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What is the main difference between a silencer and a spark arrester? Is there any advantage to one or the other? Where I ride I don't think any laws are enforced. The bike in question is a 99 KDX220 soon to be with a Pro Circuit pipe.

The main differenc is a screen or baffle placed in the exhaust path that is meant to keep glowing embers of carbon from leaving the pipe and setting the woods on fire. IMO, I think this is an extremely unlikely event on 2-strokes and really unlikely on the KDX. The exhaust is just too cold.

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks if you go to a riding area that requires a SA on all bikes and you don't have one. I'm not aware of any advantage of one over the other. The race series I go to now and then requires them, so I got one, but I have noticed that when we are all lined up in the woods the race official guy with the piece of coat hanger wire is only looking at the 4-strokes.

Performance wise you won't gain a much over the stock SA, except weight loss.

Yeah I was not sure the actual difference in the two. I was planning on buying a type 296 spark arrester.

Silencers with spark arrestors are generally a little bit longer than just a silencer. I had an FMF silencer/spark arrestor on my '96 KDX, and I cut the spark arrestor off for a "shorty" style silencer. Noise levels did not increase at all, from what I could tell, but the power felt like it hit a little sooner and had a slightly healthier mid range (which was what I was after at the time).
Spark arrestors are generally required in any state or federal forests, though (they keep flames from shooting uncontrollably out of your pipe)

If you ride woods.... you should always have a Spark Arrestor on your bike period.

If you cause a fire by thinking it is stupid to ride without a spark arrested exhaust.... you not only lose yet another riding area for yourself and others but could cause human and animal loss.

And if you get caught, you can be charged the bill for fighting that fire

KarlP wrote:The main differenc is a screen or baffle placed in the exhaust path that is meant to keep glowing embers of carbon from leaving the pipe and setting the woods on fire. IMO, I think this is an extremely unlikely event on 2-strokes and really unlikely on the KDX. The exhaust is just too cold.

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks if you go to a riding area that requires a SA on all bikes and you don't have one. I'm not aware of any advantage of one over the other. The race series I go to now and then requires them, so I got one, but I have noticed that when we are all lined up in the woods the race official guy with the piece of coat hanger wire is only looking at the 4-strokes.

Performance wise you won't gain a much over the stock SA, except weight loss.

+1, I think the odds of a properly running, non arrested two cycle starting a fire are pretty nil. But, the law is the law, and they only weigh slightly more and lower perfomance marginally, so I always run them.

I once got a verbal warning from a ranger/BLM guy at Dumont dunes for not having spark arrestors on my Banshee. He got pissed when I asked him about the fire hazard in SAND DUNES.

Then when I pointed out that virtually none of the sand cars and gas golf carts running around had them, he said it didn't matter, the law only applies to bikes and atvs.

I ride in the desert mostly, no fire hazard. I like to run a SA though because I do occasionally ride in areas that require them. It's better to just run one so you dial in your in jetting and do not have to change it if you choose to ride in an area where they're required.

..."I ride in the desert mostly, no fire hazard"

Nevade desert doesn't have wild fires? Sage brush and wild grass fires spread fast.

I've seen far more sparks come off foot pegs, toe clips, and chains than I have exhaust. The former don't carry much heat at all...the latter would.

Probably mostly due to their intended application, silencers always seem louder to me than a S/A. That's reason enough to choose an arrester, seems to me.

Dipped-chits that think loud is somehow impressive (not to mention their bikes are surely at least 10HP better'n anyone elses S/A'd bike!!) are morons.

To be a real man..you have to run your FmF shorty silencer at least a dozen times up and down the staging area (preferably with either the back tire spitting dust and gravel OR riding a wheelie) before you take off to pollute the rest of the woods on your day-long 10-mile trail ride.

If you happen to be a female rider...you're aspiring to be the same thing. No different.

canyncarvr wrote:I've seen far more sparks come off foot pegs, toe clips, and chains than I have exhaust. The former don't carry much heat at all...the latter would.

Probably mostly due to their intended application, silencers always seem louder to me than a S/A. That's reason enough to choose an arrester, seems to me.

Dipped-chits that think loud is somehow impressive (not to mention their bikes are surely at least 10HP better'n anyone elses S/A'd bike!!) are morons.

To be a real man..you have to run your FmF shorty silencer at least a dozen times up and down the staging area (preferably with either the back tire spitting dust and gravel OR riding a wheelie) before you take off to pollute the rest of the woods on your day-long 10-mile trail ride.

If you happen to be a female rider...you're aspiring to be the same thing. No different.

I want to throw a cro-bar into the front rim of those guys! They rip through the parking lot, chucking rocks at everyone's trucks. Dumb@sses! The trail head is right there!!!! Get in an ride yourself into a tree. Do I sound angry?

Even worse is when they let their kids do it too. Running laps. Drives me nuts. I step out in front of them and tell them to C.T.S!

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IdahoCharley wrote:Nevade desert doesn't have wild fires? Sage brush and wild grass fires spread fast.

Man, thanks for taking my post out of context. Did you read the whole post? My sister owns a cattle ranch up North, so I'm well aware of fire hazards in NV.

For your benifit I guess I should have said WHERE I RIDE there isn't a fire hazard.

I've only heard of one "wild fire" near me in the 13 years I've lived here and it was at the sewer ponds in East Vegas, where I've never ridden.

This is about the most dense the vegitation gets where I ride:


There are some places where you don't need a SA:


And some of those places still stupidly require you to have them. Where's the fire hazard here?

Well... I don't like swapping out a SA and silencer... I will just stick with the SA... safe everywhere.....

bcdonyo wrote:But, the law is the law, and they only weigh slightly more and lower perfomance marginally, so I always run them.

It's better to just run one so you dial in your in jetting and do not have to change it if you choose to ride in an area where they're required.

Pretty much my sentiments exactly! Just run one.

I recall the question: 'Does that place glow in the dark?'



I don't recall the answer.


Looks like a good place for Arpaio to rent from you Silver State folks to use as a felonial residence.

Due to the close proximity to Vegas, yes it does glow in the dark.

If Arpaio ran for office out here, I'd vote for him! We could have stored violent fellons with the glow in the dark waste at Yucca Mountain, but Obama and Reid put the kabash on that posible doulbe whammy.

IMO...keep it loud N Proud!!!!!! But as far as spark Arestors are concerned,ive seen more sparks off my own boots on pavement, harleys running WAY to lean and my old 1980's XT 250 with no Muffler at all in the bush (true story and it was a chaore to get the B*tCH home) anyhow if your in the desert and by way i saw your pix, its looks AMAZING!!!!! You should be fine... Geta loud pipe so long as it dont annoy anyone and ROCK ON!!!!