oregon rider

Thanks guys. Just the main silencer is new - not the mid-muffler thingy. Is there packing in the mid-piece as well? The bike has a great deal of compression. I'll play with the timing first - - thanks for the reminder, I was going to check that. jeff

I have a 2000 txt280 and a friend of mine has a 2002 txt280 edition (same bike) Mine has an exhaust "bark" and seems to have higher compression than his bike. Did they go to a lower compression head in 2002? Will adding base gaskets get me to the same compression as my friend's bike or do I need to mill the head or get a newer head? The reason I want lower compression is to have smoother power delivery and also have the bike more quiet. I could ride it in a field at work during lunch if the exhaust note wasn't so sharp. It's a new silencer - so no, it's not just a repack that's needed... thanks, jeff