Riding a mini bike is fun, but a loud exhaust can make the experience less enjoyable for the rider and their neighbors. So to improve your riding experience and keep your neighbors happy, check out this post on how to make your mini bike quieter.
To make your mini bike quieter, add a muffler. Many mini bikes, especially custom built mini bikes have a straight pipe exhaust that does not include a muffler. A muffler is a device attached to the end of the exhaust pipe that is designed to reduce the noise created by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine.
Stock mufflers
If you own a manufactured mini bike, say a Coleman or a Massimo, they have a stock muffler. The stock mufflers are engineered specifically for that mini bike and that engine. This means they work well. It is pretty difficult to make a mini bike with a stock muffler much quieter than it already is. I am not saying it is impossible, but more than likely it will take a lot of work for a small improvement.
Most mini bikes have a box style muffler that is very close to the engine. Engines with this type of muffler have a very short exhaust pipe that isn’t very conducive for adding on a different style muffler. We will talk more about attaching a muffler, but first let’s take a look at the after market mufflers out there.
After market mufflers
In this day and age there is a very wide selection of after market mufflers. Most of these mufflers are designed to attach to an after market or custom built exhaust pipe. In fact, many of the after market mufflers come as a kit that includes an exhaust that fits with your engine and frame. In these kits, the muffler is designed for that exhaust pipe, so they work well and save you from spending a lot of time and energy on creating your own custom exhaust pipe.
Now if you are the creative type and appreciate a custom exhaust, there possibilities are almost endless. Not only do you have the option of buying an after market mini bike exhaust, but you also have the option of using a dirt bike or motorcycle muffler. One popular option is to use a muffler from a Honda Grom. These mufflers are much bigger than a standard mini bike muffler, and therefore quieter too. If you have the skills to figure out how to fit one of these mufflers on your mini bike, it will be one of the quietest mini bikes you will ever hear.
How to attach a muffler
There are two basic ways to attach a muffler, clamp it on or screw it on. Which way you attach your muffler depends on your exhaust pipe. A lot of the exhausts that come in the muffler kits talked about above have threaded ends. This allows the muffler to be screwed onto the exhaust.
If your exhaust does not have a threaded end, no worries, you just need to buy a clamp on style muffler. These mufflers come equipped with heavy duty clamps with built in bolts to tighten them around the exhaust. You simply slip the muffler over the end of the exhaust pipe and then tighten the clamp to hold it in place.
If you took the custom built exhaust route, you may have a third method for attaching your muffler; welding. If you know how to weld, this is a great option, but one thing to keep in mind is if weld on your muffler, the only way you can replace it later is to cut it off. On the other hand, a couple of advantages to welding is that you never have to worry about the muffler falling off or having exhaust leak from where the muffler attaches.
Does a muffler affect performance
Yes, mufflers have a very small impact on an engine’s performance. Mufflers slow the flow of exhaust from the engine making it more difficult for the engine to vent the gas. The faster an engine can vent exhaust gases the more power the engine is able to generate. When the engine can not bent the exhaust gases fast enough pressure builds up, which slightly slows the engine.
How big of a performance difference does a muffler make? Very small. The muffler won’t start affecting a mini bike’s performance until it reaches higher rpms. So if you don’t normally ride your mini bike at high rpms, you probably wouldn’t see a difference in performance if you removed the muffler. Now, if you are consistently riding at higher speeds and higher rpms, the muffler is probably reducing the mini bike’s power. However, this loss of power is so small that most don’t find removing the muffler worth the increase in engine noise.
Summary
Mufflers are a good thing, especially if you have neighbors. Riding mini bikes is fun, but listening to a loud unmuffled exhaust can get old very quickly. Luckily, all manufactured mini bikes come equipped with muffler that are really quite effective. And, if you have an after market exhaust or a custom built mini bike, there are plenty of affordable options for adding a muffler. So if your mini bike is just way too loud because you don’t have a muffler, do yourself a favor and make your rides more enjoyable by adding a good muffler.