FMF Stealth silencer update!!

[rpduc]

Curious - did you weld the plate on with the plastics in place?

I took out the lower mounting bolt and rear hanger for the fender and wedged a chunk of wood to hold it away from the weld.

Alu is tricky to weld because it transmits heat so fast and often one doesn't know for sure what alloy has been used. It helps to preheat but I didn't want to add any more heat that necessary. I should have pulled off the subframe, cleaned more carefully, blah-blah, but...

 

[GMP]

How much $$ are these ? For ECEA racing a TC II is fine, quiet compared to a most of the 4-strokes. I'd like something a bit quieter for trail riding here as I'm a total outlaw, and need to set up a small, secret practice course for my outlaw kids.

 

[eff]

GoFasters has the Q listed for $180.

 

[rpduc]

Yup I got mine from Go Fasters.

I will get the thing tested this weekend. I had a TCII last year at this event and they just waved me through the sound check because the knew it would pass. If they do that again I'm going to ask them to take a reading just out of curiosity.

 

[forgiven]

Is it a clearly noticeable change in noise?

 

[F_G]

Is it a clearly noticeable change in noise?

Here is what it did for my '08 EC300

- Turbine Core 2 with about 100 miles on it - 91.8 db

- Q Stealth with a ride around the block - 85.7 db

 

[Skidad]

Here is what it did for my '08 EC300

- Turbine Core 2 with about 100 miles on it - 91.8 db

- Q Stealth with a ride around the block - 85.7 db

AWESOME...and IMO WAY overdue. Sound is still the #1 problem we face and that's a huge drop in db. Just really nice.

Sadly, this thing should have been around 10-15 years ago, it's not any new fangled technology going on here just a big can with lots of packing.

If anyone happened to see/read the Dirt Rider torture test and look at the sound test results the GG with the Stealth CRUSHED all the others except a Kawi KLX 110 or something stupid. Some of the other bikes were crazy loud yet almost no mention of sound or bonus points for the GG. That test is such BS it's not funny as you would need to take out a small mortgage for some of the bikes. Just not real world realisitc.

 

[iancp5]

AWESOME...and IMO WAY overdue. Sound is still the #1 problem we face and that's a huge drop in db. Just really nice.

Sadly, this thing should have been around 10-15 years ago, it's not any new fangled technology going on here just a big can with lots of packing.

100% agree.
Never understood why people want to be loud, just makes it more tiring.

 

[rpduc]

AWESOME...and IMO WAY overdue. Sound is still the #1 problem we face and that's a huge drop in db. Just really nice.

Sadly, this thing should have been around 10-15 years ago, it's not any new fangled technology going on here just a big can with lots of packing.

Totally agree.

Never understood why people want to be loud, just makes it more tiring.

Me neither, but it seems to be an element of motorcycle "culture" that persists. It is unfortunately true that one can extract a bit more power out of freer exhaust flow, but not enough to trade for no place left to whack open the throttle. I think some people "think" they're going faster if they making more noise.

I imagine very few dirt bikes ever make it to a dyno but I'll bet most riders would get more of a performance boost out of a diet than a loud exhaust.

 

[iancp5]

I imagine very few dirt bikes ever make it to a dyno but I'll bet most riders would get more of a performance boost out of a diet than a loud exhaust.

The riding I do having more power means slower especially at my ability. I swapped from a 300 to 200 and have seen a small improvement in results and a huge improvement in enjoyment. I am no longer crawling off the bike at the end of a race. I have competed on 300's and 450's and found I hardly ever got past half throttle so what was the point?

 

[forgiven]

If anyone wants to make a bracket to retro a q stealth to say an 01 300 I might be an interested party.

 

[F_G]

I realize I'm preaching to the choir here, but this both a funny and sad story all at the same time.

Our club volunteered to man a booth at an Az Game & Fish Dept. expo a couple of years ago. We needed a theme besides just responsible riding so we decided to offer free sound checks to the public. Had a young man on a kwad 450 something, performed the check and it blew 108db. Tried explaining to the guy about issues facing our sport and why quiet is better, less sound=more ground, yada, yada, yada. His response? "I need those 108 decibels to climb out of steep sand washes", yeah, I'm sure the look on my face was precious, the only response I could muster was, "next!".

Sorry, back on topic, I love my Q Stealth!!!

 

[rpduc]

There's 2 threads going on this silencer but in case someone is not watching the other thread...

Had my '05MC 250 sound tested this weekend.

Before - TCII with fresh packing = 92 dB

After - Brand new Q Stealth = 83.6 dB

 

[forgiven]

wow...I got to get one. I just have to find someone with the mod skills to pull it off.

 

[sammyj18]

any news on what FMF decided about the older bikes?

 

[forgiven]

any news on what FMF decided about the older bikes?

I called the other day and there was no interest on their part.

 

[rpduc]

It's NOT difficult AT ALL to fit the Q Stealth to the "older" bikes.

I was talking with Steve "Berkyboy" from Go Fasters at a local trail ride last weekend and he suggested that the maybe the swaged end on the '07+ Q Stealth being a tiny bit small to fit my Fatty or Doma was a production error. Maybe give Go Fasters a call and see if you can get that worked out. Maybe they could try a few on some older Fattys or Gnarlys.

Then it would be a very simple matter of making a couple brackets out of easily available alu. strap with a hacksaw and a drill.

I cut the front bracket off the subframe because I originally intended to mount it at the high angle like my old silencer, but in hindsight I'm pretty sure it would be much simpler to just mount it at the new "lower" angle with "adapter" brackets.

The swaged end was only a very tiny bit too small. If I'd have known that I was going to end up mounting at the lower angle anyway I would have tried harder to get that swaged end opened up a tad. Since I had to cut it anyway to change the angle this was the most expedient in my case.

 

[forgiven]

I will ask them the next time I can actually get them on the phone.

It's NOT difficult AT ALL to fit the Q Stealth to the "older" bikes.

I was talking with Steve "Berkyboy" from Go Fasters at a local trail ride last weekend and he suggested that the maybe the swaged end on the '07+ Q Stealth being a tiny bit small to fit my Fatty or Doma was a production error. Maybe give Go Fasters a call and see if you can get that worked out. Maybe they could try a few on some older Fattys or Gnarlys.

Then it would be a very simple matter of making a couple brackets out of easily available alu. strap with a hacksaw and a drill.

I cut the front bracket off the subframe because I originally intended to mount it at the high angle like my old silencer, but in hindsight I'm pretty sure it would be much simpler to just mount it at the new "lower" angle with "adapter" brackets.

The swaged end was only a very tiny bit too small. If I'd have known that I was going to end up mounting at the lower angle anyway I would have tried harder to get that swaged end opened up a tad. Since I had to cut it anyway to change the angle this was the most expedient in my case.

 

[sammyj18]

rpduc,

Did you end up cutting off the original end and welding on one you made?

Sam

This was REALLY easy.

I just did it in about an hour on my lunch break. Well almost.. I still have to weld a tab to the subframe for the front mount, but that will also be very easy.

I cut the swaged ends off both at about what looked like the right angle, stuck the TCII end on the stinger and hung the Stealth off the back hanger. A little bit more fussy grinding for a gap free fit, tacked it in place on the bike, took it off welded it up. Not my best weld job, but it won't break.

The plastic went right back on with only a 1/4 spacer between it and the lower tab on the subframe.

Yes if you could fix the minimal swage problem and stuck it on at the "new" angle it would be quite easy to fab up an adapter plate, or maybe make two separate ones. I thought about doing that, but this was immediate gratification.

If that subframe can hold my fat arse it surely will hold this can. I'm not the LEAST bit worried about it.

 

[rpduc]

I cut the swaged end off the TurbineCoreII that I had on there previously and welded it in place of the too small end that I cut off of the Q Stealth..

Like I said I just did it that way because it was expedient given the tools I had at hand.

I still haven't found out if this particular silencer was maybe just fabbed wrong or if they're all like that. I might try giving FMF a call and see what they say. Seems weird that it would be such a tiny bit too small.