Exhaust System

I knew it before I even bought it, but the underside of the exhaust system was very rusty. I just didn't think there were any holes yet. Removing a 4-2 is not a one person job! The width of the center stand is actually WIDER than the space between the left and right exhaust. Only angling the entire exhaust can you BARELY free it from the stand, and even after that there is a shuffling game to get it out from under both of the legs of the stand.

Once free I tried the basement scientist method to remove the rust: Soaking rags in cola and wrapping the pipes in the phosphoric acid saturated cloth overnight. Sandpaper was not very effective prior to the cola, and even in the morning I tried using some vinegar (acetic acid) with copper wool (less abrasive than steel wool) to remove a bit more. Here are the results:

a moderate improvement, yes. Cost/time effective, probably not. I also discovered a small (~2cm long) hole near the end of one of the header pipes. Even after cleaning, I cannot separate one side from the other, and replacing any part is a few bills. Patched it with an exhaust band clamp for now as I save up for a 4-1.

I forgot to also mention that once I started taking the exhaust off, I had to finish since I broke a header bold clean off with the remainder stuck to header clamp (?) and inside the case. Honestly thought I'd break the whole thing hammering and prying the clamp off the rusted bolt. After getting that out I went ahead and replaced them all with a hex head flange bolt. The ones that come stock are actually 2 piece, so often I would only remove the head off the bolt and have no way to grip the stem. 

All I want to know is: Who designed these things, and how did they manage to put them together in the first place??