Broken connecting rod

[Acton67]

Hey guys. Ive got a suzuki intruder 93 VS800. Last year connecting rod on the front cylinder snapped and went right through the front of the crank case. I'm a new rider and I think I was red lining it to much on a 2hr ride back home from jersey. I was going about 75-80mph.

Fast forward to now and I've found a new motor with 276 miles on it off a 98 VS800. I figure it will be a good idea to get a tachometer installed on it and to keep my speed at 73mph max in fifth gear. What RPMs in 5th gear are considered above the "red line"? Also I wrapped my pipes and took out the baffles. Could this have contributed to the issue? The old motor had way more miles on it then the one Im getting installed.

[navigator]

Removing the baffles reduces back pressure and would likely burn valves rather than throw a rod.
The 800 does not have a rev limiter simply because you will run out of fuel to the carbs before you ever hit the red line for that motor. Red line is >8500, but you will never get there.
75-80 mph for extended periods is no problem for the 800.
80-85 MPH turns (5500-6000 RPM) in 5th gear.
You likely threw the rod because it was low on oil.
Extended duration at high speed will use oil rapidly.
Check the oil thru the window with the bike vertical.
Max HP is 55 @ 7000rpm.
Max torque is 47 @ 5000rpm
Top speed is 102mph. But hold on because the front end will start to get real light.

There is a link to a downloadable service manual pinned at the top of the tech page.

[Acton67]

I had the oil changed and new filter put on 6 weeks before. Probably only put less then 200 miles on the bike after that point since the bike was in the shop half that time.

What can I do to avoid this issue again with the new motor? Should I pick up another set of mufflers with baffles in them? The new motor only has 276 miles on it and I want to take care of it.

[navigator]

Stock exhaust wouldn't hurt, but IMO was not the culprit.
276 miles on a 22 year old bike??
Is it a salvage bike? wrecked in the first week of ownership?

To me that is too unbelievable...
It's very easy to have many more miles than that, broken speedo cable, replaced speedometer, actual milage 100276, etc.
Just curious.

[Acton67]

The bike sat in someone's garage for 20 years and was donated to a shop through a charity. They were parting the bike out online. They're going to give me paperwork with how many miles were on the engine. Gave me $200 off the price since I'm having them install it. They've got a lot of good reviews online and seem to be a reputable business. They're 2hrs away from me.

I weigh 270lbs and the last engine would top out at 81-82mph. I dont want something like this to happen again but Id like to make 3-4 4-6hr long distance highway trips this year after I break the bike in for 4-6 weeks. What can I do to avoid this issue from happening again? Should I change the oil and filter every 6 weeks? Should I invest in a tachometer?

[navigator]

If your last engine topped out at 81-82 mph, it probably lacked compression and was burning the oil as you drove it.
You did not see the oil loss until it was too late, and consumption of the oil was probably excessive.
JMO.
The new engine should not use oil and should easily cruise at 80mph @ around 5000rpm in fifth.
The choice of installing a tach is totally up to you.
Keep your eye on the oil level, and change it every 3000 miles.
Also just my opinion.

[Acton67]

If your last engine topped out at 81-82 mph, it probably lacked compression and was burning the oil as you drove it.
You did not see the oil loss until it was too late, and consumption of the oil was probably excessive.
JMO.
The new engine should not use oil and should easily cruise at 80mph @ around 5000rpm in fifth.
The choice of installing a tach is totally up to you.
Keep your eye on the oil level, and change it every 3000 miles.
Also just my opinion.

Alright. I know you said new mufflers wouldn't hurt but do you think it's a big deal to use mufflers without baffles in them? I wrapped the mufflers I have now and like the sound of them, but I want to take care of this new motor.

[navigator]

I need more info:
Do you have stock exhaust with the baffles totally removed?
You should be OK
Do you have stock exhaust with the baffles in place, but holes drilled in them?
That will be no problem.
If you run open headers with no mufflers, you could burn your valves.
If you still have mufflers, but no baffles, you should be fine...with some mid-range torque loss.
I have one 800 with straight pipes about 48" long, it runs fine without baffles, however, I installed lollipops to boost the backpressure.
Lots of articles / videos out there on lollipops.
Without baffles or lollipops your mid-range torque will suffer.

[Acton67]

I need more info:
Do you have stock exhaust with the baffles totally removed?
You should be OK
Do you have stock exhaust with the baffles in place, but holes drilled in them?
That will be no problem.
If you run open headers with no mufflers, you could burn your valves.
If you still have mufflers, but no baffles, you should be fine...with some mid-range torque loss.
I have one 800 with straight pipes about 48" long, it runs fine without baffles, however, I installed lollipops to boost the backpressure.
Lots of articles / videos out there on lollipops.
Without baffles or lollipops your mid-range torque will suffer.

I have the stock exhast with the stock head pipes and mufflers. I sanded them down and applied VHT high heat spray paint, wrapped the pipes then put silicone spray on so the wrap would be waterproof and wouldnt rust out the pipes. The previous owner wrapped the pipes incorrectly and caused the pipes to rust out so I ended up buying new stock head pipes and mufflers off of ebay. I used a hole saw to take off the plates keeping the baffles in place, then used a broom stick to take out the baffles. I watched a few how to videos on youtube. The exhaust sounds louder now.

[navigator]

Your exhaust system is then long enough to prevent valve damage.
It will be louder, but not harm the engine.
Performance-wise maybe not optimal.