Video: Why I hate non-serviceable mufflers

Except it isn’t the end of the story, because so many mufflers (sometimes called silencers) aren’t meant to be rebuilt. Take a look at the can on your motorcycle. If it has rivets or bolts holding it together, that’s good! It means you can open it up and replace the exhaust packing inside, which is a consumable part of your exhaust system. (For the record, there are designs out there that don’t use packing, and just rely on metal baffles.)

Some factory mufflers, however, are not meant to be opened… which makes the entire piece a consumable part! Frankly, that’s ridiculous. Repacking a user-serviceable pipe is a quick job. Cracking into a sealed one is just the opposite. Just watch one of my favorite YouTubers, This Old Tony, as he attempts to service his non-serviceable muffler. Tony tackles the occasional trials bike project, though his channel mostly deals with machine work and welding. If you already know what’s going on in a two-stroke exhaust system, skip to around 5:06, where the breaking and entering begins. 

This Old Tony says his exhaust would cost $300 to replace. If the packing inside lasts as little as 20 hours, the muffler expenses alone would turn me off to Tony’s machine.

Sure, a smoker trials bike will go through packing much faster than a common four-stroke street bike would. The end result is the same: repack if possible, replace with stock, or replace with an aftermarket option.

I have a confession: I like most stock exhausts. I don’t want to buy slip-ons or full systems for most bikes. Another, less controversial confession: I hate waste. I don’t see why I should throw away a component and buy a replacement when it wouldn’t be much of a burden on the manufacturer to make service possible without learning to weld.

Replacement mufflers have their place, no doubt. Baffles can deteriorate, mufflers can be destroyed in crashes, and aftermarket pipes can be lovely. I just want the option of servicing what I have instead of tossing parts in the landfill. I think This Old Tony would agree.