650ss Exhaust from Andover

t ingermanson

t ingermanson

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Anyone have experience with the fitment of the exhaust for "late Dominator/Atlas" exhaust from Andover? Not looking for exact duplicates of the originals, but for something with good performance without going for a full custom job.

I've got a 650ss and an 88ss needing new pipes. Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Todd
 
You could try Armours, Bournemouth, England. Had pipes from them over the last 40 years, take a look on their site. New headers fitted this year, only 450 miles but no blueing yet !
 
Thanks for the suggestion, but there are more than a few reports of poorly fitting pipes coming from Armours. With the overseas shipping involved, I'd really like to make sure things are correct before ordering, and the reports of ill fitting pipes (even if 1 out of 10) put me off.

I'm not too concerned with exact factory duplicates, just a well fitting, well working exhaust system in the home-market diameter.
 
I have so many issues with aftermarket systems I will get new pipes made in stainless. I want to avoid pipes going upward after leaving the ports(should head downwards !) pipes with corners and straights instead of nice curves.Pipes that hit the rev cable, pipes that hang low or too far away from motor ,pipes without a nice kick up under the box that avoid drooping the silencers, Fussy devil me.
 
When I was building my 650ss I tried a set of pipes from Armours. They didn't fit so I got a set from FEKED which did. That was ten years ago & I just got lucky. The best option for pipes that fit is what Norton Bob is suggesting. The only problem with stainless is it is more prone to cracking especially on Commandos.

Martyn.
 
possm said:
What part of the world are you in?
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On the central coast of California. Over here, most exhaust fabricator's eyes glaze over as soon as the word "motorcycle" is uttered.

norton bob said:
I have so many issues with aftermarket systems I will get new pipes made in stainless. I want to avoid pipes going upward after leaving the ports(should head downwards !) pipes with corners and straights instead of nice curves.Pipes that hit the rev cable, pipes that hang low or too far away from motor ,pipes without a nice kick up under the box that avoid drooping the silencers, Fussy devil me.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. A set of bad pipes can really let down an otherwise great machine.

Matchless said:
When I was building my 650ss I tried a set of pipes from Armours. They didn't fit so I got a set from FEKED which did. That was ten years ago & I just got lucky. The best option for pipes that fit is what Norton Bob is suggesting. The only problem with stainless is it is more prone to cracking especially on Commandos.

Martyn.
Click to expand...

I've had great luck with getting custom pipes from Rayson's in the UK. They don't make stainless, but seems they can make just about anything else under the sun. The fellas there are heirs to the Unity Equipe patterns, so they've got the numbers and the know-how, but I was trying to keep this bike on somewhat of a budget. There went that plan...
 
Stainless downpipes were fitted on my old gal in 93' as got fed up with rubbish chroming failing in all weathers, no issues with age hardening cracks, just yellowing. Fitted the new chrome ones this year as a older fair weather biker now and the bones can't do cold n wet anymore ! It's a bitsa 650 I've had for 42 years, hence push it n rode it.
 
Bernhard said:
Getting exhausts for the 500/600 Domi became fraught because the old boy at Armours retired (I think) and the new people running the firm were Very naughty in getting the pipes wrong and refusing the acknowledge it –I cannot say what the situation is now because I haven’t brought any pipes from them for years.

https://www.armoursltd.co.uk/product-category/exhausts/norton/500cc-norton/page/2/

https://www.armoursltd.co.uk/product-category/exhausts/norton/500cc-norton/page/4/
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Well, I wasn't aware of the particulars of why, but that's the outcome I've heard. The possibility of dealing with that from overseas puts me off completely.

I've been in touch with Ben from Rayson's and he does have some example pipes and patterns for making both a 500 and 650 with SS heads. They've been a pleasure to deal with in the past, so the safe money might be with them.

Does anyone know of any Stateside exhaust builders with Norton Domi experience? Without shipping from the UK, stainless might even be financially feasible.
 
Hello guys Now for Norton SS and Norton Manxman 650 no one dose any of them right there all bad fitting stainless steel forget them they go yellow and dent easy The after market is only going to rip you off Armour's do not make any thing they contract out and most of there early Norton twins are way out with there down pipes and the original 1956 smooth look silencers were seamless and made in house at bracebridge street Has I have one, its was Armour,s that had these folded seams on the underside done now every one else as copied them same with the down pipes are from the 1964 plumbstead reduced from 1 inch.5/8ths to 1 inch.3/8ths were as the early 650 and 750 atlas were full bore all the way inch 5/8ths and these pipes were tucked in on both sided right side was made to miss the rev-counter drive cable . and it was plumbstead changed this to cheap pipes and silencers as buy 1964 the writing was on the wall As plumbstead miss management had got there finances to breaking point , So then this leaves Us the owners to do our own pipes and silencers So the Best thing is find a good exhaust fabricator and have your own made to fit, and chromed these look after will last you well over 50 years
 
Only 750 miles on my new chrome armours down pipes, but no blueing yet and i did have to tweak them a little for a even look, yep their silencers have a nasty bottom welded seam but I've put some dunstall pattern ones back on like i had in the late 70's. As i said before it's a mongrel but I just want to ride it, not look at it.
 
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