Exhaust Pipe and Kickstart Interference (2009)

[MarshalNorton]

Heres what I did:
I scratched a new right side down pipe 1st week on the road due to it loosening up. I was pissed.
I came home and looked at it real hard. How can I move the whole shabang w/o cutting and grinding?
I'm using a MK 111 kicker, stock down pipes from commando specialties, and stock 1972 mufflers peashooter style.
What I did differently was to shim out the aluminum right side foot rest/muffler hanger w/ 1 thin washer behind the mounts.
This brought the whole mount in closer towards the tire and as stated above a miss is a miss. Simple but effective! No clearance issues w/ swing arm either.
Marshal :wink:

 

[Cookie]

The Mark tree's deep bend gave me all the clearance I needed, they are pricey though.

 

[cjatwell]

Is this where you put the shims , top and bottom?

 

[MarshalNorton]

cjatwel,
precisely thats where I determined I could gain clearance w/ stock set up.
I really like the canted mount idea you display in the photos well thought out.
I see everything remains stock.
Do you make these up I'd gladly buy one from you?
Marshal

 

[MarshalNorton]

Also I see you have square passenger foot rests? Triumph parts?
Marshal

 

[cjatwell]

HI Marshall.
Sorry but all credit goes to Bonwit as i used his picture so that i could draw an arrow on it.

Chris

 

[davamb]

cjatwel, precisely thats where I determined I could gain clearance w/ stock set up.
I really like the canted mount idea you display in the photos well thought out. I see everything remains stock.
Do you make these up I'd gladly buy one from you? Marshal

Hi Marshal, I can send you the CAD file and you can have your own made up by your local sheet metal guy - they're exactly the same as the original except with the joggle (the double bend) so you could get your own bent. I was short a bracket set (2:1 exhaust) so had my own made up. I'm thinking I might extend the bracket to move the exhaust mounts further back and thus gain more clearance. As you see, there is very little clearance to the swingarm. So hang in there for the time being. Let you know how I go.

Also I see you have square passenger foot rests? Triumph parts? Marshal

No idea I'm afraid. They were in the pile when I bought the bike.

 

[MarshalNorton]

Chris,
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Dave replied and told me to hang in there until newer design is completed.
Dave,
Thanks for your response. I would like to make a set after the final draft is completed.
Thank you,
Marshal

 

[Johnnymac]

Chris,
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Dave replied and told me to hang in there until newer design is completed.
Dave,
Thanks for your response. I would like to make a set after the final draft is completed.
Thank you,
Marshal

Did this ever go anywhere? I would love one of these brackets.

 

[Stephen Hill]

Number of years ago I put a new exhaust on my Commando and had the same clearance issues raised here. Determined not to screw up the chrome on the exhaust, I reshaped the kick start lever with an acetylene torch and big wrenches. Worked out fine. The chrome on the lever was not that good anyway and I figured I would throw it in with the next batch of plating.

Stephen

 

[Vaughan1111]

My old set of pipes had scrape marks from the kickstart lever rubbing against it. I figured it was either mal-formed or misadjusted pipes. Upon installing my new set, I did my best to push the pipe inboard before tightening the nut. So far, so good, but the clearance is very tight, maybe 1/8". Good enough I guess, but I wonder if it will hold

I also see that the top of the kickstart is able to rub on the muffler because there is a little in and out play in the kickstart shaft. I've loosened the kickstart lever and pulled it outboard as far as I can, but I hate to not have full contact with the splines. It occurred to me that perhaps the mounting lugs on these pipes could be a little shorter. Would it help to grind these lugs down a bit in an effort to bring the muffler in more. If so, would a bench grinder do the job without messing up the chrome? Anyone else have this issue?

Thanks

 

[Vaughan1111]

Andover Norton sell an offset exhaust mounting plate that will give you an additional 3/8ths. A lot cheaper that a mk 3 kickstart

 

[RoadScholar]

You can shim the silencer mounting plate(s), you can shim the "Z" plates (at the ISO stud), you can reduce the threaded mounts on the silencers; all mentioned above, but do be aware that the studs that project from the rubber silencer mounts can easily hit the swingarm. I suggest that you consider using a jam nut with an internal toothed washer (on the inside) then cut the un-needed portion of the stud, this should give you plenty of clearance. Add the Mk3 k/s arm if you are as anal as I am and go worry about something else; no lack of options in that list...

Best

 

[candyapplered]

Andover Norton sell an offset exhaust mounting plate that will give you an additional 3/8ths. A lot cheaper that a mk 3 kickstart

I fitted one of these and it sorted the problem.

 

[maylar]

Just as an FYI to our members, here's a photo of an original right side exhaust header pipe (right in the photo) vs an aftermarket one from a few years ago. Notice the angle of the OEM pipe at the head - this pipe sits very close to the frame rail and won't rub the kick start lever. This pipe is from '72 I think.

 

[Vaughan1111]

I fitted one of these and it sorted the problem.

In the box of bits I got with the bike is the original pretty battered kickstart which is shorter and does not foul the exhaust. So will more than likely get it re-chromed as continue to use it.