Topic: 1974 CB550 Exhaust

[puppytrax]

             I seem to be the only one who thinks these are a nice set of pipes worth considering. Oh well.                                                       Bill

I think they are OK. But I can't find any mufflers that I like to fit on them. 

Bates used to have some really nice shorty mufflers...whatever happened to Bates??   

I'd like to set up a set of 4:4 pipes with "hot dog" mufflers on them (looks like a hot dog bun with the wiener sticking out each end). There is one company making them in SS, but chrome steel would be OK.

[bill440cars]

   Guys, I can't believe that I missed the part about removing the center stand! I like the idea of having the center stand, or at be able to temporarily install it for maint purposes. Don't know if anyone noticed but, the color picture shows the outer pipe turning slightly upward whereas the black & white picture shows all pipes to be straight. I asked the seller about this and he claims that the pipes in the color picture had mufflers that were turned up. Is it just me or do the pipes themselves appear to be turned up?   Later on, Bill

[puppytrax]

Is it just me or do the pipes themselves appear to be turned up?

Looking closely at a saved shot of the color pic (with Gamma correction), only one pipe has a kick-up at the end, but it is parallel to the other pipes...I'm puzzled as to why it is kicked up...maybe for sidestand clearance (like the stock # 1 pipe)??...

But to answer your question: three of the pipes are not turned up; one has a kick-up, but ends up parallel to the others. So no, they don't appear to be turned up.

The shot of the pipes on the bike do not look like the pipes laying on the table.

[bill440cars]

Is it just me or do the pipes themselves appear to be turned up?

Looking closely at a saved shot of the color pic (with Gamma correction), only one pipe has a kick-up at the end, but it is parallel to the other pipes...I'm puzzled as to why it is kicked up...maybe for sidestand clearance (like the stock # 1 pipe)??...

But to answer your question: three of the pipes are not turned up; one has a kick-up, but ends up parallel to the others. So no, they don't appear to be turned up.

The shot of the pipes on the bike do not look like the pipes laying on the table.

   
       I didn't make myself clear about the pipes being turned-up. What I was trying to say was the outer pipe is turned up and the seller tried to tell me that the muffler itself was turned-up and the seller needs glasses or something. At least, you do see what I was getting at though. They wouldn't look good on just any project but, I think they would look good on what I'd like to do.
                                                         Later on, Bill

[Bodi]

Well, there's a pic of someone's bike with an upturned pipe and mufflers. And an image of an old ad. And a picture of the actual pipes for sale, apparently NOS with undamaged stickers where the mufflers would clamp on.
I would look at the final picture, it shows one pipe with a dogleg and 3 without. I would expect 2 or none with doglegs so that is strange to me. It looks like if you cut off the dogleg end it would turn up just like the first picture, but what about the other side?

[puppytrax]

I would look at the final picture, it shows one pipe with a dogleg and 3 without. I would expect 2 or none with doglegs so that is strange to me.

If you look at an installed set of Honda OEM 4:4 pipes, the #1 pipe is "shorter" in height than the other three (to clear the sidestand); and pipe #4 has a kickup at the muffler inlet. I'd guess the MCM pipe with the "dogleg" is #4, and the dogleg lets the muffler mount at the same height as pipe #1's muffler. This would give you a symetrical muffler profile. The first pipe in the pic looks shorter than the others; so that'd be #1. All the pipes would exit straight, in the back.

I agree that the pic of the pipes on the bike are a different set. But the pipes are still a good buy, at $125, if you can find some decent mufflers for them. And clamps. And hangers.

[imdon63]

What is the difference in the newer exhausts versus the old ones?  I notice the part numbers have been superseded.  Are the new ones quieter?  More baffled?

The new ones have a warning stamped into them about not complying with noise abatement legislation...something like that...it's on the inner side of the muffler; I don't think I can get my camera in there...but I'll try...otherwise, they appear identical to the originals...

Here we go...except for this disclaimer, they are identical [exterior] to the originals..


So did you order a set of these pipes from mrcycles?