Originally Posted by
David88vert
Ok, here is the truth - back pressure is a requirement on 2 strokes, but not necessarily a requirement on 4 stroke engines.
The belief that back pressure is needed goes back to the old days of carbs. Modified carbed bikes and cars could not adjust because of the way that backpressure caused air to flow backwards through the carburetor after the air already got loaded down with fuel, and the air received a second load of fuel. When backpressure was reduced, the bikes no longer had a double-loading effect, and tended to burn valves because of the result - really lean.
IF you have an adequate engine management system, with proper methods of controlling air and fuel delivery to the engine, you can run without an exhaust at all, and not burn up valves. That is fact.
Now, reality is that the particular bike in question still has exhuast back pressure with the muffler removed, but that back pressure is reduced. This has potential to burnt up exhaust valves if not compensated for through tuning.