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Posted by JagLite
- February 22, 2016, 10:41:55 AMBig plans for painting the tank, fenders, and side covers this weekend were frozen. 
The heater in the shop died. Or is on life support. I think the fan motor is overheating and tripping an internal relay.
I could only get the shop up to 52 degrees so I worked on other projects.
I will spray the high build primer asap...
The other tank and seat are for my street tracker that is also getting a change of color.
Other good news is that the 2.25" flex tubing for the new exhaust is finally on its way north to Alaska.
When it arrives I will be able to work on putting all the pieces together.
I'm not keen on the looks of the big fat Borla muffler so if it doesn't sound really good I will be replacing it with a smaller diameter glass pack probably. That would be more fitting with the period I think. That's the reason to make it myself, i can change it myself. 
One interesting thing when I was taking the tank off the bike I discovered that when it had been painted green, they did it on the bike! The electrical connectors and a few wires and hoses had green overspray on them. That was quite some masking job they had to do on the entire bike to be able to paint the tank while installed. 
I guess the paint shop didn't want to try to find out how to remove the tank.
Or the previous owner probably. The fenders had been removed though.
Posted by JagLite
- February 09, 2016, 09:54:52 AMI will weld the flex to the pipe ends
I will make a bolt on connection to the muffler so that I can change the muffler if I don't like it.
I don't like how big it is so if it doesn't sound good to me, I will make my own muffler that is about 3" diameter.
Hopefully once it is together and painted flat black it will look smaller and mostly disappear.
Posted by greenbarn
- February 08, 2016, 21:51:28 PMLooking good so far.... One question: how will you fasten the flex tube to the hard pipe?
Posted by CDNRatMan
- February 07, 2016, 23:13:48 PM following and waiting to see how it works out......
Posted by JagLite
- February 07, 2016, 22:54:55 PMI finally had some time to play with the Drifter today...
First I cut up the headers from another bike for the flanges
Trial fit:
Yep, fit great.
If this was a custom show bike I would be done 
But this is a bike to ride so more is needed.
The flex tube won't bend as tight a radius as I want so some thinking time is required...
On to the rear pipe for now
Need a "T" to join front and rear pipes so this part of the headers I cut might be the ticket:
Hmmm, maybe another piece of the donor pipe on the T might help?
Yeah, that might work.
Don't know if it is needed but if so I have it.
Now to make the hanger mounts for the muffler that match the original:
This piece of scrap square tube should work:
Close enough for me
Drill some holes:
Time to wind up the welder
Two bolts and two nuts are welded inside the tabs.
I used the stock hanger to locate the tabs
Ready to bolt on for a trial.
End of the afternoon:
So far things are progressing as hoped. 
Keep in mind that if all goes according to plan all of this will be hidden by the 2" flex tube that goes over the inner pipe.
Still to do list:
Buy the pipe wrap that will go around the inner flex tube, inside the outer flex tube.
Buy the exterior 2" flex tube that will actually be seen.
Decide how I want to make the muffler end caps with the 1 1/2" tube size to match the inner flex tube.
Buy some 1 1/2" straight tube for the muffler outlet pipe.
So far so good
Posted by CDNRatMan
- January 31, 2016, 12:46:40 PM 
We are to.......
Posted by JagLite
- January 31, 2016, 09:36:18 AMI took a look at the old exhaust pipes I have and found two possible candidates for the head pipe flanges.
Both are new stock take-offs from bikes that the buyer had the dealer switch out for an aftermarket system.
I bought a few of these when a dealer was moving to a new building and had a garage sale.
I am glad to get back to work on the Drifter 
Posted by JagLite
- January 28, 2016, 10:21:44 AM1965 Rickman Metisse MkIII with Triumph TR6C 650 engine
Here is my build thread for the Rickman:
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/1965-rickman-metisse-mk-iii-scrambler.818140/
Sunday I finished the new oil cooler installation on my DR650 Street Tracker
And the build thread for it:
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/dr650-street-tracker-build.857154/
Posted by CDNRatMan
- January 28, 2016, 10:20:48 AMThe actual Roadhouse system does have the flex pipe going over solid pipe........they are just a slide over cover and in one set I saw it was cut out in the back to allow the heat out....
Posted by JagLite
- January 28, 2016, 09:26:54 AMHi Dan,
Here is the link to my ride report:
http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?topic=38628.0
I really like my shop you can tell.
It isn't fancy or well equipped compared to many, but it is the best I have ever had!
Interesting idea, putting the flex over the stock pipes as a heat shield.
Now that I have taken the stock system apart it does seem like that is possible.
I will try to remember to check that out.
Posted by deadeyedan
- January 27, 2016, 21:15:15 PMWOW WHERE I COME FROM THAT IS A HOUSE. HAPPY I AM ONLY 73 AND STILL HAVE TIME TO WORK ON ONE. WELL AT LEAST I FINALLY GOT THE BEER FRIDGE IN THE SHED WITH THE BIKE. APPRECIATE THE PICS. IS IT NOT PRACTICAL TO HAVE FLEX PIPE OVER EX.PIPES AS HEAT SHIELDS I HAVE THE SAME JACK AND I AM STEALING YOUR IDEA THANK YOU HOPE YOU HAVE PICS. OF YOUR TRIP TO SHARE DANNY
Posted by CDNRatMan
- January 26, 2016, 00:18:40 AM what no pictures of the Rickman...why what did we do to upset you that you talk about it and then do not post any pictures......now we have to just sit here and think about it....how mean you are.......
Posted by JagLite
- January 25, 2016, 22:18:00 PMI'm glad you like it!
I certainly like the Drifter more than I expected.
It was really the only cruiser style bike I ever liked and the only one I even considered buying.
When this one listed on Ebay I decided to put in the minimum bid ($3,000) and if I was the only one to bid, great, if someone else bid on it that was fine too.
But maybe everyone else was smarter than me and knew that a bike in Florida would have corrosion and rust problems... 
But riding it up from California to Alaska helped me to really like riding it.
I wasn't sure if I would keep it before riding it, now I don't see selling it anytime soon.
Nothing new on the Drifter yet, I have been spending my limited shop time doing the final assembly of the Triumph engine for my Rickman.
And finally tonight I put the engine in the frame for good!
I hate to have an engine apart long since I can lose parts like nobody else.
Now I can get back to the exhaust system puzzle for the Drifter
Stay tuned for more pictures next week.
(I hope)
Posted by bambam0099
- January 25, 2016, 05:53:03 AMReally enjoying this thread!
Posted by JagLite
- January 08, 2016, 17:46:36 PMNew muffler arrived and so did the pipe bender.
First, here is a backside view of the front cylinder stock head pipe showing the distance the large diameter tube runs before reducing down.
Considering that both the front and rear cylinder head pipes reduce down just before going into the under bike muffler I am pretty sure it is not for performance (increasing torque at lower rpm) but is just for packaging into the muffler body.
Here is the new muffler, a Borla XR1 straight through design with the inner perforated core the same size as the inlet and outlet pipes.
I will be using reducers to match the pipes in and out to the muffler body.
The large I.D. of the muffler means that I can run overlap pipes inside if straight through proves to be too loud.
My pipe bender is just the cheap ($180 is cheap?) hydraulic pipe bender.
Nope, not a mandrel bender but it will have to do for my use.
It is another great deal on Amazon for those of us outside the lower 48.
This puppy weighs 88 lbs, and would have cost at least $280 to get it shipped up.
But on Amazon Prime, I only had to pay $27.00 for shipping! And it arrived in 3 days.
Hmmmm, I wonder if they sell lathes? Mills?
Now to remove the tank and rear fender to prep for paint.
And to measure for exhaust header flanges I will need to start the new pipes at the head.
This afternoon I drive out to the powder paint shop to pick up the newly painted hubs for another bike project.
I have 3 wheels to build now. Never done that before but I am looking forward to it.
How hard can it be after all? It ain't rocket surgery 