Loud pipes may not save lives, but many of us are drawn to aftermarket exhausts for reasons other than peace-disturbing decibels. Weight reduction, mass centralization, or – ahem the pursuit of more horsepower – can lead many of us to more attractive, less restrictive exhausts. Read on to learn how to fit something a little lighter, and a little nicer. Here’s how to install an aftermarket exhaust.
Photos by Aaron Berg
What You’ll Need:
5mm Allen key
10mm Socket or wrench
12mm socket or wrench
WD-40
Microfiber Cloth
A friend (optional)
What To Do:
First, get your bike on a level surface in a secure position. Nothing is worse than wrecking your bike when you’re trying to improve it. Use a rear stand and strap the bike down if you’re flying solo.
Start by removing any plastics or fairings that might interfere. On my Street Triple R, that meant removing three 5mm Allen bolts and the small piece used to finish the exhaust.
Next, loosen the exhaust fasteners, but don’t start removing them all yet. You want to make sure you won’t damage any parts, and pulling out every bolt can lead to a disaster if you need to return the bike to stock condition for resale later on. Remove fasteners and parts methodically and keep track of everything.
For this particular bike, I started by removing the exhaust clamp, and then worked my way back to the hanger bolts.
Fit the exhaust pipe to the stock flange, then snug up the exhaust clamp without fully tightening it. This will give you some room to wiggle the exhaust pipe into place on the hanger bracket.
Next, fit the hanger bracket bolt through the hanger and bracket on your new exhaust pipe. Snug down and torque to specification. Then, snug down your exhaust flange to specification.
Be sure to wipe down your exhaust with WD-40 and a clean microfiber cloth to keep fingerprints and smudges from baking into the finish before you start your bike. If you have a baffle that can be installed after, enjoy your bike at full song, then stop being a jerk and put the baffle in.
At this point, it’s worth mentioning that your bike should receive either a dealer flash or the appropriate aftermarket tune for the modifications you’ve just made. Correct fuel mapping will improve fueling, reduce maintenance, and ensure that your upgrade actually improves the performance of your machine.