I too love that open pipe sound. Have you ever tried baffle rings. I have seen them for 2 ¼ pipes and they do not look that hard to make up. Not sure how well or if they work but with all the experience on the site if they are any good you know someone is using them.

 

+1 on GRBrowns post.

He hit it right on the head, the best pipes are drawn through a mandrel ( the die he mentioned ) and have no seams.

The quality of steel and how the chrome is applied also contribute to the quality.

I was once told that the best chrome plating had first a layer of copper added before the chrome itself. Although I'm unsure if this applies to exhaust systems.

Steel from ( China at the moment ) is made from recycled metals imported from other countries and the quality is sub standard.

 

I'm not sure that is true. Steel made from recycled metals can be as good as 'fresh' steel and the Chinese will make to any quality standard out there. They have the benefit of modern technology and a cheap labour force, so prices can be low, but that doesn't mean quality is also low.

A further thought on drag pipes (or any other variety for that matter). Harley dressers usually have heat shields, which hide the rainbow colours the pipes can turn from the heat. The inscrutable Japanese routinely make their pipes by putting one tube inside another, then bending them, which is why their pipes stay looking fine. So drag pipes made that way (if anyone makes them) will keep their looks a good while, but add a little to cost.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. 2006FLST, thanks for that link. Those do look pretty cool, and at that price if listen to MIA, are a great bargain. Yeah, they are more than 3 bucks worth of hardware store parts, but they look well thought out.

Kushman, by baffle ring, do you just mean the lollipops?

FXD, I honestly have no idea how Paughco makes their pipes, but I want to believe they use the best method possible, and certainly better than whatever the Chinese are doing. I tend to think of Paughco as I do S&S. I believe them to be the industry standards. There may be better, but there are plenty worse and their stuff is never junk. So I'm "expecting" these pipes to be spectacular.

GRBROWN, I did not spring for the heat shields.....yet. I want to see how the pipes age. I can always add them later, but since I am already 180 bucks into a set of drag pipes I figured I would at least give Paughco the benefit of the doubt. We shall see how they hold up.

 

Go get yourself a set of big city thunder monster baffles !!!! They will make those pipes sound incredible ! You will love the sound of them.....Your neighbors won't.

 

softail thats a very nice clean looking bike...nice ride!

 

Honestly I can't say myself if this is true, but our metal workers say that they can tell the difference and believe it's sub standard. So since I myself am not a metal worker, I'll defer to thier expertise. They keep talking about carbon content *shrugs*.

 

Thanks Brother ! And so is yours !!

 

What the Truck. I really hate these dick head ebay sellers that are nothing but drop shippers. So I guess I am back to square one with the pipes. Oh except for the fact I have clamps, gaskets and cones on the way for an exhaust system I won't be getting because some phony business thats run out of the back of an apartment can't comply with their obligations. So now I have to start thinking about other options such as Cycle Shack, and the Chinese parts. Man this pisses me off. This is the email I just got:

Thank you for your order!Unfortunately, this item is currently out of stock, unavailable, and on backorder with the factory at this time.Please advise if you would like us to hold your order (30 days max) and automatically ship when available, or if you would like us to immediately send you a full refund.We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.Zman Kustom Cycle & Power
a division of:
Zman Industries, Inc.
440-231-7473
zman at zmancycles dot com Click "respond" to reply through Messages, or go to your email to reply

 

flippin eBay. Same old BS day in day out. My pal from church bought an in-dash dvd player and the thing crapped the bed in a few weeks and they want him to buy another up front or have a gaping hole in his dash with no tunes for 30+ days while they find a refurb for him. I said do it through bestbuy next time and pay a little more now or a bunch more later.