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Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:12 pm
by zage
Hey all,
Scored a 2001 Elite SR for $50 a couple months back, has low compression (~70-75psi) but still runs like a champ all things considered (some transmission mods and it gets up to about 40). I’ve got a polini contessa bbk on the way from Treatland to hopefully solve my compression woes, and race my buddy’s bbk Roughhouse. I’m figuring I should probably get more of a performance exhaust, and since I’m in a state/city where there are no inspections/emissions, I can put whatever I want on. I’m trying to decide between the ~$150 “street” style pipes on scooterworks/sss and the ~$70 chinesium eBay “race” style pipes. I’ve got no problems making modifications to make em fit, and no qualms with volume. Any weigh-ins on this? I would probably powdercoat the cheaper exhaust myself to be safe. Just lookin to go reliably(ish) fast.
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:52 pm
by motormike
Just a note by way of general advice.
I find that there's usually better product if you spend more up front.
Buy cheap-o, and maybe end up having to spend more when it sucks...idk
Asking here is a good idea, be careful what you are told on fb pages unless you know the source....rock-on...motor
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:00 pm
by zage
That’s what I’ve been told, but I feel like both these exhausts fall into the “cheap” category compared to like Arrow or other pipes. I just don’t know if the stock-style ones even have a proper expansion chamber, or if the sport ones are even remotely tuned. Nothing wrong w my stock exhaust necessarily, so if neither will give a boost to performance and/or reliability then I won’t bother until I’ve got more cash on hand.
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:33 pm
by noiseguy
I'd need to see photos. The problem with expansion chamber exhaust is they are tuned to a narrow RPM band. Off the line suffers until you get in band. Street pipes (like stock) have a broader tuning.
You can make the race pipe work on a street bike and might be faster overall, but you'll need to tune transmission around it.
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:23 pm
by Wheelman-111
Greetings:
Contesta 72 is a "Sport" bore, not "Racing". It makes decent torque down low, but doesn't need a chamber-type pipe because it won't go much above 9K due to porting. I run the stock Honda exhaust on mine, AND stock airbox with Noisy-guy filter, AND stock PA carb jetted up to 90. Even with 9:1 gears, it Zips off the line and still gets to 55 rather smartly, at about 2500 miles (or more?) on the bore. The V8-type pipes all seem pretty much the same for my build, and affordable. Or find a clean take-off stocker pipe if yours is thrashed for even less, and enjoy!
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 1:15 pm
by zage
Wheelman-111 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:23 pm
I run the
stock Honda exhaust on mine, AND stock airbox with Noisy-guy filter, AND stock PA carb jetted up to 90.
Sounds like we have the EXACT same power train setup, down to the jet
so I guess I’m on the right track. I’ve got stock rear gears rn and 8.5g rollers, but I’m still well within the break-in period so I haven’t taken it full throttle yet anyways so it’s actually been helpful. Do you run premix, or have you zip-tied the pump open, or neither? Im running premix for the break-in w the stock pump, but I wanna know if I need to change it later on.
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 11:47 am
by Wheelman-111
Greetings:
On the advice of Forumista who have been goofing with these little buzzers even longer than I have, I deleted and plugged the pump socket long ago. The addition of extra oil for break-in is unnecessary, and the pump adds a variable that's almost impossible to estimate. If you're pre-mixing anyway for the larger bore/volume, you might as well run 32:1 and forego the pump. Another reason to do so is that the pump tends to leak past the o-rings as they become embrittled, causing a Smoke-Fest and potentially hydrolocking if the scooter sits for a few months.
Re: Cheap exhaust dilemma, 2001 SA50
Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:52 am
by ASI828277
zage wrote: ↑Thu Feb 03, 2022 2:12 pm
Hey all,
Scored a 2001 Elite SR for $50 a couple months back, has low compression (~70-75psi) but still runs like a champ all things considered (some transmission mods and it gets up to about 40). I’ve got a polini contessa bbk on the way from Treatland to hopefully solve my compression woes, and race my buddy’s bbk Roughhouse. I’m figuring I should probably get more of a performance exhaust, and since I’m in a state/city where there are no inspections/emissions
, I can put whatever I want on. I’m trying to decide between the ~$150 “street” style pipes on scooterworks/sss and the ~$70 chinesium eBay “race” style pipes. I’ve got no problems making modifications to make em fit, and no qualms with volume. Any weigh-ins on this? I would probably powdercoat the cheaper exhaust myself to be safe. Just lookin to go reliably(ish) fast.
Thanks for advice