Yet another exhaust thread

Hi people,

Forgive me for this. But I just did a pretty fair amount of searching in posts about exhausts and I haven't found anything discussing what I'm about to propose.

I'm a member of the "Yamaha did it right" camp. I was going to write a long thing about why, but I'll save it. Not worth the possible war.

HOWEVER, it's really hard to find nice (read: perfect) exhausts for sale. Here's what I was thinking. Tell me if this is stupid.

The "magic" is purportedly contained in the header pipes and collector. Magic being the pipe diameter, bend radii, and length, and size/shape of passages in collector, etc. So, let's keep those things.

1. Find a decent collector, even if it's ugly, repair it if necessary, paint it black because nobody looks at it anyway.
2. Make SS pipes to match what's currently there. Cut/weld the gland connectors that attach to the cylinder if necessary. (Can you buy those?)
3. Use stock gaskets and clamps, or fab SS ones to match.
4. Pick a sweet muffler to go with it all.
5. Ride with excellent tuning.

So, has anyone done this? Yes I realize it sounds like a lot of work. But so does rejetting and retuning. Plus I like the look of the stock pipes and want to copy that, maybe with some minor tweaks. Black pipes and wraps don't appeal to me too much.

Examples:

http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-cb750f2
http://www.bikeexif.com/harley-davidson-dyna
http://www.bikeexif.com/yamaha-xjr1300

These are motivational examples, I don't necessarily want to copy every detail of them. Also, note that the last one is an XJ! (grandchild of ours?)

Something like these would absolutely be expensive and time-consuming. But look how cool they are! Also, I think the Spark mufflers are the perfect modern-look replacements for our megaphones.

I'd love to hear some thoughts...even links to conversations I've missed where this has already been done by someone. Photos or it didn't happen...

 

People have been doing just that for years. Vance and Hines used to have a muffler set up that used the stock collector, as well as their own full system.

 

A good suggestion. I went looking for it just now. That's exactly what I'd want to buy, if I could find one. They apparently don't sell it any more, and there aren't any on the ebays...

 

I was suggesting that your idea is feasible, not that you shoud try to buy anything premade.

 

I don't see how we could do anything like the HD Dyna with our exhaust. V twin architecture is what allows those header pipes to be in that location. XJs will always have to exhale out the front. The welds on each of those examples are so clean and tidy they make me want to donate all my tools to charity. I will never reach that level of perfection!
Also, if you plan to ditch the collector and go with the 4 into 2 route, will rejets be necessary?

 

His pics were examples of fabrication, not of design.

 

definitely great examples of fab!

 

here ya go, http://www.coneeng.com/index.html
I'd really like to see a success story and if your making one, might as well make two and get yours free

 

Yeah, I came across that as well. No promises, but this is truly something I would like to do. Probably not this summer, but maybe in the winter? I may be taking the exhaust of my bike soon, to check for damage/obvious leaks, though, so idk. In any case I would probably have a friend at work help out who is a welder with about 30 yrs experience, and he mostly TIG-welds Al, Ni, high-temp alloys, and SS. Pretty sure he's the right man for the job. And I like where Polock's head's at...

 

Lil note- there are no passages in the collector, its just an empty box
(Had to reweld it after patching some holes)
Maybe the volume of the collector is relevant.
I dunno.

 

Oh! Good to know. I've never taken it apart. My plan was to weld any holes mine may (...cough...definitely...) have...

 

there were chambers in mine