How to Make Motorcycle Pipes

Motorcycle pipes can be built for any type of motorcycle using thin wall, high density steel piping and pipe benders. The practice of making pipes for a custom motorcycle has been around as long as custom bikes. You can create any size pipe, building an exhaust for your custom engine installed on any motorcycle frame. The pipes are bent to fit the orientation of your engine on the frame and your custom muffler system can be installed with them.

Things You'll Need

• Steel pipes Metal benders Markers

Instructions

1. Dry fit the end of the steel pipes to the engine exhaust to be sure they will fit into the engine.

2. Hold the pipe in place on the engine gasket and mark the spot of the first bend using a black marker.

3. Insert the pipe into the pipe bender with the black mark facing you over the middle of the bending mechanism.

4. Apply a heat source to the pipe, like a small blowtorch flame, then bend the pipe by pulling the bending lever. Be sure to use the proper angle of bend for your engine orientation.

5. Remove the pipe from the bender and fit it back into place on the engine block. Then make another mark for the next bend. Place the mark on the outside of the pipe and repeat Step 4 to complete the bend.

6. Re-fit the pipe to the engine block and then repeat Step 5 to complete the remaining bends until you pipes are finished.

Tips & Warnings

• Some pipe benders may not give you the right type of bend that you need. If you need to make a sharper angle bend, you should use another bending method. Insert the pipe into a vice, careful not to bend the pipe walls when you tighten the vice. Then heat and bend the pipe by hand until you get the shape you need.

• Do not over bend the pipes. If you have to bend the pipes backwards to adjust them, you could damage the pipes.

Resources

• Pipe bending machines
• Pipe bending machines