6th Gen Full Muffler Gut and Bypass

[blackbrainedjohnny]

I finally decided on a full gut of the muffler. I'm planning on getting an aftermarket one soon and have a friend with a welder so we figured "Let's gut it!"

Had no problem opening the thing up with a grinder and getting rid off all the crap inside. I wanted to get the inner pipes out of the rear and tried drilling them out with the alternative method (1" hole saw and a lot of patience.) Went through 3 bits and only had one out so we just hacked off the back and ground them out. Reattached the outer pipe and welded the back on again.

Rather than messing with the other can we just cut a section of the crossover and welded a piece of metal to completely block the left can. Looks rough but sounds great!

My only concern is that the bike could run lean. Any post gut suggestions?

[swimmer]

HOw does is sound when you are riding it? Too loud? Annoying over long periods? Great?

[pres589]

Cheap way to go would be a Turbo City adjustable fuel pressure regulator, they get discussed here now and then, although it's not quite the delicate touch of going with a Power Commander V.

I'd get one or the other unless you get a screaming deal on a previous generation Power Commander.

How loud is this thing vs. other aftermarket cans? Sounds pretty decent there on the stand, think you could tape a drive-by?

[blackbrainedjohnny]

HOw does is sound when you are riding it? Too loud? Annoying over long periods? Great?

It really isn't all that much louder at speed with all the wind noise and such. Definitely noticeable at low speeds. Don't know how loud it will be for those directly behind me. When the VTEC kicks in you here it more in the engine than in the exhaust note. I don't really notice that much of a difference in performance but it sure brings out the V4 sound!

[blackbrainedjohnny]

Cheap way to go would be a Turbo City adjustable fuel pressure regulator, they get discussed here now and then, although it's not quite the delicate touch of going with a Power Commander V.

I'd get one or the other unless you get a screaming deal on a previous generation Power Commander.

How loud is this thing vs. other aftermarket cans? Sounds pretty decent there on the stand, think you could tape a drive-by?

I havent actually heard any aftermarket pipes on a 6th gen other than YouTube clips. It sounds about the same on the video. I would love a Staintune (had one on a Ducati awhile back) Probably still go with a Two Brothers once i can afford it. Probably get the Power Commander first though.

[smackdoogle]

Wow, that's a lot of work. I just cut off the ends of the cans on the welds and the baffles slide right out. Welded the ends back on and done. Runs just as fine with them in and I can't image it running much leaner if at all. I don't plan on ever getting aftermarket cans because they don't sound much if at all better and I haven't seen a set that look as good as the stock set-up.

[blackbrainedjohnny]

Wow, that's a lot of work. I just cut off the ends of the cans on the welds and the baffles slide right out. Welded the ends back on and done. Runs just as fine with them in and I can't image it running much leaner if at all. I don't plan on ever getting aftermarket cans because they don't sound much if at all better and I haven't seen a set that look as good as the stock set-up.

So you gutted both cans? I bypassed the left side. Seems to perform about the same as before but i like the sound. Do you have any video of how it sounds?

[carlitos92]

Yeah Johnny, you did the gut "the hard way."

Just for others' reference, below is what I did this morning, and what I think smackdoogle did. They are iPhone pics in a poorly-lit garage. Sorry.

Fun with angle grinders:

Cut all the way around the endcaps, somewhere between the factory weld and the standoffs for the heatshield. There is only about 1/2" to work with, so I split the difference.

I wouldn't say the baffles were "easy" to get out, but they do slide with a bit of brute force.

Here's what I learned: Though the heatshields and endcap trim will cover up most of everything, you will be able to SEE the outlet pipes from the back of the bike. There are two concentric pipes at each hole, and vise-grips can booger up both. Big fat pliers can also flatten the pipes where you grip them. I wish I had been more careful, but I'm gonna be able to repair the scratches and flat spot I made.

I do want a completely stock look when I'm finished, so I wanted to see all the concentric outlet pipes. So I cut apart the insulation around the baffles, then cut into the perforated casing so I could get to the outlet pipes. I cut through those and the approximately 4" left inside the can will remain when I have them welded on.

Can't wait to see how this sounds. (The back story is that I bought a mint-condition stock setup from a VFRD member, so I could keep the OEM system from the RWB just in case. Thanks to Demonixon for a great deal!)

[Rivcyko]

Worry not, until the Cat is gutted or gone.

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[Earthshake]

It really isn't all that much louder at speed with all the wind noise and such.

If you ride with friends, ask the guys behind you what it sounds like. I remember riding behind BillyJackJimBob with gutted pipes on his 6th gen and it was painfully loud. He seemed to like it until it spontaneously combusted on him.

[carlitos92]

Just to follow up, here's my end result. I'm really happy with it and learned a little about how my bike is put together in the process. (Who knew that the cans from 2002 are slightly different than those from 2007?)

I don't think it's all that loud. Probably louder than this video suggests, but I can't hear it over the wind over say, 50 mph.

An added side benefit is that I probably removed 10 lbs from the tail of the bike. :fing02:

I like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU1MBgGyuT0

[blackbrainedjohnny]

Just to follow up, here's my end result. I'm really happy with it and learned a little about how my bike is put together in the process. (Who knew that the cans from 2002 are slightly different than those from 2007?)

I don't think it's all that loud. Probably louder than this video suggests, but I can't hear it over the wind over say, 50 mph.

An added side benefit is that I probably removed 10 lbs from the tail of the bike. :fing02:

I like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU1MBgGyuT0

It's so hard to tell the true sound with video. On video the 4 into one conversion i did seems crisper, I'm really curious to hear the difference gutting both pipes.

[carlitos92]

It's so hard to tell the true sound with video. On video the 4 into one conversion i did seems crisper, I'm really curious to hear the difference gutting both pipes.

I'm not sure there's much difference, really. I listen to your video and it sounds pretty much the same as mine. If you think about it, the same amount of gas is passing through an unbaffled can for both of us - I don't think one vs. two cans makes that much difference in volume.

But yeah, it is hard to tell in video. I was happy that my phone didn't distort the sound, but like I said, the bike didn't sound all that loud on video anyway.

All in all, I barely spent $150 for this setup, and since it was a spare set of pipes, for me it's completely reversible. :fing02:

[ECX585]

VFR's sing such a beautiful song! :fing02:

[Switchblade]

Worry not, until the Cat is gutted or gone.

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Good point !!!!

[Serenity_VFR]

I sure hope I never get stuck behind you, or have to deal with an irate motorist who got stuck behind you and is now pissed off at all motorcyclists.

People vote you know. I'd like to be able to still ride next year. It's not just a hobby for me, it's one of my main forms of transportation.

Loud exhausts are fine on private property (they are YOUR neigbors you'll have to deal with eventually). But people who pee in the community corn flakes hurt us all.

Would be an interesting track mod. It doesn't belong on the street. A stock VFR at full redline roar is already too loud IMHO, and many people really get angry over noisy bikes.

Loud pipes ban bikes.

[carlitos92]

I sure hope I never get stuck behind you, or have to deal with an irate motorist who got stuck behind you and is now pissed off at all motorcyclists.

People vote you know. I'd like to be able to still ride next year. It's not just a hobby for me, it's one of my main forms of transportation.

Loud exhausts are fine on private property (they are YOUR neigbors you'll have to deal with eventually). But people who pee in the community corn flakes hurt us all.

Would be an interesting track mod. It doesn't belong on the street. A stock VFR at full redline roar is already too loud IMHO, and many people really get angry over noisy bikes.

Loud pipes ban bikes.

Thanks for your opinion, but you haven't heard my bike in person, so I'll take the preaching of an uneducated bystander with a grain of salt. With all due respect, you have valid concerns, but this thread wasn't soliciting them (AFAIK, it's not my thread), and I'm not convinced you're directing them at the right people anyway.

Living somewhere where I can commute 60 miles a day, 10+ months a year, it's much more than a hobby for me as well. And I can assure you, no one has ever been "stuck" behind me. Frankly, I very rarely find people who can keep up.

As for my neighbors, I respect them and ride appropriately around my neighborhood. I "mostly" ride appropriately everywhere. Not being a squid and riding with a suicidal bent sets at least as good of an example as having a "quiet" bike, IMHO.

BTW, my neighbor closest to me is a cop, and he came over to see me start it up for the first time with the new system. He approves. :biggrin: