Eric- what can you tell me abou Bud Aksland?

cr-man · Nov 4, 2001

Hey Eric,
I was going through some old DBR mags with your 94 tuning tips and for the YZ 125 you recommended Bud Aksland pipes. Didn't he make team Yamaha's pipes? Were his pipes available to the general public? If so why didn't more people use them? Did he only make Yamaha pipes? Does he make pipes now? Have you tested any pipes for the YZ125's? What are the fast guys in Europe running?
Thanks, Joe

EricGorr · Nov 5, 2001

Bud is a well known friend of Kenny Roberts and has a long relationship with Yamaha Racing, especially in the roadracing field. Bud is a pipe builder and 2-stroke tuner. For a few years he used to sell pipes for YZ125s and they were designed for ported cylinders. All US made pipes are designed for stock port timing. Sure they can make them a bit fatter, or shinnyer, or longer but they're all made for stock port timing so power gains will always be minor.

Bud's pipes were beauties, hand-rolled cones, 28 in total for each pipe. They were pricey $325! But thats what pipes cost in Europe. Bud stopped making pipes and just stayed close to Kenny Roberts Racing. I suppose he got befuddled by the hords to baggy-pants teenagers phone-wrestling with him to get free pipes under the promise of displaying stickers on the underside of their fender when they nail down that 10th place finish in the C class. I remember having a conversation with Bud after he'd been in the US pipe market for a year. You'd think that in the most competitive marketplace in the world that a pipe that actually worked would sell like crazy, but the fact is, a new pipe manufacturer can't compete in the US market because its dominated by two big competitors that give away millions of dollars in free product and services just to squash competitors. You go over to Europe which has a much smaller dirt bike market than us and theres easily 10 pipe manufacturers. And some good brands too! Three brands that come to mind are Doma (Belgium) HGS (Netherlands) and Messico (Italy).
Don't look for any new choices soon, especially if we go into a recession.

cr-man · Nov 5, 2001

What are the guys in Europe running?

Hey Eric,
Thanks for the reply! I'm not happy with the pipe choices we have here in America my 99 YZ125 as an example I bought a Pro-circuit pipe and silencer not much of an improvement at all a little more top-end but that's it. I'm running a fatty now a little improvement everywhere over stock but not much. I think there is more to be had than what I have available here in the states? What are the guys running in Europe for the YZ125's? I've heard DEP makes a good pipe. Anybody tried a HGS or a Messico? Can you buy a Messico here in the states? When I had my 96 CR125 all the magazines raved about the Bill's pipe I tested it back to back against the R & D pipe and I thought R & D made a better pipe, but I guess they didn't pay enough advertising to the Mags because they don't make pipes for big bikes anymore. It's really sad what goes on here in the Motorcycle media in the U.S.A. I'm getting off topic a good one for the flame board!

SeanATK · Nov 5, 2001

HGS Pipes

I know HGS pipes are available in the U.S. They are a top-pick for many 125 Shifter Kart racers here in the states. You might try calling some karting shops, or picking up a kart mag, to see who the importer is.

CanadianRidr · Nov 5, 2001

Don't forget Kart pipes are alot different, there shape,power delivery etc..

EricGorr · Nov 6, 2001

I think that the Belgium made DOMA pipe is the best. They seem to be aligned with lots of riders and teams that can give them excellent feedback. And they're pipes aren't just for fast guys, last year we put a "sand pipe" (that means low-end in Belgium) on a CR125 and I was amazed at the difference it made.
The only problem with DOMA is distribution. Dominic Slegars runs a small business like I do and the major hurdle is mass distribution. It takes so much money and inventory to get your product into a major distribution system like Parts Unlimited. Right now Dominic is allowing Grant Langston's dad to be the US importer once he starts a performance business here in the states. I don't know what will happen or if we'll ever be able to buy a DOMA pipe in the US.
HGS makes a nice pipe but a kart pipe won't fit a bike, if that was the case then the RCE Racing pipe that makes 42hp on a 125cc kart would be my first choice. DEP pipes are perhaps the easiest choice. They're available from an importer in Florida. The good thing about DEP is that they dyno-compare all the best pipes in the business and copy the best one. They don't have a massive R&D department, they're sheet metal fabricators who find the right shape to copy and sell it for a good price.
Bill Cevera from Bill's Pipes omits models of pipes from his catalog for bikes that have a good OEM pipe to start with. Omitting several models of 250cc bikes tells you something, the Japanese make a dam good pipe for big bikes.
Happy pipe shopping!

JJmxr · Nov 8, 2001

You apparently can buy a DOMA online at Langstonracing.com. They also have some pretty cool looking cylinder heads. Maybe Eric could clue us in to what they are all about.

NC514 · Nov 8, 2001

Foreign pipes

From what I know, Doma make pipes for all brands, There was a brand called SPES well they merged with DOMA and so know it is just DOMA. I checked DEP's website, it is www.deppipes.com,I'm not quite sure what to think about the performance package they try to mimmick in their pipes. I know they don'y have a lot of tight tracks over their, so i figure they don't promote bottom end power. I figure it's somewhat like a Procircuit pipe. Yes a hey do seem a bit pricey!

EricGorr · Nov 9, 2001

Thanks JJmxr,
A couple of people called me this week to tell me that Mr. Langston is in business now selling pipes, and they were happy with the performance. Thanks for the link to his site.

Regarding the merging of SPES and DOMA, I'm not sure about that. I know that they are father and son. Dominic, the son of Pierro Sleggars split in the mid-1990s to start DOMA, which was strictly hand-rolled cone pipes for niche markets like race teams.

I toured the SPES factory in 1988 and was amazed that they were totaly vertically integrated in their manufacturing of exhaust systems. And at the time, the company was far more organized and self-reliant than either of the big pipe manufacturers in America.

If any of our Belgium readers can shed some light on whats happening with SPES and DOMA we would appreciate your comments.

SFO · Nov 9, 2001

Was Bud askland Banke?
I remember having a Banke pipe on my dt400 dirt tracker.
What was the backround of Banke?

TM-Frank · Nov 9, 2001

There are DOMA and SPES pipes available over here, so I don't think the companies are somehow merged.
It seems to me that SPES has started to concentrate on making fourstroke exhaust sytems, but they still produce twostroke pipes.
Another common pipe manufacturer here in Europe is vanHasselt (Belgium or Netherlands)

cr-man · Nov 9, 2001

TM-Frank have you ever tried a vanHasselt? Are they nice pipes? I haven't been able to find anything on Messicos I e-mailed Mark Hammond and he quit carring them. Anybody know where I could get some info on them? You can get HGS pipes from hot boost in New York phone 631-725-5726 they import for SRS racing website is www.srsracing.it I don't know much about HGS pipes either I do know back in 93 dirtrider had an article for R & D racing modified RM 250 that used a HGS exhaust they said it was fast.
Eric is HGS a top-end pipe?

TM-Frank · Nov 10, 2001

I have a vanHasselt '96 CR250R pipe on my '96 TM250.
I would have liked a piped that gives more low-end instead of this screamer thing, but I got it for a decent price and needed a new pipe urgently since I flattened the old double-Wall Messico beyond repair. :confused:

SPES WEBSITE: click here

I didn't find websites of Messico or vanHasselt.

cr-man · Nov 11, 2001

SPES has not updated their website in a long time.

Rich Rohrich · Nov 11, 2001

Originally posted by SFO
Was Bud askland Banke?

Banke is a different guy/company .

Malden · Nov 12, 2001

My friend let a pro from europe borrow his YZ 125 for the Southwick national and he gave him the HGS pipe that they put on for the race. That pipe made such a dramatic difference! He raced the bike stock (with only the pipe) in a national event to a top 20 position. He also threw in a hand made aluminum gas tank fo doing him the favor. very trick. If anyone is interested he would probably sell it.

Tennessee Thumper · Nov 12, 2001

I've heard alot of people praising the DOMA pipe's on the KTM 200's.I have a stock pipe on my KTM 300 exc thats getting pretty beat up.Does anyone have any experience with the DOMA pipe on a woods/trails bike?Maybe the "sand pipe" Eric mentioned is what Im looking for to replace the thin stock unit.

MR.WR · Nov 12, 2001

Here is a link to Messico pipes http://www.messico-racing.it/

Rick

yamayz125 · Jun 15, 2003

Here is also a link to Messico pipes: www.messicoracing.com

symen · Jun 19, 2003

i'm from the netherlands, and yes, we have alot of choice. i can get SPES pipe's very cheap.

I think SPES and DOMA pipes are exact the same!!

my little brother has got a VH (van hasselt) on his KX-85, we will test the SPES soon (i've got the SPES already)

Eric- what can you tell me abou Bud Aksland?

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