MAC PIPE INSTALLATION AND PICS

Installation notes:

7/1/00 - There is nothing really to say about the installation of the MAC pipes. The job is pretty much a "bolt'em-up-and-go" one. It took me about 30 minutes to drop the stock pipes and install the MAC's. One note, the MAC pipes do not use a rear pipe-to-header gasket like the stock ones do. The MAC rear pipe slips right over the rear header pipe with a close fit and clamps down metal-to-metal for sealing. You only need to make sure you have one exhaust gasket handy when bolting up the front pipe. The center stand is handled with the addition of a bar-bracket that mounts on the left side on one of the passenger foot peg bolts, and angles back to intercept the stand. If you look closely at the pics below you can see it.

Impressions:

These pipes are loud! That will take some getting used to. Overall I have not noticed any increase or decrease in power. The bike feels the same. Vibration is greater but only by a small amount. I do like the sound, the bike definitely has an impressive rumble now and the looks of these pipes are just what I wanted. The pipes are very simple which adds to the chopped look. I have not had any problems with bluing but have only put about 700 mi on the bike since installing. And finally, I have not yet had to adjust the carb pilot screws, and I don't feel the need to re-jet the carbs. Overall, there have been no adverse effects on performance.

Update 1/15/01: Still no bluing or rejeting. I have since removed the chrome induction pipes/emissions and added the caps pictured below. This had absolutely no effect on the bike, good or bad. It was completely transparent. A note I would like to add: I have scraped the front pipe a few times in hardover turns. Nothing major but they will touch before the pegs. The stock pipes allow the pegs to hit first.

Update 6/17/01: Ok, a little bluing on the front pipe has occurred. It was inevitable : ). Actually just a light brownish/yellowish color on the first bend after leaving the cylinder. I still haven't felt the urge to rejet and I haven't experienced any signs that I need to rejet. Also, since adding the progressive fork springs, I have eliminated the problem of the front pipe hitting in turns.

Pics:

Four of the same shot showing the pipes

The stock exhaust.

Close-up of the stock exhaust collector box. Check out the pinched off inlet to the upper muffler. Think anything can flow through that??? With the MAC pipes you get a header and muffler specific to each cylinder. The rear is slightly more restictive flow since the kit uses the stock rear down-tube-header assembly which has more curves than the front. The stock pipes have this collector box where your exhaust is pumped, and then from there it flows to the mufflers along the least restrictive path. It is more like a two-into-one exhaust system, than two seperate pipes. I would guess that unless the back-pressure is high enough, most of the flow is through the lower pipe unless it too is pinched at the entry to the muffler.

Stock exhaust again.

These are the caps I made to replace the chrome tubes from the emissions pod. I have just installed these, replaced the four way T behind the pod with a three way T so the pod is still on but is non-operational. So far the bike still runs great. Soon I plan to add an S&S air box and filter to the right side and remove the emissions pod completely. I will also try to re-route some of the stuff on the left side in an attempt to clean up the look some.

A close up of the cap installed.

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