For the muffler, we looked to the American company Supertrapp,
and their second generation internal disc series of mufflers. This small
diameter muffler has their "quiet core" insert combined with their well
known tunable disc system. The body of the muffler is in aluminum, with
a stainless steel end cap. It is physically much smaller than the OEM muffler,
and significantly lighter.
While the number of baffle discs can be varied to alter
backpressure and torque/power characteristics, we feel most will be happy
with our suggested set up, and never feel the need to fool with them. One
outstanding feature of this setup is that this muffler is approved by the
United States Forest Service as a spark arrestor... so there are no worries
about taking the Quota where it was meant to go.
If your only concern is size, this muffler will slip
on the stock crossover, and bolt up just fine. We have found that this
arrangement is only minimally louder than the stock muffler, and allows
for a lot more latitude in mounting soft luggage.
Changing out the stock crossover for the more reasonable
tubular stainless steel Mistral unit has a more significant impact on exhaust
tone. Not only does the stock part weigh a ton, but it functions as a muffler
in it's own right, and is most responsible for the stock Quota's unique
exhaust note.
The combination of the Supertrapp muffler and the Mistral
crossover results in what we consider to be a more acceptable (and pleasing)
sound, yet by incorporating Supertrapp's "quiet core" insert, the overall
effect is not so loud as to be obnoxious, and does not (we feel) put you
in to the "loud pipes risk rights" category.
Of course, we are concerned about any effect these substitutions
may have on running, and took this in to consideration during our testing.
Though conditions could vary greatly, our observations indicate that just
swapping out the muffler should not have a significant effect on engine
performance. Swapping out both muffler and crossover did result in a leaner
running condition as indicated by "reading" the spark plugs. This leaner
condition was easily rectified by adjusting the "trim eeprom" on
the bikes computer using the Marelli program. The setting we used was well
within the range of adjustment, leaving room to go too rich should other
conditions prevail. Of course we did pay careful attention to the setting
of the throttle position sensor as well.
We do not have access to a dynomometer, and do not want
to make any unsubstantiated claims about horsepower, torque, or even driveability.
We will say that our test bike ran darn good, and we are happy with the
results!
We like the option of using soft luggage!
Another Option: Mistral Muffler
This muffler is designed for the Quota, and has an aluminum
body. It is lighter than stock, and mounts at a different angle. It is
not approved as a spark arrestor.
Exhaust options are becoming available
for the new Moto Guzzi Quota. In general it is against the law to change
factory exhaust systems, unless used for off highway or closed course competition.
Parts substitutions may also result in operating conditions beyond the
parameters of the OEM fuel injection system capability, and cause damage
to your motorcycle, while rendering the warranty void.
It has been suggested that the stock
setup may be capable of accommodating either an alternative crossover,
or muffler, without programming changes to the computer, but not
both. As there are potential weight savings and other benefits to exhaust
substitutions... expect the axiom "where there's a will there is a way"
to prevail.
Call for pricing and availability.
Quota Headquarters
