Plunger ES2 silencer

Sounds noisy, Are you happy with earplugs?.

Hi Ben,

Here's my 2d worth (the bike is pre decimal!)

Remember It is YOUR bike and as such you can do whatever you like to it! Personally I agree with you,that as a plunger single, a fishtail would look perfectly 'period' and arguably will look better than the original silencer.

My 650 is most certainly non standard - there are no externally visible rivets to be seen!

The "rules" I work to are 1/ Don't modify the bike in such a way that it couldn't be put back to standard, and 2/ Make sure that any mods are in keeping with the era of the bike. 

Regards,

George

PS: Love him or loathe him, The 'Motorbike show' chap Henry Cole's old Norton ES2 'bitza' he calls Mavis has a fishtail on it and to me it looks and sounds quite nice. 

Hi Ben,

   I am a big fan of the Brooklands can and as George says they look good on most bikes of the right period, I would say anything with swinging arm would be the cut-off. The current Armours item doesn't have any baffles so Robert is right about the noise. Armours probably make a disclaimer over it's legality but you will be unlikely to get pulled up. There are 2 or 3 practical problems with fitting a can, firstly it will be in the way of the pillion footrest, secondly the toolbox lid won't open fully and a small matter is the plunger slider grease nipple which needs to be changed for an angled one. Lastly you may have to change the carburettor slide cut-away as you will have an open exhaust system.

I recently followed an Inter with  the can and to me it sounded fabulous, and I saw the looks of interest from the public we passed.  But I would not want to ride any distance at speed  with one without ear protection. After many years in construction  without protection  Half my hearing has gone.Dad  lost all hearing  from his time with the RA. No hearing aid worked for him. 15 years in splendid isolation , Enjoy in moderation.

I have one on my plunger ES2 (like yours, see pic attached) and as Robert says, it sounds fabulous. I find that my crash helmet provides adequate aural protection. Everything Mr Cornish (above) says is true although I haven't altered my carb from standard and the plug is a nice mid brown colour. Worth checking though. If you look at the pic attached, you can see a chrome bracket poking up above the can halfway along. The hole through it is for a pillion peg, just in case. I made the bracket from 1/4" plate and got it chromed, doubt I'll ever need it. Oh, and you'll need to get a stay made to support/attach the end of the can to the mudguard/.

Fab photo, lovely spot. but where is the sound track!!. 

Just a thought.

Back in the 70's lots of the custom bike crowd would add a VW Beetle tailpipe into the exhaust downpipes for that silencer free look. These were a bit like 'gun' silencers. Have no idea as to the relative diameters re: an ES2 downpipe and wonder if one of these would work as a 'dB killer if installed onto/into the end of the downpipe?

Another way was as used by AMC on their heavyweight singles (sample of one - my Dads G3LS) - the downpipe extended around 6-7" into the silencer and the end was almost closed with a 'washer'. A series of holes all around the sides of the downpipe allowed the gases out into the silencer, and took the sting out of the noise. 

Perhaps one of these methods could be used if it turns out to be too loud?

Regards,

George.

i have an old, handmade Brooklands can on my '35 Inter, just lovely. I put an Armours one on my '37 Model 50 and it was deafening, nobody would ride with me and it killed the performance without re-jetting etc. Unfortunately I found this out on the Montlhery racetrack, spoilt my ride. On return, I blanked off the pipe, re-drilled a 1/4" hole in the blanking plate and a number of 1/8" holes around the pipe that would be inside the can , then refitted the Brooklands can. Quite an improvement in noise level and performance. I then, as an experiment, started to drill holes in the fishtail, a bit like a Velocette, softened the 'bark' dramatically. Have returned to the standard silencer now but.....

As for batteries etc, I ride at night on my Model 50 and a '49 ES2, both are fitted with 2xsolid state 4.5 amp hour batteries inside the T shaped battery box, one bike using a K Tec solid state regulator, the other an AO?. The Model 50 has never let me down with lights and has completed several overnight Westward HO night trials. I now use LED headlights from Paul Goff, superb.

Hi all,

   Same place, same can. Adam lives a few miles from me and this is in a local AONB area.

Do you live in a place surrounded by houses? I worry a bit when starting up the Inter early in the morning. And I do wear earplugs on anything approaching a journey. Armours (as I think you know) have the lozenge shape road bike box from the early 30's to be twinned with either a fishtail or fantail. I have no experience or knowledge of it. They come in different diameters I think. I like the look myself. Maybe try a photo editor with your bike...

I try and avoid too much wide throttle in town! Big singles have plenty of torque anyway.

... a Velo fishtail? Not as extravagant as some I've seen and keep the noise down to a reasonable level.

Ian: If that is a Norton I will buy the beer!

Mike

.. as part of the Real Classic Norton Challenge a few years ago.....