What does getting the stock header pipe ceramic coated do for you? Is it a looks / performance thing or both?

 

This slip on, does it just connect to the stock factory head pipe?
Does everyone think it was worth $350?
It seems to be "the one"....

 

Yes it simply attaches to stock head pipe with the same springs. Very easy to install, only takes minutes. Each pipe is tested on a DS for fit and sound prior to shipping. When I asked about testing I got the response below.

"We test every pipe we manufacture, first of all all the pipes are x-rayed to
insure that the internal disks have been inserted correctly, and to check
that the last disk is perforated, as if one of these were in reverse the
performance would suffer, also each pipe has been tested on my DS 650 to
check for fit, leaks, and a short run to check for performance. Also a
decibel reading is taken.

Best regards


Peter van Loenhout."

 

Picked up my series 2 from Peter on Wednesday, have had the TM42, played around with, namely the main jet, and needle for the accelerator pump. It's very disturbing, this stage 2 pipe, maybe I'm too used to a stage 1, but its feels wrong to be this quiet. I mean aren't four strokes supposed to be loud and lumpy? Paint it Black, and it will be a Stealth Quad.

Have only had a short ride on tarmac, but I am definately going to have to play around with my gearing, because its wheelying like a Raptor! I am running the 22" rears with a 15 tooth counter-sprocket (about 3-4% higher than stock), and have tried the 16 tooth, and its still way quicker than stock. The TM42 is getting nicely dialed in, just need to check the main jet, but its exceedingly responsive from idle-up.

Going for a big ride tommorrow so I will post my seat of the pants feel for the improvement over the series 1. Unfortunately not too many pikkies tommorow unless a cameraman turns up? My normal cameraman has just sold his CR500 (getting too old, or just under the thumb?), so it will be just Peter and myself tommorrow.

 

BlackHawk the ceramic coating does the following to help performance. The firsts is to reduce the surface temperature of the parts coated by as much as 25%. It will increase the exhaust velocity and cylinder scavenging and you can gain up to 3% or more H.P.
It will last longer about140 times longer than high-temp paint and 14 times longer then chrome. Just make sure you both the in and out side. The extra benefit is that it just looks great.

 

From the pictures it looks like it's polished. I guess I'm not understanding the ceramic coating process very well. Where did you get yours coated, and what sort of shop would do that kind of work for me?

 

As I learn more and more about this exhaust, it just keeps getting better. The only other pipe that I think compares is the White Brothers E-Series. I do believe the Custom X does more for my money than the White Bros. pipe. One edge the WB pipe has is price, I believe it's about $50 less than the Custom X.

 

Had a big ride today with Peter, he's got his Team Pami CDI box, Renthal handlebars and a real DS series 2 pipe on now (instead of his makeshift Warrior conversion).

We had a few drags, which peter beat me on, most were fairly close. I'm not normally into making excuses but:
a) Peter weighs about 50# less than I do.
b) I could not get traction with the 15 tooth sprocket on, and Peter could hold the gears longer.
c) I was distracted by low flying kangaroos, emus, koalas, wombats, possums, and feral cats (well not realy).

We swapped bikes and Peter still beat me, just.

I still need to lean off the primary and the main jets, lots of low end (be nice to get it to the ground), the top end is good too, but the mid-range is pretty boggy. Its a bit a pig to start too.

I've had the twistgrip on for a few rides, and after riding Peter again, I came home and whacked the thumb throttle back on, the spring is a bit stiff, but at least I hopefully won't come as close to becoming a "tree-hugger" round another corner. I like the twistgrip on 2-wheelers, but I find the thumb-throttle is much easier to control on a quad, the only time I appreciated the twistgrip was when you are standing up, over whoops. So I came home and ripped the Vortex Twist throttle off.

Changed the oil to 15W-50 Shell Advance VSX Fully Synthetic (made for 4-stroke motorcycles), have only cruised up and down the street a bit, but no clutch problems are evident, and the engine sounds a little smoother. Hows this, the oil filter is AUD$18 at the BMW dealer, the one and only Bombardier dealer for the state wants AUD$32, for the same part. Just a little rich!

Going back to the 20" rears (and 17 tooth counter-sprocket) after riding Peter's, in the tight trails we were riding, his slid so much nicer, than mine did with the 22"s on. If only we can find somebody over here that can actually deliver a set of Holeshot XCT's.

We did not take many (about 3 or 4 in fact) pictures today, was too busy riding. We saw a few Yamaha YZ426F's, they are seriously noisy, lots of reverb through the trees. This series 2 pipe has monster amounts of bottom end, midrange and top-end, I still can't believe how quiet it is.

 

BlackHawk I had mined done at Olympic Powder Coating in Escondido CA 1-800-630-9899 or e-mail olypowder@aol.com. There are other companies around just check with a local auto high performance shop in your area. Jet-Hot is the big one nationally they due a lot of work on NHRA race cars.

 

Anybody ELSE had their Custom X Series 2 pipe sound tested yet? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]