Another newbie checking in!

Not new to forums, but new to cycling.

Picked up my second bike this last week. The first bike was a KZ1000, and as I quickly learned, it was too large for a starter bike.

So I sold it right quick and bought a 1982 Maxim XJ550. Here she be:



I rode it to work for the first time yesterday. Was quite exhilarating to be on the road instead of tooling around the neighborhood learning to ride. I plan to put a little time into the bike, but not exactly sure where to go. It needs painted, and I'm curious if I can change out the exhaust pipes for something with a little more sound. It's really quiet, which i'm sure the neighbors love, but i'm worried that others can't hear me on the road.

I'll stop here for now before I ramble on and waste a bunch of database space

 

Welcome to the forum. Looks to be a nixe xj550 you have there. Good people on this forum with a wealth of knowledge.

 

If you are going to take an Exquisitely made and finely Engineered Bike and make it loud ... you might have to start Re-Jetting Carbs and doing a lot of tinkering ... and, you could get snake-bit in the process!

Because, the Manifold Studs are Soft Steel and the Nuts can be tough to get off without an Exhauser stud breaking right off and needing drilling out ...

That's your Official warning from the God's of Good Bike Karma.
Messing with Good Karma is worse than messing with Mother Nature!

You can get some new, loud, air-horns for less than an aftermarket exhaust.

We old XJ-People have Hard-knocked learned to live by the eerie and strange mutation of the very well-known the Axiom:

"If it ain't broke; don't fix it!"

Instead ... we like to say:

"If it ain't broke ... Don't Break It!"

Your bike has been happy with its quiet exhaust system for a long time.
You might get some louder pipes on it and have it run good and everybody will hear you where ever you go.

It can be done.

But, it might be a Pyrrhic Victory!

Don't wage a "War on Quietness" at least until after the riding season is over.

 

The only aftermarket pipe now available for the 550 is the Mac 4-1. You can usually find it new on Ebay for around $300.

I'd suggest you stick with the stock exhaust setup if it's in good shape. IMO, the stockers are much higher quality than the Mac.

Besides loud pipes don't save lives, they just piss off non-riders.

 

And riders too...
Check out the Hurt Study (NHTSB) published in 1981
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/hurt-report.html
or wikipedia under Dr. Harry Hurt.

In particular...
"36. Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely overrepresented in accidents."
This report summary is a VERY interesting read. It serves as a basis for how to minimize your risk when you throw a leg over the machine. Read it and take a Motorcycle Safety Course (MSF, CCRider, etc...). You'll think twice about a lot of perceptions and preconceived notions you might have. Goodness knows I did. Glad I took the class early on. Time to take it again, it's been a while.