Mac 4 into 1

[Guest]

Is there anyone out there with a Mac on there bike?

Headers are getting harder to find for the old Katana and I would like to know some opinions on performance, fit, noise and finish on the Macs.

cheers,

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I do.

I do.

I have the MAC on my 550 and it's a little cheaper than I would like, but I expect it to hold up for awhile. It bolted on easy and fit just fine, it's louder than stock, but not so very loud. It sounds 1970's retro, deep, resonating burble at idle, builds up and becomes penetrating at 7000 rpm. The black paint on the end got blasted off quick, i resprayed it with 1200? flat black.
The chrome turns blue the first time you run it (if your engine is lean), so be sure you wipe off all fingerprints before you start it up!
The blue polishes off easy with Blue Away, I found it at a Honda dealership. The header pipes keep an amber cast to them. I have 700 miles on them now, they should last a few years.
I bought these by accident, I gave what I thought was a low offer $270. and they accepted it pronto!
They were designed for the E type 550, so I had to fabricate a support strut, no biggie.
I just looked at a Marshall brochure and they look much better made. If I had known about them last year, I would have considered their 4>1 or their mufflers on CermaKromed OEM headers.
Here's another header/muffler option: http://www.sounddistribution.co.uk/images/01-exhausts/marshall.htm

 

[first timer]

My 550 also has a Mac 4 into 1 on it, chrome. People say they don't like the finish and the chrome is junk, but mine has held up real nice for 15,000 mile and they have been hard wide open miles in the mid west and east coast. I am also running the 1.5" competion baffel (you have to request this or they give you a crappy quite baffel stock. I think they have a 2" or 2.5" for the bigger bikes.) The 1.5" has a real good bark to it and some may consider it loud but it has a real nice race bike sound ask bwinger or joe nardy. For the money it's not a bad choice but i have seen some guys fit late model gsxr pipes to there 1100's which would be the same for the 1k kats which might be another option. As far as performance you can feel it come on to the pipes or it's the cams I am not sure right around 7k. You do notice a nice little kick and the exhaust sound does change. I wasn't paying attention when I was running the stock stuff to see if it did it before the pipe change.

 

[Rudeman]

...
The chrome turns blue the first time you run it (if your engine is lean), so be sure you wipe off all fingerprints before you start it up!
The blue polishes off easy with Blue Away, I found it at a Honda dealership. The header pipes keep an amber cast to them. ...

If you are installing chrome headers try this. Paint the inside of the head pipes with some high temp paint and allow it dry THOROUGHLY. Coat the inside of the head pipes with some bearing grease. Be generous, don't be stingy, and use any cheap brand of grease; nothing fancy.

Thoroughly clean the grease off of the outside of the pipes, fingerprints..everything must go. Install the pipes while wearing some nitrile gloves.

Be sure you rejet. Go one size up on your pilot jets and 2-3 sizes up on your main jets if you're running an airbox otherwise if you are using individuals go up about6-8 main jet sizes -- really. You do not want to run lean; err to the fat side.

Now it is time to start the engine. I recommend doing this when everyone's away at work or something. Nevertheless make sure you are not in your garage!!

Start the engine and let it warm up on idle or moderately fast idle. Don't rev the engine.

It will smoke like Hell for about 5-10 minutes. The grease is burning and leaving a thick coating on the inside of the pipes. I read about this in one of the cycle mags in the '80s; and it works. after she stops smoking let the pipes cool a bit and then adjust the jetting.

 

[madmax4499]

vance & hines

vance & hines

part#12001 is still around, little over 300.00 from dennis kerk.

spoke with V&H they said they have 11 on the shelf with plans to make more.

the only drawback i see for this pipe is access to the oil filter.

 

[Guest]

part#12001 is still around, little over 300.00 from dennis kerk.

spoke with V&H they said they have 11 on the shelf with plans to make more.

the only drawback i see for this pipe is access to the oil filter.

yah, V&H are my preferred pipe for the kats. The 12001's are for the 1100e and mounting has to be fabbed for the Kats.

Its good to hear they are panning to continue making them.

 

[jwhelan65]

Picked this one up from a member here on the board, have not installed it yet. Would be nice if Vance & Hines would produce them, maybe we should start a poll of interest.

 

[Guest]

Yup, I really like that ....would def. buy one, if they were still available. Not a big fan of the other V&H meg system, though. To my eye, they seem truncated.... they should have been about 4" longer, to finish up closer to the rear of the bike.:-k

Tony.

 

[Guest]

Yup, I really like that ....would def. buy one, if they were still available. Not a big fan of the other V&H meg system, though. To my eye, they seem truncated.... they should have been about 4" longer, to finish up closer to the rear of the bike.:-k

Tony.

They look real nice shot like that on the kats. http://www.robwilton.com/images/hres1.jpg

 

[steve murdoch]

Rob, i had a Mac 4-1 on my CB1100F.
I liked the look, hated the sound, no rejetting required, seat of the pants said the power was equal to stock.
I have a set for the CBX. I will use the headers but work out something else for the mid-pipe and cans.

 

[salty_monk]

No problem with oil filter access with the 4:1 I had from V&H. I had to cut myself a combination "drip tray / funnel" out of a square juice bottle but that was it....

Dan

 

[midnightcafe]

I have a used MAC exhaust, sandblasted and painted flat black. Most affordable option.

 

[rapidray]

For the most part the difference between MAC & V&H is the Mac is designed to replace stock pipes with no jetting required & NO performance gain. The V&H is better QUALITY & a POWER gain when tuned correctly. Ray.

 

[48woody]

I know this thread is about MAC and V & H . Was wondering what people though of the older Kerker 4 into 1 Looks like from the 80's. also though of getting rid of megaphone and adding a can, possibly Yosh. Any thoughts? thanks

 

[rapidray]

The Kerkers were good pipes too. It's up to you to find a can you can adapt. Ray.

 

[gsgeezer]

I bought a Mac, one time, for one of my GS's.
I ended up putting on a V&H.

(I also prefer Kerker to the MAC.)

 

[Speedo]

honestly, they are all good (kerker, yosh, mac, v&h...ec). get whatever you can find and whatever you like the looks of. One note, if u don't want to have take headers off to change oil, be mindful of that (trust me, it's a bit of a pita).

 

[Can_O_Tuna]

I have a MAC on my kat, The black rusted inside of a heated garage within 6 months, the chrome took a year. I was forced to buy it in an emergency, but never again. My old V+H megaphone lasted 14 years as a comparison. YMMV

 

[Guest]

I have a MAC on my kat, The black rusted inside of a heated garage within 6 months, the chrome took a year. I was forced to buy it in an emergency, but never again. My old V+H megaphone lasted 14 years as a comparison. YMMV

I will not be getting one of those.

I have been working with a guy in CA. regarding pipes. He tells me a company is gettign ready to release a new header for the old Katana in Jan. They will only come Chrome though, and price point about 450.00.

We have been discussing a run of 4-2-1 pipes but that requires a 30,000.00 investment which works out to 300.00 per header.

 

[Can_O_Tuna]

What options are left for the 1000-1100's?

I am going to be needing a new pipe sometime next year, so keep me in mind if that company start producing pipes for the Kat.


I remember seeing a Star racing pipe on some bikes at rally's, which looked great, but have never been able to find them...maybe I was dreaming.