September 2020
Another T160 returns.
This one had featured a 3 into 1 exhaust system which prohibited the use of a mainstand, which was a source of annoyance. I had a complete and unique 'Legend' exhaust system built and supplied by Les Williams while he was personally building 'Legends' out of T150 and T160 donor bikes, but I had found it lacking in cornering clearance so had removed it in favour of a rather trick 3 into 4 into 1 that a friend built and which gave me all the clearance I could use.
The Legend system had sat around in my shed(s) for about 30 years, and my friend saw it and asked what was happening with it. We talked and I swapped it for a mint T140 fuel tank that he had and was spare. I had no use for it, but it seemed like something of equivalent value.
So, the Legend exhaust ended up on this bike, and it seemed that the tuning was a little at odds with the transition. There was also a problem with the electric starter, so that needed to be removed for troubleshooting.
The tuning was quite straightforward but the seat and tank came off for the starter job. It was found that the outer end bush had broken up, so my friend made up a new one, and it all got fitted back together.
So the only photos I got of this intervention were the after shots, and these are they.
The Legend mufflers are slightly reminiscent of Laverda style units, and they mount on a steeper angle than the original T160 blackcaps.
They make a pleasing but not excessive sound and save a lot of weight.
The problem was that this system was designed as a replacement setup for the later T160 with rubber mounted footpegs, so the collector was made wider and lower to clear those features.
You can see in this photo that particular design aspect, but as this bike has the early solid mount footpegs which are higher and narrower, there is a large airspace between the collector pipes and the footpegs.
A moderate amount of reworking the collector would transform this one problem area, but that would then require rechroming and the whole thing would likely blow out from a price perspective. Would look brilliant though.
However, from some angles it is not so apparent, and it performs well and still manages to provide enough ground clearance on this bike.
So my time came to an end with this bike, and it went home and made it's owner happy. That has to be the main course.
This was it's final night at my place.
We ride together quite a bit. It goes great.