My 04 came with a cobra R1 slip on that just sheered off.
I couldn't find a replacement so decided to buy the Jardine system that includes all pipes.
http://www.pipecity.com/Products/ProductDetails.cfm/Search/18461512302/ProductID/368390


Has anyone written up a how to for replacing the system?
I have a few questions - like can I do it with the bike on the kickstand or do I need to figure something else out?
All in all it looks like a really easy plug and play replacement.
Anything I should worry about or look for?  I assume I'll need new gaskets.
Thanks

I just put a full jardine on my '04 also.  It would be a good idea to put your bike up on the centerstand, but i don't think it is necessary.  I think i put mine on the centerstand.  Yea just remove old exhaust, install new one and your set.  Just remember to wipe down the exhaust before you start your bike up or else you might burn some greasy imprints from your hands onto the pipes.  You will also have to rejet your carbs for the new exhaust.  Here are some links to the wiki...

http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/Rejetting

and

http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/Rejetting-LeanOrRich?

that should get you started.  Just use the matrix on those sites to figure out which jets you need and use the search engine on this site to find loads more info on how to do everything.  Hope it turns out ok!

-Lucas

whats the sound like on this thing?  Crazy loud or a nice improvement?

IMHO its a nice improvement.  Its deep and gives the GS a little more personality.  I like it a lot better than the stock exhaust.

-Lucas

we want sound clip!!!  seriously, I m thinking about drilling the end of my exhaust for more loudness, would love a sound clip of that too. 

Quote from: Domindart on April 09, 2008, 09:27:12 PM
we want sound clip!!!  seriously, I m thinking about drilling the end of my exhaust for more loudness, would love a sound clip of that too. 

should be a sound clip some where, but don't drill the holes it sounds awful, if you get the Jardine you WILL need to rejet no ifs whats or buts.
also dont worry about hearing a sound clip just buy it you will not be disappointed

Mine came predrilled thanks to a PO, it sounds a lot better than stock once I did the rejet to 22.5, 65, and 147.5 with a K&N lunchbox. It had been plugged up with hex bolts, so I took them all out after the rejet. I'm fussy about sound too. It lets some growl out now thanks to the air filter. Doesn't sound as much like a furious sewing machine. More like a big ol' riding mower.. 

Still looking for a used Yosh I can afford, and someone who can weld. 

Quote from: Lukewarm Wilson on April 09, 2008, 09:53:38 PM

Quote from: Domindart on April 09, 2008, 09:27:12 PM
we want sound clip!!!  seriously, I m thinking about drilling the end of my exhaust for more loudness, would love a sound clip of that too. 

should be a sound clip some where, but don't drill the holes it sounds awful, if you get the Jardine you WILL need to rejet no ifs whats or buts.
also dont worry about hearing a sound clip just buy it you will not be disappointed

I found a sound clip of the drilled exhaust.  And Im not sure Its what I want.  Theres the Jardine full exhaust right.  Then theres a full yosh that you cant get anymore.  It would be nice to find one of those.  I think I want to go full if I get exhaust. 

I may be selling my V&H soon. It depends upon how well my exhaust goes. I am custom fitting a carbon M4. We'll see. Keep you eyes peeled in the For sale forum.

  -Anti

And now back to the original thread...

Quote from: jmiller427 on April 09, 2008, 07:10:18 AM
My 04 came with a cobra R1 slip on that just sheered off.
I couldn't find a replacement so decided to buy the Jardine system that includes all pipes.
http://www.pipecity.com/Products/ProductDetails.cfm/Search/18461512302/ProductID/368390


Has anyone written up a how to for replacing the system?
I have a few questions - like can I do it with the bike on the kickstand or do I need to figure something else out?
All in all it looks like a really easy plug and play replacement.
Anything I should worry about or look for?  I assume I'll need new gaskets.
Thanks

It is not hard to do... except if a head bolt snaps. Soak the head bolts with a penetrating lube over night.  Only 5 bolts to remove... 4 on the head and 1 on the hanger. Side stand or center stand, does not really matter.

Thanks for the replies.

It was very simple to remove, the system is coming in today.
I've to new head bolts, gaskets, and some odds and end fasteners coming into my stealer tomorrow.

2 of the header bolts were very loose when I went to remove - like finger loose.
I'll be using locktite putting this thing back together.

I also noticed quite a bit of missing screws/fastners in the plastic.  Just normal vibrations I guess, but I ordered some of those.

Anybody know what the Torque specs are for the header bolts?

Quote from: jmiller427 on April 14, 2008, 05:51:34 AM
2 of the header bolts were very loose when I went to remove - like finger loose.
I'll be using locktite putting this thing back together.

...

Anybody know what the Torque specs are for the header bolts?

9-12Nm.

I would not be loctite-ing your header bolts.  Quite the opposite - apply anti-sieze.  You do not want header bolts that cannot be removed.  Those bolts can snap fairly easily when they've been in a while and the remedy when they do can be a real PITA.

Thanks for the specs.
I guess I'll torque them, ride for a few hours, and then recheck the torque.

Is it normal on these bikes to be losing fastners?
I'm missing one on the windscreen, and a few of the small ones on the fairing and cowling.

Quote from: jmiller427 on April 14, 2008, 07:36:39 AM
Thanks for the specs.
I guess I'll torque them, ride for a few hours, and then recheck the torque.

Is it normal on these bikes to be losing fastners?
I'm missing one on the windscreen, and a few of the small ones on the fairing and cowling.

Depends on the PO and how anal they were when wrenching on the bike.  I bought my bike used from a dealer (First and last time for this) and there were a few fairing bolts that were missing so im guessing the PO lost a couple and just decided the fairings were attached well enough and never ordered replacements.

-Lucas

Quote from: jmiller427 on April 14, 2008, 07:36:39 AM
Thanks for the specs.
I guess I'll torque them, ride for a few hours, and then recheck the torque.

Is it normal on these bikes to be losing fastners?
I'm missing one on the windscreen, and a few of the small ones on the fairing and cowling.

Just so those of us in the US can follow along, 9 - 12 Nm (Newton Meters) is equal to about 6 - 9 Ft-Lbs. of torque. IOW, it is NOT a lot of torque; 7 to 8 foot-pounds (or 84 to 96 inch-pounds) would be just about right. Torque is mainly determined by the size of the bolt you're installing; the thinner the diameter, the less torque required to hold the bolt in place. IIRC, the exhaust header bolts are about 6mm in diameter, which is LESS than a quarter of an inch, so logic tells you that:

A: Those bolts don't require much torque to tighten them.

B: Those bolts don't require much over-torque to strip them out of the cylinder head, or to snap the heads off the bolts, so do NOT overtighten them.

Now, I want to warn you about some common mistakes I've seen when people install an exhaust system:

First, do NOT be tempted to install NEW exhaust gaskets on top of OLD exhaust gaskets. The general train of thought seems to be, using BOTH the old and new gaskets will make the exhaust seal REALLY tightly. In fact, it only makes the exhaust header bolts strip the bolt holes, which are in soft aluminum. Use ONLY new gaskets; if you have a leaking exhaust seal after you reassemble everything, shut the engine off and find the problem. Do NOT double up on the gaskets, or you'll be having a LOT of NO FUN drilling out and tapping the exhaust bolt holes one size over...

Second, a primary reason why exhausts leak at the cylinder head after installation is because the muffler mounting bolt is tightened BEFORE the exhaust header bolts. Don't make this mistake; you can INSTALL the muffler bolt, but do NOT tighten it until AFTER you've tightened the header bolts. Once you're sure the header bolts are properly tightened, you can finish the job by tightening the muffler hanger bolt.

Third, using Loctite on the exhaust header bolts is a mistake you'll only want to make ONCE in your life, as philward has pointed out. As he suggested, use a small amount of anti-seize instead.

Good luck; don't rush this. Remember (as lnb001 already mentioned) to do a THOROUGH job of wiping down the entire exhaust system to remove ALL traces of grease, oil, and fingerprints BEFORE you start the engine, or you probably won't like the nasty marks that will be burned into the pipes. I've used rubbing alcohol for this; as long as the metal is cool when you use it, you shouldn't have any problems getting the pipes completely clean. Once you know you've done the job right, fire up the engine and check for leaks at all the joints.

To deal with those missing fasteners, consider this: motorcycles vibrate; vibration loosens fastners. If you want to cut down on that, you can use Blue Loctite on most of them, though really small screws can be held in place with clear or colored nail polish (which is simply a type of tinted lacquer) painted on top of the screw head. I've used clear lacquer to prevent screw loss from my eyeglasses for more than 40 years, so I also use it on small screws on other types of hardware. Colored lacquer has been used for many years in the electronics industry; it not only helps to hold things together, it also helps to indicate when something might have been tampered with. For example, when you fine-tune a particular device, you might want to discourage people from making any changes or adjustments, so you apply a colored lacquer to the fastener; if the nail polish has been removed, or replaced by a different color of lacquer, you can tell right away, and that can tip you off to tampering, or possible voidance of a warranty. You can also use it to lock a rheostat in place, as when calibrating a particular device or circuit.

Hope this goes well for you; let us know if you have any problems.

Quote from: GSnoober on April 14, 2008, 10:37:14 AM
Just so those of us in the US can follow along, 9 - 12 Nm (Newton Meters) is equal to about 6 - 9 Ft-Lbs. of torque. IOW, it is NOT a lot of torque; 7 to 8 foot-pounds (or 84 to 96 inch-pounds) would be just about right. Torque is mainly determined by the size of the bolt you're installing; the thinner the diameter, the less torque required to hold the bolt in place. IIRC, the exhaust header bolts are about 6mm in diameter, which is LESS than a quarter of an inch, so logic tells you that:

A: Those bolts don't require much torque to tighten them.

B: Those bolts don't require much over-torque to strip them out of the cylinder head, or to snap the heads off the bolts, so do NOT overtighten them.

Understood - done lots of work on cars.  I remember drilling out the bolts in my flywheel that holds the clutch housing on.  Rushing the job  making record time, and ended up taking the whole weekend..
Reason for torque specs is to make sure not over tighten as much as getting it tight enough.  These are aluminum heads right?  Soft.

Quote from: GSnoober on April 14, 2008, 10:37:14 AM
Now, I want to warn you about some common mistakes I've seen when people install an exhaust system:

First, do NOT be tempted to install NEW exhaust gaskets on top of OLD exhaust gaskets. The general train of thought seems to be, using BOTH the old and new gaskets will make the exhaust seal REALLY tightly. In fact, it only makes the exhaust header bolts strip the bolt holes, which are in soft aluminum. Use ONLY new gaskets; if you have a leaking exhaust seal after you reassemble everything, shut the engine off and find the problem. Do NOT double up on the gaskets, or you'll be having a LOT of NO FUN drilling out and tapping the exhaust bolt holes one size over...

Second, a primary reason why exhausts leak at the cylinder head after installation is because the muffler mounting bolt is tightened BEFORE the exhaust header bolts. Don't make this mistake; you can INSTALL the muffler bolt, but do NOT tighten it until AFTER you've tightened the header bolts. Once you're sure the header bolts are properly tightened, you can finish the job by tightening the muffler hanger bolt.

Right -- knew that.  Again just from working on cars. Reached in and popped out the old gaskets and will have the newones tomorrow.
These look like one time donut type compression gaskets anyhow - once compressed, useless.  I've also heard that using double gaskets increase pressure. 

Quote from: GSnoober on April 14, 2008, 10:37:14 AM
Third, using Loctite on the exhaust header bolts is a mistake you'll only want to make ONCE in your life, as philward has pointed out. As he suggested, use a small amount of anti-seize instead.

Got it loud and clear - thanks for briging this up.

Quote from: GSnoober on April 14, 2008, 10:37:14 AM
Good luck; don't rush this. Remember (as lnb001 already mentioned) to do a THOROUGH job of wiping down the entire exhaust system to remove ALL traces of grease, oil, and fingerprints BEFORE you start the engine, or you probably won't like the nasty marks that will be burned into the pipes. I've used rubbing alcohol for this; as long as the metal is cool when you use it, you shouldn't have any problems getting the pipes completely clean. Once you know you've done the job right, fire up the engine and check for leaks at all the joints.

To deal with those missing fasteners, consider this: motorcycles vibrate; vibration loosens fastners. If you want to cut down on that, you can use Blue Loctite on most of them, though really small screws can be held in place with clear or colored nail polish (which is simply a type of tinted lacquer) painted on top of the screw head. I've used clear lacquer to prevent screw loss from my eyeglasses for more than 40 years, so I also use it on small screws on other types of hardware. Colored lacquer has been used for many years in the electronics industry; it not only helps to hold things together, it also helps to indicate when something might have been tampered with. For example, when you fine-tune a particular device, you might want to discourage people from making any changes or adjustments, so you apply a colored lacquer to the fastener; if the nail polish has been removed, or replaced by a different color of lacquer, you can tell right away, and that can tip you off to tampering, or possible voidance of a warranty. You can also use it to lock a rheostat in place, as when calibrating a particular device or circuit.

Hope this goes well for you; let us know if you have any problems.

Great - really appreciate the idea of wiping down the exhaust before using.  I'll probaby just use latex gloves for the whole job.  Easier and cleaner.

I figured as much regarding the fastners.  Ijust ordered a few of each kind so I can keep them in.

half page instructions also made it clear to hand tighten head bolts, install rest of exhaust, and tighten from the front back.

Taking my time is easier.  Rather do it right the first time.

Only concern I have is if re-jetting will be required.  I think the bike will run fine without it.  Not putting this on for performance gain, rather this was the cleanest and cheapest way I could find to get the bike up an running again.  Will drop in a K&N replacement filter, but don't expect it to do too much.

Install will be Wed.  I will post pics and sound if anyone is interested.

I'll be waiting for the pictures.  I myself have been thinking about getting the Jardin.  At first I wanted to sell the GS and upgrade to something else, but I love my GS and it does everything I want, so why spend the money on a new bike?  I think adding the exhaust will give the GS a nice new look.

Quote from: anthonyd5189 on April 14, 2008, 09:10:05 PM
  I think adding the exhaust will give the GS a nice new look.

It does 

Quote from: Domindart on April 09, 2008, 09:27:12 PM
we want sound clip!!!  seriously, I m thinking about drilling the end of my exhaust for more loudness, would love a sound clip of that too. 

idk im sorta in between with it now....at idle its kinda harley-ish sounding but when you get down on it it sounds like the stock but just louder and more annoying to others  oh well i got a v&h in my shed that i got for free but idk how wel it will wor as i only have the rear piece of the exhaust system with the muffler and its kinked at the bends by the guy who gave it to me so it would fit his bike..i may just do some mod to existing exhaust to up the size to slide snugly into the v&h muffler
idk what model v&h it is but its black with aluminum tip

So I got everything put back together today.
Everything went smooth, thanks again for the comments.
New gaskets, torqued to spec, put on loosely, then tightened front to back, and wiped down exhaust before start.
Fit, finish, and overall quality was high.

I don't know if the previous owner re-jetted this or not, but I don't want to go in to find out if I don't need to..

First start - a bit louder than the R1 Cobra that was on there, sounded a little lumpier too.

Sounded better,  a little deeper.  I was a bit worried about the amount of air and gas coming in because it seemed a little unresponsive.  Then I realized it just  took a little longer to warm up than usual because it had been sitting for about 9 days.  I usually ride every day it's nice out.

Then I took her out for a quick blast.  WOW.  Really makes a huge lesson.  1-5k rpms, sounds okay.
5-9k rpms sounds really sweet.  I can feel the difference, it has really opened it up the flow.  It loses the deepness and is smooth like butter and then she screams.  Sounds like a real sport bike finally.  The seat of the pants dyno is happy.

Total cost was $350 shipped plus $20 or so in gaskets and replacing missing fasteners.









If anyone wants better quality images, let me know.  I took these with my phone.

Josh