Featured My X-pipe Is Installed... Whew.

Well, it took me almost 9 hours but I finally have my TEC x-pipe installed. That included a run to the shop for a monster Torx bit, a few runs back to my computer for research and some chatting with my pals over Zoom, so not exactly my best book rate. I spent some time arsing around with my engine bars, skid plate and sw motech bag brackets, farkles which all had to be r&r'd, as well as a tappa tappa exhaust leak when I was "finished" which would not do.

Some observations:

This install is a fiddly pain in the a$$. That upper frame nut behind the wiring is hard to reach. Now I know why my dealer estimated $500+ for the install. You guys talking about £100 installs are getting a screaming deal. Average dealer labor here in Denver metro is $140/hr.

The v-clamps on the rear sections of the exhaust were just the worst. They took probably an hour on each side to get them back in. Terrible design. I kept asking myself "why are these designed to be so difficult?" %@&! the idiot who designed them and the sadistic $@*+÷$ who chose them for this bike. There is an inner graphite ring with a thin metal cap. Once the two seperate, it's neigh impossible the get the clamp to seat over this. I ended up bending the prongs on the exhaust out of the way so I could rotate the nuts to an easier angle to reach and then seating half the hindged clamp in place. I then used a wide flat screwdriver to hold that side while I seated the other side of the hinged clamp. Then I called upon the old gods and the new as I tried to get the bolt through the bracket. They couldn't have made that bolt 1cm longer, really? Were I ever to do this again, I would just buy different clamps from the start. In rage googling on how to seat these blasted things, I noticed that British Customs supplies new clamps with their x-pipes. Hey George, add $10 and include new clamps with your kit.

The nuts holding my headers to the block were barely finger tight when I went to take them off. Also, I was able to pull the midpipe from the cat without losening the bolt on the right side. This bike was purchased used with 6kmi on it, but I don't believe a previous owner would have done these things. They either worked loose or were set poorly during assembly stateside. (Bets anyone? Next time I am bored in the stealership I am going to poke a few of these around the showroom. Keep in mind they charge you a $595 non-negotiable destination fee on new Triumphs to assemble them here.)

I didn't know the proper torque settings for the header bolts, but I found a thread on a bobber forum that said 6 ft lbs each to start, and then 9 ft lbs final. That and tightening the living crap out of the damn v clamps made my exhaust ticking stop - yay!

I did allow the bike to run at idle from cold to hot for ~15 min twice after install. I believe this made a noticable difference in general. The bike was less choppy at low speed and I can't see how the xpipe would have done that by itself. I may start doing that seasonally. I am at 5280+ feet over sea level, and have had to remap bikes and cars for the Denver metro altitude before. Seems so simple, but when do you ever leave your bike running untouched for 15 min from a cold start? In 16 yrs of riding, probably never for me.

Now that it's all said and done - I am glad I did it. There is a deeper grumble, and yes, a little popping to frighten cagers into looking up from their phones. According to my official, uncalibrated seat of the pants dyno there is a noticable power improvement in lower gear, although tbh, (don't tell the missus) the 1200 didn't necessarily need it. It seems to have lowered my cruising rpm slightly IDK. I found myself using 4th gear more than before while on our equalivlent of B roads, going around 55mph/88kph.

It's loud. Louder than any bike I've had before but still tolerable as it's most noticable under hevy throttle. I may look into putting some baffles into my V&Hs. The bike came to me without them. I get a richer smell and a bit of white smoke out of the pipes, but that's why my garage has windows.

I am curious if the Distance to Empty reading is still accurate. (If it ever was..?)

If you like to wrench, have $200 to spare, ample time and a stock of your preffered beverage, I say go for it. For a little more power and a lot more rumble, I am sure I will forget my few hours of profanities in time. Just get better clamps.

 

I was concerned 1/2 through that I wouldn't like it... fortunately I do. Took it out for a spin today and I like it even more.

 

Mine settled out after a bit. I believe the bike can automatically set the air/fuel ratio if you turn it on and let it run for 15min in neutral without touching the throttle. (Which is surprisingly hard to do, lol seriously just start it and let it run, don't blip it) Now it rarely pops.