Pipe Opinions Please

[B06Tang]

Yes...I did hear from Dale just today! The TT pipes are going out of production because of the low demand but he said that he would do another run up if he was able to get enough people interested. The only catch to this is that the pipes are going to be $440 instead of the $350 that they were getting sold at. That is a little too rich for me so I highly doubt I will be getting them. As I suspected as well, there is a center stand issue with the TT pipes and some modding would be involved in order to try to keep a center stand. I don't know about you all but I am pretty much addicted to my center stand much like how a cop is addicted to donuts! I don't have a large work space where I am living right now and that center stand is very convenient and that is not even considering how nice it is if you have problems on the road...I'm keeping it.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo....plan B. Make the '67 aubergine and white Bonnie, just not the TT version. I will just keep my TORs on it and thanks to this forum, this is what I have coming:

eye badges
air box to do my own removal
stock signals that I am going to cut down and make sleeker

I have the stock black side panels and a trip to the vinatge sticker store so I can clear cloat the "oil fill line" on to it. I have a set of stock fenders on hold that looks like I am going to be able to score. A buddy of mine over here does his own chroming so I will chrome them out to throw on. So it is looking pretty good right now and I am less than $200 into this, all from stock parts. The last big item I need to hunt out is a carb'd T100 tank. I don't care what color it is or if it is chipped or if it has been key'd. Just a tank in good shape with the eyelets as I don't need the badges either. If I can hunt this down then I think I might be able to make a nice Hinckley aubergine and white Bonnie...hunting it down is half the fun!

 

[musicswapshoppe]

I'm an old school guy, and grew up when new TT Bonnevilles were sitting on the showroom floors of the local Triumph dealers, so I'm going to have to vote for chrome.

I wish I had a full-size picture of my Street Tracker with the TT pipes I fab'd using the stock headers, but the only photo I have is too big to post. Meanwhile, I will post a photo of the tips. It took me about an hour to work build these TT pipes.

I merely cut off the stock headers where they begin to turn 'up', then, using my Dremel, I hacked off half of the mounting hardware. I bought a pair of exhaust clamps from my local V-Twin retailer, and a pair of $5 (each) vintage VW tips. If you want the bike to be 'loud', then do the same thing w/o the V-dub tips.

There is still this option

 

[B06Tang]

Good point and thank you; it's easy to get tunnel focused when you get your sights set on something. I think I will press with what I have and use the TORs and then keep an eye open for some stock headers. Part of me wants to do this as much from stock as possible with the exception of painting the tank of course. I don't know why but I guess it is kind of satisfying to take the time and make it work from the original stuff. Plus I will also be able to turn it back into the Creamsicle pretty easily...keeps me busy during the long winters up here in northern Japan

 

[musicswapshoppe]

No worries mate and totally see where yr coming from. But if can get some headers, its not a bad idea and keeps the beauty you already have still available. I have kept mine pretty well stock also (just added a few things). I love seeing others stuff but tho I actually can change mine totally,with bits i have now acumulated. I find it very hard to actually do it and keep telling myself they will come in handy should i have an accident, or bike needs tidying. Jeez I love these bikes.

 

[B06Tang]

I know what you are saying and how I am going about this, I will be able to change back to the Creamsicle in a pretty quick amount of time...that is why I am doubling up on the stock parts that I am trying to gather. I think one of the ingenius things about these bikes is how much we are able to do to them with relative ease; both in cosmetics and performance. Triumph really did make a nice and pretty canvas to start off on where someone's personal splash can be thrown into them...great bikes!

This is going to be my point of comparison when doing this project. Obviously there are distinctions involved but I am pretty damn impressed when you study this and see how similar the Hinckley crew got these bikes...freaking awesome! The Hinckley Bonnies definitely have their own identity but they didn't sacrifice their roots in getting it. I am really looking forward to doing this and hopefully it comes out good.

The only real high dollar thing I might consider to add is that Burton seat...they are making a seat that is damn near a spittin' image to the seat on that '67. That is something at the end of the line to wait and see before deciding on though.

The Burton seat being made today:

 

[Hamr Mark]

Aside from parts falling off, leaking fluids everywhere and handling like...well, like a 40+ yr old bike...

They look amazing!

Don't know what it is, maybe the pedigree, the simplicity, whatever, these (those) old bikes just say "Cool"

Good luck on the project.