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SuzukiSavage.com Rocks!
Posts: 32
Austin, Texas
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My '03 came with a Jardine and had been appropriately jetted, so the guy said. He provided a small plastic parts box with several jet sizes, a drill bit and an allen wrench. I got tired of the noise but didn't want to reinstall the OEM muffler (came with the bike). It weighs a ton compared to the Jardine.
Backfiring was very common as well as the puff whenever the motor was killed. Pipe was so loud it made my right ear ring and, since I'm not into being a neighborhood spoiler or waking up babies as I pass by homes, the volume concerned me.
While installing a set of Ed L's forward controls I had removed the Jardine and header pipe. Got to wondering what the heck, if anything, is inside that puppy. Couple minutes later I have abandoned the controls and I'm sweating over the Jardine like a grizzly with a stump full of grubs.
After much head scratching, 2X4 whacking and WD40 spraying the baffle finally came out ... and that was it. And internal pipe with slots and a plate at either end to keep it in place.
I looked for high temp fiberglass to wrap the tube but it was no go. A buddy at work said he always used steel wool blanket he bought at auto parts houses. "Fiberglass or steel wool ... doesn't matter," he said. "It all burns away eventually. Remove the fasteners, fire up the motor and goose it a few times. That'll push the baffle out and then you can put more of whatever you use."
Hmmm. I found some "Chore Boy" stainless steel scouring pads in the grocery store. Unraveled five of 'em, wrapped 'em around the baffle, used stainless steel safety wire to secure them and reinstalled the baffle.
Once the forward controls were in place, exhaust reattached and the front of the seat lifted (I used pieces of copper tube instead of nylon spacers) I couldn't wait to see how things worked.
All three mods have made a huge improvement in comfort. Ed L forward controls improved in leg comfort. The seat lift has helped butt and back comfort. The scouring pads as sound insulation have reduced the roar to a grumble, backfires have almost vanished and can be controlled with the throttle it seems.
Next time I have things disassembeled, like for painting, I'll add some more Chore Boy pads to bring the exhaust note down a few more decibles to see if the grumbles can be tuned to a more mellow note.
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