https://imgur.com/a/V3jvFtT

I lost the damn gasket between the front header and the Y pipe somehow.  Completely gone, no sign of it anywhere.  Clamp was tight.  I noticed last weekend on a trip that it seemed like it was getting a little louder but not terrible.  Checked it over this week and didn't see anything loose or obvious so I put it back together.  Left today to go for another spin and a while into the trip it got LOUD. Like a straight piped Harley.  Turned and came home and took it apart to find the gasket completely missing.  I don't know if it came part and went though the exhaust or if it fell out in pieces or what.  Sucks that I'm down because of a $12 part but it is what it is.  Anyone else run into this before?  I don't know if the 800s are the same or not. 


Also blew the fan relay today before this so it's not been a very productive day.  I stole the high beam relay to get us on our way which worked great. 

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

And...what holds that together? The 800s all have bell flex connections with springs that hold the connections together..but they stretch-out sometimes and we too loose the gasket..but they look different that that. More like this:

There is just an exhaust clamp that goes over the notched end, no springs or anything like that.  That clamp was still in place and tight, but the gasket decided it was time to go, one way or another.  There is physically no possible way it could've come out in one piece so it either disintegrated or burned up or a combination of both.  I'm a little surprised that I can find no evidence of it ever even being there, but the machine has sounded normal until last weekend when it started to get a bit louder.  I'm hoping my dealer has them in stock but gotta wait til Monday.  For now it's torn apart in my backyard.

I've seen the posts with people talking about their exhaust springs being weak and breaking, but I guess the 1000s don't have that type of setup.  Only springs on my exhaust system are the ones around the flange bolts where the muffler bolts to the Y pipe, and they're compression springs to hold tension on the flange, not the type that you posted on that pic. 

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Well, they rubber-mount the engines so they flex and move around all the time..not much but enough that there has to be something flexible between the solid-mounted exhaust muffler and the engine..somewhere. The 800s have several points.

The only place mine has for movement has to be where the muffler bolts to the Y pipe.  Maybe it should have more for some flexibility and that's what ruined my gasket.

Quick question:. Are the part numbers on the alpha-sports website the actual part numbers used by dealers etc?  Gonna give mine a call and was planning to give them the number listed on that site for the gasket. 

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Quick question:. Are the part numbers on the alpha-sports website the actual part numbers used by dealers etc?  Gonna give mine a call and was planning to give them the number listed on that site for the gasket. 

Yes, those are the CFM part numbers that the dealer uses. Use the complete number though..and if it had been updated or superseded, use the newest number.

Thanks!  Called them and they're ordering me a couple today, I should have them by Wednesday.  He was as baffled as I was, they've never seen one of those sleeves go missing like that before.  He suggested maybe it was never there from the factory, but it had to be because it has been normally quiet for the 2 months I've owned it until this happened. 

Also, as a parts guy myself their numbering system seems to be all over the damn place.  The 2 places I've worked in parts (FCA and International) each used a much more uniform system.  I guess that's why I was curious if those were CFMoto's actual numbers.