CA95 stock exhaust

Ironhead Dave · #1 07-15-2009, 06:32 AM

I'm new to the CA95, purchasing my first one two days ago. I've heard that you should run stock mufflers on them or you risk burning valves. Mine has some short megaphone mufflers on it.

Is this true? Should I get some new mufflers or will these be o.k.?

Thanks.

Smithers · #2 07-15-2009, 07:08 AM

Hey Dave congrats on the new bike. I hope you are able to ride it this summer - and don't have to work on it too much. Although working on these bikes is enjoyable of course. I've never heard of mufflers causing burnt valves. You don't have anything to worry about. How you maintain and operate your engine is much much more important. Bad/ low oil and over revving the engine will surely contribute to ruining valves.

I could see how this misconception about muffler lengths might come about. The typical motorcycle owner that puts aftermarket exhaust on their bike tends to ride a bike faster (hence ruining the valves) =] and the CA95 isn't fast to begin with!

Ironhead Dave · #3 07-15-2009, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smithers

Hey Dave congrats on the new bike. I hope you are able to ride it this summer - and don't have to work on it too much. Although working on these bikes is enjoyable of course. I've never heard of mufflers causing burnt valves. You don't have anything to worry about. How you maintain and operate your engine is much much more important. Bad/ low oil and over revving the engine will surely contribute to ruining valves.

I could see how this misconception about muffler lengths might come about. The typical motorcycle owner that puts aftermarket exhaust on their bike tends to ride a bike faster (hence ruining the valves) =] and the CA95 isn't fast to begin with!

Thanks Smithers! Everyone keeps talking about back pressures on old Hondas so I wanted to be sure.

The bike is not bad. It has that 'barn fresh' look but the chorme is decent and the paint's not bad. Seat is good. Gas tank has some small holes in the bottom. I'm going to put a layer of fiberglass on the bottom and then Kreem the inside. That way I can keep the original paint on the rest of the tank. It starts first kick and purrs like a kitten. I'm hoping to be on the road in a couple of weeks.

Dave

Smithers · #4 07-15-2009, 07:28 AM

Sounds like it's a good one. It would be a good thing to check the valves to see if they are running tight. If back pressure is a concern then it surely won't be if you tightened up the exhaust valve clearance! It might be good to make sure they are tight in order to choke down the engine just a tad to compensate for the free flowing pipes. I wouldn't go that far but checking the valve clearances only takes a few minutes and will tell you a lot about how much the engine has been used. Best case it will not need much adjustment and give you peace of mind.

I'm curious how your fuel tank repair will go. Sounds like you have done it before. JB weld also has held up in fuel tanks before as well. I used 5 different epoxies on a particular plastic tank before I broke down and gave the JB Weld a shot. And it has been holding up to a year of use. Good stuff.

These little Hondas run so good. It makes me laugh how wimpy the 6V starters are. They spin really slow but they fire right up!

Ironhead Dave · #5 07-15-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smithers

I'm curious how your fuel tank repair will go. Sounds like you have done it before. JB weld also has held up in fuel tanks before as well. I used 5 different epoxies on a particular plastic tank before I broke down and gave the JB Weld a shot. And it has been holding up to a year of use. Good stuff.

I actually haven't tried this before, but all I need is something to strucurally support the epoxy. It should work. The fiberglass will 'fill' the hole and the tank coating will seal it from ever seeing any gas. I'll sand the figleglass smooth and spray some paint on it. With it being the bottom of the tank, it should be virtually undetectable. I've used the Kreem on a couple of bkies before with really good results. I'll do the acid etch on the inside of the tank before applying the fiberglass and then use the epoxy after the fiberglass dries.

Dave