Saving a '81 KZ750-E

Just got the cylinder head torqued down.

And you want us to believe you haven’t mocked up the exhaust yet?

Two steps forward, three steps back. I love the exhaust system, the muffler mount, well, not so much...

Oh man! I feel ya. I have had setbacks also.

Can’t you just put a flexible connector between the muffler and the collector... :silly: kidding

Well, I am certainly NOT modifying the swing arm again... this shouldn't be too difficult to fix. It may entail bending the mount bracket, or at worst some cutting and welding.

Welcome to the world of custom motorcycle fabrication....... Been There Done That!!!!

I am not being sarcastic, its just the way it seems to be!!!!! Like you said, two steps forward, three steps back!!!!

I lost track of all the late night hours I have spent making something then to find out it ain't going to work with everything else I put together!!!

Over the years I have learned to just walk away from it for a few hours or a few days.

There! I fixed it. No more clearance issues! My neighbors won't like me much anymore, though... :silly:

Just shut down a block away and coast into the driveway. I did that when I was late coming home in the 80’s when my 900 LTD had a Kerker with modified baffle...

Mikaw wrote: Just shut down a block away and cost into the driveway. I did that when I was late coming home in the 80’s when my 900 LTD had a Kerker with modified baffle...

AHAHAHAHAHA!!! I did the same thing!

Funny story - my car had broken down, so a friend let me use his '80 KZ750 for transportation. Well, a couple of beers (I was young and stupid back then) later, and I ended up riding home in the rain. I was a mile or so away from home and got red lighted by a cop. The liquid brave kicked in, and I was determined not to get a DUI. So I outran the cop home. I made it through the gate into my backyard a couple of seconds before he came into visual. And yes, I shut it down and had all the lights off coasting up to the gate. The adrenaline didn't taper off for about an hour! Yeah, we all probably have stories of stupid shit we did growing up... :whistle:

This was the bike on the right that I pulled that stupid stunt with...

In a game of inches, or fractions thereof, take what you can. For starters I can make another 3/8" or so by moving the mount bracket closer to the muffler. Two cuts on each side, the weld it back on. All taped and marked up, ready to cut and weld. I will gain more room by bending the bracket that bolts to the footpeg bracket. I can only go so far before the nut contacts the muffler body. I may put a strategic dent in the muffler to recess the nut farther to gain a little more space.