Aftermarket cans - must they always be bodged?

[BuckarooBanzai]

I've just shelled out £220 for a BSM slip-on can for my TA 650, and the damn thing doesn't fit as well as it should. The collector pipe slips on to the collector box and bolts on to a bracket used by the original exhaust. The can itself bolts onto the collector pipe and should be fixed to another bolt hole with a thin metal strap - trouble is that once screwed onto the collector pipe, the can is jutting out at a slight angle and touching the side panel. Tightening the strap fully is impossible without placing excessive strain on the join between the can and the collector pipe - not a good idea.

I guess I could attempt a bodge and try bending the bracket on the collector pipe so that it brings the can a little closer to the frame and away from the side panel.

My question to the panel is this: is this kind of situation to be expected with aftermarket cans - even model specific ones, which this one is supposed to be?

Ithangew.

[Rubberchicken]

From my very limited experience (of one): Yes.

Laser ProDuro for the Dominator. The part where it all connects to the header pipes in the middle was the wrong gender.

[Xander]

I have had the experience of several.. and yes.. to one degree or an other they all need a big hammer to get in to place.. funny though My BSM on Anubis was the least hammering..

[Robster]

Put a pair of BSM Futures on the Vara last week....fitted like a proverbial glove. No hammering and only minimal swearing (directed at the baked on bolts of the standard cans) required.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Don't get me wrong - it's a nice looking can, and the fit isn't catastrophically bad, i'm just a bit disappointed that any kind of bodging is needed, given that it's supposed to be a model-specific can. Maybe I should've stuck with Mr Honda's shotgun silencer. Ah well...

[Xander]

Put a pair of BSM Futures on the Vara last week....fitted like a proverbial glove. No hammering and only minimal swearing (directed at the baked on bolts of the standard cans) required.

Mine fit okay.. it only just did not sit "deep" enough on the conection to the header pipe.. other then that all good..

BTW you will love you new sound

[Robster]

I'm already loving the sound!

Baffles in is quite throaty enough for me though, and apparently sounds very cool indeed pulling away through the gears....I wouldn't know though, it's like a sonic boom, I'm always half a mile a head of the noise!

The true test however was yesterday on a very very wet ride back from Devon. We's dtopped at some services and were just making preparations to set off. Just as I fired the Vara up a little old lady (unbeknownst to me as she was behind me) was walking directly behind the bike. She apparently jumped out of her skin, spilling her cup of tea she'd just bought and then shouted at me when I turned around to see what was going on! RESULT!

[Rubberchicken]

I believe I've mentioned my leaky exhaust gaskets before?

Coming off the motorway when it's just getting dark, close throttle, spot a nice hole between two cars so slide right in between...


...Just then the exhaust lets rip with a truly godawful BANG!

The can was just about level with the driver side window of the little mazda mx5 roadster, I could see the flash reflected in his window.