05-25-2020, 09:15 PM
I'd like to demonstrate how to make a silencer for a short exhaust system on a motorcycle. This will not just reduce the volume of your pipes, but more importantly will give you the necessary back pressure to help reduce the risk of burning out your valves and what-not from running way to lean.
I'm basically just running my headers as my exhaust, so this is how I went about it.
You'll need a small diameter pipe that will fit into your exhaust. About half the diameter and preferably made of stainless steel. I placed the length of pipe into my header and measured where it needed to be cut.
Then I cut that and drilled holes every 3cm or so, alternating 90 degrees and offsetting by 1.5 cm. (See the pic)
Next, I drilled and tapped a hole in the header for a bolt to hold the silencer in place.
![[Image: silencer_1]](https://gaijinagain.com/silencer_1/)
Next, I wrap the silencer with steel wool. Again, stainless is best (or even heat resistant fiber glass if you can find it) then wrap that with wire to keep it in place. On the short front header, I needed to provide more back pressure, so I also stuffed the silencer with the much larger grain stainless steel (from a kitchen sponge type thing.) Make sure you do that before you wrap the outside, so when you run the wire through the holes, it also secures the steel wool inside the silencer.
![[Image: silencer_3]](https://gaijinagain.com/silencer_3/)
Now, carefully insert the silencer into the exhaust while rotating so the steel wool doesn't bunch up. When you you get it in place, tighten the bolt to hold the silencer pipe and you should be good. The picture below shows the placement of the silencer in the longer header pipe before the bolt was tightened.
![[Image: silencer_2]](https://gaijinagain.com/silencer_2/)
This method provided the bike with the back pressure needed to run smoothly and also gives me the opportunity to adjust the silencer when I feel it's necessary.
If you give it a shot, I hope it works out for you as well as it did for me.
I'm basically just running my headers as my exhaust, so this is how I went about it.
You'll need a small diameter pipe that will fit into your exhaust. About half the diameter and preferably made of stainless steel. I placed the length of pipe into my header and measured where it needed to be cut.
Then I cut that and drilled holes every 3cm or so, alternating 90 degrees and offsetting by 1.5 cm. (See the pic)
Next, I drilled and tapped a hole in the header for a bolt to hold the silencer in place.
Next, I wrap the silencer with steel wool. Again, stainless is best (or even heat resistant fiber glass if you can find it) then wrap that with wire to keep it in place. On the short front header, I needed to provide more back pressure, so I also stuffed the silencer with the much larger grain stainless steel (from a kitchen sponge type thing.) Make sure you do that before you wrap the outside, so when you run the wire through the holes, it also secures the steel wool inside the silencer.
Now, carefully insert the silencer into the exhaust while rotating so the steel wool doesn't bunch up. When you you get it in place, tighten the bolt to hold the silencer pipe and you should be good. The picture below shows the placement of the silencer in the longer header pipe before the bolt was tightened.
This method provided the bike with the back pressure needed to run smoothly and also gives me the opportunity to adjust the silencer when I feel it's necessary.
If you give it a shot, I hope it works out for you as well as it did for me.
My Bikes: SRV250, Ninja 250R