Mistral link pipe

[sandy]

Can someone tell me what the advantage of fitting one of these would be.
Is it designed to be used only with the Mistral silencers, or can it be used with the standard pipes.
I realise that it would provide easier access to the gearbox drain bolt but apart from that, what would be improved by fitting it.

[mwrenn]

Hey Sandy, the only difference that I could see on mine was the improved access to the transmission drain plug, as you mentioned. And it looks better than the stock pipe with the expansion chamber. From what I gather, the stock pipe is supposed to help scavenge exhaust gases and help performance. The exhaust gas from one cylinder was supposed to expand upon reaching the chamber, creating lower pressure and accelerating the removal of exhaust gas from the opposite cylinder. I noticed absolutely no difference when I swapped mine out though.
Cheers, Mike
PS. It goes with the stock pipes, or replacement pipes.

[sandy]

Thanks mwrenn
Forgot to ask, does it do away with the cat ?

[mwrenn]

No, the Cats are in the mufflers. When you look inside the old crossover pipe it's just an empty chamber. I put Agostini mufflers on my bike and it made a noticeable difference in power. They sounded good too. I had taken the original Moto Guzzi mufflers and drilled the Cats out of them, a nasty job, but it made no difference in the power, or the sound.
I have subsequently wrecked the bike, including bending up the Agostini pipes, so I am looking for a replacement that isn't quite as pricey. I think I will try some Norton Commando peashooter mufflers and see how they sound. They are basically a slip on installation, and I can get a pair on Ebay for about $150. Certainly worth a try, and I always liked how my friends Commando sounded...
Cheers!

[sandy]

No, the Cats are in the mufflers. When you look inside the old crossover pipe it's just an empty chamber.!

Ah now that's not what I've been led to believe.
I always thought the cat was in the link pipe, hence the o2 sensor being plugged in there and the reason for it being so large.
Interesting.

[GuzziMoto]

Think about it. If the cat was in the link (crossover) pipe then much of the exhaust would not even pass through the cat. Some times the cat is in the collector (for bikes with one), but it is always somewhere that 100% of the exhaust gases must pass through it to exit.

[wittangamo]

I think I will try some Norton Commando peashooter mufflers and see how they sound. They are basically a slip on installation, and I can get a pair on Ebay for about $150. Certainly worth a try, and I always liked how my friends Commando sounded...
Cheers!

As a former Commando owner, I love the look and sound of the peashooters too. Exchanged e-mail with a guy who installed them on a V7C and liked the result.

He did say he had to drill one new hole on each of the two existing bracket to fit the peashooters, and he needed to order new clamps to attach them to the headers.

If you try it, be sure to come back and post your results. I'm thinking about adding the same peashooter/crossover combo for my Cafe once the weather turns warm again.

[mwrenn]

I think I will try some Norton Commando peashooter mufflers and see how they sound. They are basically a slip on installation, and I can get a pair on Ebay for about $150. Certainly worth a try, and I always liked how my friends Commando sounded...
Cheers!

As a former Commando owner, I love the look and sound of the peashooters too. Exchanged e-mail with a guy who installed them on a V7C and liked the result.

He did say he had to drill one new hole on each of the two existing bracket to fit the peashooters, and he needed to order new clamps to attach them to the headers.

If you try it, be sure to come back and post your results. I'm thinking about adding the same peashooter/crossover combo for my Cafe once the weather turns warm again.

Ha, how funny! So you know Steve Swan? The Guzzi community is pretty tight! I just bought the peashooters, clamps hardware etc...from him. I'll post up how I like them. Gonna be a month or so though, the bike is getting a major rebuild.
Cheers, Mike

[kinkajou]

Hey, I used the by pass since day one....with mistral pipes without baffles....yes neighbours luv me:)....its supposed to be more powerful but honestly, I think its just lighter and cleans up the bike....and no more crapy chrome to scratch....

[wittangamo]

Ha, how funny! So you know Steve Swan? The Guzzi community is pretty tight! I just bought the peashooters, clamps hardware etc...from him. I'll post up how I like them. Gonna be a month or so though, the bike is getting a major rebuild.
Cheers, Mike

Small world, indeed. Since you got his stuff, please pass along the details when you get it installed. I'm wondering about the measurements on the bolts and ribber bushings, pix of the install, where the new holes in the brackets go, etc. I'm thinking seriously about going this route myself when the weather turns warm again in a few months.