Mistral pipes for my 2004 Ballabio

[forestfarm]

Greetings folks.I wanted to see if any of you have a pair of aftermarket mufflers laying around collecting dust.I am still debating buying new ones but they are quite expensive considering i paid $2500 for the entire bike.I have been scouring the classifieds and ebay with no luck thus far.Great forum,i have enjoyed reading all that i can regarding these machines .Best regards

[audiomick]

24 minutes ago, forestfarm said:

... considering i paid $2500 for the entire bike...

Look at it this way: you got the bike cheap, so you've got some room to spend a bit on getting it how you want it. 

Good luck with your search. 

PS: welcome to the forum.

Edited June 14 by audiomick

[guzzler]

Mistral cans are almost mandatory to let her sing......

Just sayin

[Pressureangle]

22 hours ago, forestfarm said:

Greetings folks.I wanted to see if any of you have a pair of aftermarket mufflers laying around collecting dust.I am still debating buying new ones but they are quite expensive considering i paid $2500 for the entire bike.I have been scouring the classifieds and ebay with no luck thus far.Great forum,i have enjoyed reading all that i can regarding these machines .Best regards

I got a $750 V11 and the Staintunes are on the shelf lol

I will be certain they don't fit the 1100 Sport before they're fitted to the V11, though.

[forestfarm]

Mistral exhaust is definitely the way to go,when i add up the headers,crossover,mufflers and a inline gadget to make it run a bit richer it goes like $$$+$$$$+$$$$+$$=$$$$$$$$$$$$$.Ebay is full of perfectly good motorcycles that were completely stripped for parts but oddly enough there are very few moto guzzis meeting this fate.Used V11 parts are scarce or very,very  pricey.

[docc]

58 minutes ago, forestfarm said:

Mistral exhaust is definitely the way to go,when i add up the headers,crossover,mufflers and a inline gadget to make it run a bit richer it goes like $$$+$$$$+$$$$+$$=$$$$$$$$$$$$$.Ebay is full of perfectly good motorcycles that were completely stripped for parts but oddly enough there are very few moto guzzis meeting this fate.Used V11 parts are scarce or very,very  pricey.

Maybe just find "slip on" canisters.  Your Ballabio will love you (back) for it . . .      

[gstallons]

 

every brand of "slip-ons" sound different. Keep this in mind.

[docc]

12 hours ago, gstallons said:

 

every brand of "slip-ons" sound different. Keep this in mind.

Sweetest sounding canisters I ever heard on a V11 were the oval carbon fiber Gianelli on @andy york's LeMans. The deep, harmonious sonority was fabulous from behind. Which is where I always was relative to York's LeMans (pulling away through the corners). 

That said, I have never heard a bad sounding V11 SpineFrame.

[forestfarm]

My bike had aftermarket PRC stainless cans on it when i bought it.They sound ok,but look wrong on the bike.I like the reverse cone satin mistral mufflers with the mistral head pipes and crossover.The bike does sound very good with the stock exhaust while riding,deep throaty sound but a but it would be nice to upgrade.The oem Lafranconi mufflers are seemingly well made,rugged, compared to some aftermarket cans with paper thin stainless bodies

[Scud]

Well, if you are going to put a new crossover, you might as well also get a set of headers from a 2002 or earlier V11 and eliminate the front crossover pipe. 

If you're in no hurry, I bet something would turn up in the next 6 months. You also could post a want ad on Wild Guzzi or a Facebook Guzzi group.

[audiomick]

On 7/26/2025 at 1:07 AM, Scud said:

... eliminate the front crossover pipe. 

As I understand it, Luigi put that in there for a reason, and he was right in doing so. 

Edited July 28 by audiomick

[Scud]

I'm sure there was a good reason - or at least it seemed like a good idea at the time - but that front crossover seems to be prone to exhaust leaks. So I have replaced it with no negative effect to performance. I also prefer the look of the pipes without the crossover.

[forestfarm]

My front cross over pipe is quite loose but it doesn’t appear to be leaking . I will keep an eye out for a used mistral exhaust set but v11 guzzi is probably one of the least likely bikes to be parted out on eBay. 

[footgoose]

4 hours ago, audiomick said:

As I understand it, Luigi put that in there for a reason, and he was right in doing so. 

Definitely a reason, but was it a good one? Dr Johns racers don't use them BUT, he also used 2 into one exhaust headers. He also was proficient in tuning. Back in my Norton days I recall the crossover debate and can only remember the general consensus, which was -they were useless. My best guess is MG used them to try to improve some silly pollution requirement, maybe gasses, maybe noise. Having had so many wonderfully running bikes without them, there's no way I would bother with them again. 

 

[Tomchri]

No negative effect one mine, and easyer to get the alternator cover of.

Cheers Tom.