Tutorial: How to Remove Mickey and Cyclops Plates

[nicocorea]

Some time after debaffling, one might wish to go all the way and further gut his stock pipes. The baffle is the rear-most plate in the stock muffler. The next plate is called the mickey. The third plate I call the cyclops. This is what it looks like:

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...5-img-2949.jpg

Whiskey Williams posted a great tutorial about doing this mod which involves a sledge hammer. Many have used his method without damaging anything. See link below for that method.

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...tml#post366450

Still, I was leery about taking a sledge hammer anywhere near my bike. Plus, I don't have sledge. So here's how I did it.

Tools Needed:

1. A 1/2 inch drill--You can try it with a smaller drill but I estimate an 80% chance it'll die a smoky death before the job is done.
   
2. An 18" drill extension. I got one by Milwawkee from Home Depot for about $23.
   
3. A 1/2" hole saw auger. Home Depot, about $15.
   
4. A 2 3/4" bimetal hole saw. Home Depot, also about $15.
   
5. A spray can of lithium lube or similar (bacon grease works great too).
   
6. A wire coat hanger.

Here's a pic of all the tools needed:

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...7-img-2946.jpg

Method

1. Before assembling the drill, take the 18" extension and insert it into one of the little tubes that form mickey's eyes. Using the extension as a lever, bend the little tube so it slants towards the center of the pipe. Repeat for the other "eye". This gives your hole saw the clearance it needs to get in contact with the plate.
   
2. Assemble the drill. See pic. http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...6-img-2947.jpg
   
3. Spray lube into pipe and all over the hole saw. This keeps the saw from getting too hot and reduces "stalls" where the saw gets stuck and the drill stops turning. It also reduces all the pesky metal shavings you may remember from when you debaffled.
   
4. Drill out the mickey plate. Drill for a while, pause to inspect, re-lube, drill some more. Once mickey is loose, use the coat hanger to fish it out.
   
5. Repeat this procedure for the cyclops. You probably won't be able to bend Cyclops' eye like you did Mickey's. I just drilled through it. Don't forget to re-lube periodically.
   
6. Repeat for the other pipe. Your hole saw will get less and less effective with each plate; for the last cyclops, it never make it through. I drilled as much as I had patience for and then took a broomhandle--a few taps and the last cyclops was gone. This is what a pipe should look like when the job's done:
   
   http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...0-img-2955.jpg
   
   
7. Once you've removed mickey and cyclops, you'll notice that there's actually yet another plate that appears to contain a baffle of some sort. I don't know of anyone removing the fourth plate. You could go ahead and drill that one out too. You'd be in unchartered waters as far as I know. I think you'll need to buy another 2.75" hole saw to get the job done. Yours will be as sharp as a butter knife by now...

Fire it up and see what you think. It's mean! I highly recommend making and installing fibrosleeves to complete the job. The fibrosleeves drastically improve the sound in my opinion. Link below tells how.

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...light=rebaffle

[dreygun]

this should be added to the stick of links. i think i might demickey mine next. try to get a bit louder

[nicocorea]

I've been riding around demickeyed and decyclopsed now for about a week, and I have to be honest with anyone considering this mod: it certainly harmed my high-end torque.

Since the procedure, I've had trouble accelerating through the 90s. WOT, I have to be going downhill to get above 95. That was definitely not the case before I demickeyed and decyclopsed. Plus, today I had a good reference point--the C50 I was riding with for an hour or so at around 75-95 mph. It had Cobra Slash Cuts and I would watch whenever he went WOT in 5th gear. I'd do it too. But he definitely had stronger acceleration than I did. Before the procedure, I'm sure I could have kept up with him when he went WOT.

Additionally, while it sounds pretty good riding around town, on the highway it's positively annoying. Even with the fibrosleeves it has a lot of angry lawnmower to it. And the faster you go, the worse it gets.

[diamond_jim]

Great write up. I added it to the M50 how-to link.