Need 500XC Silencer/SA, stock best, or look for another????

One of the few remaining bigger parts I don't have for my 500XC project is the silencer with spark arrestor. The bike is an 85, being fitted with 87 plastics. Might actually switch to an 87 main frame. But, I'm interested in the quietest silencer/arrestor I can find, or even build/fab.

Was curious about sound levels, and what is now legal in forests as far as SA's are concerned. Are the old OE SA's still legal? And is there any reason to pursue something other than stock.

My guess is, that outside of either fabbing, or adapting some monster sized non stock part, that the OE silencer/arrestor may be still the way to go. When I used to ride years ago, I always stayed on top of keeping the silencer clean and freshly packed, and I know that is key with any silencer.

Any knowledge on if the old SA is still legal?

And any knowledge of gains to be had with something other than stock?


PS: I noted a new FMF universal one, but the inlet ID may not be big enough.

Thanks guys, appreciate it.

Sorry I can't comment on US forestry noise regs, but here are my experiences with noise:

• Agree with you on packing being the key.
  
• The European WR silencers are longer and fatter (than XC and CR silencers) and should therefore be quieter, but they have no spark arrestor. Maybe you could add a universal S/A to a Euro WR pipe? I think you can get simple universal spark arrestors these days that don't clog.
  
• Try clamping a rubber connector between the expansion chamber and the silencer. Many vintage bikes did this. The Husky has an o-ring, but I don't think it's too good at keeping the noise in (look at the colour of the inside of your left side panel. If it's black, noise is escaping as well as soot).
  
• I've heard that the universal FMF pipes aren't particularly quiet, but have not tried one myself.
  
• I have tried a db-snorkel. That does cut down the noise considerably but it also richens up the carburetion and makes the bike feel like it has a flywheel weight installed - not a bad thing for the trail, actually it was very smooth. It does look a bit weird.
  
• The WRs had double layered expansion chambers to cut out the ring-ding-ding two stroke orchestra! If noise is an issue, it doesn't just come out of the rear of the silencer. You could try finding a WR expansion chamber or wrapping yours in heat-wrap. I don't know whether this would adversely affect performance.
  
• Presume your bike is water cooled, so no fin-ringing!
  
• Lastly you could put some sponge between the bottom engine cases and a skid plate. That's supposed to mop up some engine noise.

Hope that helps.

I doubt with the thin stock exhaust pipe/expansion chamber you can pass a sound test. Last enduro I entered and it was a few years ago they were supposed to test at half rpm of max hp they have a device vibration sensitive to press against the bike and a sheet of bikes. I kind of suspect they let you go if you passed at idle and they recognized you. I had a ktm 200 with the hockey stick silencer which is about a quiet as anything you could get and after I passed I twisted the throttle and was able to see a reading of over 100 at the prescribed distance. If you look at that bike Kelly just got you might see what looks like a pipe guard held on by thin hose clamps, that is the closest thing to a double wall pipe I have ever encountered in any of these things.

Other things, I know when you buy stuff folks tell you what year it is, it is kind of funny some guys fudge the year down to save on property taxes and others fudge the year up which is usually the case with dirt bikes. The 87-88 frame will need the 87-88 tank or perhaps modified for the through bolt on the 85-86 tank. The top shock mount is more offset to the side on one of them not sure about the bottom linkage attachment point but suspect that as well.

Pro circuit kx500 silencer was quieter but not spark arrestor and I modified a bunch of stuff on the bike I used it on. I do not like the aftermarket exhaust packing even using two packages or one and a fraction of a package I have yet felt it came out like original in sound reduction. Basically I got a kx500 pipe and silencer and cut every weld and fitted to the bike, it came out pretty good and I was able to smooth out that abrupt turn right out of the cylinder though the Husky is much tighter to the front wheel than most other stuff. It is for a 430 and I think it will still work for a 500, the bike sounds like a modern bike, the pipe was much thicker.

Great info. Really appreciate the input guys. Big help. I just learned a bunch of good info from both of you.

How would custom fitting a KX500 pipe affect the power on an 85-87 500XC???? Pipe design on the two strokes has always been something I'd like to explore. Always wondered how the diameters and locations of them are determined, and the effects going one way or another is suppose to alter power outputs.

I would think my easiest and cheapest option might just be to take a readily available KX500 pipe and silencer/sa and make that work.

I did get a pipe with my project bike, but I don't believe it's the stocker, and I have no real idea which aftermarket one it is. It's real thin and light. Bike had FMF stickers on it, and I believe had atleast an FMF silencer prior to my getting it. But not sure what the FMF pipes looked like off the top of my head to ID my pipe. The pipe I have has been tweaked a fair amount, and will require being cut apart and straightened as well as having dents removed, then welded back together. So, perhaps I should just try to get a nice and thick KX pipe, and fit that.

So how does one ID a thicker pipe over the internet? Like if looking at one on ebay? Are all the later model KX pipes thicker, or only certain brands? Was already eyeballing a KX 500 silencer sa I thought I could adapt pretty easily.

I defineltly want to make the bike as quiet as possible, without seriously hurting power output. I could tolerate a tiny hit to power output, because I'm imagining I could bring that back with perhaps a little port work.

I really doubt pro circuit or fmf ever made pipes for your 500 water cooled bike. Dyno port does make a pipe for the 400, 430, and 500 all the same part number. They call it a high volume pipe and they also make a silencer for it. I have not seen even a picture of it though it is really cheaper than the labor plus buying a new kx500 pipe and silencer and cutting it up like I did. I chose that model because it has the stroke closest to a 500 husky even though I have only used mine on a 10 mm shorter stroke 430 so far. The main thing different is the stock pipe goes out left then right then up and back while the kx pipe which has to be wrapped opposite of the way it comes goes out over back forward over to the other side then up and back gaining length. The way the flange bolts to the husky cylinder in my instance was a terrible fit and I am sure I gained a lot by grinding on the flange to match the aluminum passage from the exhaust port. I cut the part which goes into the flange off a junk husky pipe and the kx pipe had to be shortened in the beginning but I found somewhere else to put that piece I took out farther back. I wasn't wrapping it to the frame you are thinking of either. I just got the newest model pro circuit pipe available at the time. Later I bought a used one on ebay which was older and used but it wasn't exactly the same and of course had dents.

Over the years I have tried all sorts of ways to get dents out and have decided cutting holes to pound through with drifts and cutting open to straighten and then welding up isn't the hot way to go. Plugging the ends purging with inert gas, I use carbon dioxide and then pressurizing and heating is the way to go. It is rather dangerous if the plugs come out but at least the thing won't blow up. You also get to see where all the leaks are if any.

Sorry I don't know how to make the pictures come up like most of the other ones do




you can see I have left room to go to the shock and swingarm which comes with the frame I have used.


ebay special kx500pipe $40+- delivered then dent removed.


dent removal equipment for plugging and pressurizing

That Dyno Port Big Volume pipe is good to know about. Wonder what the big volume part has to offer.

I actually wouldn't mind finding a nice stock 500 pipe, with the heat shield the stockers have. Thus far haven't located one, but haven't put huge effort into it either.

Clearly alot of work to adapt the KX pipe over. I like your dent removal technique. Sounds kinda scarey fun, but it works.

While not quite as wild looking as the adapted KX pipe above, I just snagged a stock 86 500XC pipe that popped up on my radar. Was wanting a good stocker with the cool OE Husky heat shield. So, have that covered now.

Just need to nail down the silencer now.

Here's the pipe I just snagged. Few dings, and needs some serious refinish work, but it's not taco'd like the one that came with my pile of parts/bike.

Should be fun to try stock pipe against others I might find.

Guess I'm now needing the biggest thickest silencer SA I can find, that I can refinish to a nice appearance. I want this baby to be as quite (within reason) as a 500 Husky can be.

l have a period answer pipe on my 1985ish 500, it has the " US FORESTRY SERVICE APPROVED" stamp on it. Would this still pasify them though, l have no idea.

l got it on evilbay for $14.99 'buy it now' judjing the rest of the sellers stuff i expect he had it up at $149.99 and made a booboo (Fugisfactory)

Noise, is relative, i cannot comment.

Packing also effects performace and needs to be played with in order to get best results.

Oooh, Fugisfactory. I just had it out with that guy the other day. I wound up asking him to put me on his blocked bidders list, so there was no way I'd accidently get involved in dealing with him in the future, because of his ethics and morals. Or lack there of.

Yeah, you got a smokin deal and he would have most certainly had that way way way up there price wise. 100% that was a decimal point error on his part. Guy thinks his stuff is gold, and if your not paying real close attention, he'll try to burn or con you in a heart beat.



So this was the silencer you got right, not the pipe at 14.99 with the "Approved" stamp????

I just got the fellow I bought the stock pipe from, to toss in the outer housing of the stock 500XC silencer (that's all the bike had, missing core and SA), for a few bucks more. So, guess I may even try lenthening a stocker with the stock arrestor. If that will fly. I generally don't like them real long and sticking out far, but I'm getting old, and know this beast is gonna be kickin out some DB's and I want to ride in some forest areas in the NW. So, maybe what I'll do is make one big dog lengthened stocker, and have another better looking one for riding when I don't care, or want to draw attention (like dune riding). Depending ofcourse on any performance impact either might have. But with this other housing (only) coming, I could certainly then get another drilled core tube, and lengthen another complete stocker. Just a thought.

yes thats one factory i wont be buying again from either.. what I was promised did not come close .. excellent condition turned out to be pitted gears...

Yah Tuff it was the tailpipe. i belive thats the important bit that they look at though, saying that its been awhile since i rode in the States.

there was/is a works 500 expansion pipe for sale at $99 (sectional welded) on the evilbay, though another seller, i didnt get it, trying to separate the needs from the wants


Fugis factory is a joke, it made the pipe really 'sweet'! He has a habit of listing parts with a whole skew of models, only to find it only fits one, he did it to a buddy of mine, he asked him if a pipe would fit a 2 smoke, only to get sent a 4stroke pipe, he just got a load of verbal from the guy when he tried to get it sorted. lts quite funny, he trys to sell used pistons for more than they are new!

Most have come across contractors that operate the same way, throw out sky high bids just to see what sticks.

LOL, yeah, that factory pretty much sucks ***. There are actually some folks on there, that are trying to truely both make people happy, and make a living. With absolutely bend over backwards to make you happy beyond professional customer service. Then there's the other extreme, which is the above mentioned. They had a pipe for sale once that had 3 pics in the listing, and every pic was far away, and of the backside that doesn't take the brunt of the wear. I remember asking for more close up pics so I could see the condition of the whole other side and bottom of the pipe, and the reply back was something like "the pics in the listing show everything there is to see, no need for more pics". That was a while back. Just recent, was the fellow claiming he had another silencer that he would find, and send me pics of. Then he contacts me with this "it looks like the other one but better" message. I asked for the inlet ID size. His answer "it's the same as whatever you already have" LOL. I finally get pics from the guy, and it's this other rough looking one he already had for sale. Same pics, not even new pics, and he gives me a price 30 bucks higher. I totally called him on the pics, and the whole sequence of my very specific questions, and the lame *** answers he gave in reply. Dude can accept zero fault, he's the one perfect person on the planet, so much smarter nobody will see through his snow job BS. It was really stupid funny calling the guy on stuff. He was saying he didn't say things in previous messages, then I was like dude, all that stuff gets saved automatically in ebay messaging. Liar, here is what you said. I'd copy/paste the whole reply with the ID time and date right there. He'd still deny that was what he said.

Anywho, a silencer, and then some gaskets, and I think 2 or 3 specific gears for the trans, and this project will be ready to launch. Other than a few other incidentals, I've almost got a complete 85/86/87 500XC in parts. And duplicates and triples on a few things. Getting real excited to have my first Husky, and not just any, but essentially the one I once dreamed of owning. Even if it will be a Frankenbike.

Sorry to hear about your friends run in with him on the pipe, that would piss me off LOL.

Yeah, the silencer/arrestor is what I believe they simply focus on. Some areas they might even pull out a DB meter, but I haven't gotten that far looking into it yet.

I spotted that "Works" pipe on there. Looks pretty hurtin, but with work potentially saveable. I have been tempted, but at that price, and the way the welds look, I've thus far taken a pass too. That thing needs a whole lotta work to look good. I could make it look better than it ever has redoing many of the welds, etc., but....at that point. Man, it just needs a lot of labor/love. Poor thing.

What do you deal with up in Canada???? Same thing, need to have a approved spark arrestor up there to?

Oi, nothing wrong with frankenbikes

or bitsas for the antipodeans

or Hybrids if yer 'PC'- or perhaps 'Nu Labour' Lol

......................Tuff, you will LOVE your 500cc, enough torque to pull start a small planet, enough power to make you squeal!

Can't wait, finally getting there. Slowly but surely. The working on it part should be fun. Been a long time.

HVA silencer with sparks arrestor. Don't know the year !

Thanks Michel, great pics. That looks like a good one from what I can see. What does HVA stand for???? Husky silencer with Answer arrestor?

HVA = HusqVarnA

Cool, hadn't noted that abbreviation before. The learning never stops!