Terra Exhaust-ectomy

I am a old guy. One of reasons I got a Terra was so I could pick it up by myself.
Weight is an issue on all D/S bikes.
So WHY oh WHY does the Terra (as well as the BMW F650) have two exhausts.
Looks like a styling thing.

The could drop 15-20 lbs by getting rid of the left hand exhaust.
This could done by cutting and welding a plate over the Siamese where the two pipes connect.

The pipe diameter is large enough for a 650.

The question:
Has anybody contemplated this operation.
I am contemplating removing the right hand pipe, inserting a plug as far I can get it down the stub, and having the bike dynoed (before and after) to see what the issues (if any) arise.

I am surprised that this simple (and very significant) weight reduction hasn't been tried before.

Please chime in with any possible issues.... back pressure, mixture etc.
Would not the FI automatically make some adjustments?

I know this would invalidate the balance of my warranty.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Kevin

Do it, I'm curious

I've been waiting for someone to jump on this. Good luck.

x2...and if your going to dyno it anyways...May as well put a power commander on and tune it for the pipe

Yep, I think many of us have been wondering about this, but with it being a new bike, nobody has taken the plunge.

Late last year I contacted a bunch of aftermarket pipe makers and they all pretty much said that they may interested in making something later on in the year (too many projects already in the works). Just gotta keep calling them back and see if/when they are ready.

AFAIK, stock ehausts with header pipes are 13,5 kg = 28 lbs (read it somewhere, confirmation needed).

I'd rather wait for proper aftermarket street-legal 2-in-1 (that is absolutely necessary for EU). Should be roughly ~18 lbs save and with better power/noise ratio.

Still happy to see whats the final effect.

I think it's as much for exhaust volume as anything - most big thumpers have one huge muffler, the Terra and TE 630 get two much smaller ones.
I put the expensive Leo Vince single exhaust on my TE 630, but it turned out to not be compatible with the Uptite Racing skidplate, so I sold the single Ti exhaust and got their aluminum dual setup....which I ended up liking the mellower exhaust note of.
There's a bit of weight to be saved, but it's not going to make a gigantic difference on a 400+ lb bike.

I'm more interested in removing the exhaust from one side so I can mount an auxiliary fuel cell there instead. I'd like to make it look like the original exhaust if possible.

I think if there was a single exhaust that wasn't obnoxious available for the bike I would be interested. I think the weight savings ARE huge! Where else could you cut off 20 lbs from the bike and free up some space for a fuel can / tool tube.

A single exhaust and a Shorai on my TE630 was worth a smooth 20 pounds and small change. That's a LOT and maybe the only way to pare down the Terra. There is a massive amount of steel in the frame; nothing to be done about that. I suppose someone could go crazy and make up an aluminum swing arm for a few more pounds.

I will wait for one of the major aftermarket exhaust folks to make up something for the Terra but whether they build a can, or you do it yourself, the bike will need to be tuned after the change. I don't think you can do that without something like the JD Tuner or Power Commander V, so plan on more bucks out the door. If you plan to keep the Terra long term though, the money will be well spent.

Now, I'm still thinking about what can be done to the timing to let regular gas be used when needed. Any reports or experiences along those lines?

Well, if it is any consolation, every gas station I stopped at over my first 600 miles only had regular fuel. I couldn't tell a difference.

And.... keep in mind that at full throttle the EFI is working to full capacity. No room for growth there.

What I had in mind by my comment on regular has to do with folks who wander far afield in less developed countries, like Mexico and everything south of there. My buddy Kevin is headed to Tierra Del Fuego and I doubt there is a lot of high test along the way. That probably applies to the route to the Arctic as well, but I don't know that for sure. Kevin's Terra is about to get the ultimate smoke test!

THAT would be the ultimate mod for the Terra. Might be costly though me thinks - but still interesting idea

I have been using regular and/or premium from mile one in my Terra. I don't think I can feel or hear a difference. No pinging or lack of power with regular. Maybe that will change when the weather is getting hotter? Maybe the boosterplug that I have installed makes a difference?
My dealer Bill from BMP in Salem, OR told me not to worry about the grade of fuel to much. Would be nice to get more feedback from other members of this forum on that issue.

This is my first fuel injected bike. Also my first liquid cooled bike. (I'm old school) So take this with a grain of salt.

On my carbd and air cooled bikes, I'll run regular Fall-Spring, and run premium in the Summer. Higher octane will burn at a lower temperature, hence using it in summer. I've run a few tanks of both in the TR, and never noticed a difference. Switched from premium to regular midway through a 190mi ride and still didn't notice a difference. Given the liquid cooling, we'll see how things go this Summer, but I continue to not notice the difference, I'll save a few bucks.

What I'm more interested in is how it handles ethanol enriched fuel. That crap sucks!