Aftermarket Muffler or Open Header???

[ryguy85]

I'm looking to get a good sound and some more power out of my 1977 CB750F. Should I run it as an open header pipe (no muffler) or is there a good aftermarket muffler that will sound good and add power?

[shinyribs]

I ran one open (aftermarket 4-1) header before and it was ridiculously loud. And I loved it. I added a muffler later to preserve my ear drums (and keep from getting a ticket...) and saw very little,if any,loss of power.

My $0.02- get a muffler. It will makes rides much more enjoyable and it won't hurt your power.

[LukeM]

It depends on what you're looking for.  I believe the stock Honda engine needs a little back pressure to function at its best. If you have straight pipes, you need to adjust the intake accordingly. Personally, I never bought into the "loud pipes" mentality. My son had a '77 CB550 with straight pipes, and he got tired of it.  We fitted a Sportster muffler to his header, and it gave it a quieter, cafe-racer sound.  It also added about 7 mph to the top end.

The previous owner of my Shadow VT700c cored the exhaust.  I replaced it with Sportster mufflers on both sides.  You can search this forum for the video clip.  It gives it a nice rumble, with less ear ringing after a ride.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. I would recommend some sort of muffler, just to go easy on my neighbors and environment.

Luke M

[tcazes]

open headers ran like garbage on my 82 cb750sc it ran worse than the completely clogged and rusted through 4 into 4 that was on it. i say go with a 4-2-1 or 4-1 and run a reverse megaphone shorty or something from dcc.

[Truck]

I've found a few local custom exaust places that will do nice lookong dtraight pipes, but install baffles in it. theexamples I've seen look good, and sound nice. No reports of effecting performance.

[Lucky 1]

I like the all metal baffle insert from Cycle Shack.

You can buy one. Make sure it is the right size.

Looks like this:

[Lucky 1]

The Roaster Longies from Cycle X with pine cone baffles worked very well for me.
More power than all the other exhausts I have tried.
I cut 3 inches off of each pipe.