How-To Mount Harley Mufflers - GL1100

[bikerdad5]

I had road kings on yamaha venture-v4 engine, all you do is punch out all the junk and soft plugs from both muffs. used a old tire iron ground to a chisel end, then used a 3/8 dirive 21mm snapon impact socket and long extension to bend over the remaining plugs inside the muffs. Then I put 1 1.5 inch od auto engine soft plug from the engine side so it would not blow out during use, you may have to spread it out to get snug in muff but is easy to do.

[skeddie]

those sporty mufflers are cool, and look good. my 2 questions are, how do they sound? and what about the cross over tube? is that still used or is it eliminated?

[Roady]

No crossover required. Those are 2003's and did not come with one.

There are a couple of videos in the first post of this thread that'll give you a taste of the sound.

[tlbranth]

A lot of pictures are not showing up on this thread. Have any of you who've done this swap made allowance for expansion? I assume that's what the wrap-around gasket was for originally.

[robin1731]

A lot of pictures are not showing up on this thread. Have any of you who've done this swap made allowance for expansion? I assume that's what the wrap-around gasket was for originally.

I think the gasket was more for sealing and ease of removal down the road. All the aftermarket pipes I've put on use no gasket. Just a tight fit pipe to pipe. Along with a clamp. No leaks or pipes falling off.

[Roady]

I'll restore the images.

[tlbranth]

I'm looking to mount Bonneville mufflers to the '75. The muffler has a 35 degree downturn where it meets the header. So I cut up a 90 degree mandrel bend to get 2 35's out of it and welded some straight pipe to the stub ends. I figured that after fit-up when everything is cut to length, I'd weld my new pieces directly to the manifolds (after cutting off the stubs coming out of them). My new pieces would then be clamped tight to the mufflers and the mufflers hard-bolted to the rear footpeg mounts. Good idea except for expansion. Isn't something going to break in a rigid setup like that?

[robin1731]

I'm looking to mount Bonneville mufflers to the '75. The muffler has a 35 degree downturn where it meets the header. So I cut up a 90 degree mandrel bend to get 2 35's out of it and welded some straight pipe to the stub ends. I figured that after fit-up when everything is cut to length, I'd weld my new pieces directly to the manifolds (after cutting off the stubs coming out of them). My new pieces would then be clamped tight to the mufflers and the mufflers hard-bolted to the rear footpeg mounts. Good idea except for expansion. Isn't something going to break in a rigid setup like that?

There are a lot of HD pipes mounted similar to this. Just without the welding. I've heard of no one having one break. I have not had any problems with any that I've done.

[CYBORG]

I have Harley mufflers on my 77. Have for years. No problem. But they are not welded to the headers

[robin1731]

To be honest I don't like welding them up. It makes for a pretty heavy and awkward piece if you ever take them off. And much harder to change mufflers if you decide to later on.

[CYBORG]

I've never ever even considered welding the mufflers on. For all the above reasons, and a few more

[Roady]

Pics in the first post have been restored.

I also added an update covering the extensions I added to shoot the exhaust past my panniers.

[Roady]

Pictures restored in post #1.