GS500 from a guy who cut the exhaust cone off the end, removed all of the baffles and re-welded the cone back onto the can. It sounds awesome. As for performance, I've got no clue but the guys I ride with comment regularly how incredible my 500 sounds. It's the inline sound everyone drools over.
This is called coring the pipe and I'd put a baffle in it and weld it back or some like that, I did that to a sv and it was awesome.
Cool.
Buddha.
Ha, he made the twin sound line ain inline 4? I've never seen that before. Heather asked me if i could make the GS sound like an I4 once.
I cut up the exhaust on my old bike, and put it back together, i can't remember if I left one baffle in it, or just left it empty, it was loud, which was fun, but really it sounded awful. I also at one point pulled off the whole exhaust and rode around the neighborhood with just the header, pretty much the same thing as the empty can. Those were just rainy day projects though.
My V&H is way louder than I care for, but that's what's on there, so I'll live.
I feel the main reason to replace a stock pipe is because companies know you're going to anyway, so they put absolutely no effort into making it look nice. If I bought a bike with a stock pipe that actually looked like an aftermarket one I'd be more than happy to keep it. If I could find an aftermarket pipe that was actually QUIETER than the stock pipe, I'd go crazy. There's nothing I'd love more than a bike that barely made any noise.
Quote from: tt_four on July 16, 2009, 01:04:08 PM
There's nothing I'd love more than a bike that barely made any noise.
That is a recipie for Idiots drivers to say they didn't see you ... this beeyatch did that to my friend after pulling in in front of him last year labor day and claimed his headlight wasn't working ... the Idiot cop saw his smashed headlight ... asked him to turn it on and said, yup, dont work ...
Nice work genius ... he hit that SUV and busted the headlight into a pancake ... you think it works if its crushed ... dumbass.
Cool.
Buddha.
Yeah, I know people say that all the time, but considering 99% of the population around here is boxed up in their sound proof SUVs with the radio blaring and their cell phones chatting away, I really don't feel that the "loud pipes saves lives" bit is really all that valid anymore. I'm used to riding a bicycle in town 365 days a year, and if I can survive that one, I figure I can make it ok on a motorcycle that doesn't make too much noise. Not to mention the exhaust blows in the opposite way I'm riding.