Current Commando Exhaust options

Steve G. · Jan 27, 2014

My happy and well sorted 850 Interstate has had Togo headers and mufflers since I restored it in 1996. Well, today get a couple hours to go for a winter ride. I'm out on the highway doing around 70mph when the right header breaks off at the exhaust nut, falls under my bike and under the rear wheel, where it changles along the highway behind me. I pull over to the side, but the thing gets flattened by a Kenworth gravel truck.

Anyways, what are the current exhaust makers out there these days. Thanks guys!

Hobot · Jan 27, 2014

Laughing my ass off hopping around knee slapping heehawing on all the sensations you'll never forget. Thot it was common knowledge to safety wire em : ) I bet The Gravel driver was LoL too... I got no advice on replacements.

openroad · Jan 28, 2014

Did the nut back off or the pipe crack and fall off?

drones76 · Jan 28, 2014

Here is a fairly recent thread that will get you started.

replacement-exhaust-t17432.html

concours · Jan 28, 2014

My (worth very little) opinion is the design has faults, partially adressed with the MKIII spherical seat pipes, and here are some thoughts I shared to properly support the pipe: engineering-compromises-leading-exhaust-threads-stripped-t14363.html

YMMV :mrgreen:
The problem:

The solution:

Steve G. · Jan 28, 2014

hobot said:
Laughing my ass off hopping around knee slapping heehawing on all the sensations you'll never forget. Thot it was common knowledge to safety wire em : ) I bet The Gravel driver was LoL too... I got no advice on replacements.

Yeah, my buddies are all killing themselves laughing at the whole thing. Gotta admit, I'm chuckling about it too.

Steve G. · Jan 28, 2014

openroad said:
Did the nut back off or the pipe crack and fall off?

The nut is still tight. It looks like the weld between the flange that the nut presses on and the main tube separated, as the 'break' is absolutely perfectly straight, as if it was cut by a chop saw.

Hobot · Jan 28, 2014

Mark Twain said Tragedy is the basis of humor.

Steve, both Wes and I had pipes crack straight across about where the bend aims down. In my case the noise scared spikes from my joint up even w/o falling under bike in heavy traffic. In a way I guess the weak Lord mounts saved us releasing the muffler before snatching down. Rusted pipe break at muffler entry for sudden extra noise too. Hope that the last quality British parts deposited.

Steve G. · Jan 29, 2014

concours said:
My (worth very little) opinion is the design has faults, partially adressed with the MKIII spherical seat pipes, and here are some thoughts I shared to properly support the pipe: engineering-compromises-leading-exhaust-threads-stripped-t14363.html

YMMV :mrgreen:
The problem:

The solution:

Very neat looking fix. This is considered to me a really good safety fix to prevent pipes falling off all over the place. I thought I had a partial solution to extending the life of the pipe up near and including the mating area of the header pipe, exhaust nut, and the head. This basically involved NOT clamping the silencer to the header, allowing the two to move more or less separately allowing [in my theory] less flexing stress at this main area. Who knows.

I have a set of Mk11a crossover style pipes, cracked of course, and will not go back to that route as I find the look "cluttery" and exhaust leaks and alignment of the crossover to be dodgy and spotty at best.

In the mid term, I've decided to pull the oversize diameter RGM performance system off my Combat while I investigate options for changing my Combat from Roadster trim to possible Norvil or Dunstall trim.

BTW, last summer at the INOA rally in Wyoming, I chatted to 3 guys who lost exhausts off their Nortons while riding to Buffalo.

acotrel · Jan 30, 2014

The two into one exhaust on my Seeley is fitted to the head with slip joints and springs. It has a rubber mount under the gearbox. Only the mount for the muffler is rigid, and it is a fairly long strap from the rear seat mount.

ashman · Jan 30, 2014

The pipes on my Featherbed/Commando are just screwed in the head and only has one mount at the muffler and in 33 years of this set up have never had any problems with the exhaust pipes cracking or even coming lose (who says Featherbeds with Commandos vibrate too much)

Another way you could go is find a exhaust shop that has a mandle bender and get them made to fit your bike, then get them chromed thats the way I went over 33 years ago with my pipes but in 1980 they only cost me $20 to get made another $20 to get them chromed, the good old days

Ashley

Steve G. · Jan 31, 2014

ashman said:
The pipes on my Featherbed/Commando are just screwed in the head and only has one mount at the muffler and in 33 years of this set up have never had any problems with the exhaust pipes cracking or even coming lose (who says Featherbeds with Commandos vibrate too much)

Another way you could go is find a exhaust shop that has a mandle bender and get them made to fit your bike, then get them chromed thats the way I went over 33 years ago with my pipes but in 1980 they only cost me $20 to get made another $20 to get them chromed, the good old days

Ashley

Chrome is super expensive in my parts these days. Environmental worries I think.

What about stainless steel? Armours still make good stuff? What about Kehien and their stainless stuff?

ashman · Jan 31, 2014

When I had my 82 Triumph Thunderbird I got new headers made of S/S for it at the same shop, Ian the owner made custom pipes and had fun doing my Norton pipes as well the Triumph pipes, he did every bend by eye and took it on and off the machine with ever bend to make sure he was going the right way, took him just on 30 minutes to make, he was very good at what he did and it was even better watching him doing them.

Ashley

chasbmw · Jan 31, 2014

Keihans make norton silencers, but don't seem to make pipes, maybe had too many returns on their 10 year guarantee.

boz · Jan 31, 2014

I have a Commando "S" so my needs are very different than yours. What I found out when one of my mufflers split while out for a ride is there is a lot of cheap junk out there that looks right but not made well. I would encourage you to get with one of the vendors that sell parts that are made in England and in many cases it is NOS. You will pay more up front but worth in in the long haul.

RoadScholar · Jan 31, 2014

The real problem with Commando exhaust is stress. With failing or failed ISO mounts the engine/transmission/swingarm is lower than with new ISO mounts. In either case the key is to be able to fit your header/muffler to the rear mount on the Z plate without having to exert any pressure. Most forum members, IMHO, are living with 40+ year old ISO mounts. Replace your exhaust rubber mounts when you replace your ISOs and re-appraise the stress/fit at that time.

Bill.

Onder · Jan 31, 2014

Andover Norton offers exhaust, silencers and pipes. None with the crossover.
Anybody have experience with them?

Steve G. · Jan 31, 2014

RoadScholar said:
The real problem with Commando exhaust is stress. With failing or failed ISO mounts the engine/transmission/swingarm is lower than with new ISO mounts. In either case the key is to be able to fit your header/muffler to the rear mount on the Z plate without having to exert any pressure. Most forum members, IMHO, are living with 40+ year old ISO mounts. Replace your exhaust rubber mounts when you replace your ISOs and re-appraise the stress/fit at that time.

Bill.

Agreed. 5 yrs ago I converted my '74 Mk11a to a Fair Spares Mk111 isolastic system, and a Norvil head steady.

Current Commando Exhaust options

Similar threads