How to Install a Yoshimura Slip-On Exhaust on Your Motorcycle

Quick answer

A Yoshimura slip-on installs in about an hour with hand tools: let the bike cool, remove the stock muffler, clean and inspect the joint, slide the new muffler on with fresh gaskets, align the mounts, then torque everything in stages and recheck after a heat cycle. The two things that cause most problems are a dirty or worn joint gasket and tightening bolts before the system is aligned.

A slip-on is the least invasive way to change how your bike sounds and responds, and most riders can fit one in a driveway with basic hand tools. The job is more about patience and sequence than mechanical skill: clean mating surfaces, correct hardware, and a proper torque check matter more than speed.

This guide walks through the process in order, with the checkpoint that matters at each stage. It applies to street and off-road machines, including the KTM 500EXC-F/350EXC-F 24-26 RS-12 Stainless Slip-On Exhaust, w/ Aluminum Muffler, and it flags the one factory detail on that bike you need to plan for before you start.

Tools and prep before you touch a bolt

You need a socket set, hex keys, a torque wrench, penetrating oil, high-temperature anti-seize, a soft mallet, and a clean rag. A center stand or paddock stand makes the job safer, and a second pair of hands helps when you align the muffler and mounts at the same time. Work on a cold engine and disconnect the battery if your bike has an oxygen sensor near the joint.

Take a photo of the stock system before you remove anything, including the clamp orientation and any heat shield bolts. That photo becomes your reference if a bracket or spring hook does not line up later. Lay the new hardware out in the order you will use it so you are not hunting for a clamp with one hand while holding the muffler with the other.

• Spray penetrating oil on the stock clamp and joint bolts and let it sit for ten minutes before you apply force.
• Keep the stock gasket and clamp until the new system is fully fitted; some slip-ons reuse the factory joint hardware.

Remove the stock muffler without damaging the joint

Support the muffler with one hand, loosen the clamp or spring hooks, then separate the muffler from the mid-pipe with a gentle twisting motion. Do not pry against the swingarm or the subframe, and do not hammer the pipe. If the joint is seized, apply more penetrating oil and heat cycles rather than force, because a bent mid-pipe is a much bigger repair than a stuck slip-on.

Once the muffler is off, inspect the mid-pipe outlet and the old gasket. A crushed or carbon-crusted gasket is the most common cause of a leak after a slip-on install. Clean the mating surface with a rag and a light abrasive pad, then check for cracks or dents around the joint before you fit anything new.

• If the stock clamp is corroded, replace it rather than reusing it; a weak clamp will not seal a new joint.
• Check the mid-pipe for a restrictor or baffle that must be removed before fitting an aftermarket muffler.

Test-fit the slip-on before final assembly

Slide the new muffler onto the mid-pipe without tightening anything. Confirm the inlet fully covers the joint, the outlet clears the tire, swingarm, and bodywork through the full suspension travel, and the mounting bracket lines up with the frame or subframe point. On some bikes, the muffler outlet sits inline with the factory turn signals, so check clearance before you commit to a position.

If the fit is tight, clean the joint again and apply a thin smear of high-temperature anti-seize to the mid-pipe, not the gasket. Never force a muffler onto a pipe that is too small; if the inlet does not slide on by hand, you likely have the wrong application or a damaged mid-pipe. This is the stage where a few extra minutes prevents a rattle you will hear for the life of the bike.

• Cycle the rear suspension by hand with the muffler in place to confirm clearance at full compression.
• Check that the muffler body does not touch the plastic or the swingarm when the bike is on the ground.

Final assembly, torque, and heat cycle

Apply anti-seize to the mounting bolts, then tighten the joint clamp and the muffler bracket in stages, alternating between them so the system does not bind. Use the torque values in your service manual; if a value is not listed for an aftermarket part, tighten to the factory spec for that fastener size and stop before the bracket deforms. Over-tightening a clamp can crush a mid-pipe and create a leak that no gasket will fix.

Start the bike and let it idle for a few minutes, then shut it off and let it cool completely. Recheck every clamp and bracket bolt, because heat cycling settles the joint and loosens hardware that felt tight when cold. This recheck is the step most riders skip, and it is the one that keeps the system quiet and leak-free.

• Listen for a ticking or popping sound at the joint on first start; that usually means the clamp needs another quarter turn.
• Re-torque after the first ride, then check again at your next oil change.

What to do if the fit is not right

If the muffler contacts the bodywork or the bracket holes do not line up, stop and identify the cause rather than forcing it. A missing spacer, a reversed bracket, or a mid-pipe that is not fully seated are the usual culprits. On some applications, the factory turn signals must be relocated because the muffler outlet sits inline with them, and that is a planned modification, not a defect.

Replacement parts are available for wear items, and keeping a spare heat shield on the shelf is cheap insurance if your system sees track time or off-road use. If you cannot find the part you need, contact Yoshimura directly with your bike's year and model so you get the correct application the first time.

• Never slot or drill a bracket to make a slip-on fit; that is a sign you have the wrong application.
• If the joint still leaks after a proper torque sequence, replace the gasket before you replace the muffler.

Install sequence at a glance

1. Cool and prep the bike: Let the engine cool completely, support the bike, and spray penetrating oil on the stock clamp and joint bolts. Checkpoint: the pipe should be cool to the touch before you apply force to any fastener.
2. Remove the stock muffler: Support the muffler, release the clamp or springs, and twist the muffler off the mid-pipe by hand. Mistake to avoid: prying or hammering the mid-pipe, which can bend it and create a permanent leak.
3. Inspect and clean the joint: Remove the old gasket, clean the mid-pipe outlet, and check for cracks, dents, or a worn clamp. Checkpoint: a crushed or carbon-crusted gasket is the number one cause of a post-install leak.
4. Test-fit the new slip-on: Slide the muffler on without tightening, then check tire, swingarm, bodywork, and turn signal clearance through the full suspension travel. Mistake to avoid: tightening the clamp before you confirm the bracket and clearances line up.
5. Torque in stages: Apply anti-seize to the mounting bolts and tighten the joint clamp and bracket alternately to the factory spec for that fastener size. Checkpoint: stop before the bracket or clamp deforms; over-tightening can crush a mid-pipe.
6. Heat cycle and recheck: Idle the bike for a few minutes, let it cool, then re-torque every clamp and bracket bolt. Next step: recheck again after your first ride and at your next oil change.

Parts that make the install easier

• KTM 500EXC-F/350EXC-F 24-26 RS-12 Stainless Slip-On Exhaust, w/ Aluminum Muffler: Yoshimura reports this RS-12 Enduro Series slip-on added 20% max HP and 8.2% max ft-lb of torque on the KTM 500 EXC-F, with the pre-installed spark arrestor in place. If you ride an EXC-F, you get a measurable gain without removing the spark arrestor, so the bike stays trail-legal. Note that factory turn signals must be relocated because the muffler outlet sits inline with them.
• 16390 Stainless Slip On Heatshield: This replacement shield bolts right up to keep a Yoshimura system looking tight, and Yoshimura offers help finding the right one by phone or email. Heatshields take a beating from boots and debris. Having the correct replacement on hand means a scuffed shield does not turn into a reason to replace the whole system.
• Hayabusa 2022-26 V2 Fender Eliminator Kit: The V2 kit uses model-specific plug-and-play wiring, so no splicing is required, and integrated fasteners eliminate almost half of the hardware. If your slip-on install includes cleaning up the tail, this kit removes the splicing work that normally makes a fender eliminator a two-hour job.

A slip-on install rewards patience more than speed. Clean the joint, test-fit before you tighten anything, torque in stages, and recheck after a heat cycle, and you will get a leak-free fit the first time. If a bracket or clearance issue shows up, stop and confirm the application rather than forcing the part.