Finish Line Products Exhaust Pipe Repair

FINISH LINE PRODUCTS EXHAUST PIPE REPAIR

Get the dents out

RIDE LONG ENOUGH AND YOU’LL EVENtually dent an exhaust pipe or muffler. A dented exhaust not only looks bad, it can drastically effect horsepower. Additionally, the cost of replacement exhaust parts can be outrageously high.

Not to worry. Dan Sinkoff, owner of Finish Line Products (76 Railroad Ave., Patchogue, NY 11772; 516/7582777, 800/843-8745), advertises that he can fix any mashed pipe for $35. We’ve seen his work and some of it is nothing short of miraculous.

Recently, one of our editors pitched his Ducati roadracer down the track, hammering the bike’s trick Italian megaphone. The pipe was boxed up and sent via UPS to FLP. Less than a week later, it was back, looking, well, not exactly new, but certainly a lot better than it had after the crash. Most importantly, it was again functional, saving the high cost of a replacement pipe. All that was needed following the repair was some sanding and a new coat of flat-black barbecue paint.

FLP repairs pipes using a combination of air pressure and heat-a procedure that Sinkoff stresses is extremely dangerous and not a wise idea to try at home. With that in mind, his $35 fee looks even more reasonable.

Now, before you run off to box up your pretzeled 6-into-l, realize that Sinkoff doesn’t promise miracles, and he can’t make your aluminum or stainless-steel canister look like new. In fact, he shies away from streetbike mufflers, saying that the material is often too thin to repair. But, he says, repairing dents in header pipes-such as those made by impacting a speed bump-isn’t a problem, provided the pipe isn’t reduced by more than 50 percent of its original diameter. And in the case of a two-stroke dirtbike expansion chamber, Sinkoff offers this guarantee: If he can’t fix it, he’ll buy you a new one (some restrictions apply, so contact FLP for details.)

Dent all you want.