Handle Bar exhaust

[skrew37]

I finally got tired of holding all of my copper connections together with springs and messy exhaust sealant and after staring at my bike for a while and looking at the bends of my exhaust I had an idea. It occurred to me that the curves of my header to the x-chamber was almost exactly the same as the curves in an old 10-speed's drop handle bars. I went to my local bike shop and picked up an old set of wald drop handle bars. I cut them to approximately the same length as my slip-fit copper pipe header. I then chopped the flange and about 1-1/2" of the header off of my stock muffler. I joined everything together with two 3" sections of SBP 7/8" I.D. silicone tubing. It looks almost the same as before, only now no leaks, and it's a great way to reuse and re-purpose parts that would otherwise sit and rust.

 

[FarRider]

I just used that trick on my every day ride, i was trying to wrap the head pipe around the outside of the down tube but i couldn't get the curve right, then i remembered an old set of steel drop bars from a ten speed i had in my junk pile... and bingo! here is my take on it in mock ups and finished.
By the way, if you sand the chrome plating off the handlebars you can solder the joints between the copper fittings and the steel bars...
FR

 

[skrew37]

Very nice. How did you connect it to the flange? I would rather have mine welded, but I have no access to a welder. (That and I've never welded)

 

[FarRider]

Well skrew, since I knew I would be wrapping the pipe it gave me a few options and benefits.
I used 3 common screw clamps 1 spring and a piece of clothes hanger.
Since the wrapping increased the outer diameter of the head pipe I used one clamp between the exhaust spigot and the pipe, it clamps the head pipe to the spigot very securely.
Then one more clamp just to hold the wrapping in place.
Then the last clamp to act as a spring connecting point.
I can highly recommend the full sanding off of the chrome on the bar and then soldering the copper joints to the bare steel pipe, its leak free so far. Heres a few pics-
FR