New Mufflers

In the forums some people talk about poor gas mileage and the relationship to blown out mufflers. I was talk by the PO that the bike would be lucky to get 40 mpg. That really is substandard for a 500cc bike, unless it's being ridden like a race bike. I was out to get new mufflers.

I was scouring craigs almost daily for a set of mufflers. In the forums it's said that almost any Harley muffler will work. I was looking for a set without crossover ports. I believe this is a two into two configuration, it's the same thing I have on my Sabre. I was up in New Jersey for an unrelated reason and I thought I'd look around on the South Jersey Craigslist. I found a pair of pipes in Middletown DE, it was on my way home. 

It's kind of funny. Every Harley is stripped down at the showroom of it's pipes, seat, and maybe much more. The owner spends extra hundreds if not thousands to customize his or her bike before it leaves the dealer. This means that there are often 20 to 30 listings for any particular city of excess pipes and other parts. In spite of the glut, I saw pipes ranging from $500 to $50, my pipes were listed for $50. Since most if not all Harley owners want new pipes, who wants the old ones?

When I got to the location I found that the pipes being offered had crossover ports. I told the owner they wouldn't work. She had a set off her husbands bike, but they too had ports. I asked if she would drop the price. We agreed on $40.

I haven't yet searched for the best way to close off the ports. I'm guessing that Marinetex or JB weld. I also thought about looking for a "black pipe" cap that might fit in the port and use the epoxy to finish the closure