New Pipe soon

All right, birthday present this year is going to be a new pipe for my '81 KZ750E. I've wanted a 4 into 1 for many years (I've owned it since bought new in '82) but just couldn't justify spending the money. Well, after almost 25 years the stock exhaust is pretty rusty on 2 and 3.

I'm leaning to the Vance and Hines 4 into 1 - any problems there? Seems like a good pipe but I haven't seen too much about it here (mostly MAC and Kerker mentioned). I'm definitely looking forward to a nicer sound but don't really want to get too loud. I'm sticking with stock intake/airbox but removed the emmisions years ago (from the valve covers to the airbox - connected hoses together with a wooden plug and plugged the hose to the airbox) and unplugged the idle mixture screws. I am planning to install a stage 1 jet kit.

Any advice is welcome - the original exhaust has never been off the bike, though it has only had a couple years of outside storage (5-6 years ago), I'm hoping it won't be too hard to get the pipes off (probably too much to hope for the exhaust studs to survive?). Thanks

If it's any consolation I had no issue getting the exhaust off my '83 KZ550, although I have no idea if any of the previous owners had ever removed it before. After the problems I had getting the clutch cover off, I squirted some kroil on the studs several times over the course of a few weeks. When it came time to remove them they put out a nasty high pitch squeal as they turned but they didn't really give me any trouble.

I was considering replacing the studs before I put the exhaust back on but I'm not sure how much trouble they may give me removing them. I'd rather avoid drilling out any screwed up studs if I can avoid it.

I have an old Hindle race pipe and I'm very happy with the quality and performance, though being a race pipe, the centre stand and mounts had to go. The pipes mount by springs to stubs bolted/clamped as normal to the head for quick easy release when it's time to drop the pipe to change oil. The whole system is held together with springs, no tension cracks, quick release. Streetfighters magazine has referred to Hindle pipes as highly respected.

Thanks - appreciate the inputs. I would like to keep the centerstand and oil drainage access, something the MAC, Vance and Hines and probably the Kerker allow (so they say). Any big difference in sound between these?

Post edited by: oldkawE, at: 2006/03/09 19:05