RPM exhaust installed

[motohorseman]

Sounds a lot better than this Ruckus with a "RPM" exhaust -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFVbgKYpyjw

Looks better too!

[Tuneforkfreak]

That exhaust is really nice, those guys are amazing. Those foot pegs are definitely on my to do list, a few inches would make a major difference for me.

[racerrad8]

I have the back of my bike raised, the exhausts as high and inboard as possible and my suspension set very firm.

I don't go looking for quite these sort of angles but it does happen from time to time and I was wondering if the photo would give some idea on how it would stand up to the odd scrape.

Noel

What diameter are your cans now?

Are you putting the RPM suspension parts on that bike or another?

I can offer to you that my first WCR I attended my 86 had no suspension modifications and my pegs were dragging a lot. The 2nd WCR as well as the Colorado rally I had the RPM fork valves installed and only dragged the pegs on very tight corners after letting the front settle back getting back to the throttle.

After the RPM shock was installed I have not dragged a foot peg again and I am riding harder & faster than ever.

Now, the 93 I acquired and have been riding just basically as a commuter had the R/T fork valves and rear shock adjusted to max preload and shorter dog bones to raise the rear. I went with a ride with son on his R6 and Keary (windancer) earlier this summer and it was dragging pegs and was a very uncomfortable ride.

I added all of the RPM suspension products before my trip this past week but still running bias ply tires on the stock ABS wheels. Not a peg touched the ground and the bike was much more stable during the performance riding in the twisties. Once I make some adjustments to the freeway ride will be "magic carpet ride" smooth, but upgrade wheels arrived yesterday and radials will be installed first before I really start dialing it in.

If you still think the muffler could drag on right hand corners, then the RPM megaphone muffler will never touch the ground while turning.


Randy - RPM

[Mike Ramos]

To whom it may concern,

Re: dragging mufflers & pipes - on the 1991 FJ with the wide wheels & improves brakes but with the stock shock and heavy duty springs in the forks, the foot peg dragged regularly and the side of the chin fairing also touched down from time to time. 

Once the RPM Fork Valves and rear shock were installed nothing ever touched down.  After parking the '91 with 170,000 miles, I purchased the [not quite as nice as Conlon's] 1992 and have rode it just over 30,000 miles without a mark on the undercarriage.  Just about a year ago the prototype exhaust from RPM was installed along with the carbon fiber muffler and there is not a scratch on anything.

I ride under a variety of conditions and many different types of roads; perhaps the fun factor is difficult to quantify yet to state it has increased dramatically is not an overstatement.
   
While I take riding motorcycles very seriously, with the improvements in handling and added usable power, I may be riding harder but it is almost nonchalant. 

javascript:void(0);

Ride safe,

Mike Ramos.

[ribbert]

To whom it may concern,

Re: dragging mufflers & pipes - on the 1991 FJ with the wide wheels & improves brakes but with the stock shock and heavy duty springs in the forks, the foot peg dragged regularly and the side of the chin fairing also touched down from time to time. 

Once the RPM Fork Valves and rear shock were installed nothing ever touched down.  After parking the '91 with 170,000 miles, I purchased the [not quite as nice as Conlon's] 1992 and have rode it just over 30,000 miles without a mark on the undercarriage.  Just about a year ago the prototype exhaust from RPM was installed along with the carbon fiber muffler and there is not a scratch on anything.

I ride under a variety of conditions and many different types of roads; perhaps the fun factor is difficult to quantify yet to state it has increased dramatically is not an overstatement.
   
While I take riding motorcycles very seriously, with the improvements in handling and added usable power, I may be riding harder but it is almost nonchalant. 

javascript:void(0);

Ride safe,

Mike Ramos.

Mike (and Randy), that's all good and well but can you give me something a little more technical, like why?  I don't understand. Smoothing out the ride generally means more suspension travel.

From whom it concerned.

[ribbert]

I have the back of my bike raised, the exhausts as high and inboard as possible and my suspension set very firm.

I don't go looking for quite these sort of angles but it does happen from time to time and I was wondering if the photo would give some idea on how it would stand up to the odd scrape.

Noel

What diameter are your cans now?

Are you putting the RPM suspension parts on that bike or another?

If you still think the muffler could drag on right hand corners, then the RPM megaphone muffler will never touch the ground while turning.

Randy - RPM

Thanks for the response, the cans are Delkevic ovals which I'm sure you've seen in your workshop.



Yes, the suspension is for this bike.

Haha, you're absolutely right, scraping the megaphone on my bike would never be a problem, personal taste, but I do like the look of the others.

Like Mike, this happens occasionally too and is a little unnerving as it is nearer the centre of the bike and has no spring it unlike all the other bits, hitting a bump at this point wouldn't end well.



I have already posted the query I have as to how RPM suspension overcomes this in response to Mike Ramos' post.

Noel

[racerrad8]

Mike (and Randy), that's all good and well but can you give me something a little more technical, like why?  I don't understand. Smoothing out the ride generally means more suspension travel.

It is well documented how the RPM suspension controls the spring oscillation (compression/rebound) much more effectively due to proper shim stack valving and patented technology over any other shock. The valving operation for the fork valves is identical as compared to the rear shock

RPM suspension valving explained
Re: Let the fun begin...RPM Rear Shock
RPM fork valves explained

There are many more posts about the RPM suspension as well, these are just the most comprehensive.

If you have more suspension questions lets take them over to the appropriate thread list above.

What are you waiting for, you have the RPM suspension parts you need to upgrade your suspension sitting in your garage, bolt that stuff on and you can feel the difference for yourself.


Now back to the proper topic if this thread:

Nope, I have never seen a set of those cans, that is why I was asking about the diameter. Now looking at the picture, what is the center line distance to the bottom or better yet to the point of contact on the other muffler.

Randy - RPM

[aviationfred]

For those that are wanting to reduce the weight of their FJ's. Randy has stated the weight difference of the RPM exhaust over the stock system. A 21.7 pound weight reduction. I already had a Vance & Hines SS2r 4-1 system. The RPM exhaust with the Titanium muffler weighs 7.3 pounds less than the Vance & Hines.





Fred

[racerrad8]

Fred,

Thanks for posting the two shots like that, those pictures also illustrate the difference of fitment of the two systems. You can see how low the V&H system is and how tight I was able to get the RPM system.

If you look at the photo below of the system mounted on my bike you can see how everything is tucked nicely within the chin fairing.



If you look closely at the lower front edge of the chin fairing you can see the two places where my old 4-1 header used to hit it as it hung out the bottom of the chin fairing.

If the exhaust does need to come off. It takes longer to remove my lower cowling than it does to remove the exhaust. The complete exhaust is held on with springs.

This was done for all those "anonymous" polishers out there so they can keep them cleaned up really easy...

Randy - RPM

[Mike Ramos]

Re:  RPM. Exhaust (take two)...

To whom it may concern aka to anyone interested in the RPM exhaust/mufflers.

The picture posted by Noel of the bolt that holds the rear of chin fairing seems to be more of a height problem rather than a lean angle issue.  An impact such as pictured and described is often caused by hard acceleration at modest lean angles, causing the rear end to lower and thus impact the tarmac when a bump is incurred.  Really nothing new and the problem is addressed nicely by the updated shock. 

The scraping which I initially described was higher up and more on the side of the chin fairing caused not by impacting the road surface after hitting a bump but when touching down through the turn.  I would not call it unnerving as it was expected and anticipated, although not especially welcome.

It should be noted that my ride height remains almost stock; I have always had the adjustable dog bones and experimented with different ride heights.  Raising the rear changes the geometry & dynamics of the handling; compromising positive aspects of handling qualities inherent in the FJ.  This is one of the benefits the RPM suspension, although the ride height is not raised, there is no dragging of anything.  The exhaust is tucked in nicely (review the pictures and comments of Fred) as is the muffler.

With regards to the suspension from RPM I believe that the travel of the suspension is the same.  Although it may be counter intuitive, the insistence that a softer ride ("smoothing out the ride") somehow means more suspension travel is incorrect.  However this and other technical questions can me answered best by the gentleman from RPM.

I do believe that these are my final comments on this subject so I trust the questions/reservations have been addressed.

Ride safe,

Mike Ramos.

[ribbert]

Mike, you have, amongst other things, accused me of not having a sense of humour. Nothing could be further from the truth, maybe I just didn't get yours, but I'm tuned into it in now and the following is a fine example.

The picture posted by Noel of the bolt that holds the rear of chin fairing seems to be more of a height problem rather than a lean angle issue.  An impact such as pictured and described is often caused by hard acceleration at modest lean angles, causing the rear end to lower and thus impact the tarmac when a bump is incurred.  Really nothing new................ 

The scraping which I initially described was higher up and more on the side of the chin fairing caused not by impacting the road surface after hitting a bump but when touching down through the turn.  I would not call it unnerving as it was expected and anticipated, although not especially welcome.

Mike Ramos.

In the unlikely event that you were serious and see yourself as the forum forensic scrapeologist, it is presumptuous of you to suggest what I was doing at the time. As Frank would say, you don't have the data. You do not know about my bike, my riding, the roads, the corners, the road surface, the suspension set up, the height, the speed, the throttle position, the load, the lean etc. You can only make such statements about your own experience (ref Frank). If you failed to set up your own machine properly, short of fitting new suspension, you can't assume others have the same problem.

I will take your post in the spirit in which it was offered.

Ride safe, stay in good humor & keep smiling,

Midget.

I will!

Keep smiling, remember to laugh at ourselves once in awhile & ride safe,

Midget.

I agree.

Noel