Goldwings and mufflers

[Dray]

I just became the happy owner of a 2003 GW trike and I was wondering what the best way was to get a little more sound out of the mufflers and maybe improved performance without hurting anything. On the VTX it is common practice to just drill several holes in the backend of the mufflers. I am told that the back pressure created by the mufflers on a GW is critical to the performance and low end torque. I would have thought that the cats would have created all of the back pressure needed. Feel free to jump in here and offer your opinions, recommendations and advice. I am use to the sound of my VTX1800 and not the purring of my GW.

Dray

[jim peacock]

They did a test on a 1500 a few years back on a dyno useing several after market mufflers and drilling the baffeles out they all lost horse power and torque.
Honda tunes all their bikes to the exhaust that is on them.
Best thing to do is leave them alone,and a word of warning if your bike is still under warrenty and you mess with the exhaust they will void your warrenty big time.
I know I worked for a honda dealer several years back and saw it happen.
LEAVE IT ALONE.

[trikeleader]

A 2003 Goldwing is an 1800. The 1500 Goldwing probably had carberated fuel system and the 1800 is fuel injected. A 2003 is more than 3 years old and unless there is some extended warrantee, it probably is out of warrantee. The loss of horse power and torque can be attributed to a number of things, With a carberator, back pressure from the exhaust affects the fuel system, and usually requires rejetting of the carberator. With fuel injection and computer control, the computer will compensate for the lack of back pressure and have little effect on horse power and torque.

[White Knight 04]

I have a buddy that asked me the same question.. I really had no answer for him, I had a 02 Nomad and did away with the goat bladder as I called it I.E. cat converter and it did help didn't seem to loose anything in the power range !!!!

[Dray]

So Tom, If I understand you correctly, drilling several 1/4" holes on the back end of each muffler it will not alter performance?

Dray

[trikeleader]

What I previously stated, my understanding is that the computer will adjust for lack of backpressure as it will it you change from regular gas to a high octane gasoline. The computer also adjusts for high altitudes, carborated vehicles had problems in high altitudes compared to being tuned for sea level. Technology in todays vehicles is really great.

[meredog]

i removed the muffler baffles --removed the packing around the metal baffle tube. I then wrapped the metal baffle with one wrap of heavy weight fiberglas mat (held in place with a few pieces of masking tape. I then wrapped it with wood stove door seal in a spiral configuration gapped at a couple inches from end to end. With my vtx it sounds like a throaty "potato potato "

[Dean H]

I had a 1800 wing and I installed Cobra mufflers. It gave it a very nice deep rumble ... not too loud and even had a nice 'back rap', when down shifting.

[trikes4ever]

had a nice 'back rap'

rapping Gold Wing - there's something just not right about this

[tfdeputydawg]

Best thing to do is leave them alone,and a word of warning if your bike is still under warrenty and you mess with the exhaust they will void your warrenty big time.
I know I worked for a honda dealer several years back and saw it happen.
LEAVE IT ALONE.

And converting it to a trike, most likely, voided any warranty concerning the drive train anyway!
Cobra has a set that look good and make a Wing sound somewhat like a Porsche.

[Dray]

O.K. Grabbing the bull by the horns on my trike, I drilled 3 each 1/4" holes and 2 each 7/16" holes in each muffler. The performance seems to have increased especially in mid range. The tone has definately changed to that of
a Porsche going thru the gears. It sounds really good but I prefer a deeper sound and I am not sure if I can accomplish that. I am still playing with the sound by plugging holes with sheet metal screws. Time will tell.

Dray

[tfdeputydawg]

One on another board did as you have. He also made a plate with the same holes to put over the holes in the muffler. He made slotted mounting holes in the plates, using sheet metal screws to attach them. Then he could rotate the plate to get the sound as stock all the way to completely opened holes by rotating the plates.

[minnleeboy]

Are the Cobra mufflers a direct replacement for the OEM mufflers? IE. does the end of the Cobra have the three holes to install extension tips, ETC ?

Lee

[dirtdobber]

My csc trike came with after market mufflers. Not sure if they are CSC or what. I have not done any research. It has slightly more volume but a lot deeper than it's 2 wheel brother has.

[crazy]

Are the Cobra mufflers a direct replacement for the OEM mufflers? IE. does the end of the Cobra have the three holes to install extension tips, ETC ?

Lee

No the cobra's come with their own tips. I have a set on my 01 1800 and they sound pretty good. Low rumble but not loud.

[Saltywheels]

I have CSC turn-downs on my Cobra & they sound great!...at least to me..

[Tony T of I V E]

I guess I'll be the weird one here I HAVE Cobra Pipes on my 2008 Goldwing and LOVE the initial low rumble but at 55-65 mphish it's TOO much of a HUM for me so I am actually going BACK to stock mufflers so I can hear the Radio As they say to each his/her own. RIDE SAFE

[Teal]

1500 trike comes with Bassamais (sp) from champion,,sounds great

champion 1800 uses same--oem-- mufflers i do believe.

[dirtdobber]

Spoke with CSC and they do sell their mufflers out right. They do not have enough volume to interfere with your tunes.

[jtilmon]

Dray, please give us the end result of your experiment, how you accomplished it and the sound result. i'm interested in adding a little sound at the rear of my trike. alway been a perfomance guy.

just sayin
jt