How-To Mount Harley Mufflers - GL1100

[Roady]

I'm still lurking but alas, no scooter no more.

[CYBORG]

I'm still lurking but alas, no scooter no more.

[desertrefugee]

I'm still lurking but alas, no scooter no more.

Cool! The legendary Roady weighs in.

I know it sounds blasphemous here, but there actually is more to life than just motorcycles.

[Winger1957]

Welcome! I think you might find that a lot of folks that contributed to this thread have gone radio silent. The last post was three years ago.

Choice of exhaust is a pretty subjective thing, but many, many folks here have been very pleased with Harley takeoffs… Particularly the sportsters. I’m not sure why one of your criteria would be the bypass, typically if folks acquire a set with the bypass provision, they have to plug it. I was lucky enough to find a set that pre-dated that modification. It is not needed.

Also, I know that a lot of guys do use the extensions, but I installed the sportster mufflers directly onto my ‘78 header tubes. I used high temperature… Kevlar I think… Tape to fill in the gap and they fit just fine with no leaks. Clamped them down with, what else, Harley clamps.

The biggest task I had was fashioning the brackets out of steel bar stock. It’s a slam dunk.

Thanks for the reply. I know it is an older thread, but keeping the data in one place makes it easier for the next guy to find all of it, I suppose. I do like the look of those Sportster mufflers, which is important I also read that the Sportster mufflers are rather quiet when unmodified, which I prefer. Thanks for the tape and clamp info. I'll probably do that, too.

That bypass thing - I read somewhere that HD makes a left and right-side specific muffler and use the bypass to balance exhaust volume at higher RPM. Also that scavenging and engine performance can be impacted if there is no bypass. Have no idea if accurate, but I do know that the engine on my rough GL has a nasty little backfire on the right side at idle when cold. Plugs are good but mufflers are non-stock pure junk with no bypass. I cannot understand why some owners just trash their motorcycles.

I poured 1/2 bottle of B-12 Chemtool in the gas (about 1/3rd tank full) a few days ago and yesterday the engine protested significantly less and ran great in a couple of short tuns on my residential street. I owned a '76 in '79 (I was 19 and it was my first motorcycle) and know what a good one sounds like. Love that GL1000 engine.

[jimbo]

I have a set of sportster mufflers but there too fat to fit between the frame and my center stand, I guess I’ll get a set of emgo mufflers off Amazon see if they fit