Fitting exhaust & silencer problems

Information relating to the Matchless G5 or AJS Model 8 350cc Lightweight
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Roderick
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Posts: 168
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
Location: WEST YORKSHIRE UK

Fitting exhaust & silencer problems

Post by Roderick »

I bought an exhaust & silencer for the 1961 Model 8 from a long standing & well known purveyer of such items for classic & vintage bikes. In my experience after many motorcycle rebuilds of different makes, sometimes this firm's systems roughly fit & sometimes not at all. This time not at all!

Sometimes, careful application of a little brute force & ignorance will get their exhausts to fit well enough. I'm also resigned to making up custom brackets to finally attach their systems to the frame because even when the pipe goes on the bike, the pipe bracket for attaching to the frame is never ever located in the right place.

However, the particular exhaust pipe I'm dealing with has a bend that leaves it lying approx. 2" below the entrance to the silencer (which for its part is about the same distance short of where it ought to be for the exhaust/silencer clamp to connect as it should to the original rear bracket attaching to the frame). Two inches is just too much to bend an exhaust pipe into place & chrome plating wouldn't bend without cracking anyway. This is in addition to the exhaust bend not really looking like the original AMC one, e.g. the pipe comes straight out of the cylinder head for about 3 - 4 inches before the bend starts.

I have seen photos of recently restored 350 cc Lightweights which have obviously been fitted with this same exhaust pipe & wonder how it was managed or whether individual products from this manufacturer vary sufficiently for some to somehow fit but others not.

Has anybody encountered similar problems fitting an exhaust to this model or have any answers?

Rod
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