Aftermarket Exhaust and Spark Arrestors

[winddown]

Spark arrestor?  I pull them out, not put them in.  They restrict the gasflow too much at high revs.  I'll put my faith in the cat

[AZJW]

8 hours ago, winddown said:

Spark arrestor?  I pull them out, not put them in.  They restrict the gasflow too much at high revs.  I'll put my faith in the cat

As noted on the previous page, it depends on where/ when you ride that determines what you can " get away" with.  I too have ridden dirt for 50+ years and have only had my pipe " stick" checked by a USFS ranger a couple of times at organized events.  I've heard of checkpoints setup at times in fire season to check for an approved spark arrestor, but again, those checks are far and few between. 

 

Sounds like regulations down under are different than the states as the faith in the cat defense state side would get you cited or your bike impounded if you happen to piss off a Barney Fife.

[Hibobb]

8 hours ago, winddown said:

Spark arrestor?  I pull them out, not put them in

Not to piss you off, but with all the fires down there (and everywhere), it seem a little selfish to reach for maybe 1 or 2 hp at 10,000 rpm and chance frying 20,00o of those fuzzy little koala bears.

 

[r1superstar]

8 hours ago, winddown said:

Spark arrestor?  I pull them out, not put them in.  They restrict the gasflow too much at high revs.  I'll put my faith in the cat

I hope you rethink this decision.  Here, by law, they are required in the mountains.  I would rather reduce the risk of a forest fire then reap the puny gains.

[mpatch]

As long as you have still have a catalytic converter there’s no need for a spark arrestor. A cat is the ultimate spark arrestor. 
The big question is if you get the flashlight/stick check will the person understand that. 

[r1superstar]

12 hours ago, mpatch said:

As long as you have still have a catalytic converter there’s no need for a spark arrestor. A cat is the ultimate spark arrestor. 
The big question is if you get the flashlight/stick check will the person understand that. 

 

"Do you need a spark arrestor if you have a catalytic converter?

SPARK ARRESTERS MUST BE INSTALLED PROPERLY
The exception for passenger and transportation vehicles is granted because they generally are not driven in close proximity to flammable vegetation. Although mufflers and catalytic converters can help reduce the problem of spark emissions, they are not spark arresters"

General-Purpose Spark Arrestors SPARK ARRESTERS AND THE PREVENTION OF WILDLAND FIRES

 

 

 

[mpatch]

1 hour ago, r1superstar said:

 

"Do you need a spark arrestor if you have a catalytic converter?

SPARK ARRESTERS MUST BE INSTALLED PROPERLY
The exception for passenger and transportation vehicles is granted because they generally are not driven in close proximity to flammable vegetation. Although mufflers and catalytic converters can help reduce the problem of spark emissions, they are not spark arresters"

General-Purpose Spark Arrestors SPARK ARRESTERS AND THE PREVENTION OF WILDLAND FIRES

 

 

 

Interesting.

More government nonsense. 

My Jeep spends just as much time off road as my T7 and it's cat isn't protected by a skidplate  yet it states that they can start fires. 

 

I'm curious if there's newer info on that as that page if from 2003 and from past experience with the FS website they are pretty bad about deleting or updating info. 

There's some trails I ride that have been "closed for logging" since 2012 but have been open since 2013, someone must have forgotten to update or delete the road status. 

 

I guess I've never looked at stock exhaust on my bikes. Do any OEM exhausts have the USFS stamp?

Edited February 13, 2023 by mpatch

[winddown]

20 hours ago, r1superstar said:

I hope you rethink this decision.  Here, by law, they are required in the mountains.  I would rather reduce the risk of a forest fire then reap the puny gains.

Ok, I've rethought it, and came to the same conclusion  

I don't where "Here" is but i'm in Oz and I ride highway and dirt roads, not tracks in the mountains or fire trails.

[winddown]

On 2/13/2023 at 12:29 AM, Hibobb said:

Not to piss you off, but with all the fires down there (and everywhere), it seem a little selfish to reach for maybe 1 or 2 hp at 10,000 rpm and chance frying 20,00o of those fuzzy little koala bears.

 

Oh Dear, we've dragged the sacred Australian Koala into the discussion.  I got a better idea, why don't we all just ride our bikes to the ocean and throw them in, they'll form reefs for the fish to breed in and lord knows the ocean fisheries are in desperate need of replenishment.   Which is just another way of saying "Don't concern yourself with Australian native wildlife"  Wildlife we used to make gloves out of not long ago.  Good gloves too lol

Edited February 13, 2023 by winddown

[Windblown]

1 hour ago, winddown said:

Ok, I've rethought it, and came to the same conclusion  

I don't where "Here" is but i'm in Oz and I ride highway and dirt roads, not tracks in the mountains or fire trails.

 

I'm not familiar with the environment you ride in.  Where I live in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. no one checks for spark arrestors as wild fire hazards are extremely low.  Out in our western regions though it's much, much different. I was out there traveling once when it was so dry one could literally start a campfire by spinning the wheel on a lighter without any fuel in it.  That made me realize why some areas are very strict about offroad vehicles having spark arrestors.  To run without one in that environment is completely irresponsible. 

 

However - Cats can act as a very effective spark arrestor. Chances are with a cat installed sparks or flames won't be  exiting a MC exhaust. 

Edited February 13, 2023 by Windblown

[r1superstar]

2 hours ago, Windblown said:

 

I'm not familiar with the environment you ride in.  Where I live in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. no one checks for spark arrestors as wild fire hazards are extremely low.  Out in our western regions though it's much, much different. I was out there traveling once when it was so dry one could literally start a campfire by spinning the wheel on a lighter without any fuel in it.  That made me realize why some areas are very strict about offroad vehicles having spark arrestors.  To run without one in that environment is completely irresponsible. 

 

However - Cats can act as a very effective spark arrestor. Chances are with a cat installed sparks or flames won't be  exiting a MC exhaust. 

 

 

Correct you are, it's very dry out here.  Hopefully after this banner year of snowstorms, we can start to climb out of this drought.  It may take years but 2022-23 is off to a great start.

[r1superstar]

11 hours ago, mpatch said:

 

Interesting.

More government nonsense. 

My Jeep spends just as much time off road as my T7 and it's cat isn't protected by a skidplate  yet it states that they can start fires. 

 

I'm curious if there's newer info on that as that page if from 2003 and from past experience with the FS website they are pretty bad about deleting or updating info. 

There's some trails I ride that have been "closed for logging" since 2012 but have been open since 2013, someone must have forgotten to update or delete the road status. 

 

I guess I've never looked at stock exhaust on my bikes. Do any OEM exhausts have the USFS stamp?

 

Upon further inspection, the OEM can does not have USFS Approved stamped on it, although I'm sure somehow it is with the way it's built.  The MIVV doesn't have this stamp either and I don't see a spark arrestor in it...

[winddown]

4 hours ago, Windblown said:

 

I'm not familiar with the environment you ride in.  Where I live in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. no one checks for spark arrestors as wild fire hazards are extremely low. 

 

Here we have bush fires from time to time, they are a natural part of the ecocycle, a lot of seeds won't germinate unless a fire has gone over the ground above them.  Unfortunately law is written by politicians and their lackeys who live in the cities, people who have no idea what it's like out in the bush.  But whether bushland should burn or not is beside the point, "the main cause of fires here are men women and children", often deliberately lighting them.  And that little quote is from a former NSW fire chief.

 

Anything that limits the flow of an exhaust contributes to the buildup of carbon within the muffler and it's this super-heated carbon that flys out as embers.  The best thing for an exhaust is to run the engine sustained at high revs from time to time and blast any carbon buildup out.  I used to do this with brushcutters used for domestic yards (they were never highly revved) to clear the mufflers.  After removing the arrestor of course.  You could put your hand behind the gas flow and feel the little bits hitting your fingers. 

 

The worry, over there, about authorities sticking a wire up your pipe is no doubt a genuine concern but I'd find a way around that one if I needed to.  Each to his own hey, but I for one don't slavishly follow government edicts because many of them are just knee jerk reactions and impractical.

Edited February 13, 2023 by winddown

[AZJW]

Our approved vendor @Camel ADV sells an inexpensive drop in spark arrestor that should do the trick.  If someone has one not yet installed, it would be interesting to see if it meets the FS requirement mesh of 0.023".

 

 

 

51mm OD Spark Arrestor for Camel ADV High Exhaust Yamaha 700 Tenere T7

---

You wanted it, now we have them! We're happy to introduce our drop-in spark arrestor for Camel ADV's T7 High Exhaust kit.  This spark arrestor insert drops into the muffler's inlet and is retained when...

 

 

[Ray Ride4life]

In some countries and even in the USA before the native people where killed or suppressed wildfires where lit as a means of growth progress.
Some Americans start to realise the native people where not stupid after all in that department.
Other plus for controlled wild fires is that there are less uncontrolled fires.

[Windblown]

2 hours ago, Ray Ride4life said:

In some countries and even in the USA before the native people where killed or suppressed wildfires where lit as a means of growth progress.
Some Americans start to realise the native people where not stupid after all in that department.
Other plus for controlled wild fires is that there are less uncontrolled fires.

 

I'm all for controlled burns. Loosing 100's of thousands of acres in a single fire due to someone's carelessness.... not so much.  I agree  controlled burns are great way to jump start a rejuvenation cycle and eliminate a lot of dry dead wood that makes the uncontrolled fires so much worse. 

[SO_Rider]

7 hours ago, winddown said:

 

Here we have bush fires from time to time, they are a natural part of the ecocycle, a lot of seeds won't germinate unless a fire has gone over the ground above them.  Unfortunately law is written by politicians and their lackeys who live in the cities, people who have no idea what it's like out in the bush.  But whether bushland should burn or not is beside the point, "the main cause of fires here are men women and children", often deliberately lighting them.  And that little quote is from a former NSW fire chief.

 

Anything that limits the flow of an exhaust contributes to the buildup of carbon within the muffler and it's this super-heated carbon that flys out as embers.  The best thing for an exhaust is to run the engine sustained at high revs from time to time and blast any carbon buildup out.  I used to do this with brushcutters used for domestic yards (they were never highly revved) to clear the mufflers.  After removing the arrestor of course.  You could put your hand behind the gas flow and feel the little bits hitting your fingers. 

 

The worry, over there, about authorities sticking a wire up your pipe is no doubt a genuine concern but I'd find a way around that one if I needed to.  Each to his own hey, but I for one don't slavishly follow government edicts because many of them are just knee jerk reactions and impractical.

I'm not so worried about the authorities "sticking a wire up my pipe" as I am about actually starting a fire. We can probably argue over the chances of that actually happening, but for me it's just not worth the risk. As you may have noticed, we've seen a dramatic increase in wildfires over the past couple decades in the Western US. Regardless of the underlying reasons, suffice to say that I am very aware of it when exploring the great expanse of public land right out my backdoor. There are areas that I ride during the wetter season that I avoid during fire season, which now extends from early June through October. Guaranteed if I was to start a fire the authorities or landowner would be very quick to sue/seek damages whether or not I had a spark arrestor. In fact, my grandfather got a pretty hefty bill from the state of Oregon a couple decades back when his jeep started a fire on his own land. Just not worth the slight gain in power for me.

[winddown]

On 2/14/2023 at 11:48 AM, SO_Rider said:

I'm not so worried about the authorities "sticking a wire up my pipe" as I am about actually starting a fire.

 

Well I can understand your feelings,  I just don't share them.  Australia is a different place, like India is, and South Africa is.  Different places different ways.  Stay safe over there.

[wavz]

Found this thread after purchasing the MiVV Drakar and searching for a spark arrestor solution.  Came up with the following using the largest Fisch arrestor they make (2-B2-0040).  Disclaimer, this has yet to be fully tested on an extended ride.

 

The MiVV already comes with a reducer riveted into the outlet.  I took the rivet out and cut around the edge of outer diameter to release the inner (reduced) pipe.  This left the outer diameter sleeve with a hole where the rivet was.  I aligned the spark arrestor the way I wanted it with the rivet hole and drilled a matching hole in the spark arrestor.  I chose to use a screw but I may use a rivet if it feels like it may come loose.

 

The grub screw needed to be longer so I sourced some 4mm .70 x 14mm cap screws.  Carefully adjusting all three screws plus the new bottom set screw allowed me to line it up just the way I was hoping for.

 

This also knocked just enough of the bark off the tone of the exhaust.  So far very happy with the way it turned out.  We'll see if it can take some abuse.

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by wavz

[eyeguy]

Does the spark arrestor need to be right at the outlet or can it be located at the muffler midpipe junction? I have an hp corse and hope to ride in wyoming and colorado this fall. Best option for the hp corse?