FZ1 Holeshot slip-on

January 2, 2015

There were a lot of reasons for getting rid of the stock muffler on the FZ1, not just for better performance or to give the soulless clock-like engine tick some much-needed character.  The OEM can is huge and can drag on the ground during aggressive cornering, which happened to me more than once.

Awful stock muffler

Further, the bike is so quiet and mild-mannered that I actually felt it was a safety issue in heavy traffic.  Not to go too far into the "loud pipes save lives" debate... whether they do or not, while no doubt there is such a thing as too loud, there is also such a thing as too quiet, and the stock FZ1 comes off as an apologist for loud pipes and motorcycles in general.  It is OK for a motorcycle to sound like a motorcycle without being offensive.  It is an important distinction.

Granted the Holeshot comp slip-on is a more aggressive-sounding option than street model, but it is not overwhelming like some of the Harley exhausts I hear rumbling through town on a daily basis.  I have a comp slip-on on the Bandit, and at low RPM is has a nice throaty sound that is not loud enough to raise an eyebrow with the local law enforcement.  Additionally it has a very clean, almost OEM look to it.  One just needs to practice good judgement.

Although the Holeshot site says the muffler can be used without jetting, this is not good practice.  A more free-flowing muffler will allow more air through the system without increasing the amount of fuel in the mixture, which will further aggravate overly lean stock settings and could cause premature engine wear.  The Stage 1 kit is really a minimum prerequisite for running a higher performance muffler.

The slip-on kit comes with the elbow pipe, clamps, and muffler.  In addition some type of high temp RTV sealant is needed.  I used the stuff they sell on the Holeshot site but any high-temp RTV should do.  One does not need the stock muffler gasket.  The Holeshot elbow pipe doesn't have enough clearance for it.

Holeshot slip-on kit

The first step is to remove the stock muffler, an easy job in principle.  There are only 2 bolts.  Unfortunately mine was pretty much welded on from 74k of low-speed stop-n-go commute mileage.  After copious amounts of Tri-Flow failed to free it, I had to heat it with a propane torch and whack it with a hammer to get it loose.  Hopefully I won't ever need it again.

Stock muffler removed

With the stock muffler off the elbow pipe can be test-fit.  There is a center-stand stop on the pipe which needs to line up with the center-stand in it's upward position.

Elbow pipe test-fit

With the elbow pipe positioned, the muffler can be test-fit.  After everything is positioned properly, take everything off, apply RTV sealer to all the pipe fittings, then reattach everything.  Tighten the clamps and the main bolt that holds the pipe to the passenger peg.  Ideally, wait 24 hours for the sealant to dry.  Although this is quite difficult, I really believe the muffler and pipe won't seal perfectly unless the sealant is allowed 24 hours to dry before firing up the bike.

Beautiful new muffler

After 24 hours I did fire it up, and was told it rattled the floor in the wife's office above the garage.  Whether it did or not, the Holeshot slip-on is a great improvement!

The last outstanding item was the timing advancer but my free time had come to an end.  I wanted to road test the bike on the daily commute without the timing advancer installed, but wasn't sure if it was safe to operate without it.  Ultimately I talked to Dale Walker at Holeshot and he assured me I could safely run the bike without the timing advancer, though it would be a great improvement to get it installed.