I have an 03 sherco and the exhaust needs to be cut open to repack it. Before I start on this task, what damage could I be doing running it in its present, noisy state?

thanks

No real damage but you are missing out on bottom end power if it needs repacking

I agree with Tony27.  I have come to the conclusion that the sweet off idle power of a new bike is totally due to a clean exhaust.  I replaced the exhaust on an 02 Sherco and immediately got that new bike response....... for a while. 

I have come up with a plan "B"  .. One of the bolt holes in the top of the exhaust has failed leaving a 6mm hole into the exhaust chamber, currently sealed with liquid metal. I have some 4mm glass fiber rope which should be easy enough to feed into the hole. Its intended use is for sealing a stove. Any thoughts?

 

You should find pictures on the web of what is inside.  I cut a hole in a beta mid pipe and the steel wool packing was still in place.  It was just caked with black goo and not easy to pull out. I repacked with steel wool and used some super soft aluminium plate to cover the hole.  Silicone and rivets held it in place.  I don't remember the allow you it formed as easily as aluminium foil.  If you have good AL welding skills, a bigger hole would make it much easier

 

 

 

 

    

On 6/29/2019 at 6:39 PM, misterroy said:

I have come up with a plan "B"  .. One of the bolt holes in the top of the exhaust has failed leaving a 6mm hole into the exhaust chamber, currently sealed with liquid metal. I have some 4mm glass fiber rope which should be easy enough to feed into the hole. Its intended use is for sealing a stove. Any thoughts?

  

If you can get more than a couple of inches through the hole then buy a lottety ticket as it is your lucky week. The packing needs to be evenly distributed and not too tightly packed - impossible to do without a large access.  The rope is the wrong stuff anyway.  I have used the same bag of loft insulation for years so it works out cheap, you could even borrow some from your attic?

Ease of repacking was one reason why I bought a Beta and, given the importance of a correctly packed exhaust, then frankly any bike that can't easily be repacked has a design flaw in my opinion. I can't be alone in that.