I have been eyeing this cross shaped junction thing in the exhaust with some suspicion . Can any one tell me if this thing robs as much power as it looks as if it might ?Is it worth making up a "straight thru " system , with a cross over pipe ?

DONT take that cross junction away!!! It helps to have better low/mid rpm torque! Its JUST for taking better performance from V-2 engine. U can see such also in very many Guzzis. Its very important equipment, so dot take it away....

It does restrict the the flow and there have been spaghetti systems from Ducati in the past but I doubt they fit the Paso. You can cut the box open and remove the square section that is welded inside, This is said to improve flow. Here is a picture of a spaghetti system:



I know of a welder that can make this header and it costs about $1600 if what I was told is correct.

The ideal in the header cross would be to have it in the same diameter as the rest of the tubes just like this Termignioni system


There are some guys that drive around with completely open header crosses but I don`t think that is good. The exhaust gas streams of both cylinders meet there and to my understanding there should be something leading the streams to the side or at least preventing that the streams directly hit each other causing turbulences.

I had my own middle part totally removed and replaced by 2 open halves. Then they were cut open and a machined new cross was welded in. (the cross has curved flanks, it`s not just a square)


There are no dynoruns that I know of so this is mainly theoretical and experimental.

G.

PS: it`s not chromed but glasbead blasted and then nickel plated
Sidenote: the screws you see on the header normally are totally rusted and hardly removeable as they are made of steel. Meanwhile Ducati sells them made of stainless steel for little money.

Jon,
you don`t happen know who the manufacturer is of the chain with the golden links (in your pic) ?!

G.

I have used such "golden" linked chains very long time, DID is manuafacturer.

4 valve info,can't say if its relevant

a little more

I modded the X-over section of my 900SS some 14 years or so ago, the same as this one -

I can't honestly say if it made any difference but I did subsequently read from a well known tuner, Doug Lofgren possibly, that there was little point in this mod because by far the biggest restriction was the inlet ports, which have a very poor shape.

Jon, your first pic isunavailable. Maybe it was something like this?

I think the general consensus is it has some advantage on carbed engines not so much with injected without a lot of additional work