Some exhaust ideas...

[medger]

My bike looks like it is straight out of Mad Max. I have a Cafe style fairing, the bars are chopped and low to fit with the fairing, original blinkers have been removed and replaced with small side markers, emblems are gone and smoothed over, paint scheme is flat black with some red accents. One thing that just POPS when I look at an early model Nighthawk is the  4- 4 exhaust. Its just something you don't see very often. Problem; it is virtually impossible to replace these with a new 4-4.  My pipes are fine, just a little surface rust, but my mufflers are dented in several places. I was thinking 4 universal megaphone mufflers to replace the old, and some black header wrap so that the fresh new chrome doesn't clash with the not so new pipes. I will post pics of my bike soon so you will get a better feel for what I'm working with. I think this is a pretty solid idea, but I was wondering if a)there is any reason I should NOT do this and b)if not, what should I do?

[Laminar]

I assume people will be posting the typical old wives' tales about header wrap.

[ariwhiteboy]

Assuming you have decent fab/welding skills It should not be a huge ordeal for you to weld up new megaphones on you headers.  Just keep in mind that you will have to: fab up mount brackets to bolt them up, replace the exhaust gaskets if you remove the header, possible fab up a stop for the center stand.  Hard to really give you good feedback without seeing what you are working with, pics would be very helpful for us in a situation like this. 

[Bumblebee]

The original 4-4 in new condition are impossible to find unless someone has them hidden away in a box somewhere in the back of a barn. For some reason people who have good sets that they don't need and don't want would rather take a sawzall to them than sell them to you. These things are rare enough that someone could make an absolute killing selling them when they have them in near pristine or even decently used condition.

The new replacements are 4-1 but that won't look right and might interfere with the centerstand. Rumor has it there are 4-2 similar to the CB650 standard but I have yet to see any indication that they actually exist.

For a custom replacement of the mufflers, you'll need to insure there is an indentation to allow clearance on the lower left for the kickstand to fully retract. Other than that it should be a fairly straightforward replacement.

[medger]

Thanks for the quick feedback, I'll post pics in the morning. About the indentation, I'm not sure I will find a universal muffler with one. Have any ideas on how to carefully make an indentation that looks like it should be there rather than just looking like a regular old dent?

[Laminar]

I've always like the 4-into-4 with megaphones like this:

[ariwhiteboy]

Laminar, do you have any links to the Cafe' bike you just posted? 

[Laminar]

http://www.randakks.com/Randakk's%20Endurance%20Special.htm

[CelticFrost]

That GL is just wicked awesome 

[nighthawkned]

 

[gammer]

I've always like the 4-into-4 with megaphones

 

I had a Jardine 4-1 exhaust into a megaphone muffler on my 78 Suzuki GS550e and it sounded nice. Not as nice as a 4-4, but pretty nice.

[TDodge7]

I assume people will be posting the typical old wives' tales about header wrap.

Which wives tales are you speaking of ?

[Laminar]

Excessive rusting, cracking, or flammability because of the wrap.

[CaptainCrunch]

Damn there's that evil GL1000 cafe Bike again... That beast pops up EVERYWHERE!