1981 KZ 550 LTD Rear Shock Replacement

I purchased a pair of Progressive 412 rear shocks to replace the original shocks. I'm running into an issue of the proximity of the lower shock bolt to the right and left exhaust pipe. I've unbolted the exhaust mount below the rear foot pegs but still don't have a straight shot for the bolt removal and replacement. I'm wondering if the pipes are actually "slip ons" that may disconnect from the exhaust assembly, possibly by the small heat shield (just under the rear brake lever, or the shifter arm). If not, would I need to loosen the entire right and left pipes from the motor? Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated.

If you go to one of the various OEM parts fishe such as partzilla and look up your bike, you can then see that the muffler is permanently attached to the header pipe.

Do not fiddle with or disconnect any of the exhaust components.  Instead, you need to support the bike so the rear wheel is off the ground. If your bike has the centerstand it will work perfectly for this; otherwise you’ll need to put a jack under the engine (use a block of wood to protect the engine fins) and use a strap or friend to hold the front wheel down to the ground.   

Once the rear wheel is off the ground you can disconnect the shocks at the top shock mounts and swing the shocks down and rearward.  With the tops of the shocks disconnected from the frame you should be able to raise the swingarm up far enough to remove the bottom shock bolts.   Ed

650ed  - much appreciated. Worked perfectly and under 10 minutes. Thank you!

Glad I could help.  Ed