Evolution Of Motrcycles - Why Are Motorcycles Exhausts Commonly Placed On The Right Side?

 Every inquistive mind would have at some point questioned the poistioning of motorcycle exhausts. Why does almost every motorcycle have its exhaust placed on the right, and not the left?

Well, there is no right or wrong answer to this. However, answers like, pedestrian sidewalks are on the left, there is a chain sprocket on the left, spacing issue, etc, do not make enough sense.

Kawasaki h2

What does make sense is that, manufacturers have just stuck to the design that was implemented on the very first internal combustion-powered, single-cylinder motorcycles. The evolution of motorcycles with respect to exhaust is a story in itself.

Underbelly Exhaust:

The very first internal combustion-powered mototrcycles could not rely on just the engine for its power. Hence, to get it going from zero, they were equipped with pedals. The rider pedalled the motorcycle off the line, and at higher speeds, the motor would take over propulsion.

In this scenario, the engineers had no other option but to place the exhaust down below, right under the engine. This resulted in the pedals on the right and left, engine at the center and exhaust underneath it.

Right-Side-Mounted Exhaust:

Several months after the pedal and engine powered motorcycles came those powered only by the engine. Getting rid of the pedals resulted in a masssive saving of space on either side. The manufacturers then took this as an opportunity to get rid of the underbelly exhausts.

The underbelly exhausts helped keep the centre of gravity low, and provided perfect balance. However, the same compromised on ground clearance. This being in the early 1990's, the roads were not developed well, and these bikes were mostly ridden off-road.

Hence, the manufacturers decided to mount the exhaust on the right side of the motorcycle. A decision which proved invaluable a few years later when motorcycles were beyond their limits on and off-road in the First World War.

Twin-Exhaust:

Twin Exhaust system is also known as Dual Exhaust system. Basically, a dual exhaust system allows the engine to breathe better creating a more complete combustion cycle from the engine. It gets more exhaust our faster allowing the engine, which is basically an air pump, to then suck more air in faster creating more horsepower.

What is the advantage of dual exhaust?

Beacause the exhaust gases exit each mainfold through two pipes rather than just one, they can exit the engine faster and provide additional horsepower gains. Dual exhaust system help reduce backpressure, which can save energy and increase the engine's efficiency for better gas mileage. 

What does dual  exhaust do?

A dual exhaust system distributes a vehicle's engine exhaust between two seperate exit routes, usually ending in two seperate exit routes, usually ending in two seperate mufflers. A single exhaust system sends all exhaust gases through one exhaust path and muffler. If your engine has multiple cylinder banks (typical with six or more cylinders) and you have single exhaust, a "Y" pipe connects both cylinder manifolds to a shared exhaust pipe. From there, exhaust passes through one oxygen sensor, catalytic convertor, and muffler. In a dual exhaust system, two exhaust pipes (usually connected to each other in an "X" or "H" pipe configuration) distribute the exhaust between two different sensors: the catalytic converter and muffler arrays. (Single mufflers with ttwo intakes are also available.) With dual exhaust, your engine expels exhaust gas faster (using less energy) than with single exhaust. Most small-engine, non-turbo passenger vehicles come with single exhaust. Dual exhaust comes on certain vehicles featuring engines with six or more cylinders.

Does having two tail pipes mean  a vehicle is dual exhaust?

Seeing two (or more) tail pipes on a vehicle does not mean that the engine is equipped with true dual exhaust. You may be seeing a "twin tips" style exhaust tip -- an aftermarket muffler accesory some drivers install to improve the look and sound of their vehicle. A true dual exhaust system has two oxygen sensors, two catalytic converters, and two mufflers (or one muffler with two intakes). Exhaust tips do not offer the engine performance beenfits of true dual exhaust, since they have no effect on exhaust system workload and resources.

Aftermarket Exhaust?

 An aftermarket performance exhaust can free some of the power in youir engine. These systems allow for a quicker, more efficient path for exhaust gases to escape. This means your engine "breathes" better, so spent fuel and air exit the combustion chambers faster.

Top Aftermarket Motorcycle Exhaust Brands

Akrapovic Exhaust Systems. 

Akrapovic Exhaust Systems are used by many racers...

Yoshimura...

Arrow.

Vance&Hilens.

BassaniExhaust.

British Customs.

FMF Exhausts.

Two Brothers Racing Exhausts.

That was the evolution of motorcycle exhaust systems. In the current scenario, various manufacturers have stuck to the various exhaust types aforementioned.

Ducati and KTM stick to underbelly or right-side mounted exhausts. Cruiser motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle usually come with exhaust pipes mounted on either side or again right-side mounted exhaust.

There is not hard and faast rule, and there is no right or wrong answer as tto why most motorcycles have their exhaust pipes mounted on the right side. It just might be because manufacturers have stuck to it since the first internal combustion powered motorcycle came about.

Motorcycles have evolved a lot ever since the first one was developed. However, there are a few tthings that haven't changed a lot. The wheels still are round, and the exhaust have been mounted in one of the aforementioned ways. The same is unlikely to change in the future too, unless it is an electric motorcycle with no exhaust at all.