1982 Virago 920 engine up build

[Knifemaker87]

How do you determine how to make your initial cuts in the pipe? Are you mocking it up in a CAD program or going 'best guess' and then cutting more pieces as necessary?

hey,
i used the foam insulation to figure out how i wanted the pipes to run, and then i did a best guess for cutting slices of the pipe. they are all 1" wide at the widest point, and the angle varies. once i have all the blanks i started mocking it up and modifying the pieces as i went. the front pipe and the rear pipe have the same number of 1" sections.

I tweaked the design i had a little and worked at getting the pipes to line up with the 2-1 coupler location i wanted.. had to cut and modify more sections.

and done. this is not hard work but kind of tedious. it is like a jigsaw puzzle that will take you places when you finish it.

i also used my buddy's bike that i am working on to mock up a tip location. the midpipe will run underneath the right side of the engine case. I need to finalize my rearset situation before i make the midpipe.

started on my coupler

i have upper and lower mating parts that will be retained with springs

first i needed to mock up the orientation of the fitting parts to the angled pipe, and tack them in place.

then i welded them up. you have to do this step first so that you can weld all the way around the pipes. you wont be able to get at it once the angled pipes are together.

then the get welded together

put in a pipe at the end, and done!

Then i started on the pipes. i will start and both ends and work towards the middle. Here is the fist section tacked up.

I am tacking and welding in sections as i anticipate some warpage and want to be able to compensate for it rather than tacking the whole thing up and hoping it goes where i want it.

and here is where i ran out of argon. getting more today

the welds are not as smooth as i would like so i will most likely wire wheel the whole thing once it is all welded and then go back over it with the tig to smooth the welds and keep that heat coloring.

thanks for looking
~Chris

 

[Ringo]

Those pipes are going to be a work of art when done!

 

[50gary]

What wall thickness tubing are you using? Did you give any thought to using two pieces of pre-bent tubing for your merge collector?
Cheers, 50gary

 

[Knifemaker87]

What wall thickness tubing are you using? Did you give any thought to using two pieces of pre-bent tubing for your merge collector?
Cheers, 50gary

hey,
I am using 16 gauge tubing so the wall thickness is roughly .05" as for the merge collector, i didnt buy any mandrel bends, i just bought straight pipe so that is what i had. Would it be better to make it out of pre-bent tubing?

 

[50gary]

I used pre-bent tubes for the merge collector and I just thought it would be easier? I also used

16gauge. These are for my CX500 Honda cafe. Your bike is coming along great, I enjoy following along.
Cheers, 50gary

 

[Kamn]

If you are looking to get pre bent or need collectors in SS, Mild, or Aluminum I found this place.........might be something for you here
http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog/

 

[Kamn]

Knifemaker,
the work you are doing is awesome and I love watching whats next.......that exhaust is going to look sooo nice! Are you planning on leaving all the welds exposed or cover it with header wrap??

 

[Knifemaker87]

I used pre-bent tubes for the merge collector and I just thought it would be easier? I also used

16gauge. These are for my CX500 Honda cafe. Your bike is coming along great, I enjoy following along.
Cheers, 50gary

it just seemed like a waste of money to buy prebent stuff when i was making all my bends via sectioning. but you are right, it would most likely be easier. it would honestly be easier to buy a collector as a whole. but to buy a collector that is the same dimentions (inlet and outlet) as the one i made is $65! i got 6 feet of tubing for $45
http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog/collectors-x-pipes-t-s-100/parallel-2-1-merge-collectors-117/2-1-merge-collector-parallel-1-50-inlets-1-50-outlet-304ss-1026.html

If you are looking to get pre bent or need collectors in SS, Mild, or Aluminum I found this place.........might be something for you here
http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog/

thanks for the link! great minds think alike, because this is actually where i bought my tubing from.

Knifemaker,
the work you are doing is awesome and I love watching whats next.......that exhaust is going to look sooo nice! Are you planning on leaving all the welds exposed or cover it with header wrap??

thanks! i am really glad that you like it. I am going to clean up the welds slightly, wire wheel the whole thing and then go back over it with the torch to smooth the welds as well as get nice even color banding, and then leave it exposed. it seems a shame to cover up all that work.

thanks again guys, slowly chipping away at this, as i only have an hour or two after work each day to work on the bike.

 

[Charles]

It might have been easier to buy pre-bent, but it doesn't show the fabrication/art that you're putting into it.

 

[Knifemaker87]

i got more work done on the exhaust.
here are another couple sections welded up..

then i got the front side all the way to the transition and started backwards to the rear section.

and all together!

I have the retention springs on it now, but dont have pictures yet.

I also got a care package from a freind. a HUGE shout out to Zach. thanks again!

some sweet billet rearsets and just need some TLC

and some awesome twill blue texalium fabric

Zach helped me out on the last project with the front forks/billet triples as well as a 900rr rear end. not sure what i would do without your generosity.

going to be going back to working on the molds now that i have had a little bit of a breather.
thanks!
~Chris

 

[Kamn]

That exhaust looks like a metal snake going around you motor!! Sweet

 

[Knifemaker87]

well... so much for keeping up with the posting on a daily basis. =(

Sickness and business at work has kept me from getting much done, but having not eaten lunch at work for weeks has been beneficial.

here is what i have to work with...

which is a huge pain as the drive interface spline goes almost all the way to the center of the hub this is going to be tricky... first i played around with paper..

then refined it...

and then pulling a bunch of lunches to do the programming and after hours work on material i got at the scrap yard

virago drive side, Harley center and spokes, and CBR rotor and caliper

the caliper stay fits nicely and i will be able to re-do the right side of the swinger now

as it turns out the integrated dust shield will not work with my spokes, but i will figure something out

i should have more soon. the spokes will need a little modification especially as the rim is going to be slightly off-center (clearance issues) so the spokes closes to the final drive will need to be shorter than the other side.

i also ordered my tire so once i can get it mounted once this is laced up. then the bike will be back on its own feet.

now that i have the hub done however, i can modify the swinger which will then allow me to figure out my rearsets, which will then allow me to route my exhaust, i can finish the body-work, run the wiring and then i can get the bike running before i tear everything down for paint.

thanks for looking yall
~Chris

 

[Kamn]

Now that is sweet! Man, I wish I had your resources available to me

Is there any interference with the caliper and mount to the spokes......it looks so tight

Keep the pics coming

 

[Bozz]

Damn!


Just when I thought it was safe to pick my jaw up off the floor...


So impressive!

 

[biker_reject]

Seriously, just when I thought the exhaust was killer, now the hub!

 

[Lincoln Ellsworth]

Every part of this build is incredible, can't wait to see it through completion! Your employers must be pretty flexible allowing you to machine parts and what not at lunch and after hours, do they encourage side projects like this to hone your skills?

 

[VonYinzer]

Every part of this build is incredible, can't wait to see it through completion! Your employers must be pretty flexible allowing you to machine parts and what not at lunch and after hours, do they encourage side projects like this to hone your skills?

He works for a US Goverment agency. They probably have no clue what he's doing.

 

[Ringo]

He works for a US Goverment agency. They probably have no clue what he's doing.

Nailed it!

 

[manolon6]

AWESOME!!!!

 

[Knifemaker87]

Every part of this build is incredible, can't wait to see it through completion! Your employers must be pretty flexible allowing you to machine parts and what not at lunch and after hours, do they encourage side projects like this to hone your skills?

i do work for a government agency, and you would think they would rather have me honing my skills rather than surfing the net, but that isnt the case. However, as long as it is on my own time and it doesn't interfere with actual work, they are pretty flexible.