[JadeRider]

Good day

In trying to define the direction that I will go with the custom job on my Meanie I have become dissatisfied with the available custom pipes and am considering having some made.

But here is what I do not know. Are most custom pupes just a 'bent tube' or is there more going on?

 

[ispeed77]

i am assuming that a custom exhaust company could bend you some tubing, but i am not sure on the restrictions of their machines. most of the pipe benders and made to do car exhaust or roll cages which don't necessarily have close bends. on the bike you may have compound bends and close bends. the only custom pipes i have seen built are on the Discovery channerl shows like the "Biker Build-off" series. on shows like that the fabricators take various pieces of tubing and cut and weld until they fit the application. it would be interesting to hear some more input on this, so i guess we'll have to see if anyone else has any. let us know what you end up doing Jade.

 

[JadeRider]

Well

I found a builder here in Houston that is willing to do it, but the price is quite steep ($1,000 - 1,200) I will look some more and update you all on this.

Another possibility is getting a set of pipes from a manufacturer, w/o the chrome, since one thing I am looking at is black ceramic paint.

 

[ispeed77]

yeah, that does seem pretty steep

 

[Mayfield]

I have been wondering about costum pipes as well. I was thinking about just cutting off the muffler on the stock pipes and having a friend weld 12" of pipe onto it. What would bethe ramifications of doing something like that? I understan you have to re jet the carb when you change pipes, is this corect? This would only cost me the price of 2' of mild steal pipe and a six pack of beer for my budy.

 

[bluestringer]

Good day

In trying to define the direction that I will go with the custom job on my Meanie I have become dissatisfied with the available custom pipes and am considering having some made.

But here is what I do not know. Are most custom pupes just a 'bent tube' or is there more going on?

Have you looked at the Skirt Blowers. I think they look cool.

http://www.tejasthumpcycles.com/metricbikes/metriccruiser/parts/exhaust/custom_Metric_exhaust.htm

 

[ispeed77]

I have been wondering about costum pipes as well. I was thinking about just cutting off the muffler on the stock pipes and having a friend weld 12" of pipe onto it. What would bethe ramifications of doing something like that? I understan you have to re jet the carb when you change pipes, is this corect? This would only cost me the price of 2' of mild steal pipe and a six pack of beer for my budy.

Mayfield
welcome to the forum. as far as i know you are supposed to rejet when you change the pipes. other than that, the only thing is to make sure you have some backpressure. it sounds like you would be adding an extension of the factory pipe size though, so i don't see a problem with that. what are you planning on doing for a finish. would you be having them chromed or are you going to try to find some heat shields for them ?

 

[JadeRider]

Have you looked at the Skirt Blowers. I think they look cool.

http://www.tejasthumpcycles.com/metricbikes/metriccruiser/parts/exhaust/custom_Metric_exhaust.htm

I did, thanks. I love the look and certainly a lot less than the local guys quoted, but not practical for what I want. I may end up with some of the off the shelf ones and figure out a wat to individualize them.

Cheers

 

[Mayfield]

ispeed77- I was thinking about using heat shealding wrap around the pipe for about a third of the length. The rest of the pipe would be painted black. Basicaly I want to rip off the look of the Exile bike from the World Biker Buildoff show.

 

[ispeed77]

gotcha ! let us know what you end up doing and get some pics if you can. i personally like that look and think it would be neat on a Kawi.

 

[Alex214]

i'd stick with something tried and true, that has a warranty and guarantee, like HK's or VH's, but mebbe I am just paranoid. I was just thinking tho, that I doubt anyone would do a custom job for you, and just give you a refund if things didn't work out.

 

[Lee_2061]

In trying to define the direction that I will go with the custom job on my Meanie I have become dissatisfied with the available custom pipes and am considering having some made.

But here is what I do not know. Are most custom pupes just a 'bent tube' or is there more going on?

$1000 is way too much. Should not be more than half that price.

Not bent tubes.
Stock pipes nowadays are made up of several components; headers, catalytic convertor, in some cases an O2 sensor, a hidden middle chamber or bypass where the two pipes share the load from whichever cylinder is firing and finally baffles to both muffle and create more back-pressure. Most aftermarket pipes get rid of everything bar the baffle, albeit a less restrictive one. Unless re-jetted or retuned with an aftermarket ECU you get lotsa popping and backfiring.
Pipes on show bikes are usually just bent plumbing. These bikes are hard to start, almost unrideable and cop and abuse magnets.
Whatever pipes you get, I'd recommend you make sure it accepts some form of baffling otherwise even you'd complain.
Modifying ready made ones sounds a good idea. The mounts would suit and you can get someone to do some cutting and rechroming to turn it into something different.
Many riders keep the front half of the pipes and custom build or tack on a different rear end to create a whole new look.
Good Luck.