| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
Everytime I see a new latest and greatest I'm always disappointed that the bike has a muffler way back along side the rear wheel. Buell has spoiled me with the under-slung muffler. To me that is the only place that is proper. When I get off the bike it never burns my leg. I never have to deal with it when working on the back wheel. All that weight is where it should be. Notice how many of these other manufacturers have to make cut outs in the hard bags to accommodate the rear end mufflers. Look at that Multistrada and how the bags are affected. Bad engineering and only because they can't be seen copying Buell. | ||
| Desmo900 |
Amen Brother! Preach it. | ||
| Ulykan |
I couldn't agree more. Just look at the new Triumphs, they build a wonderful new bike and then spoil it with a monstrosity of a muffler. If not for that ugly muffler the new Triumphs would be very appealing. The MS isn't quite as ugly but why do companies continue to ruin great bikes with poor muffler design. Look at the metric bikes mufflers too. They have HUGE mufflers that completely ruin the look of the bikes. Erik had it right and I love the underslung muffler. It's out of sight and out of the way where it should be. | ||
| Buellerxt |
I agree. Muffler design/placement doesn't seem to get much attention by those designing motorcycles. Buell did it right, not only with the muffler but in MANY ways! The Multistrada, since you mentioned it, gets a lot of print lately, and I'm sure it's a fun toy, but a chain on a $20,000 bike(?), LOL, angled bags, etc, that would make a triangle blush, not for me. I was out on my Uly yesterday thinking of all the ways my bike beats that Italian diva! lol For each his own, no doubt, and thankfully I bought this baby! (Message edited by buellerxt on October 29, 2010) | ||
| Hooper |
Yep, what you see a few of them doing now are stubby little mufflers way down low on the right. That's nice, but it still upsets the weight balance. Putting it underneath would force them to redesign the bike...who wants to up and have to go that far? | ||
| Ulykan |
Hooper, you may be right on re-designing the entire bike but did't Triumph and/or Ducati just build completely new bikes? Perhaps they continued using the same frame from older models. Regardless, Triumph's muffler is UGLY and it REALLY stands out. Surely they could have designed it better than they did. It may be designed that way for EPA requirements, I'm unsure but it is a aesthetic failure IMO. BMW is similar to Ducati iirc and it fails too. Why can't designers come up with a more pleasing exhaust? Thank you Erik! | ||
| Mnrider |
My buddy tipped over his DR350 and got a nasty burn on his leg-ouch! | ||
| Hangetsu |
I hate to spoil the party, but Buell's muffler design has one shortcoming that none of the other's do. Design & engineering aside; making an muffler out if mild steel and mounting it in a place that collects avery chunk of road crud & winter salt seems a bit foolish to me. Bikes that cost less come with at least stainless mufflers and sometimes even titanium. Don't get me wrong, I love my Uly and nearly everything about it, but as I reported here when the muffler on my brand new '09 rusted out in 4000 miles, one should not have to put up with this on a bike that costs more than 10K. I know there are those of you who'll tell me to quit whining, hit it with BBQ paint and be done with it, but my point is, with a premium "world class" motorcycle, one shouldn't have to. This is an "Adventure Bike" and the materials it's made of should be able to stand up to all the elements of an adventure. Making a muffler out of stainless of some other non-corrosive material would not have been such a big deal. | ||
| Buellerxt |
I agree with you on the metallurgy, Hangetsu. Good point. I have it a bit better down here in Texas with no road salt, etc., but I 'may' have found a remedy, at least for some. Strong emphasis on the 'may'! My muffler looks brand new, and I mean BRAND NEW after 7000 miles after treating it, when new, with S100 Corrosion Inhibitor and re-treating it, after cleaning, several times since. Now, I haven't ridden it in the rain yet and it hasn't been off road. I do agree with you on the metallurgy though and talk of ugly, corroding mufflers was the heads up I luckily got before taking delivery of the bike. | ||
| 7873jake |
As long as you keep hitting it with the S100 C.I., even after a rain storm, it will keep it looking good for some time to come. Heavy rain (or a pressure washer) has a tendency to wear the C.I. down and expose the metal again to allow rust but as long as you keep touching it up, you should be fine. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
There was some aluminum colored rattle can paint on the shelf so I sanded the surface as best I could and painted it right while it was still attached. It isn't high temp paint but has held up for months. I've read where so many have broken the exhaust stud so I shy away from removing that muffler. I'll just continue to paint it in place. | ||
| Skinstains |
The later year XB's have certainly been beat with the frugal stick. I have an 03 XB, an 04 XB, an 05 XB, and an 09 XB. Apparently some bean counter (H-D Scum ?) beat the hell out of the 09 as all of it's fasteners as well as the header and muffler are suffering terribly from exposure. My 09 looks far worse than my 03 ! Why bother using "stainless" if it's so low grade that it rusts ? By the way, EB didn't invent the underslung muffler, the "inside out" rotor or the fuel in frame. He probably would have if he was born 100 years earlier though and he still gets mad props for using them. | ||
| Itileman |
Lucky for me that Montana doesn't use salt on the roads. They do, however, believe that pea gravel is the answer for traction. Not so good on the twisties when the snow melts. | ||
| Buellhusker |
One other thing about the bikes with the muffler coming out very close to the saddle bags is that your clothing in side the bags smell like exhaust. | ||
| Midnightrider |
Agree the muffler is in the right place on my Uly. I put a drummer on 3 years ago and whatever finish Kevin put on my reworked stock can is holding up just fine. |
