Why do many motorcycle owners choose to upgrade their exhaust systems? Aftermarket exhausts may change the look and sound of a motorcycle, as well as improve performance. For these reasons, installing an aftermarket exhaust on a motorcycle is a popular and common upgrade. Performing this upgrade yourself is entirely possible. We'll go over the steps you need to take for an aftermarket exhaust installation and go over how to properly tune it.
How to Install an Aftermarket Exhaust
Installing an aftermarket exhaust on your motorcycle is relatively simple–all you need to do is follow a few steps. The first step is to read all instructions given to you by the aftermarket exhaust manufacturer. These instructions often contain specific information needed to ensure that the exhaust runs properly.
Once you've read all of the necessary information, you can move on to the next step, which is to loosen the connection joint of the exhaust system. Depending on your bike's make, model, and year, you may have a spring-hood system, band clamp, or gasket flange.
You'll then need to loosen the muffler bracket. It's important that you carefully hold the muffler in place so it doesn't accidentally slip and damage neighboring parts of your bike. But once you've loosened the bracket, you can then remove the muffler entirely. For this step, you'll want to forcefully, yet carefully, remove the muffler from the bike.
For the next step, you'll need to slide the new aftermarket exhaust over the header pipe. It's important to note that the exhaust should easily slip on without issues. If you try to force the exhaust, it could cause damage to your bike. Once you've done this step, you can then reattach the joints needed to secure the muffler.
For the last step, you'll want to take a rag and wipe down the muffler. A quick wipe-down ensures that you remove any oil or dirt that could stain the muffler once it becomes heated. You can then start your bike and check for any leaks around the exhaust system.
Tuning an Aftermarket Exhaust
For motorcycle owners that install aftermarket exhausts, tuning the bikes is an essential next step to ensure optimal performance on the road. For slip-on exhausts, tuning is generally not a requirement. However, if you decide to install a full exhaust system, you'll need to tune your engine to ensure the right combination of air and fuel.
Tuning a bike entails adding more fuel to compensate for the added air brought on by the aftermarket exhaust. With the right ratio of air and fuel, it will create a powerful combustion necessary to achieving performance gains. For those looking to find the right aftermarket exhausts for their bikes, take a look at our selection.