Converting to single exhaust tip from twin downturns

[Chris near Kansas City]

Mufflers needed some help as they weren't much to look at. Kinda loud, not as loud as Cobras, but definitely louder than stock. Plus, I kinda smelled exhaust around town whenever I was, um, more "spirited" with my throttle. So, I needed to extend them back to where they were.





I had a set of Voyager tips laying around, but in my zest to make sure they never fell off the trailer (yes they were on a trailer), I had forgotten that I had stuck a bracket down between the tips and welded it top and bottom. No salvaging those for this project. So, I picked up some 2 1/2" chrome tips off ebay from some muffler shop in Iowa for $40 shipped. I had some aluminum bar for tying the front crash bars together on the '87 and the '01. Slid it across the hitch and with some zipties, made a perfect helping hand, so I could tack weld the tips on.





Then took the pipes off and fully welded the tips on.



I reinstalled them on the bike and snapped a few pictures.





And then, typical for Kansas, the snow was gone today.



The weld is visible...



...but most people might not notice it.



Besides, this is the view most of 'em will see anyway, LOL.



The tips kind of deepen the tune of the exhaust, which was opened up a bit from the removal of the stock tips. They don't have the hollow growl like the Cobras. I'm working on a video with a stock Voyager, this Voyager, and a Cobra equipped Voyager, and will post it on youtube. Can't promise top quality sound but maybe, that way, everyone might get an idea of how they compare. Got my '90 in '02, and it wasn't until the '04 rally in North Carolina that I'd heard my first Voyager with Cobra pipes. Down the road, maybe I'll see about covering up the weld. But for right now, I'm pleased with the results. Put the tie bar on the '87 crash bars today. One less thing on the list, woohoo!

[Mike in IL]

Nice work Chris. So, the sound is less than without tips, but more than OEM, nice.. I like the look of the single pipe. I bet the Robin in the picture is really thinking about why he got here so early

Nice pictures, keep them coming. Always nice to see how work is progressing along with the 3 Voyagers. A little bit here, and a little bit there.

[Chris near Kansas City]

Maybe not less, just deeper, or mellowed a bit. Dare I say, "muffled", LOL. Like taking the edge off. Heck, might even be a hair quieter, but that might just be because the exhaust is now a foot longer than it was. I think I can live with it long enough to take care of a few other things, LOL. Right now, I think it's past my bedtime. Maybe I'll go ahead and eat my breakfast now, so that it'll be one less thing to do when I wake up.

[David (N. Alabama)]

The custom exhaust looks good Chris. The new bike is cleaning up nicely.

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

Hey Chris, at the risk of sounding like an echo. I love it!
I've been searching for something different in an attempt to replace mine some day, I like the quietness of the Voyager but can't see the sense in two tips if they don't both work. Also one set on mine got crunched a tad and that made me sick. I've checked all the photos of others and even spoken to some that made alterations but what you've done is something like what I had in mind but just couldn't get an image in my head of how they would look. Thanks!

Very Nice Job!

[Mailman Joe]

Very nice job Chris

I have cobras on my bike and like the sound, I don't think their very loud, gives the exhaust a nice rich tone

[Chris near Kansas City]

The video doesn't do any of them justice, but it does give a hint as to what the Cobras sound like if you've never seen 'em in person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku_xSI5I22c

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

_____

Excellent job on that video Chris, you kept consistent and I believe you are right the 2 1/2 tips do sound just a bit quieter than O/E and yet still give a distinct look similar to the Cobra's!

[Rick near Kansas city]

He has the touch.

[Chris near Kansas City]

Actually Scott, the modified exhaust is louder than stock.

[Mr Jensee]

Chris, a little brush on silver heat resistant paint at the welds and you won't even notice them...

[chris.trombley]

sounds great and looks good i want to do something like that because my bike sounds like a chirping bird going down the road

[Chris near Kansas City]

Chris, it won't do much for the chirping bird, but it will give it some bite to its talons.

[Bruce in OK]

Have you considered that your handling problems may just be from your adding these tips........

Nawww--probably not.

[Chris near Kansas City]

Nawww--probably not.

Especially because they are not on that bike anymore :) That exhaust has been residing on the '90 since about 3 months after that post was made. I still kind of like the sound, but don't ask which pipes I'd rather have between them and the stock exhaust.

Was worried I'd messed one side up in Kanab. Was leaving Wendy's one night and didn't see the curb leaving the parking lot. Looked like a normal transition from the parking lot to the street, but couldn't stop the dire deed once it was in progress. Hit it hard enough I'd thought it was trashed, but it only scratched the edge of the tip a bit.