jimvonbaden
Kool Aid Dispenser!
A while back I was contacted by Ken Faire, President of Cee Bailey's Aircraft Plastics, Inc. about testing a new exhaust pipe they are selling. It is on their site at http://www.offenbachusa.com/ .
While I am an average rider, I am generally an outspoken critic of the value of an aftermarket exhaust, and always dislike loud exhausts. So I agreed to do this test, and was very careful to try to keep an open mind.
A few days later the pipe arrived at my door very well packed:
In the plastic wrap.
In a nice box packed with foam peanuts.
And in a sealed plastic wrap with parts in a separate bag.
The parts, and the pipe are very nice looking, with a high quality finish.
I decided to preassemble the pipe for installation.
Adding the heat shield for the elbow pipe.
Added the adapter to fit the R1200GS. These parts are very clean, and beautifully machined.
Then I began to remove the stock pipe by loosening the 14mm bolt holding the main clamp. Mine was a bit rusty and sticky. But it came loose pretty easily.
This is all the looser you need to make it.
Here is the upper strap mount. It never fit as cleanly as I would have liked on the Jesse mount, but always held fine.
Here is a view of the back side of the Jesse mount.
I cheated here, this is me ÔÇ£removingÔÇØ the Jesse bolt to the ÔÇ£stockÔÇØ muffler.
Then you simply twist and wiggle the old pipe off. Mine came off easily.
Here are both pipes next to each other. The Offenbach is obviously smaller and sleeker. I was told it is about 7 pounds lighter, and it felt like it to me.
Then I simply slid the new exhaust on, tightened the upper and lower bolts in the mount, and it was done!
Continued...
We would like to get feedback on the installation instructions, ease of fit and installation for the average rider, performance of the bike, functionality, noise (with and without the baffle) of the exhaust. We have done testing on our GS, and with a couple bikes out here in the west, but we need some real feedback with everyday riders.
A couple of tidbits about the exhaust. The canister is of thicker stainless than any muffler for the GS currently, and we did this to add to the longevity of the pipe. The batting can be repacked, and we estimate this to be every 15-20k miles, depending on riding conditions. The subframe bracket is reinforced with a doubler on the inside of the pipe, and adds to the rigidity of the attachment point. The pipe will not wiggle as a strapped pipe would. The internal baffle can be removed for a bit more performance, we have the dyno curves on our site.
We didn't set out to be the least expensive pipe out there, we wanted a more robust product that would stand the abuse and years of wear and tear that some folks will put on their GS.
Also, these pipes were made specifically for the 05, 06 GS, but they will fit the 07's as well. The small difference is these pipes have the center stand rubber stop bracket, which is welded and attached to the pipe. The 07's eliminated this bracket. We are working on the 07 model now, but we will not see production until another 60 days.
While I am an average rider, I am generally an outspoken critic of the value of an aftermarket exhaust, and always dislike loud exhausts. So I agreed to do this test, and was very careful to try to keep an open mind.
A few days later the pipe arrived at my door very well packed:
In the plastic wrap.
In a nice box packed with foam peanuts.
And in a sealed plastic wrap with parts in a separate bag.
The parts, and the pipe are very nice looking, with a high quality finish.
I decided to preassemble the pipe for installation.
Adding the heat shield for the elbow pipe.
Added the adapter to fit the R1200GS. These parts are very clean, and beautifully machined.
Then I began to remove the stock pipe by loosening the 14mm bolt holding the main clamp. Mine was a bit rusty and sticky. But it came loose pretty easily.
This is all the looser you need to make it.
Here is the upper strap mount. It never fit as cleanly as I would have liked on the Jesse mount, but always held fine.
Here is a view of the back side of the Jesse mount.
I cheated here, this is me ÔÇ£removingÔÇØ the Jesse bolt to the ÔÇ£stockÔÇØ muffler.
Then you simply twist and wiggle the old pipe off. Mine came off easily.
Here are both pipes next to each other. The Offenbach is obviously smaller and sleeker. I was told it is about 7 pounds lighter, and it felt like it to me.
Then I simply slid the new exhaust on, tightened the upper and lower bolts in the mount, and it was done!
Continued...