[Bilgemaster]

You can file this one under "Winter Topics--Killing Time 'Til Spring". Not that I have any present plans to replace what I can only assume is the original almost absurdly long "Bengal Bottle" silencer my 2005 Bullet 500ES "Military" is wearing until it rusts out, gets damaged somehow, or a family of hydrocarbon-craving chipmunks takes up residence inside, but I am wondering what it is I have exactly, and particularly where the "catalytic converter" may be found. It does have the Pulse Air System installed in the lefthand sidecover and screwed in near the exhaust port.

Just browsing through Pete Snidal's superb Bullet Service Manual, as one does when it's just too nippy for a nice ride, he writes, "As of the time of this writing - Dec, '04 - the factoy [sic] is reportedly producing a new silencer which incorporates a Catalytic Converter, thus presumably eliminating the need for the restrictive bodge shown here [i.e., image of "catalytic doodad tube" welded into end of downpipe/header]. Any such improvement which will allow the removal of this bottleneck will obviously be of great benefit."

I'm wondering if anyone with more firsthand knowledge of the vagaries of the exhaust systems used in these beasts year-to-year might be able to clarify what it is I have: cat in silencer/muffler or in downpipe/header. If there are any markings, they must be inboard where I cannot see them. A picture of the beast at rest is shown below. Perhaps the slight golden-brown discoloration just underneath the pillion/passenger footrest is a telltale from the heat of a cat being within thereabouts? It polishes easily away, but always reappears after a bit, and it ain't like I obsessively over-lubricate my footpegs (though "Overlubricated Footpegs" is the name of my "Little Feat" tribute band):

Like I said, I have a kind of demented fondness for that big ungainly "Bengal Bottle." It's quiet enough not to roust the neighbors' kids from their naps, but throaty enough on the open road to please. But if I were  to swap it out later, is there a less restrictive but similarly long Bengal Bottle that'll pop on with no headaches that folks can recommend? And if it required re-jetting of my Mikarb, any recommendations on proper sizes to match? As for fuel, unless I'm on a really long haul with little choice, I exclusively burn ethanol-free 89 octane with a dash of Marvel Mystery Oil (maybe an ounce a tankful).

So, what say you, my fellow frostbound Holiday Elves?

[Adrian II]

I think you'll find this an acceptable as a straight bolt-on replacement.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW-ROYAL-ENFIELD-EXHAUST-SILENCER-FOR-ELECTRA-pummy/250804841556

Note the longer inlet pipe for use with the shorter header pipes.

If you get the right one they still have some but not too many baffles in but still allow a decent BLAT without being to raucous. Noise varies according to the manufacturer, there's more than one factory turning these things out, some are more restrictive than others.

Mr Hitchcock's guide to rejetting the 28m Mikarb:

http://accessories.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/accessory-shop/carburettor-parts

You can slo search ebay for examples of the muffler which the UK importer offered for the Electra-X around this time, made by Briteuro. Again, a bolt-on replacement, though this was more restrictive than ther Indian short bottle thingy.



Briteuro are still active and RE silencers are still listed on their web site

http://www.brituro.com/products-and-services

Hope this helps.


A.

[Bilgemaster]

Bit late coming back around, but here's just my belated thanks for those tips and links, Adrian II. I particularly like the looks of that last long Briteuro one similar to my own. I still cannot help wondering though, what exactly the presumably stock John Holmesian monster I have on there now might contain within. I'd love to see a cross-section of it.

[ace.cafe]

It contains 4 of your engine's horsepower.
 

Replacing it with something like Adrian showed will give them back to the engine.

Physically, the Bengal Bottle is filled with plates that block the exit of the exhaust very well. There are a few holes in the plates that allow just enough exhaust thru to prevent the engine from shutting off completely.

The other bonus is the 40 pounds of dead weight it provides.
 

[Adrian II]

If you're replacing the whole system, something like THIS:



Item 253978651797 on ebay.

[tooseevee]

You can file this one under "Winter Topics--Killing Time 'Til Spring". Not that I have any present plans to replace what I can only assume is the original almost absurdly long "Bengal Bottle" silencer my 2005 Bullet 500ES "Military" is wearing until it rusts out, gets damaged somehow, or a family of hydrocarbon-craving chipmunks takes up residence inside, but I am wondering what it is I have exactly, and particularly where the "catalytic converter" may be found. It does have the Pulse Air System installed in the lefthand sidecover and screwed in near the exhaust port.

Just browsing through Pete Snidal's superb Bullet Service Manual, as one does when it's just too nippy for a nice ride, he writes, "As of the time of this writing - Dec, '04 - the factoy [sic] is reportedly producing a new silencer which incorporates a Catalytic Converter, thus presumably eliminating the need for the restrictive bodge shown here [i.e., image of "catalytic doodad tube" welded into end of downpipe/header]. Any such improvement which will allow the removal of this bottleneck will obviously be of great benefit."

I'm wondering if anyone with more firsthand knowledge of the vagaries of the exhaust systems used in these beasts year-to-year might be able to clarify what it is I have: cat in silencer/muffler or in downpipe/header. If there are any markings, they must be inboard where I cannot see them. A picture of the beast at rest is shown below. Perhaps the slight golden-brown discoloration just underneath the pillion/passenger footrest is a telltale from the heat of a cat being within thereabouts? It polishes easily away, but always reappears after a bit, and it ain't like I obsessively over-lubricate my footpegs (though "Overlubricated Footpegs" is the name of my "Little Feat" tribute band):

Like I said, I have a kind of demented fondness for that big ungainly "Bengal Bottle." It's quiet enough not to roust the neighbors' kids from their naps, but throaty enough on the open road to please. But if I were  to swap it out later, is there a less restrictive but similarly long Bengal Bottle that'll pop on with no headaches that folks can recommend? And if it required re-jetting of my Mikarb, any recommendations on proper sizes to match? As for fuel, unless I'm on a really long haul with little choice, I exclusively burn ethanol-free 89 octane with a dash of Marvel Mystery Oil (maybe an ounce a tankful).

So, what say you, my fellow frostbound Holiday Elves?

            Yes. It's in the header pipe.

            One of the first things I did when I got my 2008 AVL was get rid of the giant bazooka and the so-called catalytic converter.

            The "cat converter" is actually nothing but a hot tube spot welded inside the muffler end of the header pipe. It's a 16" or so tube with a bazzilion little holes in it that gets incredibly hot AND restricts the exhaling of the engine like mad.

            (1) Remove muffler
            (2) Remove header pipe
            (3) Cut the hot tube out. I used a cutting wheel on my Dremel tool.
            (4) Put it all back together with a sensible free flow muffler and your engine can now exhale.

            You will have to redial-in your carburetor of choice. Jets-R-Us is your friend.

            I believe I posted pictures of doing mine back in the dusty shelves of the archives somewhere.

[Bilgemaster]

So, they were still jamming the little "catalytic" tube doodad into the end of the header/downpipe as late as the AVLs, Huh? I mean, not integrating it into the muffler/silencer itself, as Snidal suggested they might start doing back in 2005? Interesting...

Thing is, I sort of LIKE the look of the absurdly long wiener that is my silencer, and am willing to haul along a little extra weight to have it. I wonder: Has anyone tried just drilling out a baffle or two to improve its breathing and maybe add a bit of bark, the way some folks used to do?

[Adrian II]

Tried another reply and got the database error . 

A.

[ace.cafe]

So, they were still jamming the little "catalytic" tube doodad into the end of the header/downpipe as late as the AVLs, Huh? I mean, not integrating it into the muffler/silencer itself, as Snidal suggested they might start doing back in 2005? Interesting...

Thing is, I sort of LIKE the look of the absurdly long wiener that is my silencer, and am willing to haul along a little extra weight to have it. I wonder: Has anyone tried just drilling out a baffle or two to improve its breathing and maybe add a bit of bark, the way some folks used to do?

You definitely need to see if there is a hot tube at the end of the header pipe, and get it out if it's there.
For the muffler, you can take a long drill bit, like 18" long, and start drilling holes in the end that slips over the header pipe. That helps the engine see less restriction. Then start drilling from the back end until you get the sound you want.
People have done this for a budget bodge.

As long as you don't mind dragging around that boat anchor of unnecessary weight, it should do okay. Not good, mind you, but okay. It will never be good.

[Chasfield]

I cut and shut my bazooka silencer. There there are three sections of baffle as pictured in the attachment.

Each section has three perforated turnaround tubes, so the gas flow is reversed nine times. Also, it diffuses through thousands of small holes as it goes.

The result is that if you set a firecracker off at one end, you just hear the sound of the sea at the other.

[Stanley]

 I can't imagine using the stock salami. My Bullet came with the British-made short muffler with a removable baffle. The baffle reduced the blat and kept the thump without noticeable power loss. It uses the stock header and hasn't discolored.

[heloego]

"The result is that if you set a firecracker off at one end, you just hear the sound of the sea at the other."

Tried that and all I ever heard was a dial tone. 

[Bilgemaster]

Tried another reply and got the database error . 

A.

Ahoy Adrian II!  I believe I may have just stumbled onto the cause of your "database errors" whilst trying to cut-n-paste the text of an email I received from a countrywoman of yours concerning Haynes Manuals shown here. It's your baroque British apostrophes. I'd figured it had something to do with your posh keyboards, all reeking of Marmite and Lemon Curd instead of orange Cheez-Doodle dust as the Good Lord intended. Seems I'm right.

Remember how I mentioned in some other threads like this one how the new Forum system's character handling defaults to the ultra-primitivo Windows US Character Set ca. 1999, and anything else will give it indigestion? Well, the apostrophe you're using is what they call a "Typographic" or "Curly" one, whilst we here in the Colonies and in basic ASCII typefaces use the "Typewriter" or "Straight" one, which combined both the apostrophe as such and the single closing quotation mark on the keyboard.  There's more than you ever wanted to know on the matter beginning here in the Wikipedia article on the Apostrophe, as if this Forum hasn't already had enough discussion about them.

Suffice it to say that if you try respond to this posting with a simple "It's...", and it chokes, then we've maybe found your database fouling culprit. If so, then look around on the keyboard and see if there isn't some other workaround option for you. Or, perhaps I should just cross-post this into the Forum Improvements  section, assuming anyone who can do anything about it is even paying attention there.

...maybe time the database manager joined the 21st Century!

[Adrian II]

It's...

[Adrian II]

... apparently not that, but thanks for thinking of it. My wife makes her own lemon curd, BTW. Yum.

My keyboard does occasionally need inverting for a good clout to clear various cookie crumbs. Well not from cookies as such, but if we start talking about biscuits I gather they mean something totally different to you folks over there.

I am avoiding the temptation to re-type my post in case the database sees it.

A.