Okay so last weekend I finally got around installing that Cobra El Diablo 2-into-1 exhaust on my bike. Been eyeballing this thing forever, right? Claims of better sound and a tiny power bump got me itching. Here’s exactly how it went down.
The Teardown Drama
First things first, gotta yank off the old exhaust. Sounded simple enough. Ha. Big mistake. Them factory bolts? Fused tighter than a politician’s smile. Sprayed ’em down good with PB Blaster the night before, figured that’d do the trick. Next morning? Still wouldn’t budge. My cheater bar became my best friend. Heard some scary creaking sounds, man. Thought for sure somethin’ was gonna snap. Finally broke loose after some serious swearing and maybe a little sweat.
Fitting the New Beast
Unboxed the Cobra. Thing looked mean, all black with that slash-cut tip. Felt solid too. Sliding it into place wasn’t too bad, lining up the header pipes to the engine ports. The supplied gaskets went on okay. Then came the fun part – getting everything snug. Had to kinda juggle the muffler bracket while holding the pipes steady with one hand and tightening with the other. Felt like I needed three arms. Pro tip: do NOT tighten anything all the way until it’s all loosely fitted. Spent way too long re-aligning cause I got eager.
- Pipe clamps are evil. Those U-bolt clamps for connecting the headers? Major pain. Getting enough torque without mangling the pipes took patience I don’t usually have.
- Clearance check. Almost forgot this. Swung the handlebars lock-to-lock, checked the suspension travel – gotta make sure nothing kisses the new pipes. Close call near the swingarm, backed off a bolt and gave it another half-inch. Phew.
The Moment of Truth (and Noise)
Alright, bolts all torqued (mostly), no leaks spotted (yet). Time to fire her up. Hit the starter… and whoa. Instant grin. That first blip of the throttle wasn’t loud, it was LOUD. Deep, aggressive rumble. Like the bike finally found its voice instead of that stock whisper. Took it for a quick spin around the block. Definitely feels like it pulls a bit smoother off the line. Could be wishful thinking, could be real. More noticeable is how it kinda cleans up the mid-range, feels less boggy. And the sound! Constant sweet rumble under you. Downshifts sound brutal now.
The Real-World Lowdown
Been running it for a few days now.
- Thumbs Up: Sound is killer (if you like it loud, which I do). Looks way better than stock. Maybe a tiny performance perk? Bike feels happier.
- Heads Up: Dude, it’s loud. Like, “wake-the-neighbors-and-probably-illegal-in-some-places” loud. Might grab some baffles later if the cops start eyeing me. Also, gotta re-adjust my rear brake pedal height later – exhaust runs closer and my boot grazes it sometimes.
Was it worth the scraped knuckles and arguing with U-bolts? Hell yeah. Completely changes the bike’s attitude. Sounds like a proper beast now. No ragrets. My neighbors probably do, though. Tough.