Wanted: K1200S Header pipes!

[Costas]

Does anyone know anyone who can fabricate better quality ones as I'm sure they can be made for far less than the hideous price BMW charge and there must be a potential global market ?

Already answered that but unfortunately it can happen here in Greece.
I'm sure that there is some workshop up there that can do them, especially now that Brian has one set spare at his hands.

[TomL]

A good welder should be able to make a good as new repair.

You will will have to slow down for those speed humps in the future.

[Phmode]

See...

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/K1200S/101088105.html

and...

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/K1200S/101088105T.html

Brian (who thought the £560 for a BMW original was outrageous)

PS He would have a set of these but doesn't want to lose his centre stand 

[TomL]

I like the Ti ones and I don't have a centre stand   

[Phmode]

A good welder should be able to make a good as new repair.

You will will have to slow down for those speed humps in the future.

Unfortunately Tom, the set I took off my bike are in rather poor condition, worse than the set I bought from Germany. That set had an almost insignificant weep from the front of the collector box, but with MoT testers being picky, I decided to get it welded, and I am sure he will do a great job.

The set I took off, which have a much greater 'leak' between the pipes at the collector box joint, shown here,



also have leaks (worse than the German set) at both 2 -> 1 joints.



When I filled them with water this morning it just pi$$ed out all over the place although the two 2 -> 1 joints were not leaking 'audibly' to my stetho'pipe!

I doubt Dave the flame will be able to do anything with the two 2 ->1 joints as they are inaccessible due to the angle and the length of pipe involved.

Also, overall, my pipes are showing much greater signs of general rotting than the obviously younger (or less salt-road corroded) ones from Germany.

Brian (who doesn't quite understand the concept of stainless steel  )

Tom! You may not have the centre stand but do you have the €2,000 odd for the yummy goodies?

[Costas]

Easy just call Blue Flame at

01695 733 100
Main Switchboard:
01695 768 249
Fax:
sales@blueflameperformance.com
Blueflame Performance Exhausts Ltd
UNIT 9
Mitton Mill Industrial Estate
Mill Road
Stourport on severn
Worcestershire
DY13 9BL

Recon they will be happy to assist as they frequently involved in developing such products, might even demonstrate a greater interest if they became aware of the situation many K will face with their pipes in the near future.
Company had its issues and then reborn form its asses if I remember correctly.
Had the Carbon one for use in track days, then my son stick it in his F800ST , after 70,000 and 5 years exhaust was reduced to bits and pieces so it was recycled, was bought at 280 euros including postage back in 2009 and I consider that a good bargain.

[Phmode]

We could organise a 'ride-out' to the place for a tour and see if they have any 'tasters' like you get on a brewery or distillery tour   

Brian (who thinks he understands the concept of Titanium  )

[TomL]

Yep out of my price range.

The welder can make up some rectangular plates that bridge the rotten bit top and bottom with a piece of shaped plate to join them. Don't throw them away.

Some guys round this way take their bikes to a scooter place for MOT and I can't imagine the he would have found that exhaust leak. BMW MOT testers of course know where to look. Good for business innit.

[Phmode]

Hmmm! I normally use the local Yamaha and Suzuki dealer at the bottom of the hill, 800 metres at most. They have two testers, one of whom is a human being, the other being a visitor from the planet Tharg, where MoT regulations are MUCH tougher. He hates BMW's and goes out of his way to be mean and nasty. Obviously, you don't get to choose which one gives the bike the once over!

Last year it went to the stealers for the Fuel Pump recall and MoT at the same time. Failed on the colour of the front indicator bulbs.

This year it was having its big service so it went in for them both at once, which seemed reasonable.

To be fair, looking at the state of the headers that came off, they are in a tatty state all over apart from the top and bottom ends!

Brian (who just loves rust on stainless steel)

[TomL]

But there is stainless steel and stainless steel. Would you say that yours fell apart with rust but thank goodness they didn't stain?

Tut tut fancy turning up for an MOT with indicator bulbs that weren't orange. Faded or just the wrong bulbs?

[Phmode]

I love fried eggs, but not on the front of my bike!

I have clear indicator lenses which need orange (amber, strictly speaking) bulbs. These are made from unobtanium here in the UK.

The only known source is Hornig in Chermany! They cost an arm and a leg and the P&P is more than a pair of bulbs!

I decided to make my own from bulbs ordinaire and some horrible orange nail-varnish that came free on the cover of one of swimbo's holiday-reading magazines; probably aimed at 7 year old girls.

Anyway, this worked wonderfully but the coating does burn off eventually and they need topping up; but hey, what else is there in my sad and lonely life?

Anyway, it just so happened that the MoT last year fell at a time when the coating needed topping up but I didn't spot this when I did the pre-MoT walk-round during daylight. Needless to say, the tester spotted it!

There was a long and tedious story (doesn't sound like me) on the old site about me not having any spare orange bulbs, nor the original orange lenses, with me and the dealer not stocking orange nail varnish, nor amber bulbs, so me haring off the 32 miles back home to get them and try to get back within an hour before the tester knocked off for the night; and failing when my bike ran out of petrol with 19 miles on the damn idiot count-down timer just out of pushing distance of a local fuel station.

This ended up with me, initially, blaming the dealer who had just done the fuel pump mod so had obviously not put the connector back on properly, and also with yet another plastic petrol can bought in desperation from Halfords (400 yards in -> that direction) then filled with fuel (400 yards in <- this direction) and set to join the six other fuel 'cans' in my clutter cupboard!

The bike passed its test the next morning!

Brian (who thinks it is going to the Yamaha dealer for his test when his headers are fixed)

[chriscanning]

Orange bulbs how quaint.

[Phmode]

Yes, but those in your piccie are the silvered 'orange' bulbs from Hornig, which I use to get rid of the fried egg look on the mirrors.

But, they are horrendously expensive and, like I said, the P&P is more than the bulbs and I can't afford to carry an endless supply of spares in case one costalotium bulb blows, hence the orange nail varnish.

Brian (who wishes he could find a supplier for the bulbs in UK but has found the proper bulb/lens 'paint' that turns them amber)

[slparry]

http://www.i-bmw.com/showthread.php?t=48203

[chriscanning]

Yes, but those in your piccie are the silvered 'orange' bulbs from Hornig, which I use to get rid of the fried egg look on the mirrors.

But, they are horrendously expensive and, like I said, the P&P is more than the bulbs and I can't afford to carry an endless supply of spares in case one costalotium bulb blows, hence the orange nail varnish.

Brian (who wishes he could find a supplier for the bulbs in UK but has found the proper bulb/lens 'paint' that turns them amber)

Brian

I bought those bulbs in the local go faster car shop cheap they ain't but their years old now so I've had my monies worth out of them.