qcowboy Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I need a spark arrestor to ride in all the good places nearby. Every add-on spark arrestor I could find on the market would require me to hack up my silencer, so I decided to replace it instead. At least this way, I can preserve the original silencer, should I ever decide to restore the bike. This monstrosity would look right at home on a modern trials bike, but it sure looks out of place here. Sadly, it's also a bit louder, though not oppressively so. I was hoping it would be quieter. Oddly, the bike SOUNDS like a modern trials bike now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofasttim Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Ah well it's practical and not permanent. Looks like a tidy SWM though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Isn't the back box on an SWM a spark arrestor anyway? Like a Bultaco (1975 onwards) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qcowboy Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) Isn't the back box on an SWM a spark arrestor anyway? Like a Bultaco (1975 onwards) If it is, there's no indication on the silencer itself. Unfortunately, the law enforcement people simply look for the indication that the box is compliant, which must be stamped into the sheet metal so it's visible. The lack of a stamp earns you a ticket, and a quick end to your ride. Edited March 5, 2009 by qcowboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qcowboy Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Ah well it's practical and not permanent.Looks like a tidy SWM though. I'm considering painting the new silencer black, so it will blend in a bit better, and keep the bike looking tidy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter9000uk Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Isn't the back box on an SWM a spark arrestor anyway? Like a Bultaco (1975 onwards) I had a similar question when I lived in California and was told that the Bultaco ones, even though stamped, had not been approved as a spark arrestor so had to use some aftermarket abortion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattylad Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 When you consider the damage that can be caused by a spark not to mention the loss of human life it seems a small price to pay. If not I'm sure a total ban on riding would be the solution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qcowboy Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 When you consider the damage that can be caused by a spark not to mention the loss of human life it seems a small price to pay.If not I'm sure a total ban on riding would be the solution Agreed! Installing a spark arrestor is also a small price to pay for access to the fantastic riding areas available in the deserts of the American west. "Desert" doesn't mean that the land is unvegetated. I'd hate to be responsible for starting a fire. It is especially bad now that so much of the Rocky Mountains has been affected by bark beetles. Within twenty miles of my home, there are whole mountainsides covered in tinder-dry dead trees, just waiting for a single spark to burn hundreds of thousands of acres. There are hundreds of homes in those trees, and I don't want to burn them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsnutterman Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Are you allowed to use titanium over there then? Just thinking I now seen 2 fires started from titanium sparking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qcowboy Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Are you allowed to use titanium over there then?Just thinking I now seen 2 fires started from titanium sparking. What do you use the titanium for, bike frames, skid plates? As far as I know there is no prohibition on titanium parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I had the same problem. I went with a TY muffler as it was, um, free. And marked appropriately. Full writeup with video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qcowboy Posted March 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 I had the same problem. I went with a TY muffler as it was, um, free. And marked appropriately. While the FMF silencer was not free, it was at least inexpensive ($107), compared to the add-on arrestor options I found. It was very easy to install, as it was intended as a "universal fit" silencer. It came with an over-long pipe with a mild bend in it, so you could cut it off to the appropriate length. It was intended for an 80-200 cc bike, according to the advertising, but I chose it anyway because it had the correct size 1 1/8" pipe. The bend was too far from the flared end of the pipe to be useful on the SWM, so I simply cut off the pipe just short of the bend, and the straight section fit right on. The clamp and flange on the front of the muffler rides against the top of the shock, but since the top of the shock doesn't really move, I don't expect any problems. if it wears through the clamp, it is easily replaceable. The new silencer has more clearance to the rear tire than the original had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the observer Posted March 6, 2009 Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Isn't the back box on an SWM a spark arrestor anyway? Like a Bultaco (1975 onwards) No euro trials company has ever supplied a legal spark arrestor on one of their bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbswm Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 hey cowboy,you aren`t the only one with a "modern" silencer.my riding buddy has the same setup on his jumbo.i kidd him all the time about how it sounds just like a ty yamaha..they made a sparky that fixs the stock set up..it looks like a mini supertrap,mount over the 2 little pipes on the stock silencer.got one from a bike i got from ca... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qcowboy Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 ...they made a sparky that fixes the stock set up..it looks like a mini supertrap,mount over the 2 little pipes on the stock silencer.got one from a bike i got from ca... I sure wish I could find one. All the Sparky brand arrestors I found had huge single openings. Is there a part number on it? Is it just an adapter set up to go from two tiny pipes into one, so a standard Sparky fits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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