Peashooter 'silencers'

The original Pea-shooters were stuffed with a sound deadening fibre that was wrapped around the perforated tubing core.  This made a huge difference to the exhaust sound and was the easy to spot differences between a pattern silencer and the real factory fitted item. The other give-away being the weight of an original.

As a rule, most modern replica Pea-shooter silencers are just empty tins/drums with none of the finer noise cancelling features of the originals.

I got a set of silencers from Armours which were constructed of thicker sheet metal and decently chromed.  Six years later they were as good as the day I purchased them. But they were loudish. The previous £50 replicas that I fitted had burned through the Chrome plating within months.

Yes, the AN silencers are more quiet than the un-stuffed version as some members will testify, we also did ride by sound level recording of them as well. 

ride by sound level recording of them as well.  This is a rubbish statement! There is a subtle inference that the sound was quiter!! But it is NOT stated, so it could be they are louder! If you must do 'testing' then state the result as well.

We used a decibel level meter on the same day on the same road on the same bike, they are around 94-96 dB, whereas the silencers without wadding in them are around 100 - 104 dB. My own ceramic coated versions as other members will testify as they witnessed the independent test by someone at a local bike meet were 112 dB. 

Do some honestly think we would go to the effort and expense of getting them made when we could just make them un-wadded, cheaper and using a more simple process, on the basis of it just 'sounds quieter' They are also not new, they have been on sale for several years now and the feedback we have from owners is that they are more quiet than the un wadded version -  if the feedback was negative then we would no longer go to the extra expense of getting them made. 

The hidden problem with fibre/rock wool filled silencers is water retention causing internal rusting and premature failure. Unless they are of quality stainless steel.

I had cause to replace both peashooter silencers on my 750 Commando and thought I'd try the Andover Norton ones which were described as "noise deadening". The result was very noticeably quieter. The AN noise deadening silencers are supeb and do what they say. A very good product from AN. The bike still sounds like a Commando but the exhaust has lost the sharp rasp. A much more civilised noise, which I welcome.

The last set of peashooters I had were from Norman Hyde and they were well made but very noisy. Friends who I ride with would comment on how loud they were, and the neighbour's dog would go crazy every time it heard my bike start up!

Now the dog does not even stir - and because the harsh rasp has gone I tend to ride in a more civilised manner. I don't grow horns! yes, folks I'm getting old.

So there it is: if you want noisy pipes that rattle the windows go for a pattern part (or Norman Hyde's pattern parts). If you want a quieter, more civilised experience, that is good for long distance / time exposure then buy the AN noise deadening ones.

When I converted my Mk3 from black caps to peashooters, I was surprised that the sound was quite flat rather than raucous. I had bought peashooters from Gander and Grey in Manor Park. London (that dates them a bit) and am not sure if they were genuine Norton if not. But one factor affecting the tone was that I had stayed with the original balanced downpipes, and this definitely helps to take the edge off silencer volume and sharpness.

I see AN offer the peashooters either seamed and unseamed.  Can any one please advise which version would have been provided as OEM back in ‘72?

Regards to all

My '70 Roadster didn't have seams - around the circumference where the reverse cone attaches. I always associated the seams with after-market 'silencers'.

Curiously, the 1970 brochure shows most with seams at the cone join, except the 750S.  The 71 and 72 brochures show them all without seams, and finally the 73 brochure appears to show seams again, though that might possibly be reflection.