Super Cool Patented High Performance Exhaust Available Now (Add echo effect here)

[Guyver]

John (Texas Tornado) e-mailed me about these pipes on Ebay:



Here's a link to the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzuki-GS-1100-1000-850-750-550-Exhaust-Header-X-PIPE_W0QQitemZ250050546899QQihZ015QQcategoryZ35596QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Seriously, does anyone think that these things would give any performance gains above what four into one designs offer or that they would even sound good? They look like Snake Oil to me. The seller seems a little wacked based on how he came across in the auction and on his website.

The pipe is expensive and comes in a cheap hot paint finish. Adding $175.00 for chrome brings the price up to $525.00 plus shipping and tax for those of us blessed enough to live in the Republic of Mexico, I mean California. That’s a lot of money for an unproven variation on an old design, four into two, that most manufacturers and aftermarket companies eschew for four into one designs.

If this design had all of the performance gains the seller claims I think that it would have been closely copied before now or the patent purchased by a corporation for mass manufacturing or it would have become immensely popular at some point in the past. None of these things have come to pass.

What we have here is somone spouting fuzzy logic without substantiation. Aside from that the pipe, with or without baffles, would be loud as hell. Pipes have set lengths and baffles to help tone down the sound of the exhaust as it exits the system. Even with baffles this system would be really loud due to the extremely short pipe length. There wouldn’t be enough baffle to bring the sound down to a reasonable level in my opinion. Check out the mounting system as well. That's right, the whole thing, reportedly lighter than titanium, is supported by the header bolts, nice.

Here's what I e-mailed the seller:

“I tried to check some of your references for the pipes and there is no Ken's Cycle Service in Hermosa Beach, there is no Pomona Yamaha and aside from one individual's name there were no listings for any of the names given. The pipe is interesting; however, it's basically just a four into two shortened up with a unique design. The information you listed here and on the website comes across as contradictory and a little wacky.”

What do you all think?

[Billy Ricks]

It's all smoke and mirrors. Don't bite until you hear the reaction to this thread.

[scotty]

They have electric baffels that will diect the exhaust left or right to aid in making turns. Looks like a winner to me:shock: :-D

[kingofvenus]

Years ago I actually saw one on a bike, what junk. Anyone remember snuff-r-nots? I'd put them both in the same catagory along with Ron Popiels spray on hair.

[scotty]

it just a very short cross over pipe. i guess there is a remote possibility that a pulse from either side could enhance the flow of exhaust on the other side.
BUT there is NO bolt on magic. Folks even think that the words jet kit mean instant horse power gains.

[ehra]

Rumor is that Murray in Eugene OR developed headers like these for Larry Cook's Prostock Kaw 20+ years ago then abandoned the idea for more conventional sidewinder type headers. A friend of mine has a set (of Murray's) on his Kaw bracket bike and they need a 1400 cc engine or bigger to work well, not great on the low end torque.
Go easy on those snuff-r-not’s they were made right down the road from me. You had to have them on your Honda 305 scrambler or you were square, I had tt pipes on my 500 Triumph with a set of them.

[scotty]

Anything that works always finds its way to the pro stockers. If it was abandoned then we must just guess why. "Conventional side winder":shock: ------Are you running x pipes????

[pntrdave]

They have electric baffels that will diect the exhaust left or right to aid in making turns. Looks like a winner to me:shock: :grin:

This looks like a winner to me.

[distraction628]

Wow haven't seen Maxi-x pipes in years...I thought they went out of biz because they where so high priced. I new a friend with a FJ1100 that had them he loved them.....Hmmmm maybe I need to give him a call and see what he did with them when he got his FJR1300.
I liked there sound as I recall. But I was few years younger then....lol...
UPDATE
Called my friend he said they rusted out in 4 years, performance was better but he wouldn't spend the money again on them, just not his thing anymore. He likes his FJR way to much the way it is. Now I know why his wife gets so upset with him...lol....

[terry]

There was a very long winded thread on the same subject last year, Monty (the inventor/seller) is a bit of a "mad professor" and has no people skills, but from what I've heard from those who bought them, they're actually very good.

I know it's easy to jump on the band wagon and criticise what you don't know, but I'd rather try a set before I condemned them. The price is a little high, but OEM pipes are much dearer, and these look like better quality units than that MAC crap, yet MAC probably out-sell's Monty's product 10 to 1, even though we know that they're just cheap-ass rubbish.

Perhaps if Monty didn't make any claims and just called them "Custom" or "Cafe Racer" pipes, he'd sell a lot more? If anyone has a set and don't want them, please send them to me, I'll be happy to put them on my bike and perform an un-biased evaluation? Cheers, Terry.

[Pharkmeh]

There was a very long winded thread on the same subject last year, Monty (the inventor/seller) is a bit of a "mad professor" and has no people skills, but from what I've heard from those who bought them, they're actually very good.

I know it's easy to jump on the band wagon and criticise what you don't know, but I'd rather try a set before I condemned them. The price is a little high, but OEM pipes are much dearer, and these look like better quality units than that MAC crap, yet MAC probably out-sell's Monty's product 10 to 1, even though we know that they're just cheap-ass rubbish.

Perhaps if Monty didn't make any claims and just called them "Custom" or "Cafe Racer" pipes, he'd sell a lot more? If anyone has a set and don't want them, please send them to me, I'll be happy to put them on my bike and perform an un-biased evaluation? Cheers, Terry.

yeah I remember that discussion though i thought it was earlier this year - ie, shortly after i joined...

your right about the mad professor and people skillz lol

but even if these pipes worked as well as alternatives and sounded a lil better i might still be inclined to give them a go...

as with anything though - my choices are driven largely by my wallet...

goodluck to those that find they work - keep the feed back coming

cheers

Phark

[txironhead]

Before anyone questions my sanity, I'll let it be known that I like choppers and heavily modified bikes. With that out of the way.....

I personally think that the pipes look awesome. However, the price, especially for the chrome ones, is outrageous. I had a chopped CB750 with seriously rusted pipes. I took it to a racecar fabrication shop that had a mandrel bender, and he made me a set of 4 extra-long headers, ended right behind the seat, out of stainless pipe for a lot less than those pipes. He even helped fabricate secondary mounting brackets out of scrap stainless he had sitting around. (And yes, I did have it rejetted. I just didn't do it myself, hence my lack of jetting experience.) Oh, and when you put the word "jet" into a part name, every newbie on the block will flock to it because it'll make their bike faster. "Uh, if it says jet, that means it's, like, off of a real jet, right?" Seen it happen.

I'd love to run a set of those pipes just because I've never seen a set like them, and it would definitely turn heads, and not just because of the sound. Would I ever buy a set? Not for that price, and I'd have to get chrome. I could probably find that fab shop and have him make me a set custom fit to my bike for less than that, in stainless. Baffles? I don't need no stinkin' baffles. Except for my V&H......

BTW, what the HECK are snuff-r-not’s?

[49er]

I looked into fitting a set of these pipes to my 850 earlier this year.
I had many emails with Monty and would describe him as excentric.
In the end, I decided not to bid on the set because of the price and freight to NZ. I also couldn't confirm his patent claims through his web link. He had some negative feedback left by 2 customers regarding the quality of the welding and painting.
The chromed version looked pretty smart though.
I was going to buy an unpainted set and have it chromed over here to save money. The system has replaceable headers through slip joints and is braze welded.
I have just pulled up his latest add and was able to view the patent details this time.
From my experience with scavenged exhaust systems, I think that he could have a valid claim.
I guess if we had spent many hours and dollars trialling and then patenting a new exhaust that did a better job than the pack, we would want a good return on our investment too.
Another reason that stopped me from trying the system was that I realised that you needed to drop the exhaust for every oil change. I'm a lazy B.......d, so that didn't appeal.
Hey Guyver, have you fixed that 4-1 yet?

[pan]

I would still really like to try one of these things. I'm not sucked in by all the hype but it just appeal's to me somehow.
I think it would do better if he dropped his outrageous claims, let go of his mission to rubbish every other pipe on the market and stuck only to provable facts. A dyno print would be of benefit as would some pictures of it fitted to a bike.
For me the main plus points are, better ground clearance, weight saving and the fact that it wont get pancaked when I fall off ( yes I said WHEN not if :-)). I can't see it being any worse in performance than the stock system and plenty of well respected aftermarket pipes have down sides too.
A long long way back I had a GS1000 with a Harris performance products exhaust and it was considered at that time to be the pipe to have. I absolutely hated it, it cost me an arm and leg to buy, had a big hole in the mid range power despite multiple jetting sessions and fell apart after 18 months like a cheap suit.
I may bite the bullet and buy one early next year (funds permitting) but only if I can get it shipped to the UK at the right price, at least then we will all know one way or the other if it really does belong on the shelf with the left handed screwdriver and a big tub of elbow grease ;-)

Cheers,
Mark...

[Guyver]

Not Yet

49er,

I haven't received the Yoshimura exhaust as of yet. It was listed on Ebay and I offered the seller $150.00 for it and he pulled the auction and sold it to me. Shipping sucked but I was in a bidding war with another guy on a similar pipe that went up over $500.00. I plan on getting the exhaust, repairing dent, Jet Hot coating the pipes and polishing the can (as well as adding new Yoshimura decals) and putting the system on my Katana. ~Gene

P.S. If anyone is interested I have a manual for Mikuni RS Series Flat Slides on CD. A copy is yours for $3.00, just enough to cover postage, a mailer and a disk.