75 XS650 Exhaust question

[mrmach5]

Recently acquired a really nice low miles 1975 XS Black and Gold . Excellent condition, but needs a couple details worked out to get it back to stock. It has a 80's XS seat on it and XS special handlebars on it,, already have got the correct seat and lower bars in hand. The exhaust is the only other detail to work out. The stock head pipes are in excellent shape but connect to some aftermarket short slash cut straight pipes, and too loud for my taste. I'm looking at the Mikes XS Commando Mufflers 07-0065 . Wanting to see if anyone has had experience with these and do they install to stock header pipes without and major hassle.

The description says " Fits: to 1.5" inlet (38.5mm.) OD headpipes (no reducer sleeves) and includes a hanger strap and clamp. Steel non-removable baffle"
I measured and the OD on my pipe and looks good for fit. Any issues with the side and center stands?
Thanks in advance.

 

[nj1639]

On stock double wall head pipes you may have an issue. Check your headers and see if there's an inner pipe as the outer, chrome pipe was dressing.

 

[XSLeo]

With the mufflers you have off, look up into the headers, it should have the inner pipe taper up to the outer pipe. The outer pipe should have a slight taper down to the inner pipe., The two pipes should be sealed together at the end.
The 75 stock mufflers had a large nut on them. A crush fit gasket went between this nut and the muffler. With the nut loose, as in when everything was new, the muffler slipped on to the head pipe. Once you had the muffler on you put in the support bolts to the frame and rear peg mounts. Then you tightened the muffler nut. This crushed the gasket to seal to the pipe.
The head pipes on all years was a two pipe system, An inner pipe of about 1 1/8 inches diameter, the outer pipe was about 1 3/4 inch diameter and was more of a heat shield and was chrome plated to look good. The reason they used this two pipe system was to prevent the outer pipe from discoloring from heat. If you look closely at your head pipes you will find a small hole just ahead of where the mufflers slip on, this is a moisture drain. A bit harder to see are the holes up by the head. There are several in the outer pipe just enough under the finned ring that holds the head pipe to the engine.
On the 75 there was no cross over between the mufflers, they started that in 76.
A lot of the folks on here run those Commando style mufflers and like the look and sound.
The only thing I can add to this is the clamp the seals the muffler to the head pipe is not very strong. I would recommend going to a Harley shop and buying there muffler clamps. They are a very strong clamp. Last time I checked they were around $10 each. The steel the strap part is made from is very thick. It uses a 3/8 bolt to do the clamping.
I have after market mufflers with home built head pipes on my 75. I used 1 1/2 inch pipe and upped the last few inches to 1 3/4 inch to hook the mufflers on. The cheapo clamps that came with the mufflers make good paper weights but not much else. No matter how much I tightened them they still leaked.
I had a set of Harley clamps from when I put new mufflers on my Harley. No more leaks.
Here's a pic, not the but you can see how the clamp is made.
Leo