GL500 Mufflers

General Discussion

GL500 Mufflers


Wisco Dan 07-06-2008, 7:35 AM
My original 81 GL500 mufflers are rusted through and I am looking to replace them. It seems that they have been discontinued by Honda. Can anyone give me an idea of where to find new oem mufflers or perhaps recommend a compatible pair of slip-ons?

1981 GL500
1981 CX500 Custom

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Sidecar Bob 07-06-2008, 8:59 AM

You can usually get high premium quality original Harley mufflers cheap because Harley guys are dumb enough to pay the dealers to replace them before they even take delivery of their new bikes and try them out.

Some minor faabrication of bracketry may be necessary, but they work well and sound a lot better on a Honda than they ever did on a Harley.....


GX650EI + Velorex 700 (winter), '83 GL1000 (summer)
'84 CB750SC Nighthawk (died - anyone need parts?)

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Blindstitch2002 07-06-2008, 9:40 AM
I'm with side car bob
I got some stock replacements from Jc Whitney that wern't anything near stock or replacements and they didn't have baffles in them. Sounded like crap and were hard to tune on my little brothers bike. I ended up convincing myself to buy a Mac exhaust and give my stock exhaust to him.  Go for a try on the harley pipes. $40 in nothing compared to a bike that sounds and runs like crap.

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Wisco Dan 07-20-2008, 9:21 PM
Is a rejet required for the sportster mufflers? Will it affect the perfomance of the bike in any way (such as gas mileage)?

1981 GL500
1981 CX500 Custom

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Blindstitch2002 07-20-2008, 9:44 PM
Yes you should rejet when you change any mufflers. Gas mileage may go down a mile or two but if you find the right combo theirs a chance it could go up depending on how your bike is running now.

Some on in this post have said they haven't had to rejet. http://choppercharles.com/cs/forums/39209/PrintPost.aspx

1978 Honda Cx500 Maggot
1979 Honda Cx500 Custom
1980 Honda Cx500 Deluxe Couch Project Bike

CX500 Factory Service Manual
Courtesy of Randall-in-Mpls

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Sidecar Bob 07-21-2008, 5:45 PM
Most of us who have run Harley Mufflers haven't changed the jetting and have had no problems.
GX650EI + Velorex 700 (winter), '83 GL1000 (summer)
'84 CB750SC Nighthawk (died - anyone need parts?)

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Wisco Dan 07-28-2008, 10:03 AM
I would appreciate it if someone could provide pictures of a sportster pipe installed on the bike. Also, it seems that the Sportster 883 and 1200 are the same pipes, is this true? Thanks for your help...

1981 GL500
1981 CX500 Custom

Re: GL500 Mufflers


dbarale 07-28-2008, 10:55 AM








These are not my pics, they are all from this thread:

http://choppercharles.com/cs/forums/2/41105/ShowPost.aspx#41105

Re: GL500 Mufflers


sovereign21 07-28-2008, 11:31 AM
Do most of you remove the baffles,and if so is it difficult?I installed a set on my GL500 and it sounds almost like the factory mufflers.

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Shep 07-28-2008, 12:17 PM
 Wisco Dan wrote:
My original 81 GL500 mufflers are rusted through and I am looking to replace them. It seems that they have been discontinued by Honda. Can anyone give me an idea of where to find new oem mufflers or perhaps recommend a compatible pair of slip-ons?


The most common Harley replacements used are the Sportster 883 type.You can usually pick them up cheap off Ebay.I have a pair on one of my Cxs and it wasn't a hard job to remove the standard rear bracket and oval some holes to make them fit.They sound great but you do lose a few miles to the gallon however they also do seem to add a few BHP much like the replacement 2 into pipes you can get.

http://tinyurl.com/68yxde

But you have to be careful as even these may need slight bracket modifications so if you go for these it's besto emial the seller and tell them theexact model of your bike to help make a choice,


Here in the UK it's quite a common mod using Moto 2 into 1s,

http://www.bandcexpress.co.uk/cgi-bin/bc_page.pl?cat=EX-MOTAD


I have a pair in my garage I got cheap a spares.




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Re: GL500 Mufflers


Sidecar Bob 07-28-2008, 7:50 PM

 sovereign21 wrote:
Do most of you remove the baffles,and if so is it difficult?

After 7 winters on sidecar machines, one of the Harley mufflers on my GL500 removed it's own baffle. It was so loud I was embarrassed to go through towns.

Why do you want them to be louder? All it does is make your non-biker neighbours wish you would move away ro get hit by a truck.

Loud pipes do not save lives. They merely annoy people and destroy your ability to hear properly. In fact, if anything, loud pipes are more likely to get you killed - you can't hear them until they pass you and you really don't want someone in a car or truck to be startled when you drive past and swerve into your path.


GX650EI + Velorex 700 (winter), '83 GL1000 (summer)
'84 CB750SC Nighthawk (died - anyone need parts?)

Re: GL500 Mufflers


bri-guy-ga 07-29-2008, 5:09 AM
Do the sportster mufflers bolt right up to the H-box or is there some persuasion involved?

I agree with you Sidecar Bob. Thats one reason I am not a HD fan. They are so darn loud for no reason other then people think thats how they are supposed to sound. Give me a quite ride where I can hear myself think anyday.
1982 GL500i

NO! Try not. Do or do not do. There is no try - Yoda

Re: GL500 Mufflers


Shep 07-29-2008, 5:21 AM
 bri-guy-ga wrote:
Do the sportster mufflers bolt right up to the H-box or is there some persuasion involved? I agree with you Sidecar Bob. Thats one reason I am not a HD fan. They are so darn loud for no reason other then people think thats how they are supposed to sound. Give me a quite ride where I can hear myself think anyday.


I actually have two sets of 883sOne of them has more baffle in them that the others,it's the way they came and the more baffled ones are not loud just throaty unless you open the throttle big time then they roar.This gives me the best of both worlds.I can cruise nice and blast when I feel like it.
They both just go into the H-box OK but one pair were a little oversized so I had to batter them down a little to make them fit and then wrap some exhaust tape around them to seal.


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