Fitting a Hitchcock's decat pipe to the BSA Goldstar 650 ‖ Now we have a big thumper...
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- Опубликовано: 28 мар 2024
- This video is a guide to fitting the Hitchcocks decat pipe to the BSA Goldstar 650, I will also discuss the improvements in engine noise and weight reduction. Spoiler: the results are very very impressive. Thanks 😊
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Great work and very interesting!
Thank you very much that's incredibly appreciated 👏.
Great job improvising to get the pipe back into shape! From the views, I see there's a lot of interest in aftermarket parts on the BSA, which is very cool! I saw an article on Cycle World this week about a Benda BD250. It's a little 250 V-Twin bobber that I think looks very similar to the Royal Enfield KX Concept bike from back in 2018.
Hi Mark, the views have gone a little bit crazy with this one. Mainly positive comments, a couple of idiots but that is the downside, when we do a video that does well people outside the core audience come in. With respect to the Benda I believe that is a brand sharing with Keeway which is a bike that I rode on the channel last year. It was called Keeway V cruise but the headlight said Benda... it was a really fun little video twin...
Nice job! Regarding crash protection, back in the day, my dad had a simple horizontal chrome bar on his bike in a similar position to your R&G bungs. I notice that Royal Enfield produce that type of guard (check out part no. 1990604 for pictures) and I wonder if you could fit something similar, maybe over the stub left by your crash bung.
Thanks Luddite, I was thinking of a steel spacer about 30mm just to bring the mount out past the header pipe then a longer bolt and refit the standard polyurethane bobbin back on. Wouldn't be as solid as factory but still not too bad. Will have to wait until back in the UK to have one made up. Cheers, Sean
Love the percussion engineering with 2 pieces of wood 😂
Beggars can't be choosers in this case 😂
Yes that's not ideal, but it worked good enough!
as below .. bit of carpet or card board sheet to save knees .. and baking tray for tools and parts :)
Thanks Clive. We actually had both those in the house I just forgot to use them 🙃 😅
@@MindfulMotorcyclist Listen to Clive!!! I'm 53 and my knees are toast as a consequence of kneeling on hard ground when I was younger. For the sake of a pair of knee pads or a cushion, don't end up like me. Not being able to kneel and having no strength in your knees really inhibits so many things that you never thought about.
Good choice Sean and it does sound more like original BSA plus is a sleeker overall look to the pipes. Well done.👍. Dan ✌️🏍🇨🇦
Hi Dan, thanks for the comment. I was only really fitting it to lighten the bike and remove unnecessary weight. The sound was an unexpected but very welcome surprise! Thanks.
Great videos have you seen any adjustable clutch or brake levers for the goldstar as i have a few hand problems and find the standard brake difficult to use
Thanks Gary. I haven't seen an option yet but I will keep an eye out if anything comes up. I know Hitchcocks are going to start rolling out the accessories for this bike and they might offer a solution.
Sounds like a real improvement on the stock pipe. I’m looking forward to hearing about what it’s like performance wise.
Thanks Nigel, I was going for weight saving, looks and perhaps a bit better longevity for the engine. I've got in addition a much improved noise and I think a smidge of extra performance. Either that or the engine has fully loosened up at 1200 miles. Very similar to the RE Meteor in that regard! For under £200 is a cracking upgrade! 👌
Hi Sean, Great to see you getting to the spanners on the BSA. Not a bike I've got to working on yet so interesting to see how these are assembled. One curiosity, I noticed something at 6:27 when removing the silencer. It seems the mount that was attached to the back of the pillion footpeg was quite deformed. Given the low mileage I'm trying to determine is this early signs of wear and tear due to the weight? Accident Damage? or Heat damage and the rubber isn't spec'd correctly?
Is this something you noticed?
Hi TheWurks! Let me start by saying I'm a mere tinkerer with bikes and not a man of your considerable talent when it comes to engines, I've enjoyed your Freddies Bonneville series. The silencer took a fair blow when I crashed it back in November, the metal tab welded onto the silencer at the rear that mounts to the rear passenger rhs footage was bent out of shape meaning the silencer sits closer to the bike than it should do also making the bolt at the front mounting point difficult to get into position. I've roughly bent the rear tab back, on the side of the road with no tools and so I could just about get it lined up correctly. So to answer in short it's accident damage really, the rubbers I will replace when I'm back in the UK. Thanks for the comment. Sean
Very good !
Thanks Nick!
Nice job Sean don't think I'm up to fitting it with my old back and knees but i do really like the sound. 5 kilos with my weight doesn't make a jot of difference but the sound and the looks are what interests me, excellent review.
Thank you Ian for the comment. The sound was a real surprise. I thought the baffle would keep it somewhat muted. I'm still running the standard silencer after all...
How about now taking the baffle out, the sound it would make would really be something.
Looks good what effect will it have on the four year warranty as i would like to fit one another great video my type of mechanic use whats to hand to get job done
Hi Gary, there is a risk that the warranty would be affected by such a modification. I suspect you would have to talk to the supplying dealer for full clarification. If the modification has nothing to do with the warranty claim I suspect you would be in good standing example (brake caliper claim and you've changed the exhaust). Manufacturers seem to keep the warranty deliberately opaque!
Nice addition Sean looks well sounds better will you now replace the silencer with a new standard one or just leave it since it works fine just having that little scrape or could that be polished out since it's stainless if there is enough thickness of metal and the scratches aren't to deep . 👌👍
Great question Crumbly, I do have a spare silencer in the shed that was kindly given to me post accident, I didn't fit it before we went away. I actually quite like the 'battle scars' and the skill and practice of repairing damaged or broken things. I've brought with me sandpaper of various grades and autosol as you say we could get that exhaust close to factory with time and effort. The main reason I would plan to change to the new item is the fit will be perfect, I don't want to have to wrestle with the thing if I am ever involved in replacing the exhaust again. It doesn't exactly line up perfectly and was a struggle to get in place but then I suppose what exhaust does line up perfectly 😃
Im going to get you a torque wrench for your birthday, loved watching someone else working 😂 Sounds great
Hahaha I do have one I think it's 10-50nm, I just took care not to strip the aluminium head threads. Christmas list would be a 30-100nm wrench... if you talk to Suzie 😂😂. Hope you're doing well!
I bet you don’t get him one.
Yes Brian you said it now! 😃😆🫢
nice they are making bsas again but the original ones made in the uk had awesome sound
I like the simple Ness of this short film…. So much reminded me of the maintenance back in the day when motorbikes were generally a young young man’s. Every day means of transport and had to do things on the hoof sometimes….. at first I thought oh how much difference would that make but what a considerable difference both on look and sound and I liked it a lot.
The only thing that I’m trying to get my head around, how might that affect the annual emissions test with the cat removed?
Thanks for your post great .
Thanks John appreciate the comment. I don't believe euro5 requires an emissions test over the lifetime of the vehicle. I looked up on the government website and read this: The only vehicles that do not have an emissions test as part of the MOT are:
vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels
vehicles with 2-stroke engines
hybrid vehicles
quadricycles
hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
electric vehicl
So I guess only a roadside test could potentially get you in trouble...
A good worthwhile mod, it does sound much better though we didn't hear it as you were riding it, and looks much better without the heatshield.
After watching your video l will definitely be adding a couple of chunky logs to my toolkit though it might be a tight squeeze to get them into the little plastic tool bag lmao.
Re the R&G crash bung you could easily reshape it to get past the downpipe they are only plastic as l remember, it would be a shame to scrape the new one too!
Hi Munter, yes this is true, I do have a review video coming up with the sound track in full. I thought about also bending the metal back away from the exhaust. The polyurethane bobbin could be reshaped too, although if I shaved 40% of the material away it might just rip off in an accident. My current plan is a 30mm spacer to bring the bobbin out past the downpipe. Logs 😂😂😂, people might hate on this but stuck on the side of the road it worked and got me going with the new exhaust. Thanks for the comment.
Good of you to pay homage to tradition by parking the bike over an oil stain😂
Good comment!😂 I thought about that also.
A happy accident there, yes good comment 👍 😀
Got the decat too and the sound improvement is amazing. My only issue has been the extra heat of the exhaust. ¿Have you find any issue about the decat? Ill be watching your videos to see the long term use of it, if something happens on mine ill let you know!
I've not found any issue with extra heat, I've not been in as hot weather as you have in Valencia. My exhaust has discoloured quite a lot at the top but I don't mind that. Thanks for supporting the channel by the way and glad you have a Goldstar!
As a 60 plus English bike rider I like the sound of the Sparrows in the back ground,don't hear that commonly where I live now,the sound is something from my childhood.
Hi Morini Dave. Great you can identify that sound, I must be honest I can't distinguish different bird calls!
@@MindfulMotorcyclist and also I'm considering a modern BSA,I have a 59 B31 and 70 B25 Starfire.
I have owned a number of 106d. They truly are fabulous cars and really are as frugal as you say. A 'friend' of mine used to run his on red diesel. Stupidly cheap lol. Nowadays they are just beginning to become collectible, and as such are going up in price...
The series one was particularly special, small and light yet particularly fuel efficient. I had one as my second car, first being a 205 1.1 petrol 4 speed! I also discovered later that the 307 2.0hdi is a very capable load carrier, still good on diesel and still in the cheap phase... ish 😁
Seeing that 106 has had me scrutinising Auto-Trader for one lol@@MindfulMotorcyclist
You won't find a series 1! I looked 5-6 years ago and they were thin on the ground then. Ideally a 3 door non sunroof for ultimate lightness 😀🤣
I had a look last night too, they only seem to have the 106 gti model which is becoming collectable it seems!
What does the pipe do to emissions?
Great job Sean you need a kneeling pad really, it does sound better and looks better, I like the caveman bashing with the logs 😂😂😂
I shan’t be changing mine I have other machines that give me the noise I need 😊😊
Have a great Easter
Phil
Thanks Phil. You have an original GS don't you? No need to take out the Cat in that 🤣.
I do wonder about decatting bikes. Two reasons, first I rebuilt an 83 Yamaha XS400 over lockdown, it came with a cheap stubby exhaust, got it running but when I rode alsways got off the bike to the smell of burnt oil. Bought an exhaust of eBay from a triumph scrambler, it had a cat in the silencer. Suddenly no exhaust smell and sound was still great.
Also when following a bike with a decat I can always tell due to having to breathe all the unburnt waste gases.
So I will be considering other road users and pedestrians and not fitting a decat to my current bike. If I want more sound will remove the baffling in the silencer.
Hope people with think a little on this viewpoint
Thanks for reading
Thanks for your comment. All points of view are welcome. Many riders of the GS have chosen to stick with the standard cat set up, I'm sure I'm actually in the minority. Thanks, Sean
Good job Sean, shame about the crash protection, could an edge be removed maybe so it still fits 👍
Thanks Mark, I was considering a 30mm spacer on the 'stud' and a longer bolt just to bring the polyurethane bobbin out past the header. That or a machine shop to move the 'stud' away from the exhaust. Something to figure out when back in the UK and with a full set of tools...
Hi, Sean. Fine video. I'm not sure if your bike is gonna be street legal in Spain, but I doubt anyone notices it. I had a Royal Enfield Classic 500 with a BSA pipe and it even passed the ITV test (the equivalent here to the MOT) without qualms. I'm waiting eagerly for my BSA in a couple of weeks and this is a modification I'm considering, so you vid was really helpful.
You say that you've watched the TECs videos on their exhaust system. If memory serves me well, I think they say that the pipe head is basically useless and in fact rises the temperature so much that it causes that blueish tinge in the pipe. What do you think about it? Have you noticed it in your modification?
Thank you very much for the comment. Both my original downpipe going into the cat and this decat pipe both blued very quickly. I suspect that due to Euro5 these bikes run very lean and very hot 🔥. Perhaps if you removed the baffle it would permit more gas flow and reduce heat. Thanks. Sean
had one of those 106s brilliant except it dissolved in uk winter salt
I just made a post about them, especially after seeing this comment Graham 😁
I personally prefer the tec option, but this does sound impressive. I hope soon somebody releases an air filter like the ones available for the royal Enfield models.
Thanks Chris for the comment. I think the TEC would actually save more weight because I suspect the BSA end silencer is quite heavy. I did look long and hard at the TEC, was a close decision. Cheers.
Is that corrosion on the back of your exhaust???
Tip for you...get an old section of carpet to work on....can put stuff down with out marking it.
Make sure to keep the old cat and pipe work....case its needed in future.
Landrover haven by the looks of it...I have a 50 year old S3 88" biught it brand new aged 23.....always loved them from my childhood.
Still going great to this day....replaced the old gutless 2.25d with a 200di out of a Mk1 Discovery.....WOW.....the difference...40mph and goes great.
Hi Nick, thanks for the comment. It was probably the anti corrosion spray that had baked on there. It came off with some gentle abrasion. The silencer is stainless so I would hope no rust. Cheers. Sean
The colour of your BSA is georgeous and the exhaust mod looks perfect. The sound didn't convince me. OEM it's a quiet annoying rattling noise, after the upgrade it just got louder. Not unbearably loud, but still annoyingly clattering. I think the whole exhaust system needs to have more volume to create a pleasant sound.
Thank you, I really like this colour and it's the cheapest too. Sometimes you're just lucky 😀. The engine isn't a long stroke so doesn't thump like and old BSA, I've got used to that now and pretty happy. Thanks for the comment.
@@MindfulMotorcyclist The same with my Suzuki DR 800. Short stroke and no place for a propper exhaust adequat for a displacement of 800 ccm in one cylinder.
Did the de-cat on my 2020 Triumph T100....transformed the bike.....more mpg....more grunt....sounds great....not to noisy....low RPM so much smoother.....oh yes.....around 3kg pluis lighter.
12min adaption after the cooling fan kicks in on my Triumph.
You didn't say....how does it run now on the road.....
Pity the BSA idles so fast.....the old Goldies used to have a nice slow idle with the great thump thump sound.
Lots of other benefits as well.
That's right Nick, I was going for cleaner lines down the bike and a weight saving, I also got as a bonus a much improved sound and a smidge more performance out on the road, hard to quantify exactly as my bike is approaching fully run in at 1200 miles and the engine feels better and better. I expect the engine will run better over its life because it can breathe easier owing to the unobstructed flow. All in all an exceptionally good value mod for sub £200. Feels great in the hand to so well done Hitchcocks!
Would be interesting to hear how much more mpg?
@@GGT2501 I gained about 3mpg on my 2020 Triumph T100 Bonnie....speeds around 50-60mph.....getting 73mpg
The beauty of the old BSA's: the lumpy idle...with FI, they set idle between 1100-1300, and...not as good...
I do agree here, one thing I will say is its probably due to emissions regs but I would prefer it to idle lower...
Someone had to say it. The fact that it idles so high negates any effort in attempting to change the bike into an old fashioned thumper. To my ears it doesn't sound any different.
Until something is done to the high idling the money would be better spent on petrol.
Get yourself a 3/8 and 1/4 drive socket set. You will be surprised at how much easier maintenance will become. Also you stand less chance of stripping threads due to over torquing because ofthe size of the 1/2 inch socket drive.
I do actually have both these, I just have a longer ext bar for the 1/2 inch. I am very wary of stripping threads, can you imagine the pain that would be. By the way what would you say is the correct torque for head bolts. Probably less than 20nm at a guess??
@@MindfulMotorcyclist good morning to you from another beautiful day here in Western Australia. I was intrigued by your you tube post as I really like the look of the new BSA. My first big bike at exactly 16 yrs of age was a 1958 BSA B31 alternator model which cost me £15 from a near neighbour. A fabulous intro to motorcycling and so reminiscent is your new version. Where are you now WOL 791?
There is a pdf link to a manual on the new bsa 650 owners Facebook page which may help you with regard to torque figures for your bike.
My first BSA led to a long history of motorcycling and race preparation in my life. I spannered for myself, Tim Lee, Tony Head and the great Rod Scivyer over a 25 year period and also for Rob Lidgate with his classic and vintage racing motorcycles. It’s too dangerous here in WA to have a motorcycle on the road as driving standards are appalling and there is only a small cadre of road racers and circuits, the best being down at Collie in WA. Regards and good fortune on your motorcycling journey. Mike Wilkins.
Should you have fitted the down pipe first ?
I should have quite right, I mention this at the end of the video. Easier to line up at the cylinder and work back. Cheers
I’ve no experience of this bike, but my first impression when you fired it up was you’ve an exhaust leak…
Hi Paul, could be a leak from where the header pipe meets the silencer on account of mine being accident damaged. At the cyclinder I used a new gasket and it mated up very well so would not suspect there. Thanks!
Just wondering, what is the legality of a decat? catalytic converters a obviously fitted for an environmental reason, would a bike get through an MOT test with the new sertup?
I used to have a Triumph Thunderbird ( before the days of catalytic converters, though the model for export to California had them) with straight through silencers, They were genuine Triumph parts, but in their wisdom?? Triumph had stamped on them "not legal for road use" ( or similar) Changed them back for the original ones for the MOT. The new setup sounds lovely!
Hi Pete, thanks for the question. The MOT emission check is exempt as per a reliable source of gov.uk
'The only vehicles that do not have an emissions test as part of the MOT are:
vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels
vehicles with 2-stroke engines
hybrid vehicles
quadricycles
hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
electric vehicles'
You could get caught out in a 'clean air zone' but I live in on the edge of a small city.
My dad has a Tbird, loves it and I hope to feature it on the channel soon. Thanks!
That begs the question, why is the engine so high in the frame?
The space was originally occupied by the cat, if I had to guess it was because they wanted to give the impression of a straight through pipe as per Goldies of old and so went to lengths to hide the cat under there...
What happens at mot testing time will it still pass ?
Why wouldn't it pass?
Euro 5 doesn't stipulate emissions check over the life time of the vehicle.
Now fit a pattern bsa Goldie silencer and you will have an even more real Goldie thumper
Well I've got two of these silencers already, my current one and a non scratched - not bust up one in the shed in the UK. I'll probably fit that one as a first point of call! Cheers. Sean
I'd like to hear it with a proper original Gold Star silencer.
I expect it would be very loud. The silencer I'm using has baffles.
you have a brand new bike and you remove the cat ? am I right ?? do you need MOT or anything ? are you even legal any more ?
MOTs are not required in the UK until the vehicle is 3 years old. Vehicles with less than 4 wheels are exempt from emissions testing during an MOT test.
watch = old n goldie ,, for the speedo clocks risers ;;
I was thinking about the speed risers but they are £160, I think you've got to really want them for that price. Thanks Simon.
Only thing I don’t like about this bike is the radiator wish they made it air cooled like original
Thanks for your video 👍
Thanks MT appreciate the comment. Yes the rad is certainly something you get used to. Hopefully in the future they reduce the size down. Believe it or not I am OK with it now, a necessary evil to make the required power output in this Euro5 regulation environment. Cheers.
@@MindfulMotorcyclist enjoyed your vid still want to get one tho ❤️
@muckytrails323 - They can’t make it air cooled because of fuel injection/emission regs. You would have to go back to a carburettor. Mind you, if you’ve already ditched the cat, why not?
Funny you say that, there was an April fools post with a carb conversion kit for the 2023 BSA Goldstar... I'm sure a few would have wanted it to be true.
much cleaner lines .
Thanks Mred. Agree it looks a look better, sound is a bonus 😊
I have a big thumper most mornings....
Not if you have your cat removed 😂
How come Indian can still field an 1800cc fully air cooled engine and BSA can't? Can't get past the Morris Minor slab of a radiator.
I imagine BSA did not choose a 1800cc air cooled V twin for the following reasons:
A) it would be price prohibitive, for the desired market segment
B) they wanted a single not a twin for heritage reasons
C) power output would necessitate other changes to drive chain, chassis and brakes
D) The weight of the bike would increase
E) unacceptable delay to develop from scratch a v twin aircooled
F) Poor allocation of R&D resources
I could go on... basically the same reason you don't see an inline 4 supercharged motor putting out 200hp in a Royal Enfield Bullet 350...
Sometimes the baffles have been known to ' fall ' out from motorcycle silencers . if you follow me ?
I follow you 😆. This is now loud enough with the baffle in! Haha
I’m only half way through through and laughing my head off, learning many new words, “go on you MF” LMHO!
Lol this is actually meant to be a family friendly channel, that one slipped through the edit ☺️☺️
Buy a copper hide mallet and some other tools...Lumps of wood are for the log burner...
Thanks Wrighty for the comment, I have those tools at home in the UK, seemed a waste to buy again here.... and yes the wood was taken from the log burner pile 😂
If removing the catalytic converter is a "good thing" for the reasons you state, then why didn't BSA simply build it that way? It did cost you some money and effort to modify.
To meet emission standards, BSA (like all other manufacturers) are compelled to put a catalytic converter on.
Thanks Overlander 👍
Perhaps the "CO2 = harmful emissions" extremists have desensitized us to the real good that is done by catalysts in removing carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons.
No emissions test in UK
@@stevepalmer5670 Makes no difference, catalytic converters have to be factory fitted regardless of where the bikes are sold.
Should have kept plastic bag on stop it getting dirty!! 😂
There's no stopping this bike getting dirty with the amount of dust we have over here!
Aah i see it’s marked it’s spot.
It sounds like a bike now.
Thanks for the comment James, it's a lot better that's for sure.
That Tec pipe is horrendous. Stick with Hitchcock you can't go wrong
Thanks, I did quite like the standard end pipe and so this solution is great for me anyway, plus to me it sounds lovely too. Cheers, Sean
Does that mean your bike is no longer ULEZ compliant? Of course modern bikes with catalytic converters only need decorative end cans as the cats' do most of the silencing duties. Removing the cat will mean a much louder exhaust. The gas seal joint between the header and and the end can relies on the two parts being a close fit. Being bashed out of round when crashed and then bashed again with cave man tools will mean the exhaust will leak. I fear that any "green" credentials you may aspire to have been flushed down the toilet with this 'modification'. As far as testing the sound at tickover revs - that is no test at all. You might find that at mid throttle revs it'll give you a headache after an hour of so.
Hi Dave, I'm not in ULEZ and I'll never live in one. Regarding the gas seal yes my current exhaust silencer is never going to be factory fresh again, its scuffed and bashed up and as you say ive only knocked it back into shape enough to fit.. I do have a spare silencer in the shed in the UK so I might swap that back on in the summer, at that point it might be a gas tight and better fit. Thanks.
That is a good point, can anyone confirm that for us?
I've seen it all now, using logs of wood & molegrips to bend brackets, then you clean dirty silencer only to scratch the fuck out of it on pavement!
And the award for least aware commenter goes to... 😂. We're on an Spanish island with limited tools did you not see the reg plates! The silencer was scratched from an accident in November which I spoke about multiple times. You've looked but seen nothing.
"Limited tools" logs of wood hahahaha
Keep going... ☕️💷
a bsa drummer boy = with a rather large drum stick ;;
🤣
You need to give us time to read the onscreen text, it disappears much too quickly and we can’t read it all!
That's good advice m, thanks Nick. Currently left on the default which is 5 sec IIRC. Will make it longer next time. Cheers.
Dont worry, some faceless bureaucrats in Brussels will be working hard to ban these modifications.
Exactly, we will all be riding electric bikes in 10 years so I would like to enjoy my simple machine now while I can 😃
IT's still a boat anchor and a poser magnet.
A lot of work went into designing and building the new BSA, a challenge to get right given the history of the marque. Many people are happy enjoying these bikes which dont cost a lot and ride great. You, on the other hand, are up watching RUclips at 2 am trying to upset those people with a rude comment. Says more about you than the BSA.
Is IT
this guy should get a job at a meat market as he is a butcher
Unusual word choice from a guy who names himself after an SS tank commander 🤔
So you are making your bike pollute needlessly and you think that's a good thing?
I do indeed my friend. Let's not get into a debate about the environment 👍
Worry about China, not a motorcycle
Wow, could not believe how big the cat was
It's a big lump for sure. I'm glad to get rid of it to be honest.