I know this horse has been ridden to death, but I heard of something different. A Super Magna is listed for sale on Ebay(upstate NY) and I emailed the guy and asked about holes in the endplates of the stock mufflers. He said the previous owner had drilled six evenly spaced holes in each muffler and that it gave it a nice sound. He said they were about 1/4" but in the pictures they appeared to be more like 3/8". Anyone familar with this approach? I like everything about my 88 super except the VW sounding exhaust. The company that Greg got his exhaust from, no longer sells them and I can't find another source. If I don't like the sound(after drilling) I figured I could tap the holes and put button head allen screws in to plug them up. Has anyone ever heard a magna with exhaust altered this way?
Bill I have seen and heard of mufflers that were drilled as you describe, they had a little more tone to them.
The set I have on my Super (Laser Jama's) are much deeper and louder.
I have seen another fella who cut the factory mufflers and removed all the "guts" and then put in Vance & Hines mufflers, looked good and sounded pretty decent.
One could always take a 3rd gen set of mufflers and have them welded onto the stock collectors if had too and have them rechromed. I would believe this to still be cheaper than the $1000+ for Europe stockers which do not flow as well as the US supplied stock mufflers.
Hey Greg,
Have you had yours for some time? I found Laser Jamas web site and they listed two types of exhaust for our Bikes (loud and louder), but they are no longer available. They also list three US distributors but none would answer my emails,so I assume they are no longer in business or do not carry the product. The S.M.O.G. website had an article about the V & H baffles but wasn't detailed enough. It doesn't list what baffles to use, and I'm pretty sure that they are not "for" the 87/88 Supers, but rather for some other model. Thanks for the input. decisions, decisions, decisions.
Bill yep I bought mine from a bike shop on the east coast area dont remember who but I could find the receipt if you need.
I actually would like to get another set as when Dev dropped my Super it left them appearance wise at a 8 out of a 10.
On the V & H they are using the baffles for the 3rd gen Magna if I recall. There is also the option to order a new set of stocker from Europe, they are expensive and more restrictive than the US vesions but you could drill the end plates as you previously described.
Greg,
I think the website for your exhaust is: http://www.laserexhausts.com/.
They have three USA distributors listed:
Foster Rad @ (718)468-4680 in Oakland Gardens, NY., Spiegler USA @ (937)291-1735 in Dayton, Ohio, and Cape Fear Motorcycle Supply Corp. @(910)392-6066 in Wilmington,N. Carolina.
I didn't try to phone any of them since I got no reply to my emails.
Also that VTX headlight on your Magna keeps teasing me and I'm weak. Are you sure someone like me with no skills can make the swap? Maybe I can get assistance from our Gulf Coast coordinator since I ride within a couple of miles of his place each day going to and from work.
Thanks for all of the help and
"HAPPY EASTER" EVERYONE.
Why anytime I am home you are more than welcome to come by and wrench at the casa I am most always avalible when I am home for sure. The 18th to the 20th this next week I will be around and I will be working on mine I have to do a fork rebuild and put my New shiny legs on heheheheheheheh .So if you want to come out give me a call and I will give you directions heheheh maybe a mini wrench session.......
Hi Allen,
Just pulling your leg. I remember there was a map to your place when you had the Saturday wrench session that it rained all weekend. I live 1/2 way between Magnolia and Hempstead on FM1488. I work in the Woodlands behind CVS warehouse and come past FM2978 at 2:30am and 3pm. I do want to come by some weekend (I'm off Fri/Sat/Sun) and see your bike. My wife and I went shopping for a 500 to 800cc upgrade for her (she now has a 250 Rebel) and Eximports on S.W. freeway has a GenIII Magna that looks like new for $5800. A Magna is too much bike for her at this point. If anyone is interested, their number is 1-800-471-3588.
Hi Bill,
My shopping experience has been that Eximports wants an arm and a leg for their bikes. If you're interested there's a '99 Magna for sale for only $4,000 in the Houston area, http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/148754667.html and this guy already indicates he would negotiate. I picked up my '99 for $3500 after picking out several things "wrong" with it. But in reality I could have easily e-bayed it for $5,000. So you might want to look at this one.
In my humble opinion, if your wife keeps the RPMs under 7,000 and mildy in the 5 to 7,000 range, the Magna should be pretty tame. My 750cc v-twin Virago would jerk your head off right from the line (but only then) and that can be pretty intimidating for someone who's just moving up to a bigger bike.
If she starts out with the Magna and practices her parking lot drills then she can gradually work up to unleashing the beast and stay with one bike. Here's a good source for learning bike handling: www.ridelikeapro.com. MOOT members can get a discount. See the members section for the details.
Oh and I would also suggest engine guards for any bike where you are practicing low speed handling. Wrap them with garden or heater hose in case you drop it, but they can save you a lot of headache. The video will cover things like that as well.
Well it is no problem if you are that close hey anytime this next week you want to stop by or when I get my girl back together we can hook up and meet each other.. Heck I will go out to 2978 and wave as you go by for that fact hehehehehehehehe it is nice having the whole week off just sucks that I have to work 2 weeks to get it off lolololololooll Anyhow have a great easter weekend..................
Hey Jesse,
You're correct about those folks being a little pricey. They have a VLX600 with 3k miles, that they are asking $200 less than you can buy a new one for down the street at Stubb's. But that black Magna looked like a diamond watch in a jewelery store window.
I'm not just concerned about the power of the Magna, but the weight and balance is a big step up fron the Rebel 250. I'd like for her to slowly work up to the Magna class. I appreciate the Links. Hum!!!! wonder if Mother Dear would let me have two Magnas?????
Allen,
What kind of job lets you take off a week after only working two? Don't tell me it's OILFIELD. hehe
Bill,
If you're going the cruiser route then I think you'll find the Magna pretty comparable in weight to any of the 750 to 800cc bikes. So if you're looking for something lighter I suggest picking up an old Virago 535. Here's one: http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/144734086.html
I hear they are quite popular with female riders. And the good news is that since it's a 97 parts should still be fairly easy to get parts.
I don't know much about the Honda V-twin line other than watch out for the 600cc bike. (I think that's the one.) It only has four gears and was made cruise at 55mph so if you ride with anyone that goes faster you can't keep up.
Nope close Towboat Captain lololololololol pushing Oil hehehehehehe
Jesse,
Thanks for the info on the VLX600. I knew that they were only 4 speeds and it's a 5/6 speed world. Even her Rebel is a 5 speed, but I didn't know about keeping up on the hiway. Thats the whole purpose of the upgrade. The little Rebel will run 70+ but from 50mph on it's a struggle and I don't want her to have to run WOT. Thats a nice Virago and so is the Magna.
I'll check them out.
Thanks again,
Well the Honda vlx tops out at and I mean it will go no more than maybe 110 and thats with a jet kit and I had HardKhrome 2 3/4 pipes on it sounded great. The yamaha Vstar is a 650 and is about the same but a little faster good bike though I had both and they are great for around town and short rides..... sorry got side tracked from the subject lololololo
Bill go for the Magna, I understand your concerns on weight, power, and balance, but I think it is not too far a stretch to go from the Rebel to the Magna. I have known a few female riders who have made the transition in both scenarios and both thought the Magna was better and more prudent choice in the long run.
Weight is really only a problem when at slow parking lot speeds, once moving at any speed at all the extra weight is actually easier as it soaks up the environment better.
Just my opinion and I am a bit biased LoL.
Greg,
If we're not all Biased, we're on the wrong web page.
In the 24 years weve been married, she has had 3 corvettes, a Buick Grand National, and a 928 Porsche. The woman loves to hear tires scream and smell rubber burn. I'm just trying to keep her from doing it on a bike.
"The older the Body, the slower the Healing"
Allen,
trust me, she can tell you what "Tops Out" means on everything she has driven/ridden.
Sounds like my girl heheheheh anyhow I had both of those bikes they were good bikes not as fast as the magna but fun and loud heheheheeh I like it loud anyhow........ The VLX is chain driven and the Vstar is shaft drive I think the Vstar is a little heavier than the VLX to....
Speaking of topping out, I've gotten my Magna up to 120. It gets up to 115 pretty fast and took quite a bit of road to get the last 5. Is that it? Just wondering...
Bill, I agree with Greg. I think the Magna will be a good choice, because she can grow into it and you won't have to get another bike within a few months. That ride like a pro video will really help with low speed manuevers. He even has one for ladies. It covers the same skills but has women performing the drills just to show you there's no difference if you know the skills. I found it to be an enhancement over the MSF course material on slow manuevers.
Got the dvd on order, plus we're both going to take the riding class. can't get too smart when it comes to safety.
I met a young man at the gas station on a battered VTX 1800 with a lot of roadrash on his arms that said he got too comfortable in a curve. You've got to stay alert.
Back to those mufflers, if I buy her a Magna, I can experiment on hers and save my Classic. hehe
You guys are priceless. Of course for everything else there's Mastercard.
I haved a set of drag pipes if you want to try them out and see what they sound like better than buying them and finding out you don't like the noise hehehehehehehe
I emailed Joe Nichols and am going to try to get with him this weekend to look at his Magna. He sent a pic and it looks "sweeeeet". Mufflers look to be stock.
I think there are still some exhaust made for Gen III's but not the Gen II's.
Mother Dear doesn't like the same amount of "LOUD" that I do.
Has anyone ever bought anything from www.sudco.com. They carry a lot of parts.