Installing the m4 hi-mount titanium exhaust system - need i say more?
So I'm watching ebay and I notice as some totally knackered SuperTrapp exhaust system sells for just shy of $200 bucks. I was aghast that such a system in such awful condition, sold for so much. But it got me to thinking. I've never much cared for my SuperTrapp, not because of looks, I think it's quite stunning looking, and not because of performance, exhaust pipes don't make much difference for performance anyway. But I never much cared for my SuperTrapp because it was just too darn loud. Such a small, humble bike should not make more noise than a monoposto desmodue.
Additionally, because they no longer make the SuperTrapp, if I were to damage a component, I would not be able to find a replacement part, and because my SuperTrapp system was in pristine condition, I thought I could likely sell it on ebay to offset the cost of a newer system.
So, I started hunting around for a replacement pipe that would hopefully be a high-mount 
because I've always dreamt of having a hi-mount on the Hawk. I could only find four companies that still make systems of any kind for the Hawk. The Texas based D&D was immediately excluded because D&D's are loud enough to wake the dead.
Dale has a Two Brothers pipe on his bike. I really like the look and sound of his system. But the only option Two Brothers has for a hi-mount is a left exit hi-mount that requires you to limit swingarm movement to prevent the header from getting smacked around. I don't much care for the look of left exit systems and the thought of compromising the function of my suspension was even less appealing. Left exits are nice because it opens up the single sided swingarm, but its more show than go.
Regular Hawklister, Rod at HiPerForm.com makes a very sharp looking hi-mount. It's a system that he builds himself and it looks to be a fine looking product. And finally, a small American company, M4 makes a standard and a hi-mount.
After a few conversations with Hawk Guru J.D. Hord, owner of the shop Meccanica Corsa, (the same guy 
I bought my Fox Shox from just before Fox quit making motorcycle shocks). I decided the M4 was the way to go. He said that the M4's have a better power curve and provide more horsepower than any of the other pipes he's tested. Including the no longer manufactured Muzzy's, SuperTrapp's and Kerkers.
Because it is the beloved Hawk, I also decided to splurge and get the most expensive hi-mount; titanium. Mmmm titanium. I just love the color and texture of titanium. I can't imagine there is much weight savings over the aluminum or carbon fiber. But who cares? I also like how well titanium seems to age. Aluminum dulls, carbon fiber becomes glassy, stainless steel is a 
bit flashy, but titanium gets it just right!
The pipe shows up and I thought I'd be able to throw it on in just a few moments. Not so. The SuperTrapp is three whole pieces and comes off in about eight minutes of wrenching. It took me and my next door neighbor, standing in the garage, scratching our heads for the better part of an hour to figure out how it all bolts together. I had no idea such a simple looking exhaust system could have so many parts. Added to the fact that the instructions were overly simple; "remove old exhaust system, retain header bolts. Install new exhaust system starting at the motor and working your way back." Okay...
Once I figured out where everything went, it got a lot easier. The only real problem I had was lining up the Y-pipe to the final pipe that travels to the can. I thought the spring hooks would line up. Fitting the pipes was really tight and easier done off the bike. But I'd aligned the spring hooks only to realize that the upswept pipe needed to be rotated about 30-degrees. I little grunting and some sweat and I was able to get it all lined up. You can see how the spring is not directly lined up in the photo.
The upswept pipe also has a flange used to attach the system to the frame. A 12mm bolt, not provided, is required to attach the pipe firmly to the center-stand mount. Creative. The Hawk's cool chrome wire that attaches to the right footrest and prevents boots from hitting the pipe needs to be removed. I tried to bend mine to a different shape so I could still use it. Yeah. Didn't really work out that well.
Everything on the M4 went together extremely nice, with one exception. The hanger bracket is all wrong. Its too long, too close to the bike and the angle tweaks the round can hanger. it took a bit of careful reshaping to get it close to right. You'd think they could put a bit more thought into the
hanger.
The only other issue I had, I anticipated. The turn signals foul the pipe because the stalks are too long. Even the cute Buell signals. But since they are only $6, I had no hesitation taking them apart to see if I could shorten them. Cutting them down by almost an inch proved to be astonishingly easy and the final result looks like it had always been that way. (I wish I took pictures of how I did it, sorry.)
The pipe routing is actually quite clever. 
It looks like the pipe is tucked up and out of the way in most cases, and even comes in very close proximity of the bike, like the horn, amazingly, without ever actually touching anything.
So now, the bike was all together again and the temptation to start the bike was almost overwhelming, but experience and wisdom prevailed. Before I put any heat through the pipes, I grabbed my can of metal polish and cleaned the headers, collector and can as best as I could. This prevents any oils and grease on the pipes from baking into the metal and staining it. Well worth the extra time required to clean up.
Interestingly,
from the rear, the pipe looks to be a bit wider than the older systems. My biggest concern, before I purchased the system, was the physical size of the can. Was it too big aesthetically for the size of the bike?
I also really hope that the pipe is up and out of the way enough to allow me to change the tire without having to remove anything. One major flaw of the SuperTrapp was that it had to be dissasembled and removed from the bike every time the rear wheel needed to come off. However, it looks as though I should have no problems getting the wheel and tire off the bike.
The final result is great. The pipe is not only significantly quietly, but the tone is much lower and less raspy than the Trapp.
I also went out for a really short ride and it appears as though my jetting settings from Trapp are working just fine on the M4. And while the seat of the pants dyno is woefully inacurate, it seems to produce a bit more mid-range. Excellent! The long term goal, however, is to remove the airbox, replace it with pods and pitch the Dynojet Kit and install the more flexible (and more expensive) Factory jet kit.
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