Back on the road + exhaust question

[alehman]

Just took my 79k out of a yearlong storage and im happy to say that after putting gas back in and changing the oil it started right up. as im riding again im realizing that i want to make my bike a little more physically manageable so i want to lower it and take off some excess weight... In order for both to happen i think i will have to chop  the big old 4-4 exhaust which is rotting through. If i want to lean hard with that giant exhaust with a bike thats about 2 inches lower than stock i think the wide mufflers will scrape the ground. I think it would also help take weight off if i remove the mufflers.

So i guess i have two questions. Firstly, without the mufflers can i keep the center stand or will it just bang against the swingarm? Second, if i cut off the mufflers and just run the headers with baffles, will i need a bracket to hold the headers or can the engine hold them fine?

[OnyxWolf]

I just went out to look at my center stand on my 79k, I think you would either have to remove the stand or modify it with a stop bumper that would catch the frame. As for the headers personally I would want to fab some kind of support. More for my piece of mind than anything else.
Other folks here may have a better answer though.

Good luck

P.s. on a lighter note...removing the center stand might cut a few pounds off the weight too.

[shinyribs]

Most aftermarket 4-1 exhausts will come with a little bracket that will keep your centerstand from banging against things that it shouldn't bang against. But 4-4 systems typically tuck up tighter than any other type of exhaust. Some 4-2 systems tuck up nicely, but 4-1's typically hang down the worst. I love the upper rpm pep and the sound of my V&H 4-1 on my '80, but it cost me a good 2'' or more of ground clearance. For what it's worth, my stock4-4 pipes made wonderful bottom end power (below 3k rpm) and I thought they had a really nice, smooth sound to them.