One of the first parts on a bike that most people change are the exhaust pipes, which is why there are so many exhaust pipe manufacturers. Pipe companies offer an assortment of parts for production bikes and a few options for customs. But what if you want a set of one-off pipes for a one-off custom? The answer lies with custom fabrication shops all over the country, including (but not limited to) Chandler Originals, located in Palm Beach, Florida. Adam Chandler, one of the owners and chief fabricators, walked us through making a set of one-off pipes for a custom build.
The pipes were going to be...
The pipes were going to be fabricated for a rigid chop with a 96-inch S&S using a few pairs of donor drag pipes.
Using a chop saw, Adam cut...
Using a chop saw, Adam cut the pipe right on the mark.
He then deburred the edges...
He then deburred the edges of the pipe with a bench grinder.
With another donor pipe, Adam...
With another donor pipe, Adam marked where it would be cut and cut it using the chop saw and deburred it as well.
Adam bolted the first section...
Adam bolted the first section of pipe to the head and held up the second section to make sure that it would be in the correct position once he welded the two pieces together.
Satisfied everything was going...
Satisfied everything was going as planned, he tack welded the pipes together with a MIG welder.
The rear pipe went through...
The rear pipe went through the same treatment as the front pipe, but it went at a different angle so the two pipes would merge into one.
With an assortment of leftover...
With an assortment of leftover pipe-bends, Adam designed the pipe to wrap around the back of thetransmission so the pipe would eventually exit on the left side of the bike between the chain final drive.
Typically used for cars, Adam...
Typically used for cars, Adam picked up a cool-looking square exhaust tip from AutoZone and secured it to the end of the pipe.
He removed the pipe from the...
He removed the pipe from the bike and gave it one last eyeball before finishing the welds on the joints.
Once the welds had cooled,...
Once the welds had cooled, Adam wrapped the pipe with black header tape.
The pipes were bolted back...
The pipes were bolted back onto the motor and fit perfectly. You won't find these pipes in any catalog!
Here's a close-up of the finished...
Here's a close-up of the finished pipes from the left side of the bike.
Without having to spend $600...
Without having to spend $600 for a set of production pipes, Adam was able to build a cool, completely custom set in one afternoon. And from what he has said about them, they sound great too!