Awesome! Thanks for the response. I was thinking of Coring one can, and sticking with it without the baffle and then keep the other side as a toolbox in disguise. It looks like it'll be pretty easy to cut the end cap of at it's weld, clean it up and build a hinge and latch for it while plugging that portion of the exhaust. I'm unsure of which side makes more sense to keep functional, though. I see some people have removed the right side exhaust can, but I can't understand why they choose that one - it doesn't look like it would matter much. whatever I do, it's gon' have some pretty TIG welds on it.
It definitely helps. thanks! Depending on how much weight it saves, I'll turn one into a toolbox or remove it, coring the other.
I was think'in I'd remove the left side b/c that's the more abrupt turn in the tee-wye section of pipe.
I'll do that. I have no idea how long it will be. Probably months. There is one guy who did it already, but I can't recall the website. He visits this forum and might tune in.
Coring the Catalytic Converter was written up by High Five. Big Dog did a write up too but I couldn't find it. You will find the threads on ADV here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23115178&postcount=2499 Here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23115441&postcount=2501
Oh coring the cat isn't hard, what I want to see is an easy way to core the BAFFLE PLATE on the Strada!
It looks like a STAINLESS steel baffle plate - I hate drilling through stainless! I was hoping someone would tell me it popped right out with a hammer & 3/4 inch punch or something!
Yeah I saw that when I cored my cat. Still I think if you bought a 1/2" carborundum hole saw I think it would make fairly quick work of it.
I'll probably wait to see what Staintune comes up with, but unlike many I LIKE my bike sorta quiet. Too loud can become annoying over time + I like to keep under the radar with the fuzz.
Me also... I like to ride on rear wheel a few times every time out. If staintune is not happening....than cut and core will work for me also.
Got my Terra back from the suspension shop yesterday. What a difference, love it! I will talk with Staintune ASAP and get the bike to them at the first chance I get. I am also hopeful of keeping this Staintune pipe thing fairly quite we have a particular Hwy Patrol Officer nearby that will always pull up a bike for making just a little noise. We'll all find out soon enough.
I don't need the fuel range with Safari tanks onboard but this is really a top idea. I can't imagine Staintune developing this or havn't heard of them even developing actual storage cans, just dummy cans. I can only ask. It might be too big of a PITA for them.
Quirky, I am not expecting Staintune to make the tank. I will have that fabricated separately. I just need the space and that space is perfect for about 3 - 4 litres which for me is just what I require. Regards, M
Hi Slowflyer, sounds great. I think that a 3-4 litre tank would be a perfect and very popular option. Cheers, Q
OK...same here. There's nothing special at all to the Staintunes apart from their superb finish...technically, they're a dime-a-dozen. (I've cut open a few of them and was agast at what's in them...or rather, the lack of it). THere's nothing more than an outer tube, 2 end-caps, a couple of hanger brackets, a perforated centre-pipe wrapped into S/S fine-mesh wool (like your 000-sized fine steelwool from the hardware/ household shop) wrapped in turn in S/S "pot-scrubbers" (coarse, doughnut-shaped S/S wool pads) All that shoved into the outer tubing, weld up the caps, weld in the rear spout and that's it. All components are pre-fabbed and available from exhaust-component suppliers. Outer tubing comes in 20ft length, endcaps, spouts, "stuffing/ wadding" (either fibreglass or S/S wool), perforated pipe and the usual 40/45/50 S/S tubing come in stock length and/ or pre-fabbed. The "secret" and "mystique" are purely in the mix+match of diameter and lengths of tubing used for inlet/ outlet and the type of perforation of the inner-tube, possible "obstructions" like wedged "nicks" intruding into the gas-flow and the mix and amount of "wadding" used as well as its positioning. There are some basic physical principles behind gas-flow, speeding up or slowing down flow, creating backpressure or "letting it go". No rocket-science here...just fairly simple logic. I used a Staintune 100mm round "made for" an early '80s Yamaha TT600 single.... re-arranged brackets, shortened the standard length of 480mm to a 370mm "stubby" and re-packed the wadding with a little more coarse S/S wool (the pot-scrubbers), increased the inlet from 45 to 50mm and build a fairly sharply curved 18" long mid-pipe from 50mm S/S (the sharp bends created more back-pressure, the bigger pipe created a slower flow) as an under-seat exhaust for a highly-modified V-Strom 650 twin... The work was done in the home-garage with very basic tools, the welding + polishing done by some pro's in the neighbourhood, materials bought from a custom-exhaust shop close-by. For a bunch of guesswork and a first try, going by logic and gut-feel only, it turned out an absolute cracker!! Not loud, preserved the engine braking, sweet pickup, no holes or stutters right through the rev-range, no popping, no farting, punchy down low (straight pull from 2000rpm to 10.500rpm redline in any gear). No Power-Commander, no tweaking electronics, mapping....just bog-stock stuff. And nothing's changed in 4 years of riding it. Bought a set of Staintune Ovals for a late Trumpy Sprint ST, cheap, because one had a dent. Used the good one as was! but increased the inlet from 45 to 50mm again, build a 50mm mid-pipe and hooked it onto the stock 45mm system of another 650 V-strom....another sweet combo doing all the right things without a penny spent on all the bullshyte. The 2., dented can was again unchanged but opened to a 50mm inlet with a 50mm midpipe for a 650 KLR single. While cosmetically a bit questionable (as it's now on the wrong side, showing a little of the welding seam underneath the tail plastics), it took 20 mins to cut and re-position the hanger bracket, make up a new rear bracket to suit the bike's existing mounting points, this one shows that for a big Thumpa there's a touch to little "wadding" in the can itself. A little loss of engine-braking (back-pressure), but one hell of a pick-up down low. Just by feel, the KLR has gained a HP or two, opened up the bottom and mid-range, but at the cost of engine-braking and a little too much noise for my taste (no problem, really...but I like my bikes fairly quiet nowadays...close to stock). Again, didn't change fueling at all, not fiddling with carbs and needles or whatever. Buy a 2. hand Staintune off any other single or twin (SV650 or so), carefully grind away the weld on the inlet side (so you can re-use the cap), get some more S/S wadding coarse and fine, re-jig the hangers and refab a new 50mm mid-pipe from behind the left frame-strut to the left-hand side rear....or even the right, to keep more bends/ back-pressure in the system. Or keep that as an option, if the left side version finishes up popping and farting/ leaning out etc. The mid-pipe will be the crux, it's bloody tight in there and increasing the pipe-diameter won't help things. Use the good one as a sample...I'm in for the 2 one :-)) As for the $$...A$130 for the 2 Trumpy cans with a small box of 45mm Y-pieces and other junk, A$20 postage, A$20 for 2 new 50mm SS exhaust clamps, A$40 for some bits and pre-fabbed elbows of 50mm pipe, $20 polishing, A$70 for welding and flaring/ notching pipe (all of it in beer)....and lots and LOTS of time and fiddling. 2 exhausts (one V-Strom/ one KLR) A$300, both Staintunes. THe V-Strom has clocked 20.000km+ without a single hiccup, the same goes for the just recently finished KLR (4000km thus far).
That'd be awesome!! I doubt they'll come to the party though. That's a whole different ballgame with fuel-lines, pumps, the associated legal responsibilities etc.... Can of worms...
Plan is that Staintune will get my bike for around 10days and it will be delivered to them Friday the 14th February. See what happens.
