DS full aftermarket exhuast system for the 500

[Oddjob]

I don't think Busso make the original looking pipes, I think they just source them from the manufacturers who make them for CMS, I'd say they just do the reverse cone silencers themselves.

[Nurse Julie]

I don't think Busso make the original looking pipes, I think they just source them from the manufacturers who make them for CMS, I'd say they just do the reverse cone silencers themselves.

Busso do manufacture the original style 4 into 4 pipes. People that I know have taken delivery of them recently and they're very impressed with the quality. They are double skinned also. I'll post a link in a while.
https://www.bussostore.com/en/collections/honda/products/marmitte-honda-replica-originali-cb500k0k1k2-four

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[Oddjob]

I don't see a single claim by Busso that says they make them. They do however sell at lot of replica bits clearly sourced from other websites, the exhaust clamps are from DS, as I suspect are the hanger brackets and the exhaust gaskets show Honda part numbers.

I'm left wondering why IF they make the original exhausts they bothered to make reverse cone copies. My opinion is they made these before copies became available again some years ago and kept selling them as they already had the tooling in place. The other things which makes me suspect they don't make them is why not just make the silencer part as they do for the reverse cone ones, they list downpipes for the 500 but it clearly states when you click on them that they are for the 350-4

[deltarider]

4-4 silencers have been available from Italian companies like Busso, Mecadapo and MIVV since long, Oddjob. Designed by them, they were not that expensive as you used the original headers. Relatively seen, it's not been that long that people became interested in buying the real stuff: the repro's that are identical to the originals. Customers are often older now, have more money and care less about the cost.
I've profited enormously when I bought four new OEM exhausts begin 90s. One dealer offered me two new exhausts for then € 40,- each. Was he making a loss? No, he was just annoyed with still having them in the basement of his store. Here's why. Back in the 70s quite some customers ordered a new CB500 Four on condition the dealer would replace the 4-4 by a 4-1, mind you before the bike even had left the showroom! So quite some dealers had OEM exhausts left over which had never been in use. A third one I got for € 60,-, again new. Also from a dealer who had got tired of storing it for a customer that would never come. The fourth I ordered new but with a 20% discount. After I had fitted these four new ones, the janitor was happy to buy my old set which had served some 75.000 km. I let him have them for € 50,- in total. All this illustrates how perception and appreciation can vary over the years...

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Just posting here again as in the new year I need to decide on an exhaust system. ATM the options are as follows.

1) Replica original - I have no brackets so this is going to be circa £1350 ish from DS with aftermarket brackets.

2) Marvin system £435 plus brackets?

3) SS Delkevic £350.

Does the Marvin system work on standard jets etc?

[AshimotoK0]

Just posting here again as in the new year I need to decide on an exhaust system. ATM the options are as follows.

1) Replica original - I have no brackets so this is going to be circa £1350 ish from DS with aftermarket brackets.

2) Marvin system £435 plus brackets?

3) SS Delkevic £350.

Does the Marvin system work on standard jets etc?

If it was me Ted I would dig deep and go for the DS/CMS replicas. The additional cost is just an investment really as having them  fitted will add that value onto your bike if you ever decided to sell IMHO

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Oddly enough my BiL has just visited - he talked me out of the Marvin option on the basis of it being neither fish nor flesh - in my heart I know the four pipe replica is the route makes sense in terms of parting with it in the future as Ash has said - as DS is UK based probably easier if there are any issues with transit damage.

I'm thinking even the chrome on a replica will outlive me - I should have kept my old system to get the bike up & running - it would be an ordeal to fit the four pipe system then have to take it all off if I sprung an oil leak on the block or head.

Another option might be to go for the Delkevic system to run the bike next summer then fit the 4-4 system next winter if all is well - might be a market for a hardly used Delkevic.

Anyone have a spare Delkevic for a 500 they want to part with?

[Sesman]

Hi, Ted. Personal choice as always, but  I’d be inclined to go for the 4into 4. My mate had a Marvin way back in the late 70s. It sounded great initially, but after a few 50 mile round trips to college it all became something of an aural assault. He changed back to the 4 into 4 pretty quickly.

As for cost vs value vs aesthetic's, you know the drill…..

Merry Christmas.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Even though you are probably out in the Ocean somewhere Phil I know you are right - it's going to be the 4 into 4.

How much better off I would be had I bought your 500 when the opportunity was there, that said as it's about the build more than the ride in my case. IIRC the new owner of your 500 has since sold it - must be a Teflon bike.

[Oddjob]

Oddly enough Ted I think removing the original 4 into 4 is easier than doing a 4 into 1, you can do them one at a time, so less weight, you can just remove one if that's all that needed for whatever job you're doing, plus removing a single pipe means less chance of damage  to the frame paintwork.

The other advantages are noise, the engine runs better, the final look, the ease of maintenance, some need removing to access the oil filter but they were old systems like the Piper, not sure if that's the case these days and the final advantage is it adds value, it doesn't take it away.

Don't forget the balance tubes at the rear as well as the brackets AND the stand rubber.

If I was giving one piece of advice to anyone fitting an original system it would be to check the side stand, if it's bent (and most are from hitting the road when it's left down) it will clobber the number 1 pipe as it goes up, eventually you'll have a nice little dent there which sort of ruins the look. Plus it scratches the chrome allowing rust etc to start to form. Same for the main stand, some reports of the copy systems not having the bump stop located correctly and this means it doesn't contact the stand correctly, best to check it does and fix the problem if it doesn't. This was on the first run of these pipes so maybe that fault was identified and fixed.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Thanks Ken - I copied and pasted one of your previous posts about how to fit, order etc

Hang the cost I'm going for the 4/4 I know it makes sense. Am I right in thinking the exhaust is very quiet - just what I liked about my old 250 Dream.

[Oddjob]

Yes Ted, very quiet until you really start the wring the engines neck, then a sort of muted howl starts, it's so nice you're tempted to keep the engine redlined just to hear it. At no point will your ears start to bleed. The neighbours will love you.

[Sesman]

As Ken has stated. The 4 x 4 sounds great when you give it the beans….really nice, without being antisocial.

Solomon Islands on the 17th January…..

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I do recall Honda's purring past my Scooters back in the day.👍👍👍

[Oddjob]

I've just looked at the Busso copies again, I'm still of the opinion that they are just bought in, as in NOT made by them, to avoid anyone saying they've been making silencers for the 500 for many years I will admit they have been doing just that, however not these type, they didn't start to appear on their website until the 2nd set of copies made there appearance a few years ago now, the things that make me suspect they are just bought in copies is that they have gone to great lengths NOT to show the rear of the silencers, I strongly suspect that because they didn't want to show all the writing on the back of them, the same writing that Honda put on the 374 copies that didn't appear on the 323 copies, plus the engraving identifying them as 323 silencers is still there, just where the silencer meets the down pipe, IF it was being made by them why would they go to such trouble, plus they may have infringed copyright by doing that as it clearly say HM323, again the angle of the pictures is such that you struggle to make out the engraving but you can see it if you look closely.

I'm not saying what they are doing is wrong, far from it, they don't claim to make them, I've re-read the blurb repeatedly, all that infers they do is the reference to OUR collectors. The original manufacturers of these pipes is still using the same presses that were used to supply the original pipes to Honda, I've read reports these were sold to a Chinese company many years ago, whether the right to include the HM323 stamping was also transferred is not known, it may have been or maybe they came to an agreement with Honda to be able to use it.

The cost of the Busso system however is competetive, maybe even cheaper than CMS, not sure if the import duties would make them cheaper than DS though. Worthwhile comparing though Ted.

Just noticed one thing about the Busso version, at first read you think the price includes the 4 brackets and the balance rubbers and the stand rubber but when you really study it all is says is that they are available to buy, not that they are included in the price, be aware of that before buying.