Ignorant question of the day: Open Headers

[FootNote]

Now this is only my second ignorant question of the day, but I can seriously see myself creating a series of these over time. :eusa_dance:

Alright. So my ignorant question of the day is this: Open headers, I happen to really like the way they look, that being said I have never seen any photos of open headers directly into them. I imagine they have to have a filter in there so debre does not get sucked in.

The other look I really like is the scoops that actually pull air into the headers rather then just sit there for decoration.

I am going to have to ask you all to forgive me I am about to post a link to www.planetvmax.com ... its my understanding there is not a lot of love there for some of you all :ummm: but they have something which I think looks/is pretty bad ass.

http://planetvmax.com/85-07vmax/carburetion/ufo-ram-air-scoops/coming-soon-maxair-injectors

Now, outside of wondering the filter issue, I am wondering how these effect the bike? hp? MPG? torque?

And last but not least, This is simply a general question. I have no intention of doing anything to increase the speed of my bike for a while. unk:

Thanks.

 

[ninjaneer]

dude, just love the "ride" for at least a few more months and punch it over 100mph before even thinking about such Monster mods. there are plenty of other performance mods that are more affordable and will increase the thrill factor once your adrenaline dilutes. don't get me wrong, those are some sweet mods and i'll bet they sound and kick great, but, man, "baby steps", "baby steps"

 

[FootNote]

dude, just love the "ride" for at least a few more months and punch it over 100mph before even thinking about such Monster mods. there are plenty of other performance mods that are more affordable and will increase the thrill factor once your adrenaline dilutes.

Lol read the last sentence.

Like I said I am not interested in actually upgrading my bike, I am simply interested in them.

 

[ninjaneer]

i did read the last sentence. [edit] just to clarify my original post--understand the basic beast first both on paper and pavement. you'll appreciate those upgrades' performance numbers more. just my two cents, dude. and who are you kidding, that monkey has you by the balls hehehehehe.

 

[Fire-medic]

Have you purchased a factory manual for your bike yet? The CD is avail. online, or go old school and have a print copy, my preference. Read about your systems, familiarize yourself w/names of parts, and begin your VMax education. You will be able to understand better what others here & elsewhere write. Do you mean the air intake system? I think that's what you are referring to instead of the exhaust headers. They have some velocity stacks displayed on the site, good for strip HP but really-bad for engine longevity, feeding dirt to your carbs or the fuel injection/air intake system is never a good idea! Yes, they look cool, but proper air filtration is what you want. Get a K & N drop-in at first, and if you want to get more power later, it's the stage 7 individual air pods in-place of the drop-in filter, along w/mods to the diaphragm springs in the carbs, jetting (what size holes in the carbs allow gas into the engine) & carb slide mods...but be aware you need to get an expensive exhaust to make all this work well together. And if it's not tuned correctly, you will be very unhappy compared to your nicely-carbruerated ride before all that $$!

Since you are using probably 1/3 of your top HP at this point, learn how to recognize the parts of your bike, what they do, and proper maintenance, and get at least a season of riding under your belt before you go modding things. I recommend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course to learn inexpensively about riding dynamics beyond your licensing exam course. Your local community college probably has a motorcycle owner's course where you can learn about basics of maintenance, from oil changes, to tires, brakes, adjustments to clutch, brakes, the throttle, bulb changes, and basic electrical and mechanical theory. There is great satisfaction in maintaining you ride yourself. You also get to check it out for leaks, worn parts, and wear. Things do wear out. Checking your bike periodically means a safer ride for you and will help your bike last longer because you catch developing problems early.

One final bit of advice, beginning riders should not carry passengers. You have enough to keep busy with getting down the road yourself without having to deal with the handling changes which arise from a passenger. They are considerable. And if anyone tells you that because your state doesn't require helmets, "c'mon, let the breeze through your hair," "those things limit your vision," " you can't hear anything with that on," or the popular (in some circles) "that thing will cause injuries!," remember you need protection from everyone else on the road, including wildlife choosing the wrong time to share the road with you, to derelict, leaking cars and trucks leaving puddles of fluid, coolant, oil, grease, fuel, and even tar (ever been behind a tar kettle and watched the molten tar drip-off the spigot onto the pavement?), to say nothing of "Big Nassau Daddy's" septic cleaning rig leaving a brown stain for you to follow down the road. You can be the most-cautious rider, but you can't have a 'do-over' to stop and put your helmet on before you impact that nitwit eating Mcdonald's, smoking a cigarette, talking on the cellphone, and adjusting her makeup in the rear-view mirror who turns left in-front of you. I have seen and treated people from these and more incidents than I care to recall.

There are people here who will disagree with me, they can, should, and will do as they wish. Think of your family. Would you rather replace some clothing containing torn-up body armor, a helmet, gloves, and footwear, or have your survivors wonder about how-to replace the primary wage-earner? That stuff might not save you from certain death given the right tragic circumstances, but it's much cheaper and less-painful than orthopedic surgical implants, reconstructive surgery, and skin grafts. I take students weekly into the E.R. of two different Level 1 trauma centers, and inevitably encounter someone who is a victim of others' behavior, and that person is there because he or she is a motorcyclist. Give yourself the best possible outcome potential, dress the part so when you "hit the road," you have a sequential chance of survival far-greater than the free-spirit who likes to ride 'in-the-wind" unprotected. Chain wallets don't do the trick, when you need protection, turn to prophylactics or the proper motorcycling gear.

 

[Redbone]

IMO the Vmax needs these upgrades to bring it closer to a modern day motorcycle:
1) Brakes - Newer than 93 may get by with upgrading to HH Pads. 92 and old need larger rotors/ 4or 6 pot calipers. If you want to go further SS lines and upgraded master cylinders.
2) Suspension - Fork springs, most likely shocks.
3) Comfort - Seat, handlebars, possibly windshield for traveling longer distances.
4) Performance - Exhaust, carb kit. Possibly other mods but they get expensive fast!
5) Tires - Radials Radials Radials!
Build the bike to stop better, then handle better first, making a hard to stop/ difficult to handle bike go faster is a recipe for disaster!
Again, this is all just my humble opinion.:biglaugh:

Have you purchased a factory manual for your bike yet? The CD is avail. online, or go old school and have a print copy, my preference. Read about your systems, familiarize yourself w/names of parts, and begin your VMax education. You will be able to understand better what others here & elsewhere write. Do you mean the air intake system? I think that's what you are referring to instead of the exhaust headers. They have some velocity stacks displayed on the site, good for strip HP but really-bad for engine longevity, feeding dirt to your carbs or the fuel injection/air intake system is never a good idea! Yes, they look cool, but proper air filtration is what you want. Get a K & N drop-in at first, and if you want to get more power later, it's the stage 7 individual air pods in-place of the drop-in filter, along w/mods to the diaphragm springs in the carbs, jetting (what size holes in the carbs allow gas into the engine) & carb slide mods...but be aware you need to get an expensive exhaust to make all this work well together. And if it's not tuned correctly, you will be very unhappy compared to your nicely-carbureted ride before all that $$!

Since you are using probably 1/3 of your top HP at this point, learn how to recognize the parts of your bike, what they do, and proper maintenance, and get at least a season of riding under your belt before you go modding things. I recommend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course to learn inexpensively about riding dynamics beyond your licensing exam course. Your local community college probably has a motorcycle owner's course where you can learn about basics of maintenance, from oil changes, to tires, brakes, adjustments to clutch, brakes, the throttle, bulb changes, and basic electrical and mechanical theory. There is great satisfaction in maintaining you ride yourself. You also get to check it out for leaks, worn parts, and wear. Things do wear out. Checking your bike periodically means a safer ride for you and will help your bike last longer because you catch developing problems early.

One final bit of advice, beginning riders should not carry passengers. You have enough to keep busy with getting down the road yourself without having to deal with the handling changes which arise from a passenger. They are considerable. And if anyone tells you that because your state doesn't require helmets, "c'mon, let the breeze through your hair," "those things limit your vision," " you can't hear anything with that on," or the popular (in some circles) "that thing will cause injuries!," remember you need protection from everyone else on the road, including wildlife choosing the wrong time to share the road with you, to derelict, leaking cars and trucks leaving puddles of fluid, coolant, oil, grease, fuel, and even tar (ever been behind a tar kettle and watched the molten tar drip-off the spigot onto the pavement?), to say nothing of "Big Nassau Daddy's" septic cleaning rig leaving a brown stain for you to follow down the road. You can be the most-cautious rider, but you can't have a 'do-over' to stop and put your helmet on before you impact that nitwit eating Mcdonald's, smoking a cigarette, talking on the cellphone, and adjusting her makeup in the rear-view mirror who turns left in-front of you. I have seen and treated people from these and more incidents than I care to recall.

There are people here who will disagree with me, they can, should, and will do as they wish. Think of your family. Would you rather replace some clothing containing torn-up body armor, a helmet, gloves, and footwear, or have your survivors wonder about how-to replace the primary wage-earner? That stuff might not save you from certain death given the right tragic circumstances, but it's much cheaper and less-painful than orthopedic surgical implants, reconstructive surgery, and skin grafts. I take students weekly into the E.R. of two different Level 1 trauma centers, and inevitably encounter someone who is a victim of others' behavior, and that person is there because he or she is a motorcyclist. Give yourself the best possible outcome potential, dress the part so when you "hit the road," you have a sequential chance of survival far-greater than the free-spirit who likes to ride 'in-the-wind" unprotected. Chain wallets don't do the trick, when you need protection, turn to prophylactics or the proper motorcycling gear.

+1, as far as wearing gear goes, I say to each there own. As for myself I think about gear this way: If I were to jump out of the back of a truck at 50 mph what would I want to be wearing. Granted most motorcycle accidents probably will have a bigger impact (sudden stop) than jumping out of a truck but the loss of skin, facial features and broken bones is a big deterrent for me. You don't want to "tumble" if you crash you want to slide. If your sliding down the asphalt/ textured concrete at 50mph the pair of jeans will protect you for about 10/15' of sliding then it's up to your fleshy bits to take the abuse.
I used to work for a specialty hospital bed company (KCI)and was in ICU's daily which I saw quite a few bad road rash victims; not a pretty site! I would say they were just a step down from the burn units which is a whole other level of trauma!

 

[Blurr]

IMO the Vmax needs these upgrades to bring it closer to a modern day motorcycle:
1) Brakes - Newer than 93 may get by with upgrading to HH Pads. 92 and old need larger rotors/ 4or 6 pot calipers. If you want to go further SS lines and upgraded master cylinders.
2) Suspension - Fork springs, most likely shocks.
3) Comfort - Seat, handlebars, possibly windshield for traveling longer distances.
4) Performance - Exhaust, carb kit. Possibly other mods but they get expensive fast!
5) Tires - Radials Radials Radials!
Build the bike to stop better, then handle better first, making a hard to stop/ difficult to handle bike go faster is a recipe for disaster!

There is certainly no harm in asking, after all, if you asked about how to reduce the power of your bike you'd likely be in the wrong forum to begin with. If you're wondering, yes they make kits for that too. The smart money would be in a stouter brake system, and a stiffer chassis and better suspension. Do that and you will certainly find you are able to ride faster and with more confidence then one power upgrade would allow you to. But lets face it, those aren't nearly as sexy as power! No one is immune. The first thing I looked up when I bought my Max was bigger bore kits for the engine. First thing I bought was larger/better brakes. It isn't like I'm an old hand at this; I only got serious about improving mine a while ago. Then again, I almost punched a hole in the back of an RV the day before I ordered the brakes... I'm sure that had something to do with what I decided to make the first upgrade. Now I'm working on the suspinsion/wheels. After that I'll move up to suspinion out back(already did forks), and finally looks(lights/paint/etc).

To answer your question about Planetmax, some people think the world of him, some people don't. At least one member feels that they were intentionally sabotaged/lied to by the owner and operator of that web site. You mileage may vary. If you really want the back story it is easy enough to find.

I suppose referring to the intake as headers can be forgiven, being new and all- but it is a bit of a gaff. :rofl_200: I don't think any of us hasn't at one point or another wished he could say his/her scoops were functional. I know I have looked at just those web pages and daydreamed. As others have said, running an engine with no air cleaner is really, really detrimental to the longevity of the machine. I mean, even NASCAR runs an air filter; they only have to survive for 500 laps or so. If the look is all you are after(sounds like you are not) you can find fake velocity stacks that bolt right one. And there is more then one way to get a working hood scoop. Combined with Sean's Jet Kit you can add one of the several air box covers that are vented and presto, functional air intake.

Don't take the cautionary tales you get as negative or criticizingly. It isn't that they are better then you, just that they have done it before you and are trying to suggest a better way. After all you did just go over the handle bars, and critical thinking mind would say to it's self, 'Self, I should back off a little!' :biglaugh:

I know you didn't have your accident cuz you were going too fast or anything like that. You had it cuz you where unfamiliar with the bike. If it seems like everyone is trying to slow you down, well, maybe. I think that is more cuz of a general attitude of how much potential this bike has to get a new rider into trouble and how fast it can exceed your experience level then you personally. It doesn't have a forgiving attitude when pushed anywhere near the limit. I think what everyone is saying is give yourself time to be scared witless by a 'slow stock' version in little easy to digest bites, a little at a time, before you really unleash it. Ride it a season stock (if you can) while you scribble down all you want to know about upgrading it. At the end of the season you may find that what you thought would be the biggest bang for the buck isn't or what you thought would be nice but not critical upgrade, is vitally important.

But by all means ask all the ignorant questions you want! As for open (exhaust) headers; on a Harley they are loud under throttle, on this bike they are ear splitting by all accounts.

 

[Fire-medic]

"Blurr" gave a thoughtful description of issues. As the old US Army jingle used to say, "be all you can be." The stock bike has so-much performance potential, you rarely ever get to safely use it what with the law, traffic, and a healthy dose of common-sense guarding your desire to 'pull the trigger.' By modding the handling dynamics via better brakes, suspension, tires/wheels, bearings & bushings, and perhaps dropping some weight, you will make it easier to safely utilize the stock engine's performance. We have all had 'white-knuckle' moments, and if we've been lucky, we escaped unscathed, except for a dirty pair of BVD's/Fruit of the Looms. The aftermath of such an encounter is to investigate 'what will help me avoid such experiences?' That is where what "Blurr" and others have been saying. You don't need more HP unless your riding skills and equipment allow you to access it safely. You can kill yourself on a Honda 250 Rebel just as easily as a modified, high HP VMax by riding stupidly. Keith Code writing in Motorcyclist has great advice on rider input every month, and his books, ' Twist of the Wrist' series are filled with helpful information which can make you better-able to survive to ride another day.

In short, you will get a much larger return on investment from modifying rider behavior to allow better, safer bike handling skills while enjoying the enhanced bike dynamics which accrue from thoughtful equipment modifications without touching HP output. Share your learning with us and we will learn together.

 

[ninjaneer]

Hey man don't get us wrong. It's OK to dream, $h!7 I think my Amazon Wish List has reached its capacity with all of what I wish to do (including the RamAir). It's just we'd hate to see "FootNote" listed in the In Memory Of... thread cuz your dreams weren't reality-checked.

 

[one2dmax]

If you want to lose power then run open headers. Sounds cool but the loss in backpressure (you need a little bit) will hurt power. You can remove the guts from the muffler and do ok though.

Individual open pipes will completely KILL the hp and you might as well trade it in on a Harley.

Sean

 

[acammer]

If you want to lose power then run open headers. Sounds cool but the loss in backpressure (you need a little bit) will hurt power. You can remove the guts from the muffler and do ok though.

Individual open pipes will completely KILL the hp and you might as well trade it in on a Harley.

Sean

That's the kind of open headers I thought he was talking about at first too. Open individual head pipes does sound pretty awesome, but as Sean said you take a pretty big hit in performance like that when you ruin the scavenging effects you get with an actual exhaust on there - I've been running around like that for a week or two while I'm waiting for my super-trapp's, and definitely took a hit in power. Not to mention its actually just too loud, more specifically it's too raspy, and lacks depth. It is fun though, people are looking for the stock car whenever you pull up to a light, only to realize it's that somewhat strange looking motorcycle making that racket.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I pulled my mufflers off the 4-2 Exhaust I have just to find out for my self ayear or two ago. Sounded awesome, if you hate your nieghbors. Ran like crap.

The UFO slash cuts are about as close to this setup as you can get, it's the 4-2 with a glass pack type mega phone exhaust with about a half inch of sound deadening material around the circumference of the muffler. Rhoy Carter has them and they sound and perform awesome......

 

[RaWarrior]

That's why harleys have straight pipes...."scavenging? what's that?"....and it's not like they had any performance to start with so there's less to lose. Piston in the cylinder might as well be a hotdog flying down a hallway.....

Footnote, what you're seeing here is what a great community this is. You're new, probably nobody has ever met you, and yet everyone really cares about you got giving the local rescue squad more work to do.

As others said don't take this as criticism of your ability or that we think "you can't handle" stuff like this. While I know it sounds all touchy-feely, people here don't want to see you get hurt and want to do everything possible to help you out. Just picking a vmax for a starter bike is a HUGE leap ahead of the "learning curve" and it looks like it kind of already nipped you in the bud. Just take it easy for a bit, mmkay? No need to go out and play Valentino Rossi on your first day. As F-M suggested a MSF rider-ed course would be a great start.

It's always fun to dream about the next big mod though....I'd love a supercharger and be able to stick it to gen 2's. *sigh*.....

 

[Fire-medic]

If you 'know how to ride,' then the MSF Beginning Biker Course isn't for you, but the Experienced Rider course is. Even an experienced rider can benefit from the drills & doing them under the watchful eyes of a group of instructors. That coupled with some years/seasons of riding, & you can start considering track days w/a club. I would not recommend a VMax for a track day! Maybe a 250/350 or a 500 twin.

 

[rebar]

Id like to see anti lock brakes on the rear. That would have saved me.

 

[wood1]

anyone ever try one of these? looks interesting...
http://www.tcbbrakesystems.com/index.html

 

[gamorg02]

anyone ever try one of these? looks interesting...
http://www.tcbbrakesystems.com/index.html

wow. neat. i might be interested.

 

[zippo6]

Have you purchased a factory manual for your bike yet? The CD is avail. online, or go old school and have a print copy, my preference. Read about your systems, familiarize yourself w/names of parts, and begin your VMax education. You will be able to understand better what others here & elsewhere write. Do you mean the air intake system? I think that's what you are referring to instead of the exhaust headers. They have some velocity stacks displayed on the site, good for strip HP but really-bad for engine longevity, feeding dirt to your carbs or the fuel injection/air intake system is never a good idea! Yes, they look cool, but proper air filtration is what you want. Get a K & N drop-in at first, and if you want to get more power later, it's the stage 7 individual air pods in-place of the drop-in filter, along w/mods to the diaphragm springs in the carbs, jetting (what size holes in the carbs allow gas into the engine) & carb slide mods...but be aware you need to get an expensive exhaust to make all this work well together. And if it's not tuned correctly, you will be very unhappy compared to your nicely-carbruerated ride before all that $$!

Since you are using probably 1/3 of your top HP at this point, learn how to recognize the parts of your bike, what they do, and proper maintenance, and get at least a season of riding under your belt before you go modding things. I recommend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course to learn inexpensively about riding dynamics beyond your licensing exam course. Your local community college probably has a motorcycle owner's course where you can learn about basics of maintenance, from oil changes, to tires, brakes, adjustments to clutch, brakes, the throttle, bulb changes, and basic electrical and mechanical theory. There is great satisfaction in maintaining you ride yourself. You also get to check it out for leaks, worn parts, and wear. Things do wear out. Checking your bike periodically means a safer ride for you and will help your bike last longer because you catch developing problems early.

One final bit of advice, beginning riders should not carry passengers. You have enough to keep busy with getting down the road yourself without having to deal with the handling changes which arise from a passenger. They are considerable. And if anyone tells you that because your state doesn't require helmets, "c'mon, let the breeze through your hair," "those things limit your vision," " you can't hear anything with that on," or the popular (in some circles) "that thing will cause injuries!," remember you need protection from everyone else on the road, including wildlife choosing the wrong time to share the road with you, to derelict, leaking cars and trucks leaving puddles of fluid, coolant, oil, grease, fuel, and even tar (ever been behind a tar kettle and watched the molten tar drip-off the spigot onto the pavement?), to say nothing of "Big Nassau Daddy's" septic cleaning rig leaving a brown stain for you to follow down the road. You can be the most-cautious rider, but you can't have a 'do-over' to stop and put your helmet on before you impact that nitwit eating Mcdonald's, smoking a cigarette, talking on the cellphone, and adjusting her makeup in the rear-view mirror who turns left in-front of you. I have seen and treated people from these and more incidents than I care to recall.

There are people here who will disagree with me, they can, should, and will do as they wish. Think of your family. Would you rather replace some clothing containing torn-up body armor, a helmet, gloves, and footwear, or have your survivors wonder about how-to replace the primary wage-earner? That stuff might not save you from certain death given the right tragic circumstances, but it's much cheaper and less-painful than orthopedic surgical implants, reconstructive surgery, and skin grafts. I take students weekly into the E.R. of two different Level 1 trauma centers, and inevitably encounter someone who is a victim of others' behavior, and that person is there because he or she is a motorcyclist. Give yourself the best possible outcome potential, dress the part so when you "hit the road," you have a sequential chance of survival far-greater than the free-spirit who likes to ride 'in-the-wind" unprotected. Chain wallets don't do the trick, when you need protection, turn to prophylactics or the proper motorcycling gear.

Amen!