Drilling holes on my stock exhaust?

[Leo Vannucci]

Guys, I went ahead and drilled 6 3/8 holes on my stock exhaust. Here's what I think...

 

True, I can now finally hear my bike, both at idle and up on the higher revs and now I agree that crossplane engines sound so good, very addictive!

 

On the other hand, I noticed the throttle response is much smoother now, not as jerky as it was before... this feels good but I wonder if it means I just lost hp's?

 

I am at sea level, I hope that this mod doesn't affect the fueling, I mean, on every single video I've seen people say it actually made the bike run cooler and with no power loss, but I wasn't aware of their location.

 

Regarding the sound, I think it sounds best on the mid-range, idle isn't that great... I will definitely get the Akrapovic soon, I mean, yeah, as far as getting noticed and hearing the bike this mod works, but it'sm not the kind of tone I wanna be stuck with. It's cool but it has this nasal sound which has nothing to do with the low end rumble we all love.

[r1limited]

So drilling holes in a perfectly good exhaust makes you believe it performs better?

How many bikes have you actually owned , built, tuned?

[Leo Vannucci]

7 minutes ago, r1limited said:

So drilling holes in a perfectly good exhaust makes you believe it performs better?

How many bikes have you actually owned , built, tuned?

I believe you haven't read my posts, I never said that nor I believe that. By "run cooler" I meant that on the videos, people say the bike runs at a lower temperature than befopre drilling.

 

I don't get what you said, I did this to get a noticeable sound when riding and avoid getting hit by cars, remember I live in Peru, people aren't as polite as in other countries.

[r1limited]

Drilling holes in an exhaust does nothing but ruin a good exhaust "Dont care what other peoples videos say, I call them pozers"
Loud pipes do not safe lives it just pisses people off

 

Dont much care where you live, idiots in cages are idiots in cages. 

You are responsible for being safe, I wont apologies for being direct, I hate misinformation and the abounding ignorance on websites that get others to do the same.  Like putting antifreeze in the gas to stop it from freezing, ya stupid people follow those instructions.  Drilling holes in your exhaust made zero difference in temp, performance and only ruined a good exhaust

 

 

[Leo Vannucci]

3 minutes ago, r1limited said:

Drilling holes in an exhaust does nothing but ruin a good exhaust "Dont care what other peoples videos say, I call them pozers"
Loud pipes do not safe lives it just pisses people off

 

Dont much care where you live, idiots in cages are idiots in cages. 

You are responsible for being safe, I wont apologies for being direct, I hate misinformation and the abounding ignorance on websites that get others to do the same.  Like putting antifreeze in the gas to stop it from freezing, ya stupid people follow those instructions.  Drilling holes in your exhaust made zero difference in temp, performance and only ruined a good exhaust

 

 

LOL, ok, I guess it's "okay" for you to call people names and be unrespectful. I already said the reasons why I wanted to do this and what to expect and I got what I wanted and what I expected, I'm happy.

 

Regarding what you said about "being pozers", besides sound like you are 16 years old, I never did this to make myself believe I got a "full system exhaust for free", I mentioned many times that I'm getting an Akrapovic full system in about 4 months and I never thought my bike will gain "performance" from drilling the exhaust.

 

About what you said on "you are responsible for being safe"... besides wearing protective gear, do my turn signals properly and riding safely, that's about everything one can do. When you ride on a silent motorcycle, specially at night, you are nothing but a single headlight (on a single lamp motorcycle like the FZ07) on a car's rearview mirror and if the driver is slightly distracted he wont take the time to scrutinize the mirror and see you... if he doesn't HEAR you, you're toast. I've been riding here in Peru for about a year now and part of that time my bike was a Harley Davidson Dyna with some very loud pipes, I never had an issue with cars. On the other hand, it happens all the time with my FZ07, so hence the measure taken, since I don't have the money right away (for at least 4 months). I also did my research (even going to Yamaha's main store here in Peru and talking to the senior mechanics) and decided to this since it provides no damage to the engine as well as no power loss.

[michigan400]

25 minutes ago, r1limited said:

Drilling holes in an exhaust does nothing but ruin a good exhaust "Dont care what other peoples videos say, I call them pozers"
Loud pipes do not safe lives it just pisses people off

 

Dont much care where you live, idiots in cages are idiots in cages. 

You are responsible for being safe, I wont apologies for being direct, I hate misinformation and the abounding ignorance on websites that get others to do the same.  Like putting antifreeze in the gas to stop it from freezing, ya stupid people follow those instructions.  Drilling holes in your exhaust made zero difference in temp, performance and only ruined a good exhaust

 

 

 

I'm not as direct as you are,, but I can't disagree with any single word of that. I'm more of a "whatever helps you sleep at night" kind of guy. LOL!!

[godoy.rafa]

Traffic in Brazil (São Paulo and Rio) is also chaotic and being loud helps. Once a car turned into me and knocked me off, and the driver told me he didn't "hear" me... Crazy...

[Leo Vannucci]

26 minutes ago, michigan400 said:

 

I'm not as direct as you are,, but I can't disagree with any single word of that. I'm more of a "whatever helps you sleep at night" kind of guy. LOL!!

So you agree with me being stupid for doing this? hehe.

[Leo Vannucci]

6 minutes ago, godoy.rafa said:

Traffic in Brazil (São Paulo and Rio) is also chaotic and being loud helps. Once a car turned into me and knocked me off, and the driver told me he didn't "hear" me... Crazy...

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean.

[godoy.rafa]

3 minutes ago, Leo Vannucci said:

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean.

That's why I don't ride big bikes in the city animore (besides the danger of being robbed). I ride a Yamaha Crypton 115cc daily and my MT07 for travelling only.

[michigan400]

25 minutes ago, Leo Vannucci said:

So you agree with me being stupid for doing this? hehe.

No, I don't think your stupid at all. I did the same to a different bike a long time ago. It was just something I felt did more damage than good but didn't realize it until well after I did it. That's why I suggested extra marker lights instead. No permanent changes to the bike needed for those. That's the way to do it in my opinion. If it works well for you I will ladly say I was wrong. But I still wouldn't do it to my bike. Ride safe and have fun my friend!

[Leo Vannucci]

2 minutes ago, michigan400 said:

No, I don't think your stupid at all. I did the same to a different bike a long time ago. It was just something I felt did more damage than good but didn't realize it until well after I did it. That's why I suggested extra marker lights instead. No permanent changes to the bike needed for those. That's the way to do it in my opinion. If it works well for you I will ladly say I was wrong. But I still wouldn't do it to my bike. Ride safe and have fun my friend!

Gotcha! However, I don't think fo this as a permanent mod, it's just a transitory stage before I get my actual exhaust (Akra). It serves the purpose, the bike runs great apparently.

 

Thanks bro!

[mjh937]

@Leo Vannucci, you probably lost a fraction of an HP by drilling your exhaust, but I would be amazed if it was anything noticable.  If you are happy with it that is all that matters. Everyone has their opinion, but in the end all that matters is that your are happy with your bike. 

[jhoffa]

On 7/20/2018 at 1:01 PM, r1limited said:

Drill 1/2 inch holes in a spiral from each header to the Y.  One this for each header drill them in opposite directions this increases the mechanical disturbances in turbulence while increasing downdraft.  

This makes tons of HP

I'm getting my MT07 soon and I'm thinking of drilling holes. Most recommend 5/16 holes, but you recommend 1/2 inch. Got any vids or pics on it? I'm having trouble visualizing exactly where you're saying they should be drilled. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by jhoffa

[Mr.Puss]

On 7/19/2018 at 12:21 PM, michigan400 said:

I'm not trying to be "Buzz Kilington" here but,,,, my opinion is some additional marker lights or other high visibility items would get you noticed better and quicker than a little bit of extra sound.  I just don't think the desired results would be there for you. People pull out in front of loud Harley's every day. I doubt if they had a different pipe that was say 1-2 db louder, it would have made any difference at all 99.9% of the time. 

 

Just my 2 cents there. If you want it louder than go ahead and drill away. I prefer quiet and stealthy for myself but know a lot of others who dig the pipes and the sound. I like it as well, but just for a few minutes at a time.

I agree, a louder pipe may help but Ive always been of the opinion that more lights will get noticed faster than anything else and given the stock horn is a worthless POS I mounted a Stebel Nautilus @ 139db and when it blasts people all around really take notice.  I had to blast some halfwit imbecile who didnt look and cut me off in her mercedes SUV the other day, I saw her jump in her seat.

[klx678]

For those who think loud exhausts help, pay attention when going down the road and you see a motorcycle coming up behind you in your rear view mirror.   Once you see them think about when you actually hear enough sound to realize where they are.   It is usually when they are just entering your left or right side blind spot, several feet behind you.    Even when they are coming at you, you will notice the same thing - not loud until on top of you.   Just doesn't happen.   How many times have you been caught off guard by the approach of an emergency vehicle like a police car or ambulance?  And they have the source of the sound pointed forward in their direction of travel, where your bike has it going backward.   

I believe part of this is the Doppler Effect of wave propagation. 

Same thing with trains, you can't really hear the train coming, but as it goes by the noise is quite loud.  That's why people get hit by trains, they don't hear them until it is too late.  The horns help some, but again, louder when they finally are right by you than as they approach - and they are far louder than any motorcycle exhaust, at around 130 dB.

I remember riding home from Mid Ohio road races one afternoon, running around 65-70 mph.  Suddenly BAM! some guy blows by me at probably near 100 mph on a GSXR with a header - loud header.   I didn't hear him coming up and there was no time for any sort of action had there been a need, like something in the road.   The loud pipe didn't do a thing to help.    

But to make it simple, your loud pipes won't do anything to really effectively warn someone of your approach, so don't count on it doing anything until you are within a few feet, usually too late.   I'm betting if the data was collected, loud exhausts would be in equal representation in accidents related to failure to yield right of way, possibly higher.

If you want more sound, why waste time trying to justify it as some safety aid when it isn't able to be justified?   Just admit you want better tone or more volume.  Personally I want better tone on my bikes, but not with irritating volume.  I know it may increase the voume, but it can be done without going over 96 dB volume.

Edited July 17, 2020 by klx678

[FZ07R WaNaB]

1 hour ago, klx678 said:

But to make it simple, your loud pipes won't do anything to really effectively warn someone of your approach, so don't count on it doing anything until you are within a few feet, usually too late.   I'm betting if the data was collected, loud exhausts would be in equal representation in accidents related to failure to yield right of way, possibly higher.

It's interesting how people's experience differ as I totally disagree with you on this one. I've heard this argument for years on this forum and elsewhere. I hadn't decided which one was accurate until a couple of years ago when I was cruising in my truck with the windows up on one of America's more infamous roads - the Washington DC Beltway. I was doing around 70mph, and I heard what had to be a big bore crotch-rocket with loud pipes coming up fast from behind. This was not a case of me hearing the bike as it was beside my truck - it was significantly behind my truck when I first heard him, and he was hauling ass. When he passed, my FIRST THOUGHT was... Damn, now I have the answer about loud pipes being clearly heard from behind!

[klx678]

No you don't disagree with me, you disagree with science, the physics of sound and wave propagation.  The Doppler effect.   

However you may hear things it is all related to that.   You may just have a bit better hearing than someone playing on their cell phone, windows up and music playing.  Plus just how far is significant?  Enough to stop some old guy from switching lanes?

 

Oh, by the way, nice avitar.  A friend raced a CanAm like that, I think a 250, in hare scrambles and motocross back in the late 70s.

[FZ07R WaNaB]

1 hour ago, klx678 said:

No you don't disagree with me, you disagree with science

That line seems to get a lot of play these days

1 hour ago, klx678 said:

Enough to stop some old guy from switching lanes?

ABSOLUTELY

 

[geophb]

Loud pipe doesn't help in every situation.  And it defn is not a "safety" aid when passin in a gxxr at 100+. And I almost never hear bikes behind me while in my car, pipe or no pipe.  Where the exhausts exits on the bike is a big factor too.

But there has been multiple instances in my car where a motorcycle was in my blind spot and I defn hear the ones with the pipes vs the ones that don't. Which is why you/I LOOK before changing lanes.

BTW the Doppler effect has nothing to do with whether you hear the sound or not.

 

[cornerslider]

In my humble opinion (and that's all it is). I feel that I can hear bikes sooner than most people do. Not because I have super-human hearing, but because I'm a motorcycle enthusiast. I love the sound, and I usually want to check out the bike as they pass me. My dogs even notice the sound of a bike is "different" than most traffic. I've seen them wrestling in my yard, and hear a motorcycle - they stop what they're doing and "look". Granted, it's probably because they associate that sound with me coming home. I do find it interesting though.

For the general population traveling down the road, "loud pipes" DO NOT save lives. Let's say 15% of the population rides a motorcycle (or did at some point in their life). That's still 15% of the traffic out there that knows the sound of a bike, and maybe sub-consciously associate that sound with a good experience in their life (a motorcycle). A 15% improvement in being seen, or heard- I'll take that!!!

I don't have a "loud" exhaust on any of my bikes. On my FZ-07, I run an Akrapovic Ti, with the baffle in. When I'm riding, I don't like listening a loud exhaust. I do however, appreciate when others do. I can't imagine how bad I would feel if I ever hit a motorcyclist with my truck....

[klx678]

2 hours ago, FZ07R WaNaB said:

That line seems to get a lot of play these days

ABSOLUTELY

 

Unfortunately it is a very true line and clearly disregarded here in many places.

IF HE'S HARD OF HEARING?

 

1 hour ago, geophb said:

Loud pipe doesn't help in every situation.  And it defn is not a "safety" aid when passin in a gxxr at 100+. And I almost never hear bikes behind me while in my car, pipe or no pipe.  Where the exhausts exits on the bike is a big factor too.

But there has been multiple instances in my car where a motorcycle was in my blind spot and I defn hear the ones with the pipes vs the ones that don't. Which is why you/I LOOK before changing lanes.

BTW the Doppler effect has nothing to do with whether you hear the sound or not.

 

No, it has to do with propagation of waves of any sort.  But relating to sound, this was one dictionary definition:

Doppler effect:  an increase (or decrease) in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move toward (or away from) each other. The effect causes the sudden change in pitch, the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.,  noticeable in a passing siren, as well as the redshift seen by astronomers.   

High frequency sound versus low frequency sound:  The greater the frequency the higher the pitch, and the harder a sound is to hear. The lower the frequency, the lower the pitch. Lower frequency sounds are typically easier to hear than high frequency sounds.

Science, what a pain in the butt.

Of course each person has specific levels of hearing capability, which will affect the supposed "saving of lives" done by a loud exhaust.  If the excess noise actually worked  on everyone we'd see less straight pipe or race header equipped bikes involved in crashes.

But I guess we each rationalize our choices the way we want.  I am admitting the only reason I plan to put an aftermarket exhaust on my bike is for a tone that pleases me, but at the same time will not interrupt conversations of people dining in open air cafes beside the street as I ride by.  Some consideration for those who do not want to "hear the thunder".     

Edited July 17, 2020 by klx678

[geophb]

20 minutes ago, klx678 said:

I am admitting the only reason I plan to put an aftermarket exhaust on my bike is for a tone that pleases me

Thats the only reason I put mine on, well and I wanted to hear the motor for better shifting.

[klx678]

Don't forget the audible enjoyment too.