Sportster Mufflers

brasco18 · Posted: July 5, 2007, 10:00 am Post subject: Sportster Mufflers

Has anyone put sportster mufflers on their XS? I have read about some people doing it. I had stock OEM '77 XS mufflers but they are shot and gotta go. I am having a hard time finding replacement OEMs for a reasonable price so in the mean time I bought a pair of sportster mufflers for 10 bucks. I can already tell that a hanger strap will be needed. I can also see a reducer sleeve will be needed. Am I also going to need a gasket there, or will the reducer sleeve be good enough? Has anyone installed sportster mufflers using MikesXS reducer sleeves? Did it work good?

sparklow · Full Member Joined: Feb 23, 2006 Posts: 36

I have Sportster mufflers on my '79. They work very well on an XS and are not particularly difficult to adapt. I cut off the original mufflers with a metal cutoff blade in my table saw - took all of two minutes. I used a bit of inch metal stock for hangers and I also made my own adapters. The fit of the Sportster mufflers to the original header pipes is tight enough so that you don't need too big an adapter to fill the space. I used strips of drywall corner bead which is a very soft pliable metal and easy to form around the header pipes. Put it together with a coating of silicone gasket sealer and use a good muffler clamp (I used the Sportster clamps) and you are good to go.

brasco18 · Posted: July 5, 2007, 10:27 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

For your hangers, where did you hang them from; the rear peg or the front peg?

sparklow · Full Member Joined: Feb 23, 2006 Posts: 36

I believe I used the same mounting position that Yamaha used. If tomarrow is a decent weather day I'll take a picture and post it. Took the XS for along ride today, those mufflers sound great to my ears.

brasco18 · Posted: September 24, 2007, 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

i am now going to try and put those muffs on. does anyone have any additional advice?

brasco18 · Posted: September 26, 2007, 12:23 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

I attempted tonight to put the sportster mufflers on but of course ran into some snags. The sportster mufflers don't really clear the foot brake on the right side, nor does it clear the frame. It does fit but doesn't point straight back, but a little bit out, at about a five degree angle. Do I have to bend the down pipes? Also, Dry wall corner bead? is there anything I could use that can be purchased in smaller quantities?

weekendrider · Posted: September 26, 2007, 5:36 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

For a shim you might try metal banding.
ost lumber yards have scrap from the lumber bundles.

jayel · Posted: September 26, 2007, 7:58 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

cut a aluminum can to make your shims

brasco18 · Posted: September 26, 2007, 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

And what about the other questions regarding clearance?

Tomterrific · Posted: September 26, 2007, 9:01 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

I helped a buddy install generic Sportster looking mufflers on his Special. The trick we used is a length of 1 3/4" exhaust pipe bought at an auto parts store for an extention. The pipe needed to be expanded a bit to slip over the stock inner pipe. We used an exhaust pipe tool to stretch the new extension pipe, pita. This stretched portion was forced over the existing inner pipe of the stock exhaust. The generic Sportster muffles were 1 3/4" so they fit right on after this. The exhaust pipe also spaces the mufflers back for clearance.

y suggestion is to find a muffler shop and get them to help make the 1 3/4" extension. Get everthing ready and they should be able to stretch a 1 3/4" pipe to fit. Everything is simple after that.

Tom Graham

brasco18 · Posted: September 26, 2007, 9:33 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

I never thought of that. That makes me think... This auto parts store that I frequent has a bunch of extensions right on the shelf. I will go there and see if by chance they have exactly what I am looking for. They have been pretty good about that thus far. Just 'cause I'm at work right now and don't have specs in front of me, do you know, off hand, what the OD is for stock down pipes on a '77? You say the sportster is 1 3/4"... is that ID? I am trying to get an "OD to ID " so I know what to look for.

xsjohn · Posted: September 26, 2007, 9:40 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

If an extension was needed a muffler shop could form an extension easily with the right ends.....then maybe heat it and tap it in for the brake lever clearance...too bad chrome shops are so expensive now.......

John

Tomterrific · Posted: September 26, 2007, 10:40 am Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

The muffler shop is the way to go. As I confusingly said above, the Generic Sportster look muffler my friend bought has a 1 3/4" internal diameter, you should measure the mufflers you buy. The 1 3/4" exhaust pipe extension was 18 gauge, I Think. You need to measure everything yourself as there are different thickness steels used for exhaust tubing. There should not be a problem if a muffler shop helps.

y friend already had his pipes cut when I came into the picture. As I remember he had the inner pipe sticking out of the outer pipe. I think he cut his Special mufflers off and left the inner pipe as long as he could. It's up to you to figure this out but I think the inner pipe needs to stick out because the outer pipe may interfere with the extension from going in.

y preference would be to have the shop bend a 'kick up' in the extension pipe so the muffler would be displayed at a rackish angle rather than straight back. I like that look.

Tom Graham

brasco18 · Posted: September 30, 2007, 11:39 pm Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

Well I put one pipe on so far. Ran out of time for the other. I haven't fired it up yet (since only one pipe is on) but it looks real good. I went to an auto parts store and found an exhaust pipe adapter. I used a 1 3/4" ID 1 5/8" OD adapter. The fit was so tight for the sportster muff I had to use a press to get it in there! Went in smooth though and it's sealed real tight. I used a 1" wide steel strip to make a hanging bracket. To connect it to the down pipe I used a 1 1/2" pipe clamp. It bowed the adapter pipe so i filled it with high temp silicon. The muffs are pretty much straights so I don't see a problem with back pressure blowing the silicon out. It's just there to seal it up. With everything tightened up it's rock solid. I was also able to put in new down pipe gaskets. I bought a set a while back but couldn't find the old gaskets and it didn't fit right with the new ones in. Turns out the old ones were so squished and blackened they were just hard to find. I will have to post some pics when I get it all done.

brasco18 · Posted: November 13, 2007, 2:47 pm Post subject: Re: Sportster Mufflers

Finally I can post some pics. Here is the finished product. I did this a while back but have not taken pics until now. For some reason, though, I cannot upload the close up pic of the right side. It looks pretty much the same as the left. To put these on I had to remove the center stand, which was no big deal for me since it was broken anyway.

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