Safety v looks & sound

[desmophil]

Over the years there has been a zillion comments and queries about mufflers and tailpipes. One common, and apparently popular, conversion is to stick a stub on the end of the cat.

I have serious reservations about ending the exhaust anywhere short of the rear of the rear tyre. If the engine drops its guts you know where the oil spray is going to end up and what will happen next. It's a bit too risky for me.

Those who have played will know (as has been documented on this site) that the stock muffler without the cat sounds pretty much like the cat without the muffler. Personally, not my cup of tea. As reported some time ago, I got hold of a second-hand cat (free from a mate at a dealer), sliced it open, carried out some plumbing, and turned it into a 2 into 1 resonator. Too noisy without the muffler for me. Fortunately, this site's 'For Sale' section had a used Staintune at a fair price about 15 minutes from where I live (in Australia!). I made up a noise restrictor that is not as restrictive as either of the Staintune items and I reckon it sounds great. So it's horses for courses I guess. But I don't fancy the oil all over my back wheel choice.
Cheers.

[Beemeridian]

11

[desmophil]

Hi Beemeridian,

Perhaps this gets down to an interpretation of what 'dropping its guts' means. In the automotive culture with which I have been closely involved for the last 30 years, it does not necessarily mean a catastrophic failure such as a rod through the crankcase which would provide the outcome you seem to be suggesting. Or electrical failure if the rod happens to tear off the alternator :-). Terminology varies with geographic location.

It can simply mean some failure within the crankcase that makes the engine unservicable. For example: Our State police use suitably equipped R1200s. The local dealership has rebuilt the engines in a number of them because a piston has broken between the gudgeon pin and the bottom ring land making the rings somewhat unstable. This situation, or something like dropping the head of a valve through a piston will definitely result in oil vapour or worse coming through the exhaust. Over the years I have seen this happen to various engines but haven't personally had it happen to an R1150 BMW boxer engine.
Cheers.

[boxermania]

desmophil

Your point is well taken based on your experience and the part of the world you live in, however, in practice, at least stateside it would be as rare as a submarine with screen doors.......

[qfman]

Desmo -

I ran my R1150R without the exhaust for 5 years.

The engine did not "drop it's guts" but if it did I would hope that the reduction in horsepower, acrid smell and change in engine note would cause me to slow down before a minor contamination of the rear tyre caused me to loose any grip.

Tom

[Boxer]

There's another "safety" reason for not using that stubby pipe:

The constant rhythmic "bumping" noise coming from the pipe creates sound disturbances in the left inner ear which are almost imperceptible. I had my stubby pipe on for a little while but that noise began causing some problems and I put the can back on. It doesn't affect the people in Australia because the tornadic noise effect spoken of goes in reverse and therefore emanates "AWAY" from the rider.

I'm with you on this one Desmo. And like you I don't like the thought of the exhaust coming out right there in front (and slightly to the left) of my rear tire. But the noise problem is the biggest one...to me anyway...

[SLEDGE]

Desmo
How have you been run'n that bike that you are conserned about puken' a motor? I have never heard of one of these thing blowing up.

[Sparky]

Hmmmm....

I think you have a point, but I don't find it to be a particularly persuasive point.

Obviously one example does not a trend make, but in my many years of internet surfing I have never heard of a boxer motor blowing and sending oil out its tailpipe. Frankly, outside of very high-stress situations (such as race motors, where the engines are designed more for power than durability, or police work, as in the example you cite) have I ever heard of such instances on modern bikes.

Were I to make a not-so-great analogy, I would say it's like saying I don't want to ride a motorcycle because I may be struck by lightning. Yes, it's possible, but it's highly unlikely.

[wncbmw]

Considering the lightning storms I rode in coming home from this year's Bash, I would consider getting stuck by lightning a greater possibility.

There are lots of things that are more likely to happen and cause problems. (Blowouts, load straps catching in the wheel, debris from the road, deer, tractor trailers losing their load on you, cell-phone talking idiots, etc., etc.) If you are worried about that, you must have lots of other things causing you distress!

Honestly, when I have to start making decisions about the bike based on when my engine will blow up, it is time for a different bike!