Keihan Stainless Exhaust

[Slash2]

In the restoration process of my 1964 R69S and today was the day I had been looking forward to installing my new stainless exhaust system. Generally this is a pretty simple and straightforward job and I didn’t anticipate it would take much more than a half an hour. I unpacked my shiny new set of headers and began laying out the parts. I started with the left side header and slid the end into the head. I immediately noticed that the header pipe as it followed the frame back towards the foot peg was running outward away from the frame. This gave me immediate pause for concern but I thought that perhaps I could adjust that and continued onward. The right side seemed to follow parallel and went on without issue. The real issue emerged when I attempted to install the crossover tube. Due to the runout of the left hand header, the spigot was not perfectly perpendicular to the frame but somewhat diagonal and pointing rearward such that the crossover once installed on either side, is at an angle to the other side making installation impossible.
Back to the drawing board. I then removed both sides and installed the crossover first. This approach accentuated the alignment issue now at the heads. The top end of the left side header pipe now showed its misalignment with the head angle and would only slip about 1” into the head before binding under tension.
Neither of these scenarios seem right to me and with Keihan’s reputation, I’m surprised that these would be so far off. I can’t foresee any safe or accurate means of adjusting the bend angles here at home but perhaps a custom exhaust shop could do it. There’s a lip about 3” inside the head and I assume the header should slide the whole way back against that lip but surely not only 1” of depth is sufficient.

This is my first experience with a Keihan system installation and I can’t say that I’m impressed. I’ve reached out to Beryl at Keihan and will report back with his response when he gets back to me.

Thanks

[r67boxer]

Not sure if my experience with my '51 R67 will be helpful but here it is anyway. I purchased a new set (header, muffler etc.) from Meyers a couple of years back. I had exactly the same issue so I contacted Uwe at Myers and he suggested that I assemble the entire unit loosely first. So, headers were installed but not fastened, as the other parts. That includes the clamps that attach to the frame. Amazingly it worked - the one outlier header pipe aligned itself and I secured everything following that. The last to snug up was the exhaust nut. You don't mention in your post whether you secured the header before assembling the other bits. Perhaps this will work for you. Good luck.

Kevin

[scottiesharpe]

Sometimes the Keihan pipes are a dream; sometimes they are a bitch. I have a block of hard wood, with a hole in it to fit the OD of the pipe, split in two, that act like vice jaws. I can put a pipe in the big vice and massage it a bit to fit.

If you can get it all connected and can get pipe 1" inside the cylinder head, that's sufficient. The seal is created by the crush rings on the outside diameter of the pipe, not the length of tube inside the head. Do this with the exhaust nuts on a couple threads because it's often difficult to get the threads started once the pipes are engaged into the heads. Get all the pipes connected and then start tightening things up. Before tightening I usually tap on the front of the exhaust heads to push everything back as far as it will go inside the cylinder heads, then tighten all fittings front to back.

[fastcar]

How did you resolve the fitment issue? I'm looking for a SS system for my '67 R69S, and was considering Keihan. Do you recommend?

[xackley]

https://www.motorworks.co.uk/parts/exha ... 1Ghc6PvsDs
or
http://www.keihan.co.uk/silencers.html

I bought headers and silencers back in early 2000s. due to not making a corner I bought a new set of mufflers a couple years ago.
No fitment problems. Leave all clamps and bolts loose, then tighten when it looks right.
UK price plus shipping less than buying usa. Received in a couple weeks.

don

[808Airhead]

I have had the same experience with Stainless and chrome. You gotta just leave everything loose and get it all in there/ force it, then tighten it all up. They rarely are “perfect”.

[Luddite]

I have used Keihan pipes on silencers on my BMW, a Jota, several Guzzis and Triking three-wheeler. I have never had a fitting issue at all other than the awkward crossover pipe on the Triking. They have been the only system I've found which always fit perfectly, first time; in fact I sold on a Jota system from Armours 'cos it was such a terrible fit and used the funds to buy Keihan. With the system on my R50, it just falls into place; the crossover pipe takes a bit of wiggling, but it gets there and fits perfectly. As has been said, leave everything loose and jiggle into position, then clamp.

They're a friendly, helpful bunch (but an answer sometimes takes a while due to workshop workload) and I'm sure they'd appreciate a call/mail to discuss the issue directly.

I fitted the R50 system in around 1986 and other than a dent or two around the kickstart, courtesy a snapped lever, it still polishes up to look good as new.