Pipe Hits - Too Low - Options? PICTURES

Picked up this KZ900 1976 on Ebay about a month ago. Great bike. The bike is fairly low to the ground. The rear shocks are 14" but the Calfab swing arm extends it back to make it low. The front shocks are all the way up in the trees (cut springs I think)

The pipe hits the ground when I make any sort of agressive learning right hand turn and also on some uphill bumps..

Also, the foot brake touches the pipe and you actually push the pipe down when breaking hard... Something isnt right...

Anyway - Are there any pipe options out there where the pipes don't hang under the frame? I really dont want to raise the bike to be honest.. just dont want the banging!




Post edited by: thetemples, at: 2006/08/13 20:33

Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/08/13 21:09

Perhaps there is a 4 into 2 set available that would hug the frame. That's probably your only option except for raising the bike, which you've already indicated you'd rather not do. Most 4-2 headers would sit about where the top pipe in your first photo sits. That would probably help a lot.

Or, put a turbo on it and you won't have a low pipe on it. :evil:

- Nate >>

what about a V&H side winder?

thetemples wrote:

Picked up this KZ900 1976 on Ebay about a month ago. Great bike. The bike is fairly low to the ground. The rear shocks are 14" but the Calfab swing arm extends it back to make it low. The front shocks are all the way up in the trees (cut springs I think)

The pipe hits the ground when I make any sort of agressive learning right hand turn and also on some uphill bumps..

Also, the foot brake touches the pipe and you actually push the pipe down when breaking hard... Something isnt right...

Anyway - Are there any pipe options out there where the pipes don't hang under the frame? I really dont want to raise the bike to be honest.. just dont want the banging!

<br><br>Post edited by: thetemples, at: 2006/08/13 20:33

wow!:evil: ,did i mention that bike is drop dead gorgeous?:evil: ive got that same swingarm somewhere in a box i bought 25 years ago bt its set up for disc brake.if i remember right havent looked at it in years,the bracket you have your rear footpegs hooked on is actually part of the shock mount like stock kawasaki swingarm.i had a vance and hines pipe on my 1327 bike that would drag,but i only had 10 1/4" shocks on it.i gave it to solomrus to use on one of his bikes and it drug also and his sits quite a bit higher.i personally think its a design issue.ive got kerker 4n1 on 2 other bikes and havent had issues like i have with vance and hines pipes.:whistle:

Post edited by: ran429, at: 2006/08/16 03:34

Post edited by: wireman, at: 2006/08/13 21:30

you could always do this:evil:

Where is the pipe on that thing?? Or is there one?



Anyway - Sounds like there is no specific pipe that is going to solve the problem, but maybe help a little bit if I change to another pipe. (which aint cheap considering this pipe has 200 miles on it) Maybe I should revist raising the front another inch. I currently have the fork cap/nuts above the top of the trees, do you think I could slide it down flush to see if that helps a bit? It probably would give me 1/2" or so. If that doesn't help or wont work, maybe I can add a spacer in the front forks or just get new springs and adjust them accordingly. I'm not sure an inch up in the front is going to make it look that different. Thanks for the compliments.. That picture was the day I drove it home.. I've since polished on the wheels and swing arm.. its looking purdier every day. Enjoying it very much...

- Chris

Have you thought abour custom pipes? If you could fine a set of junk stock pipes you could have the first ft or so of pipes cut off and then have some pipe welded on and routed however you want. If a set of pipes is $30, custom welding might be another $200. That is $230. You could sell your pipe for $100 easily so you will reallt only be out $130 or so. Just a though. Might be worth taking it to a good muffler shop and just see what they think and maybe get a quote. Killer bike by the way!

A sidewinder will work but you have to mess with the foot pegs and rear brake arm.

The only way to solve this problem is using a sidewinder, unfortunately there are too many things you going to have to change to make work. Does anyone know if a Murray x-pipe will fix this for him. Since the pipes go down the center of the bike it might just work!

Hey Chris would mind taking some close up pics of the rear brake the whole thing including the pedal mechanism/ and the way it attaches to the rear wheel. The other pics I would like to see are the spacers and everything associated with making the rear wheel work like sprocket and all that stuff. I'm going through the process right now and I'm very very close after this weekend, but seeing your bike up-close might speed those things up.

If you want to see my progress so far my post is the 4to6 inch 17x5.5 something like that.

Also what size tire is on the rear there?

Mike

Post edited by: mikekz900, at: 2006/08/14 11:21

My self I would try to raise the front forks to be flush with the tree and see if that helps I have a side winder and if the wife and I are on the bike I cant make hard left turns or I hit as well But Im getting use to it. Also You have one KICKASS lookin bike enjoy it.

Wizzard