Doing Hawk things.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Aussie_in_MO

That new heat shield looks like a prime candidate for doing some backyard sand casting to make one out of Aluminum!

I honestly think I would try that if I had a smelter and some green sand., Sadly, I don't. If this one melts I will be switching to an actual carbon fiber shield I have.

[Megadan]

Well, it did melt. It didn't even take very long. I am not too surprised given the $9 delivered price tag. On the plus side, I have backup set of mounts for my redneck exhaust hanger bracket.

I have this on hand, and it won't melt. It's just not much to look at other than being carbon fiber.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2JN1KWZ...roduct_details

I am going to put some of that heat reflective tape on the back side of it just to hopefully make it more effective and last longer.

[Megadan]

Of course, after 3 weeks of waiting my mixture thumb screw arrives... damaged. It's almost as if bubble wrap isn't good enough to protect a thin metal object.

[Megadan]

So, for those that are curious, that last heat shield did infact deform from the heat of my exhaust. Ah well. On the plus side, I have some backup mid pipe mounts I went ahead and installed the real carbon fiber heat shield on it, and that is holding up just fine (will see in pictures to come). I am going to thumbnail most of the pictures just for space saving reasons, you can click on them to make them bigger.

First order of business, after being over a week late my new "Yoshimura" muffler and baffle arrived. While a little smaller than I would like, it actually does a decent job and sounds really good. The outlet not only angles down, but slightly to the right, which solves a problem the old ebay exhaust always had.



The new inlet baffle that I have (and installed) is a big improvement over the old design. It is larger, progressive, and has more holes to vent into the packing.



So, how does it fit? Probably one of the best fitting exhaust combinations to have graced this Hawk since the stock exhaust system. The muffler tucks up nicely, the outlet angles the exhaust out and away from the fender entirely, and points above it even if it didn't, so there is no fender melting capability to be had. it's a long enough muffler that it can reach the factory muffler hanger location, and the exhaust angles it correctly so it actually reaches said hanger location perfectly. Plus, it just looks good.

[Megadan]

So, how does it sound? With the dB killer installed along with the inlet baffle, it's so quiet I hear the intake noise more than the exhaust. Stealth mode achieved! No performance hit either, it has zero problems hauling me to 70mph with ease (I didn't want to push too hard, still in the first 500miles on the new jug and rings so I let off right away).

With the dB killer out but the inlet baffle still in place, it has a lovely deep tone to it, but it is not at all obnoxious like the Megaphone muffler was. I feel I can ride with the dB killer out and not stand out too much in the crowd, and it is actually a bit quieter than the Stoneman exhaust from ebay too, or at least the tone is such that it stands out a lot less to my ears.

Honestly, this exhaust with the mid pipe mount corrected and this muffler combination is just about perfect, non-catalyst cat in place or not. If somebody were to make it properly and sell it like this, it would be a winner across the board that I think everybody would go with.

All I have left is the other oil cooler to install and some heavier fork oil. I am also considering a more full sized CG125 style fender for a bit better splash protection. Link: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...yAdapt=glo2usa

[GypsyR]

Where'd the inlet baffle come from? I have a new muffler and wouldn't mind it being a bit more stealthy too.

[2LZ]

Hmmmm.... I have the same heat shield on my DRZ and no issues.
Hawk's looking good, Dan.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by 2LZ

Hmmmm.... I have the same heat shield on my DRZ and no issues.
Hawk's looking good, Dan.

Unless you managed to get one from a good source and mine is just a cheap copy (it was 9 dollars shipped).

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by GypsyR

Where'd the inlet baffle come from? I have a new muffler and wouldn't mind it being a bit more stealthy too.

From Aliexpress. It's the only one like it I have found so far.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...yAdapt=glo2usa

[Mikd]

I'm curious if that exhaust would fit the Templar X? The loud stock exhaust is the only thing keeping me from longer street rides.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by Mikd

I'm curious if that exhaust would fit the Templar X? The loud stock exhaust is the only thing keeping me from longer street rides.

It's a CRF230 exhaust, so in theory it probably would, but "fit" is a loose term. The mid pipe mount needs modification for the exhaust to actually fit properly.

[GypsyR]

I don't think exactly that one would suit me or the bike but AliExpress offered up a number of alternatives and I ordered one to try. Thanks for the idea!

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by GypsyR

I don't think exactly that one would suit me or the bike but AliExpress offered up a number of alternatives and I ordered one to try. Thanks for the idea!

The muffler or the exhaust?

[GypsyR]

Originally Posted by Megadan

The muffler or the exhaust?

Baffle.

[Megadan]

Speaking of the exhaust. The exact one I have is still up on ebay, but I came across these versions of it with a different muffler styles and painted black. A bit more expensive, but not terrible.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13503159606...evt=1&mkcid=28

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13495318858...M01AJDMQBQ3YM6

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13496812061...caAm67EALw_wcB

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13498757061...HXQMVBPPW6WC95

They all have dB killers. The second one has a bigger muffler and the hanger may even just barely reach the stock muffler mount point on that one. The mid pipe mount still needs modification on them from the looks of it.

This is another seller with the exact version I bought, unpainted. No DB killer with this one either, but it's also less than $100

https://www.ebay.com/itm/13495328324...Y7TXKNFGH0FYNV

Unpainted with a "Carbon Fiber" version of the second black system.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/13465009987...NXRTQC5RNRQA31

And a different seller that I linked previously, just to concentrate all of the links in one spot.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/22473057029..._redirect=true

The inlet baffle I used. Probably the best designed one I have seen in regards to flow capabilities. It does indeed make a difference. It's not a huge difference, mind you, but it takes the edge off the exhaust note a bit and probably drop it a couple of dB.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...yAdapt=glo2usa