Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => Accessories and modifications - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Glennn on December 25, 2012, 11:30:09 PM
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Well folks, things aren't going to plan, and they had been going oh so well too...
Basically I have installed the above components, the headers were bolted up nice and snug using new crush gaskets, but the slip-ons are giving me a world of grief.
The left side exhaust I have pretty much got on ok, it's damn close to the bag (too close IMO), but at least I can get the bag on.
The right side on the other hand, no matter how much I jam and twist and pull down on the mid-pipe (with the tail of the header supported by a trolley jack), the tip of the exhaust is angled up and there is no way I can get the right hand bag on with the rear mounting latch sitting clear by a good inch or two.
What the hell have I done wrong, or missed, because everything I have read about ZX14 headers and associated slip-ons say they are a straight bolt up.
Really hoping someone who has done the same mod themselves can give me some guidance here.
Edit: updated thread, pipes now bent.
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Photos of the right, this is with the slip-on not fully bolted to the mid pipe
Photo one shows the bag sitting on top of the slip-on
Photo two shows the unbolted midpipe, if I tighten this up it pulls the tip of the slip-on up even further.
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Looks like the hanger for the can is too short. Fab up a longer hanger, and You should be good. Got a picture of the hanger?
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Looks like the hanger for the can is too short. Fab up a longer hanger, and You should be good. Got a picture of the hanger?
Hi Jamie,
The lower the exhaust is from the hanger, the more that gap will open up in pic two and the muffler won't pull into midpipe squarely :-\
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Damn I think you are on to something, Jamie.
Just went and had another look at the left side and even if it did all line up perfectly the exhaust is uncomfortably close to the pannier, would have to use some come of heat reflective material under there.
Then I had a look at youtube vids of people's slip-ons just for the stock pipe, and they all have a offset/lower hanger to give heaps of clearance from the bags.
But even if I did that (make an offset hanger) then where will be no way that the exhausts would line up properly with the headers without some seriously fenangling around with trying to bend the mid pipes - ability I don't have.
>:( >:( >:( >:(
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Almost everyone that uses ZX exhaust, has to bend the midpipe. It is evidently, not difficult to do. Look around on the forum, and I'm sure there is a post on here about people doing it, with the pipe already installed on the bike.
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I tightened the headers, then the muffler hangers (1 1/2" longer), then the muffler to midpipe, finally the midpipe to header connection. This was with zx headers and muzzy duals on an '08. I found that the donut gasket at the midpipe to header was thick enough to flex to allow clearance when tightened in this order.
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Almost everyone that uses ZX exhaust, has to bend the midpipe. It is evidently, not difficult to do. Look around on the forum, and I'm sure there is a post on here about people doing it, with the pipe already installed on the bike.
Yeah this is killing me, I have looked and looked for months and it all seemed a breeze. Will try some more forum searches to see what I can come up with.
I tightened the headers, then the muffler hangers (1 1/2" longer), then the muffler to midpipe, finally the midpipe to header connection. This was with zx headers and muzzy duals on an '08. I found that the donut gasket at the midpipe to header was thick enough to flex to allow clearance when tightened in this order.
Unfortunately the Two Bros exhausts are straight pipe on pipe, no gasket between midpipe and header. Looks like if I want to keep them a custom hanger extension is a must, so I will try your method tomorrow after a trip to the hardware store but I don't think I will experience any joy unless I can bend that midpipe without snapping the whole header off the block.
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Looks like a exhaust shop with a bender is in your future. Good luck.
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For me, you have to turn the fitting of the final anti-clockwise, and so will lower the final fitting ..
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12076.0;attach=13735;image (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12076.0;attach=13735;image)
MGvalerio. 8)
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For me, you have to turn the fitting of the final anti-clockwise, and so will lower the final fitting ..
Hi MGvalerio,
Unfortunately twisting the exhaust out in any fashion changes it's orientation away from the hanger. No, I have come to the conclusion that my only option is to bend the mid pipe down.
:(
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Sounds to me like the headers were from a wrecked bike and are bent. I put 06 ZX14 headers on mine, already had the Two Brothers slip on installed before. I didn't have this issue.
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Sounds to me like the headers were from a wrecked bike and are bent. I put 06 ZX14 headers on mine, already had the Two Brothers slip on installed before. I didn't have this issue.
Yeah I have been wondering similar myself. Bought them off eBay 11 months ago, so who fricken knows.
Did you use Two Bros mufflers on your ZX14 headers, or something else?
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I use one, just on the right side. I capped off the other side. Not really into modifying the center stand or fabricating brackets. It sounds awesome and not too loud.
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Ahh cool.
Well for now after having much rage in my heart, my darling and ever practical wife convinced me to just install them as is and sans panniers. She theorised I don't ride with the panniers most of the time, and I have a top box if I need carrying space. Told me just to enjoy them for a while and when I'm ready take the mid pipes to an exhaust shop and have them bent.
I actually have a sense I could probably force them lower through brute strength because the mufflers themselves only need to drop an inch. But that will be an adventure for another day.
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When You get ready to bend the mid pipes down, get a 3ft piece of pipe that snugly fits over the midpipe in place of the mufflers, then use that pipe as a lever. Place a jack under the pipe at the joint where it meets the collector, and use a piece of wood with a half moon cut out of it as support. Then slowly bend the pipe down, and test. Repeat as necessary until You get it where You want it.
I worked in the exhaust business for many years, and can tell you that an industrial exhaust bender will not bend the tubing in our Connie's exhaust, without damaging it. Much too thin of tubing.
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Thanks so much for the advice, Jamie. :D
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(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/pistole/photo_zps9b7d9ff9.jpg)
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(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/pistole/photo1_zpscd4cbc8d.jpg)
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Thanks for that image, was going to put a call out for some dimensions. Do you have a rough distance between hole centres?
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/pistole/photo_zps9b7d9ff9.jpg)
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I'm debating about what I'm going to do with my exhaust. Just wondering which two bros pipes were ordered. I'm assuming they were the zx14 duals, but which year bike?
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I was out of town for Christmass when this post was going on, I had the same problems, I went to muffler shops to have them bend the pipes but no one wanted to because the type of pipe and thickness, so I did as above , making a lowering bracket out of Alumium for the right side , I used the Muzzys bracket for the left, VERY happy .
I bought everything used , header and mufflers, I don't think the year maters. Good luck jj
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Maybe if you loosin up the header some, so everything can kinda come together. It may help a bit to have some "slack" in the whole assy, and then tighten it all up once its together...just a thought??
This is a separate issue, but when i bought my 2 Bros from another member here, the mid pipe absolutely would not fit onto the header. I pushed, pulled, and wiggled, and even heated it up with a torch, and still wouldn't go on. I took it to a muffler shop here in town, and they flared the end just a bit for me, and it slipped right on. The newer 2Bro's pipes have a slightly larger flare, so that min ID fits max OD. The owner I bought if from had it on his 2008.
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I'm debating about what I'm going to do with my exhaust. Just wondering which two bros pipes were ordered. I'm assuming they were the zx14 duals, but which year bike?
You need to match the year of the mufflers to the year manufacturer of the header - there are two sets:
2006-2007 ZX14
2008-2012 ZX14
The reason is the diameter where the mid pipe connects to the header is different between those sets
For the record, my headers are the 2006-2007 ZX14 headers and Two Bros duals for an 2006-2007 ZX14
p.s. still haven't bent my mid-pipes yet ::)
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Just as a final follow up to this thread.
I finally manned up and bent the pipes. Pulled the muffler, got my bike lift up under the midpipe where it connects to the header, slipped a think block of wood between the header and engine and upped the jack a bit. Got a mattock (pick) handle and slid into the mid pipe and bent, bent, bent in little bits till I got the mufflers to be able to mount without have to force them down.
Fabbed a bracket out of some 3mm flat metal (aluminium I think), holes on the right side 1.5" apart, holes on the left slightly less than an 1", both pipes are reasonably aligned and the tips have the same distance from the bags with decent clearance - so yes my panniers are back on and I'm happy.
Will run the for a little bit and if remain happy with paint the brackets black as they stand out a bit as is.
Edit: also replaced the sidestand with a XZ14 version I got off eBay. Much happier with that than the spaced out stock side stand.
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Did you install reducers in the mufflers ? Do you feel extra HP at high RPMs .
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Did you install reducers in the mufflers ? Do you feel extra HP at high RPMs .
I did a run without the reducers initially and just too loud. I installed the normal reducers which dropped the tone enough that it isn't overly annoying (to me), yet still sounds awesome when on the howl. Couldn't really pick a significant power change, suspect it is more in the exciteable wrist. Am contemplating the bigger reducers if I go on a long trip.