How to Make Motorcycle Exhaust Kits

A motorcycle exhaust kit consist of a header pipe, a muffler and a tailpipe. Typically, street bikes will have a chrome finish while most dirt bike exhaust are anodized or finished with a high-heat paint. If you wish to make these exhaust kits, you'll need hydraulic and automated tools in order to do so.

What You'll Need:

• Exhaust tubing (specified diameter)


• 1/8-inch plate steel


• Sheet metal (alloy)


• Packaging supplies

1. Mark a length of the exhaust tubing at each of the points where the bends are specified. Generally, street headers have a bend on the upper end as well as where the pipe connects to the exhaust manifold with another that positions the lower portion of the header at the motorcycle frame.


2. Insert a single end of the pipe into the hydraulic tubing bender. Bend the tubing to the specified angles at the marked locations. Verify the angle of each bend utilizing a mechanical or digital angle square.


3. Cut the pipe to length by using an automated tubing cutter. Position the upper end of the pipe into the flaring tool. Flare a single end of the pipe for attachment to the exhaust manifold on the motorcycle.


4. Cut the tailpipe section of the exhaust per the manufactures instructions.


5. Fabricate each of the brackets that connect the tailpipe section to the motorcycle frame using a 1/8-inch plate steel. Bore all of the brackets for the attachment bolts and weld the brackets to the tailpipe section at the location specified by the manufacturer.


6. Seal the open ends of the header and tailpipe using an expanding nylon or composite plug. Put the header and the exhaust pipe sections on a rack and submerse the sections into the electroplating section.


7. Cut a piece of sheet metal alloy for the muffler using a hydraulic sheet metal cutter and place a piece of sheet metal in a tapered roll. Roll the piece of sheet metal alloy into the specified configuration of the muffler.


8. Insert the baffles into the muffler and weld each baffle into place using four electro-welds that are evenly spaced on the outer perimeter of the muffler.


9. Seal the open ends of the muffler using expanding nylon or composite plugs. Put the muffler on a rack and submerse it in the electro-plating solution. Rinse the chrome muffler with fresh water and remove the plugs.


10. Wrap the individual chrome exhaust pipe sections and muffler for protection. Package the kit in a durable shipping carton and include installation instructions along with a specification sheet.