Exhaust System From Thailand

[twinx1649]

We all know there aren't many options for new exhaust systems and I wanted to share my recent experience in case some of you are trying to decide what to do. First off, the new system (head pipes and mufflers) needed to all be replaced because the old stuff wasn't saveable. If your parts are decent, only replace what you need as the eBay stuff is not-so-great. Here's what you need to know:

Step 1, Both new head pipes are symmetric, the originals aren't so you will need some lengths of 3/4 pipe to bend the angles close enough to work.

Step 2, Install header flanges (cast finned coupler) on pipes which may require flattening the head pipe in a soft-jaw vise to make it round enough to install. It's important to install them FIRST because once you start bending the pipe it will be too oval to install later.

Step 3, Make sure the pipe flange fits inside the head exhaust port; mine were too large and needed to O.D. ground down on a bench grinder to fit properly.

Step 4, Loosely install mufflers and grind the mounting holes open in whatever direction necessary to fit the bike (mine were WAY off).

Step 5, Try to mate head pipe to muffler keeping in mind you will need to make many bend attempts to get it right. I pre-bent mine first using the original pipes as a template and still made many tweaks before I was satisfied.

Step 6, Add spacers to the muffler mounting stud and bolt necessary to get the mufflers angled properly to give you the necessary clearances and make sure the tips are equal looking from the rear of the bike. I found it necessary to apply a little foot pressure on the rear of on of the mufflers once everything was bolted down tight so it all looked right. I'm not and advocate of using the "foot" but it worked so I'm passing it along, LOL.

Note: Leave the protective plastic cap on the end of the 3/4 pipe as it provides a snug fit to the I.D. of the pipe and will help avoid damaging the pipe in case you want to return it to Home Depot when you're done ; )

Now that it's done I'm happy with the results and it sounds a bit louder than stock which is fine.

Cheers,
Jim

[ByTheLake]

Hello Jim,

I also bought the Thailand pipes during my restoration a few years ago. I don't recall having any issues with the header pipes fitting. They seemed to fit just fine out of the box. The Thailand pipes aren't as nice as OEM pipes, but they got the job done. Maybe I got lucky?



Like you, I did have to add spacers to the muffler mounts to get things aligned properly. Otherwise, the pipes mated up just fine. Below, I hand-fitted one header pipe and muffler to test the fit, and no bending was required for my pipes.



I could never get those aluminum crush gaskets to fit into the exhaust ports in the head, though. I destroyed them trying to get them in. I used Ducati copper gaskets at the head, which fit much better than the gaskets that ship with the gasket kits.

[twinx1649]

Hi Kevin,
I'm glad your pipes fit well. My right side pipe flange was over 1" off as compared to the original. As I previously mentioned, the originals are asymmetric and the ones I received were not. Perhaps different Thailand suppliers are using different tooling.

Jim

[Northey]

Don't feel too bad, I have restored a few triumph Tiger Cubs and purchased high priced header pipes from the UK with none ever fitting without bending the radius tighter. I bought a couple of mufflers for my ca95 restore on ebay, costly but decent. Glenn