Downpipes quality/price difference?

[AdeyT]

I am going to replace the rusty blowing downpies on my ZZR600 in the next fortnight and have been searching around for prices etc. Dearest I have found is Motad starting at £260 and cheapest is Delkevic (on Ebay) at £169 Both new and although they are both stainless steel the Motad looks better but no one is going to see them anyway, also the Motad mentions a collector box in the title, not exactly sure what that is and if this makes it different from the Delkevic.

Big difference in price but will there be a big difference in quality?

The previous owner already changed the silencers to Delkevic and they look ok to me.

[DeeJ]

I had some Delkelvic downpipes for my FZR600, mainly because I live 5 miles away from DK where there sold from.

The welds are not the prettiest I've seen, and they took abit of persuading to fit inline to the cylinders.

But saved myself £100 compared to the next brand. And it was well worth the extra hour spent to fit them.

I know my mate fitted some to his ZZR600 about 2 months ago, and he had to cut the bracket off for the centre stand to get them to fit

[AdeyT]

I had some Delkelvic downpipes for my FZR600, mainly because I live 5 miles away from DK where there sold from.

The welds are not the prettiest I've seen, and they took abit of persuading to fit inline to the cylinders.

But saved myself £100 compared to the next brand. And it was well worth the extra hour spent to fit them.

I know my mate fitted some to his ZZR600 about 2 months ago, and he had to cut the bracket off for the centre stand to get them to fit

 

Really appreciate the reply, I'm one for spending a bit more and saving myself a bit of time and hassle. Definately don't want to start modifying the bike to suit the exhaust.

Thanks

[megawatt]

The collector box is the piece where the four pipes join together and join to the link pipe and eventually the silencer. The collector is usually the part where the exhaust fails and I've replaced a few for people with chromed mild steel ones, that turn to rust and fall apart. You should be OK with stainless as long as the welding is adequate. Got any links or pix of what you are thinking of buying?

[AdeyT]

The collector box is the piece where the four pipes join together and join to the link pipe and eventually the silencer. The collector is usually the part where the exhaust fails and I've replaced a few for people with chromed mild steel ones, that turn to rust and fall apart. You should be OK with stainless as long as the welding is adequate. Got any links or pix of what you are thinking of buying?

 

Just curious why the Motad mentioned the collector box in the title when the Delkevic didn't, is the Delkevic a slightly different arrangement?

Bit peed off hearing of the above problems with Delkevic, don't want to take a gamble of them not fitting properly or having to hack something off my bike to make them fit so I'll have to fork out the extra £90 for the Motad downpipes.

Here are the links to the downpipes, going by the pics, the Motad looks better quality, the Delkevic welding looks tarnished and not polished up, wouldn't of minded about the looks as they wouldn't be seen, as long as they were manufactured right and fit ok.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kawasaki-ZZR600-E ... 41599937f9

http://www.bitzforbikes.co.uk/Motad_Sta ... 2-196.html

[Stu]

the delkevic pipes are pretty good my brother got some for his bandit and they bolted straight up with no problems at all

if i was in the market for new down pipes thems the ones i would get

as mega says the collector is the part where all pipes join up both pipes have this so nothing to worry about there

[DeeJ]

Even after what i've said, go for the delkelvic pipes, you can't really go wrong for the price.

That extra £90 could buy you a shiny new end can

[AdeyT]

Even after what i've said, go for the delkelvic pipes, you can't really go wrong for the price.

That extra £90 could buy you a shiny new end can

 

Yeah £90 is quite a difference, I have the cost of gaskets, seals and clamps on top of the downpipes to consider, also according to the manual the radiator and oil cooler has to come off, gonna try and move them out of the way but if not then there's coolant and oil on the shopping list.

Delkevic it is, but if I need to start hacking bits of my bike then the downpipes will get thrown back at em.

Thanks for all the replies. I'l let you know how I get on weekend after next.

[DeeJ]

Even after what i've said, go for the delkelvic pipes, you can't really go wrong for the price.

That extra £90 could buy you a shiny new end can

 

Yeah £90 is quite a difference, I have the cost of gaskets, seals and clamps on top of the downpipes to consider, also according to the manual the radiator and oil cooler has to come off, gonna try and move them out of the way but if not then there's coolant and oil on the shopping list.

Delkevic it is, but if I need to start hacking bits of my bike then the downpipes will get thrown back at em.

Thanks for all the replies. I'l let you know how I get on weekend after next.

 

delkelvic send you copper gaskets with their pipes. Just a straight swap with the old ones. The only thing you may notice is your end can may sit differently, but things can easily be persuaded into place.

And ye normally the coolers and rads are on rubber gromits that can be moved as long as theres plenty of play in the pipes.

[megawatt]

They didn't bother to polish up the welds on the Delkevic, but it's not a difficult job to get em looking like chrome. They look better than the Motad with those ugly balance pipes !!!

[DeeJ]

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n281/djowen01/IMAG0098.jpg

These are my delkelvic pipes.

Look at the shiny, shiny.

[AdeyT]

They didn't bother to polish up the welds on the Delkevic, but it's not a difficult job to get em looking like chrome. They look better than the Motad with those ugly balance pipes !!!

 

As I'v mention most of the downpipes wont be seen. Are the "balance pipes" the bars at the front crossing the pipes? would of thought it better without, more room to maneuver and a bit more flexability if they don't just fit right.

[AdeyT]

love the shiny

Contacted Delkevic and all gasket, seals etc are included in the price

[AdeyT]

Just an update.

Ordered from Delkevic 3:30pm Tuesday, came 10am Wednesday. Got home from work around 6pm and thought I would just remove the lower and side fairings and give the nuts/studs a good blast with wd40 and leave to soak for a day or two, ended up almost fit by 10:30pm. The nuts and studs looked in really good condition so thought I would have a go unfastening them, half an easy turn and then I could undo them with the fingers, it was like they were just put on the day before . Only little problems I had was getting the new pipes to insert into the head, they were very slightly out so I just filed a lead in chamfer on each of the pipes, took about 10 mins, also one of the two clamps sent with the exhaust was the wrong size, I'll give them a ring today and Im sure they'll send another out.

Didn't need to take off the oil cooler and radiator just unfastened them so I could move them a little.

Anyways I was on the driveway and getting dark so ran out of time, just need to tighten everything up, warm the engine up, check for leaks etc and replace the fairings, hopefully no leaks and the new exhaust won't foul the fairings then I'll be a very happy chappy. Thanks again for the replies.

[megawatt]

Pix please mate? Especially the collector box and silencer fittings? Thanks.

Any chance of your old collector , so I can make one for another member???

[AdeyT]

Pix please mate? Especially the collector box and silencer fittings? Thanks.

Any chance of your old collector , so I can make one for another member???

 

The downpipes are on the bike but I'll take some pics best I can before I put the fairing back on tonight.

As for the old pipes I was gonna have a go at repairing them and flogging them, if I can be arsd and get round to it, if I change my mind they are yours but it will be costly/hassle getting them from Bradford.

[megawatt]

Only want the collector/4 into 1 mate. Royal mail Standard parcels = £5 ???