[thistlemist]

i recently purchased a low mileage 1996 vulcan classic 800. it is in mint condition and i don't want to screw it up, but would like for the exhaust to be a little louder. can this be done by modifying the original exhaust, or if i change mufflers, do i need to re-jet? thanks, bud

 

[bikeaholic]

re

welcome thistlemist!

no re-jet is needed on the 800 with only a pipe change :wink:

the mod on the stock pipes works well also:
drill out the three rivets you see in the steel plate at the end of the pipe
if you can get hold of a plasma cutter cut around the steel plate as close to the edge of the pipe as possible,grab the small pipe in the center with vise grips and pull and twist the baffel out this will leave a ragged edge of metal
around the inside of the pipe-take a dremmel or small grinder and carefully
smooth that edge down flush with the pipe-take some flat black spray paint
and spry the inside of the pipe and your done

with no plasma cutter-just drill a series of 1/4" holes in a circle again close to edge of the pipe then use a cutoff wheel or dremel to cut out the plate-this method takes longer and requires some patience but the result is the same

whan your done the pipes should look like nothing was ever there and the sound is great-you can actually hear it run :lol:

 

[thistlemist]

exhaust

bikeaholic, thanks a million...i've already used your advise and i love the sound. i had to do it the hard way, by drilling, but like you said, you still get the same results. later, bud

 

[Blackrider]

exhaust pipes

Great,i will do the same with mine......yupeeeeeeee!



Blackrider

 

[luiso16]

bikeaholic:

Do you have any idea if this exhaust modification will work on a 2001 Vulcan 500 exhaust pipes? This is a great motorcycle but I find the exhaust to miss the cruiser bike sound and be very quiet. I had a Virago 250 with stock pipes that was louder that this motorcycle. I have heard that tampering with the pipes on the 500 will produce an annoying sound. Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Blackrider]

To bikeaholic:
I we do this changes to the pipes,how this will influence the running of the engine,the running of the carburetor?
10x.


Blackrider
vulkan 800A

 

[bikeaholic]

re

it won't effect performance at all :wink:
just don't mess with the intake until your ready to go all the way with
intake/exhaust mods.removing the rear baffles only just betters the sound
for the most part-these motors respond well to induction/exhaust mods
and you almost have to hang on :lol:

 

[big will]

For the 800 when you say cut around the pipe do you mean the center pipe or the outer pipe???

 

[bikeaholic]

re

cut around as close to the rolled edge that meets the chrome as you can
but don't grind into where that rolled edge is or you'll open it up
:wink:

 

[MNDxer]

Re: re

welcome thistlemist!

no re-jet is needed on the 800 with only a pipe change :wink:

the mod on the stock pipes works well also:
drill out the three rivets you see in the steel plate at the end of the pipe
if you can get hold of a plasma cutter cut around the steel plate as close to the edge of the pipe as possible,grab the small pipe in the center with vise grips and pull and twist the baffel out this will leave a ragged edge of metal
around the inside of the pipe-take a dremmel or small grinder and carefully
smooth that edge down flush with the pipe-take some flat black spray paint
and spry the inside of the pipe and your done

with no plasma cutter-just drill a series of 1/4" holes in a circle again close to edge of the pipe then use a cutoff wheel or dremel to cut out the plate-this method takes longer and requires some patience but the result is the same

whan your done the pipes should look like nothing was ever there and the sound is great-you can actually hear it run :lol:

Sounds easy enough, my only concern is now they're for the most part straight pipes. Is the exhaust obnoxiously loud... is it going to attract every red (blue) light in the city? I've been considering V&H Cruzers because they can be baffled. Open for suggestions.
Tnx, Dick

 

[bikeaholic]

re

its not loud at all on the 800 - just deepens the tone a little at idle
and at wot it just sounds better not loud :wink:

 

[bluestringer]

bikeaholic:

Do you have any idea if this exhaust modification will work on a 2001 Vulcan 500 exhaust pipes? This is a great motorcycle but I find the exhaust to miss the cruiser bike sound and be very quiet. I had a Virago 250 with stock pipes that was louder that this motorcycle. I have heard that tampering with the pipes on the 500 will produce an annoying sound. Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Be careful with exhaust mods on the 500, you can create an awful sound at highway speeds. This is not a v-twin, so it will never sound like one. You can drill 3 to 4 holes in the plate and it will get a louder and better sound. I have ordered a set of slip-on mufflers from JC Whitney for mine, which I hope will get it a little louder but not change the sound that much. The stock mufflers have 2 sets of baffles where the generic mufflers only have one. They're on back order right now, but I will post on how they sound as soon as I get them installed. I've noticed my stock pipes have gotten louder and better sounding after I got over a 1000 miles on them.

 

[xepathfinder]

It does make it louder than stock, I just drilled out the baffles on my 04 800 Classic, and it is quite a bit louder, though not as loud as Vance&Hines Cruzers on a V-Star 1100 or Bubs on a 03 Mean Streak, I personally think it sounds great and darn near as good as aftermarket pipes. I used a Dewalt cordless drill with 1/4 bit and a Dremel 400 XPR. My advise take your time in doing it. It is not very hard to do. Time consuming especially if like me you want it took look as good as it can. But it will be louder, but also will sound allot better than stock.

 

[Trans101am]

Louder then I thought

Well, I just got done removing the baffle from the top pipe. It's a little louder then I thought, but it sounds pretty good. The one thing I want to know before I remove the bottom one, is did I do it right? Is the baffle suppose to be a long tube. The pipe looks like it is just a straight pipe now. I didnt have the plasma cutter so I had to do the drill method. It was kind of a pain, but after some twisting, the baffle finally came out. I just want to make sure it right before I take out the bottom one. Also I am worried about it being too loud when I do.

Thanks

Larry