Blastphemy ? pipes of different manufacturers - filling paragraphs

[greenjeans]

Now before I get too deep in this, I am a big believer in "You get what you pay for"

  1. Can we start a discussion about the pipes that are on ebay - from Vietnam ?   Blastphemy ?  Are they really that bad ?

  2.  Honda paragraph HM300's - you can pick these up pretty easily for just over $1100 bucks - brand new.  At the Barber Vintage festival, I had an old-time chrome guy tell me that you could fill the writing and then re-chrome.   Not sure if you'd end up spending as much or more than the mythical no-no pipes from Yamiya.   I'm also curious as to what you'd fill the writing/stamping with ?   Lead ?

Anyone ever heard or tried this method ?

[Steve Swan]

During the "triple" chrome plate process, the first layer is copper.  A good plater will pool copper to fill minor defects.  I've no experience with the Vietnamese exhaust

[greenjeans]

Tenative new plan -

Buy new Honda 300 exhausts from dealer $1000 + tax (I buy alot of stuff from my dealer so he is willing to give me a small discount)  then, drop ship them (he has doesn't have them in stock, so I can save on some shipping costs) to the chrome plater I know in Georgia.    He will fill the paragraphs and re-chrome the pipes for $100 each (smoking deal I think) and ship them back to me.    Only works because the pipes are clean and un-used.
Just have to get him to remember to take the baffles out first  

So....in theory, I could have a nice new shiney set of Honda No-No pipes for approximately $1500 - $1600 - almost half the cost of the Yamiya pipes.



Input and other ideas/suggestions greatly appreciated.

[markb]

That would be half of the cost of Lotus Roots, if you could get them, but Yamiya has No No. pipes for just under $2,000 (including baffles) plus shipping of course.  I guess you'd still save at least $500 and if they look good that doesn't sound like a bad plan.  Anyone know if there are some subtle differences (other than the markings) between the No No. and the HM300's?
Another thought, unless you're going for super correct, you could just run the 300s.  We all know it's impossible to exactly correct pipes and I for one wouldn't have a problem with them.  The only downside would be that once you run them you probably would be able to replate later.
Mark 

[greenjeans]

Yeah - I've been eyeballing the Yamiya stuff for a couple weeks now.  $2000 + $330 shipping, + import duties and fees (not sure how much those are)  + baffles.

The Honda pipes that I could get from a dealer are supposedly made in Japan for Honda - who knows.  You'd think that the quality would be close to that of Yamiya.

I'm still on the fence on restoration.  Pipes are definitely the biggest investment.    If it were just me - I'd just slap a set of HM300 paragraphs on there and call it done.

$1500 vs $3000  - The difference could buy me a zinc plating system, my paint, lower half of the airbox and 2 fork ears.   That's pretty much all I'd need for a good

restoration.   


What do you think the value would be between 3 identically finished bikes - 1 with the Yamiya pipes, 1 with HM 300 paragraphs and 1 that has HM 300 paragraphs with the
paragraph and the HM300  stamp removed and re-chromed ?   Think there would be any difference ?   Would it just be the difference in replacing the pipes ?


My brain hurts.   Haven't thought this much on one subject in years 

[markb]

The Yamiya price includes the baffles.  Not much help, I know.
I'm guessing the difference in value would be about what the difference in the price of the pipes is.  Just a guess, I'm sure others will weigh in.

[kp]

The Honda pipes have the paragraphs but also have other pressings on the LH pipes where they go under the motor and gear lever. The Yamiya pipes are no nonsense and are bolt on You can also buy the dull heat shields at the same time and ship in the same box. For me I would pay the extra and save the trouble. Just my view KP.

[Steve Swan]

I agree with what Mark & KP have written.  I'm afraid by the time you've spent a dollar for the efforts of making new prod.HM300 paragraphs look like original "no.no" exhaust, you'll have saved a little more than a dime.  It's difficult to answer "what's it worth" fitting this exh.set or that exh.set, given bike valuations are subjective and market is fickle (at least for now.)  Perhaps, the question is, what do you plan to do with the bike?  If riding it on even a somewhat regular basis is planned, it's going get road wear.  In that case (for me) the common sense thing would be to put on a set of new production oem HM300 paragraphs and be done with it.  They're relatively inexpensive, they look great, sound original.  If you're going for a no holds barred perfectly correct restoration, then (for me) Yamiya's are the only choice.  At this moment, Lotus Roots are not available, so unless another group of members get together to propose to Yamiya another LR prod.run, getting a set of LR's is not an option.  Not sure "I" would want to spend $2k+ on a set of "no.no" last type Yamiya's, given they are not the exh.type used on your bike, although, one would then have a lovely like original set of unstamped exhaust that externally appear like original except for a taller welded seam.

Has anyone bought a set of the Vitnamese exhaust ?  I don't recall hearing any member reports of fit and appearance.  The pictures of exhaust in the Vietnamese ads, the chrome looks more shiny over all of the muffler than original.

I think i said, in the case of my 2157, because i am not restoring it and plan to use it as a rider, i opted for HM300 paragraphs.  For me, it was a practical choice.

Having your Georgia plater fill in the paragraphs and rechrome the set for $400, seems not an objectionable price for the modification, if that option can make sense for you.  Have him fill in the HM300 while he's at it and see if he can weld a plate over the #4 relief for a few more bucks, you're still under the $2k+ price for the "no.no" Yamiya's.  The 6mm hex screw holding the baffle is welded in, so not twisting off the screw to remove the baffle is the trick.

You said your brain hurts from all the thinking.  The diagnosis for these symptoms is sandcast fever.    

PS - There are no import duties or fees for goods shipped from Japan to USA.

[markb]

PS - There are no import duties or fees for goods shipped from Japan to USA.

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I had to pay some kind of duty when I bought my Lotus Roots from Yamiya.  I can't say for sure what it was but the Post Office had to get a check from me when they delivered them.  As I recall it was between $100-200.

[Steve Swan]

Hmm.  That's interesting.  I don't recall paying any fees to the Post Office for either pair of Yamiya exhaust i received.   Or, maybe, i've simply forgotten.  Perhaps the excitement of seeing the exhaust arriving outweighed any fee collected by post office.  I know i did not pay any fees on the airbox i just received.  For some reason, i thought goods from Japan to USA were duty free.  Hmm. 

[markb]

I know I have had orders from Yamiya too where I didn't have to pay anything.  Is it possible it would be for orders more than a certain dollar mount.  I bought 2 sets, it was an expensive order.

[Wayne]

Canada is the KING of collecting Duty! I have paid nothing on stuff brought in from Japan or the UK. They get me every time on stuff I purchase from the USA. I don't shop there any more. 

[Steve Swan]

Mark, i was wondering the same thing on dollar amount.  

i just don't remember paying any fees to receive the exhaust.  But, i tend to forget stuff like that.  Hmm.....  

Seems not that long ago, someone told me, goods exported from another country are tarriff/duty free.  

I did a quick web search and could find no info about tarriffs/duties on goods exported from another country to US.  

Not sure i understand the difference between import/export......  

If i order something from another country, is it being imported into the US?  

Or, when someone (say Yamiya) fills an order for me, are they exporting to US ?

Hmm.  This shouldn't be that difficult