Budget Used Motorcycle Slip-On Exhaust Tip

Q: I recently installed a slip-on exhaust on my 2016 Suzuki GSX-R1000. Because I figured performance gains would be small, I didn't want to spend the money on a new pipe. I found a crashed Yoshimura for $80 for a different bike, took it apart, and started bashing out the metal. Then I found out that Yoshimura makes a repacking kit for $40 that comes with rivets, straps, and a brand-new badge. So, how important is it to get the exact slip-on that's listed for your bike? So long as the brackets line up and the pipe fits, can you interchange years and bike brands?
Fred Astaire / Tucker, GA

A: That thing was pretty hammered, Fred, nice work bringing it back to life! Pipe builders design exhausts for specific bikes, and features like pipe length, diameter, and the shape/length/angle of the coupling all affect engine performance, but it's highly unlikely that a mismatched muffler is going to have any impact on the way your engine runs. Most modern motorcycles do the majority of their muffling and pressure-tuning upstream of the muffler anyway, so you're in the clear.

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