What's the difference...

...between 4-2 or 4-1 exhaust? I currently have 4-1 exhaust on my 82' XJ650 Maxim and am considering putting on a 4-2 exhaust. What will this do to the bike in terms of performance? Thanks for the help guys. This site is awsome!

Wesley

 

It all depends on the exhaust systems, an aftermarket 4 into 2 can give the same performance breathablity of the engine and HP as a 4 into 1 , but mostly what you'll gain is weight, as another full muffler is going to add more weight, so overall your bike may slow down a tad.

Factory exhaust systems are very durable, much heavier and made to last, but the gains from going to an aftermarket exhaust is not just the base 10 to 18 HP increase average they give you, but your bike feeling faster is also due part from the weight the bike looses off the stock exhaust system.

A general rule of thumb for dragracers is 100lbs off your car is good for a tenth of a second off your ET in a quartermile.

Where 10lbs off a bike is also good for about the same. Aftermarket exhaust's can weight 30 to sometimes 40 lbs less then stock, that's 3 to 4 tenths quicker accelerating, add that along with the say 16HP gain, and your going to feel it in the seat of the pants when you crack your throttle open.

It depends on what you want, if having your bike faster doesn't matter to you, then put on what ever exhaust will please your eye the most.

 

Remember to check your tune after you make a major change like the exhaust though. Mixtures can go wonky, and the carbs can be unbalanced by the change.