This article describes a methodology based on experiments and 1D modeling work related to the exhaust system analysis of a small two-stroke engine. The primary goal of this work was to understand how the design criteria of a compact exhaust system influenced the exhaust port pressure, since its evolution controls not only engine performance but also exhaust emissions. On the experimental side, a fully instrumented 50cc two-stroke engine was used to check the behavior of three different exhaust systems. A problem related to instantaneous pressure measurements in unsteady, hot flow was detected and solved during the study. To build the 1D model of the three exhaust systems, experimental information on the steady flow and the impulse test rigs was obtained under controlled conditions in specific facilities. Accurate comparisons between measured and calculated exhaust port instantaneous pressures were obtained from the following different exhaust system configurations: a straight duct, a tapered pipe and the three compact exhaust systems. The last step in the method used this model to analyze the pressure waves inside the exhaust system and detect the influence of the geometric parameters. The results should lead to improvements in the design process of complex compact exhaust systems in two-stroke engines.