I'm going to be using this bike for commuting into the city and cruising with a passenger on the weekends. Given that, it sounds like maybe I can get away with sticking to the four into four and taking a swipe at tuning it. As I'll have this in Manhattan, I definitely subscribe to the loud pipes being good theory. It always amazes me that pedestrians will walk right in front of my car, but scatter when they hear a motorcycle coming.
On the K1, are there any baffles to be dealt with on the stock exhaust? Also, any thoughts on replacing the stock mufflers with something else? A friend of mine recommend four straight pipes, but I'm not too sure that's a realistic option. He drag races muscle cars, so I'm thinking that his advice might be ill conceived for motorcycles.
In the realm of the CB750K series, the K0/K1 pipes were the best. They had fiberglass baffles that restricted very little, but effectively reduced noise until you ripped-it open. These engines, intake valves, and jetting were all set up for the fiberglass-packed baffles from the start, and later pipes caused loss of power and response because of it.
If you still have the stock K1 jetting, it will be 115 or 120 main jets. If you're doing mostly in-town, stop-n-go and short hiway hops, it will probably be happier with 110 jets and modified emulsifier tubes (see the post about this in "FAQ, thoughts of Hondaman" that someone set up). If you have the stock gearing, it will be 17T countersprocket, 48T rear, ideal for commuting. If someone installed the later 18T countersprocket, try a 17T and I think you'll appreciate the difference. These bikes actually get BETTER mileage on the 17T than on the 18T because it's closer to the engine's power curve, and you'll find yourself in higher gears more often. And, you can still reach over 125+ MPH that way...
