Front fork, exhaust, and quality of MAC products.

Alright so the other day I looked down and the silver "cap" of my front fork right side was halfway up the fork in the wind. Left side one is loose. The righ side of the front fork now looks to be greasy or dirtier than the other. How do I replace it or what do I do?

I got a mac 4-1 less than 3 months ago...

The black paint is now white in parts... Would they not use high heat paint?

Also the exhuast muffler did not match up at all to the mounting bracket. You think a 350.00 exhaust that is made "for my model" would line up with the bracket?

You can see how I have it installed now... Can I take a hack saw to that "flange" and just leave it mounted how I do?

Do all of the mac exhausts fade that fast? Kind of bummed... Pics of everything below

 

cough 30 year old brake lines cough cough

 

Hey now! I said they are getting fixed this week! I don't think they are the original ones but I do know that they are old.

 

I have put MAC systems on 2 bikes recently. a 920 Virago and a 750 Seca. Both had fitment problems. they were definetly not a direct fit. Not much choices out there for exhaust systems. You are having the same isues as I am.

 

I've got the same problem on my '85 Maxim with the fork chrome dealies... Let me know what you end up doing.

 

Is your paint showing through already?

 

Will do man.

 

I've got the 4-into-2 system on my 650. It's about a year old and holding up okay so far. The chrome is all still intact, but the headers are definitely bluing and blackened from the heat.

I will say that I was less than impressed with the initial fit at the head. I had to pull the 1+2 and 3+4 headers apart about 1/4 to 1/2 inch on each pair to make them fit. Also wasn't thrilled with the clamping plates for the head - rather cheap plates of metal (at least they chrome plated them! haha).

I haven't had any issues with the mounting points snapping, and I have put about 8-9k miles on my bike since I installed the exhaust.

My biggest issue is with it being a high-flow system. I get regular popping on coasting and decelerating from the pipes. Hell, the 550 sounds throatier with its OEM exhaust than the 650 does with its MAC system.

Maybe it is just the 4-into-1 systems that were problematic?

 

I do. I've never seen anyone except a fellow uber-enthusiast/restorer replace original front brake lines.

If the fork seals (under the fancy trim pieces) are beginning to "weep" then a fork rebuild is in your near future.

As for the MAC, they are pretty typical mid-level aftermarket quality. You can expect some bluing of the chromed pieces because unlike the stock exhaust systems, they're not double-walled. Popping indicates a lean condition; if it's doing it a lot, you may want to keep an eye on the plugs and maybe consider "upping" the pilots by one size.

 

Thank you very much Bigfitz as always. It is popping on decel and hesitates from about 5-7.5k before it really grabs. You can totally feel it wanting more fuel. So one up is probably a good idea.

 

If you are hesitating from 5-7.5k you might need bigger mains too. I went from 120s to 124s on my 750 seca when with a MAC 4-2 that was made "high flow" by the PO (the removable baffles that were similar in style to stock got gutted). I fasioned some new baffles, but they are still straight through. Intake is stock.

I also went up a size, 40-41 on the pilots, so you may need that too.

"Fitment" only refers to header spacing and pipe diameter, not how the muffler bolts on you stock mounting points. Another hole in the flange and a stiff piece of metal and you can "extend" the flange and remove the metal hanger you have now (kinda tacky, unless that's the look you're going for :wink: , and it'll tear up the chrome, resulting in it quickly rusting).

 

Lol I am not going for tacky.... I'm kind of confused by what you mean though on how to correct it...

As for the jets I think you are probably right. it only really climbs from 7.5k till redline. Not that the rest of it is bad by any means but I know it is lacking.

 

You probably only have one bolt hole on the mounting flange on your muffler (kind of hard to tell from the pic). If you can, rotate the muffler so that the mounting tab (on the muffler) is parallel to the pasenger foot peg mount. With a little metal from a hardware store you can fashion a hanger from the foot peg mount to the muffler flange.

But if you just bolt those two together, the hanger will act as a linkage, and could damage the exhaust if it moves around too much. So drill a second hole in flange/hanger, so there are two bolts attached to the flange, and it won't move.

Or just weld an extension onto the muffler flange, to reach the foot peg mount...you know, whatever works.

Yeah, if you're bike is tuned right, it should rocket from 7.5k to readline, especially in any gear less than 4th (but also kinda including 4th and 5th :twisted: ). The difference from 5k to 7.5 k, and 7.5k to readline should be noticable (and for me, it even gets a little scary...I tend to upshift to slow it down a bit).

 

I am not a speed demon by any means but I do like to get on it. 5-7.5k it does this almost like gurgling type of thing where I can feel the bike like hesitating. 7.5k-redline is quick but not "scary".

Before my wreck I only ever got it close to the red line twice both times racing (and holding my own) on Sport bikes up to around 80mph. Then it was like hang on tight and tuck in.

Now it climbs quick but ehhh. I find myself going WOT and sitting there waiting for it to hit 7.5k lol. Before I had to fight to keep it slow.. Now I have to work to keep it at speed.

Sounds like I am definitely needing a rejet.

 

I've only ever got close to redline in 4th once lol... I wasn't even there yet and It was around 90's "on a closed track" of course.

 

Also that bring up another question...... If I wanted to push a higher speed.... is it possible to put a steering dampner on one of these so I don't have to worry about speed wobble?

I generally do around 75-80 regularly so the more stable the better in my mind...

I know people put them on SS's all of the time. But what about a maxim x?