Honda Spree and Elite 50 Forums

Greetings:

Well it says right there: For DIO (Euro). Ain't nobody said it fits an Elite, now did they?
http://www.jiangwayne.com/scooter/p_i.php?i=61

Arrived a day early, in a box completely padding-free. I'm not sure how they get UPS to accept a box like that, but here it was.
Fortunately no damage to the pipe nor to what appears to be the same crushed-eggshell gasket that spontaneously grenaded while running my V8 pipe. It was rattling around loose save for a plastic bag. It's a true Xmas miracle it wasn't shattered. The exhaust's fit-and-finish were a pleasant surprise, as was the precision of the mechanical fitment points. I really like the design; clean. However there was - ahem - a problem: Yes, it's as close as it looks. I have no idea if it fits the DIO or not, but it sure don't fit the Elite without modification. It was an uncharacteristic bit of foresight that prevented me from taking the scooter off the centerstand to observe what surely would have been an instantly-cracked turn signal lens.

All I need to do is cut the stinger "U" section and rotate it about 60 degrees clockwise, then weld it back up. Unfortunately welding is hard without skills and only rocks and sticks for tools. Hmm, maybe if I whack the rocks really fast there'll be enough sparks to weld??

Turning philosophical, maybe this is the Baby Jesus' way of telling me I need a Japan tail? I wonder if it's too late to edit my letter to Santa...

Just be advised if you consider purchasing this pipe. For now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with it.

Hows the sound of the pipe?

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that it doesn't clear the tail, on quite a few occasions Pull off the lights and run it hard.
As for flipping it, don't forget the post that the blue muffler mounts on. Also, the metal was so thin my welder didn't want to touch it, although that area is quite solid.

It sounds like a dirtbike, pingy and loud. Higher pitched than a PG.

Greetings:

I must've missed it, Eight-Oh-Eight.

Pull the lights?! Surely you jest. Flash must keep up appearances...

I'm thinking the place to chop-and-twist might be the middle of the chamber. Rotate the whole mess out maybe 60 degrees? Having no welding knowledge whatsoever, I'm not sure this is even possible. Might just be easier to approach JW for a swap to a better-suited pipe in the first place. I've emailed him; No response so far.

Wheelman,

Any Midas or muffler shop would be able to cut the pipe turn it out and weld it back up for you- probably for a nominal charge. My only concern is that I think those pipes come with some sort of clear-coat on them which might not stand up to the welding.

-Nathan

Greetings:

That's an excellent suggestion Nacree! The pipe appears to be protected only by a thin coat of sticky, oily Goo. Perhaps the legendary "Cosmoline"? Googled it...

http://www.commercialforms.com/Detail.bok?no=172

Reputed to be the preservative for the WWII-vintage Jeeps that could be purchased for $50 during the post-war period. Hmm, I wonder if Honda-san stockpiled any DIOs in this stuff...

I'd always assumed those pipes were made of stainless steel. See if a magnet will stick to it; if not, it's stainless.

If it's stainless, not sure if Midas can help you, but there is a welding shop near you that can. I can feel it.

Greetings:

Hmm, you may be right about the Stainless Steel. Maybe that's how they get away without any form of surface protectant except the Goo.

I called a few places - everybody was afraid even to consider the job until I found Koko, the Welding Wizard of Deepinnaharta. It's always somebody named Koko... His Dad told me his first love is motorcycles, and it sounded like it won't be much of a challenge for the lad. It remains to be seen, but I'm game to try. I'm feelin' lucky.

Wheelman-111 wrote: I called a few places - everybody was afraid even to consider the job until I found Koko, the Welding Wizard of Deepinnaharta. It's always somebody named Koko... His Dad told me his first love is motorcycles, and it sounded like it won't be much of a challenge for the lad. It remains to be seen, but I'm game to try. I'm feelin' lucky.

I had a hard time finding someone willing to do my small dirty work as well. My best luck: transmission shop. It's hard to find a nice guy who could make a few bucks on the side.

When I need this kind of work done, I get out the phonebook and start dialing. It takes awhile, but once you find someone you don't need to do it again. I finally tired of it, though, and bought a 110V Licoln MIG.

You can also check Craigslist in your area. Sometimes guys post ads there for welding as side jobs.

A cut and weld like that is cake on the right equipment, and it's not load-bearing or a safety issue. Try getting someone to cut and weld up a forged centerlink for a Volare sometime.

Yeah - I thought the pipe to be stainless also.

On the home welding side - I haven't welded stainless but recall it uses a different shielding gas - near 100% Argon vs C02 or Argon/CO2 mixes used on steel.
-

A 12" stretch may also do the trick...

bandsaw and or caution and tig.hack saw and tig in a pinch.

Greetings:

KoKo now has the JW pipe. Unfortunately I could only explain what I needed done to his slightly dim helper (named Igor... ), and I have a low level of confidence that he'll correctly explain what I need done.

Not to worry, I'll have a personal visit with KoKo when he returns. Pics to come.

I use to sell a pipe that looked exactlly like that one. Let me tell you somethin, that pipe screams but is loud as *. I have used alot of different racing mufflers in my time but the one in pic is a screamer. They make one for the dio/elite engines but as you mentioned it will hit the right turn signal. If I remember correctly I use to use a long 1 to 1 1/2 inches long to extend the blinker assembly out to avoid hitting the muffler. It dont look that bad. Most of my customers just had me re-angle and weld it. That muffler is fragile so dont go jumpin off no curbs.

Taz