Tinkering with exhaust

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Finally found a brake cable of correct length and put the stock handle bars back on last weekend.

Swear shes faster, meaner and WAYY louder! :)
 
You need to move this direction so you don't make it angry by cooping it up for months on end in that yankee weather.... No offense intended, but you'll get used to calling cactus trees in no time at all if the chiggers don't chew your nuggies off when you stop roadside... Yep it'll tame right down pardner.


Swear shes faster, meaner and WAYY louder! :)[/QUOTE
Mine is a shift in something... mixture... yes, but the way it revs... faster couldn't say for sure. It just comes on differently going towards the top RPM's. It used to be more of a consistent wind up, and now it's just pulling upwards a little quicker and that's not saying it's not lagging in the lower range, although it pulls like a freight train. I wasn't trying to stir the pot or claim magic, but some little bit is not how it was. This is a 42 year relationship with lots of miles prior to storage and another 4k since awakening 1 1/2 years ago.
 
You need to move this direction so you don't make it angry by cooping it up for months on end in that yankee weather.... No offense intended, but you'll get used to calling cactus trees in no time at all if the chiggers don't chew your nuggies off when you stop roadside... Yep it'll tame right down pardner.


Swear shes faster, meaner and WAYY louder! :)[/QUOTE
Mine is a shift in something... mixture... yes, but the way it revs... faster couldn't say for sure. It just comes on differently going towards the top RPM's. It used to be more of a consistent wind up, and now it's just pulling upwards a little quicker and that's not saying it's not lagging in the lower range, although it pulls like a freight train. I wasn't trying to stir the pot or claim magic, but some little bit is not how it was. This is a 42 year relationship with lots of miles prior to storage and another 4k since awakening 1 1/2 years ago.

Wasn't meaning to criticize your observations as I was actually semi- serious in my statement. I went from euro bars to semi western, so am now sitting further back, more weight on the rear tire? I dunno! But something is going on!

I put 500 miles on the Ironhead and maybe the same on the Norton this past month, Yankee weather be damned!
 
Again... Not a pointed statement Pete. I'm just thinking out loud because I'm trying to figure what took place myself.
I'm not gonna ponder it any longer... instead I think I'll get back on the Goldwing resurrection this next week. I'm going to seriously consider breaking from black and painting that stinker candy apple red like a pimp mobile with no logos and perhaps single white or silver 1/8" stripes.
 
Finally found a brake cable of correct length and put the stock handle bars back on last weekend.

Swear shes faster, meaner and WAYY louder! :)

Well, that's one way to take over a thread and direct it to your house.
 
I .., and most impressive is that the acceleration seems to have increased quite a bit.... Tell me it's my imagination and that I just like the drop in noise level...

It is your imagination, or more precisely: your senses are being deceived.
When I ride in the mountains, the change in altitude and air pressure sometimes makes my ears block.
The correlation between noise and speed becomes disturbed.
Then it seems like my engine runs smoother, pulls harder..till my ears pop, and everything goes back to 'normal'.
Earplugs are the cheapest tuning trick in the book..
 
I find it interesting once I glean what's transpiring because everyone's backyard experience is enlightening.... and Pete mentioned ironhead too. I've a soft spot for them..... I believe that I'm riding altogether too often spending too much time with and on my Commando and beginning to believe everything it communicates to me.... All just sweet nothings that don't mean anything because it is after all only a machine and I am demented from too much time spent listening to FZ's 'Joe's Garage' in my youth. Machines can't talk.

Think I'll take a ride anyway, and then clean her float bowls. They bulge so nice and firmly.
 
I find it interesting once I glean what's transpiring because everyone's backyard experience is enlightening.... and Pete mentioned ironhead too. I've a soft spot for them..... I believe that I'm riding altogether too often spending too much time with and on my Commando and beginning to believe everything it communicates to me.... All just sweet nothings that don't mean anything because it is after all only a machine and I am demented from too much time spent listening to FZ's 'Joe's Garage' in my youth. Machines can't talk.

Think I'll take a ride anyway, and then clean her float bowls. They bulge so nice and firmly.
'Mechanical sympathy' is what it's about, no? And a bit of a symbiotic relationship too, you're relied upon to do the maintenance and servicing, for that you're repaid with reliable performance. None of this: 'One lady owner cr*p: 'It was making weird noises so I turned the radio up!' Real men get off and reach for their wallet :)
 
Mechanical sympathy and ear plug comments are SO true!

I realised recently that my bikes don’t rev out as easily as they used to when I were a lad.

I also realised that they were a lot less reliable back when I were a lad.

Then I realised the two points may just be connected... cos I had an utter lack of mechanical sympathy when I were a lad !!
 
A dyno hill and GPS speedo tells all.

For example, as posted elsewhere, the balanced pipe setup actually sucks a few kms/hr off my 850 when on Dyno hill.
This was tested then retested several times. I found it hard to believe so went back the next day for two more runs with each setup.
Same result.
Sure couldn't feel it, might have even guessed that the engine was stronger with the balanced pipe. Not so, there it is showing clearly on the GPS that we are romping up the hill faster with the balance pipe plugged.

Seat of the pants is very inaccurate with small changes in performance.

Glen
 
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Perhaps I should market these.
" Glen's Magic Performance Plugs"
$189.95 per pair
Don't accept substitutes or copies.
Only we know the ideal alloy and exact dimensions for total performance. Get the originals and still the best Norton Performance Plugs. You'll feel the difference!"

The only problem with my con is that the damn things do add performance. So would a set of unbalanced pipes.

 
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Perhaps I should market these.
" Glen's Magic Performance Plugs"
$189.95 per pair
Don't accept substitutes or copies.
Only we know the ideal alloy and exact dimensions for total performance. Get the originals and still the best Norton Performance Plugs. You'll feel the difference!



I don't have a balance pipe, will these still work for me Glen?
 
Absolutely. We can drill perfectly round ideal dimensioned holes into their centres then fit them to your silencers.
Not only will you go faster, you will go further on a gallon plus be able to hear songbirds while riding your Norton!

Glen
 
I just need to get the wing running so I'm not so sensitive to every little thing which takes place with my machine. I truly love the thing, but don't wanna wake up with it snuggled up in bed with me in the morning.

Can I just cut holes in mine and install those for perhaps an additional 5hp?... More?
If those can silence the clanking, clanging, rattling, ticking, knocking, etc. My question is; Would the bike still be a Norton Commando after the installation and being able to hear that damned bird racket?
 
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The magic plugs will add power to any Norton- it's all in the composition of the secret alloy and the computer generated dimensions.

All joking aside, it's quite possible that you have added some pep with the exhaust change. If it's one or 2 bhp it would be tough to tell by seat of pants or dyno.
I believe the big hill and GPS speedo might be more reliable than a dyno for measuring such small changes.

Glen
 
Well She's just too old with too many miles to push hard so RPM's kept 6k and below, and when GPS speedo reads 80-85 mph throttle comes down to more reasonable cruising speeds.
 
That is SO TRUE.

In fact, when you are mechanic and test rider, it’s even more so. It’s virtually impossible to avoid pre programming an expected outcome into your sub conscience.

So numbers off a dyno are better than lap times off a race circuit ? Many dynamometers work off torque, and torque wins races. How reproducible are the torque readings off a dyno and how is it calibrated >?
 
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