[sausagemc]

(I sent this out and will respectfully post the reply. I don't know about you, but without the core I couldn't stand to ride the bike, it was basically wide friggin open, a 200 dollar cheery bomb)

I feel that the pipe I recieved for my 2003 Predator is a very nice piece.

However, at 250 bucks, I would think the pipe would come with the "quiet core". I ordered a quiet core, 43.50 later I recieved a 5 dollar piece of mesh steel in a cage shape that a five year old could have welded, for a cost of 43.50 shipped.

Frankly the core has a few welds that burned through, the edges were unfinished, and the metal shaving from the core had to be cleaned off before I would intall it. (Flaming hot shavings flying into the packing is not a good thing.) The fact it was oily from the pipe cutter is no biggy, I just let the blue exhaust flame clean that off.

I like the different, less audible emission, but I don't like the fact it cost 43.50 shipped and I feel it should have come with the pipe in the first place. If I would have taken time to look at what the core actually was, I would have machined one up at my shop and well, you wouldn't be reading this.

249.77 + 43.85 = 293.62, for a hundred bucks more I regret not purchasing the big-gun kit which for 400 comes with a header pipe. Even though you advetise a header pipe at your site, I was unable to purchase one, being told there was no performance advantage. Screw that, I have a 2003 bike with a rusty paint chipped header, and now I have to make a 3rd purchase to get another companies header.

Needles to say I am an active memeber at predatorowners.com and will post this message to our 703 members(90 on Troy Lee editions) I will in fairness post your reply.

Depending upon the reply or ability to resolve my issues, we may choose to point and laugh at your reply.

Later,
Marshall Casale

Position: IT Manager & Tech Support
Company: Fox & Fox Inc.
Alumni: Clarion University of PA
Major: CS
Minor: IS
Studies: Psychology

AOL: sausageMC
MIM: [email protected]

 

[robg]

I have heard a few stories about HMF pipes blowing out after a very short time on other machines (the Honda Rincon if I remember correctly), so I have been avoiding them for the Predator. I've been surprised at how many people buy them though.

The only pipes I like so far are the White Brothers/Polaris pipe and the Trinity full pipe. I wish I could afford the latter.

Rob

 

[sausagemc]

If I only knew ahead of time.

I think big-gun makes a nie kit too, I now know for my next pred. Think I may sellt the 03 and get an 04 about juneish next year. you know just keep updating like a car...

 

[sandunz]

I have put full Big Gun systems on both of my Preds, they look great and run very well .... they are on the loud side, but the workmanship and overall quality of the product is great. Very happy with the Big Gun !!

 

[sausagemc]

no response yet. and the HMF is friggin loud too. not much better, but a lil better with quiet core.

 

[cmc72_2000]

Saug welcome to capitalism - get a grip!!!
the pipe works!!!
they make the pipe to perform and the quiet core is for those how can't have the noise associated w/ the performance gain. sounds like you should have kept it stock. i've delt w/ HMF and they seem to be cool!
I've learned alot in this world. noboby does nothing for free! my pipe is great if you can't afford to pay dont play!
why would you expect the quiet core nobody else includes it?

 

[gottitanium]

cmc not true w/b pure polaris comes with quiet core and It was only $220 for my pipe as well as it out did hmf on the dyno.

 

[cmc72_2000]

w/b is a different style pipe w/ tuning disk and different end caps available. HMF pipe is a straight thru race pipe simalar to a FMF titanium 4 (around $47.99 for fmf quiet core and a cheesy one for around $30) or like pro circuit T-4 (around $30 for quiet core)or even the white bros e-series race pipe that is available for some quads with no core available. you have to be aware of what you buy and what is available. i just don't think HMF needs to get ripped because they charge more $ for an optional part. bottomline is somebody did not pay attention to what they were buying because HMF clearly does not false advertise do they? as for a rusty header use jet hot or deal with it like 90% of the other quad owners out there both polaris and non polaris.

 

[sausagemc]

CMC, welcome to it still is too much for a glorified cherry bomb.

"sounds like you should have kept it stock"
Ghey dude, real ghey. let me go take the super-charger off my tacoma, I lost 2 mpg for the extra 100 hp.

all i am saying is reasonable ratio's like within legal limits of audible noise with a 5 hp gain instead of a 6 gain.

I asked about the noise, before I purchased, they were like uh it has a warranty. Kevin knew what he was talking about, but still at 300 total, they can eat my ass. I would send my pipe back in a sec if I could.

 

[cmc72_2000]

Saus its all over priced! i won't debate you on that. i just think maybe you didn't know what you were getting. thats all - i don't want to go off or Rob G will shut this thread down. i like my pipe, i know its loud, and i know it will cost $40 plus to try to quiet it down all of which i knew before my purchase. have a nice day

ps if you can afford a supercharger - what's 3 bills?

 

[sausagemc]

baby. hahaha

no i knew i was getting a race pipe, but when i called I asked for a "aprox" audible level because I was riding in a woods area with houses spead around. the exact comment I was told was

"the factory pip is a low 90 db, our pipe is high 90's db with core, and open it would be low 100 db."

I don't know about you, but the way I was told this info(not kevin this time) it made sense.

dude, if i wanted a full race loud pipe, I could have gutted it, but when you call and ask and they feed you that info, it ain't right.

later man, not flaming ya, just I kinda speak my mind (alot)

also still no reply from hmf.

 

[robg]

CMC:

Hey waitaminute... what do you mean if you go off??? Go and and say what you wanted to say. As long as it's on-topic for the most part, we're cool.

Rob

 

[cmc72_2000]

Rob i'm not hear to argue w/ people. i'm here to get different views and opinions. some people can tend to go overboard with the "mud slinggin". i don't want to get in heated debates. everone has ideas and opinions that might not always match. when i read the initial thread it sounded to me like someone was looking for something for nothing. that was my impression which generated my opinion. take it or leave it.
not sure what "baby, hahaha" is suppose to mean but sounds like you (sausage with ears) are doing the crying

 

[robg]

Okay, I understand.

For what it's worth, my interpretation of this is that it sounds like he got some bad information. I also think the HMF is too loud and I also agree that the quiet core should either be included in the price, or it should be made very obvious that it isn't.

My suggestion is put the HMF and the goodies he paid extra for on eBay and then buy another pipe, like the WB or something.

Heck he might be able to pick up a used Predator WB pipe for a good price from people who are upgrading to the Trinity or similar full setups.

Rob

 

[electricstart]

For the money the white Bros is an excellant deal,You will notice a power gain.And it is made for the machine.With or without jetting,and you can race it.

 

[sausagemc]

My first words in my complaint letter were:

"I feel that the pipe I recieved for my 2003 Predator is a very nice piece."

What I am pissy about is the fact I was given db numbers as reference, and they were way off, and to fix the problem it cost me 43.80 and wasted time more.

and the S/C was only 2k, well worth it.

 

[predman]

If you want real power gains you have to be able to except high db levels. To say that the white bros system makes power in the range of the wide open race systems is wrong. If you will look at a white bros system on any racing quad it will not have the end cap on it, thus leaving it wide open(and loud). Two buddies of mine have preds with the white bros pipes, jetting and airbox mods and I can smoke them rather easily. The disc type systems work good to make power on the lower end because they create vacuum at low rpms, but create back pressure at higher rpm(CT racing being the exception). Back pressure leads to a loss of power at any rpm. If you doubt this look at the dyno graph in the pipe comparisons on the z400, raptor and 400ex in past magazine articles. I think this is what has led white bros to come out with the e2 series pipes.

 

[electricstart]

White bros.pipe definately worth the money.Works well with the stock pipe.You can tune it the way you like.There might be better systems,(for alot more money)but not that much better.Maybe more noise.

 

[predman]

It does not matter how somebody rates it, all that matters is the dynographs. The actual power it makes. Advertising dollars are what actually determine how a magazine rates a product. They cannot run down a product whos maker is a big advertising client of theirs. I think the yfz reviews are evidence of this. Look at the dynos and you will realize. And I the e2 is made to compete power wise not to make less noise, the e series is pretty much as quiet as pipes get.

 

[jsyi]

Okay well I havnt even read all th eposts regarding this topic. I'll just throw something in here to get my s/n on this topic....ya anyways I think the open end design of the HMF would be a pretty good start or choice if you plan on building a drag Predator, where backpressure is not of big concern...however I will probably ditch the HMF soon if I my plan goes through. One of the guys we ride with is a 65 year old fab guy that helped in the making of one of the Robby Gordon trucks (currently owned by 4 Wheel Parts in El Centro, CA) He still does all the welding and crap and is in the process of putting an LS6 into his 01 Suburban Vroom Vroooom. We were talking about tearing one of my Predators apart and turning it into a drag Predator. He says that if we plan on doing so the mother ****** is going to be loud as hell because the quad will be literally be running straight head pipes.... If someone wants to see his work go check out Liberty Motorsports in Yuma, AZ and ask the owner to take ya downstairs to show you the drag bike built for him back in the late 80's by Sonny Laue. Yayya I'll get off my high freakin horse now.