Thursday 23 August 2012

Review : Shoei RFX in Heavy Rain


I was caught in the heavy rain while on the North-South Expressway yesterday and was drenched through. It was so heavy that I could feel water seeping through my jacket and gloves after some time; and many riders had to take shelter under the overhead bridges and rest areas.

But that's not what you're reading for, ain't it? You're more interested in the performance of the Shoei in the heavy rain.

From my previous review on its usage in a light shower, you know that it performed well although there was light fogging around the chin guard area. Well, in the heavy rain, the fogging was much more severe- so much so that I have to leave the visor opened at a slight angle so that the cold air could clear the fog from time to time.

So there you have it- the Shoei is great in good weather biking but tends to get fogged in rain-time biking. Perhaps my next purchase would be a bottle of anti-fog spray to treat the visors then.

Wednesday 22 August 2012

What's Your Pick : Shoei RFX or Daytona Cross-Over?

Give your Votes in the Comments page please. Cheers.

1) Shoei RFX in Gloss Black; and

 2) Daytona Cross-Over in Matt Black.

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Review : Daytona Cross-Over Full-face Helmet

 
 

I received quite a few queries with regards to the Shoei RFX that I reviewed not too long ago- it looks like that could be many riders sporting a similar full-face helmet in the near future. Truely, I find that the Shoei RFX that sells at approximately RM1k+ makes a good buy to invest in one's own safety.

Some queries that I received asked if I could recommend any other full-face helmets that do not cross the RM500 mark per piece. Well, when I first started biking on the Kawasaki Ninja 650R, the first pair of helmets that I purchased were as per the above pictures. The Daytona design helmets should be within the RM500 budget as per some of the queries- and the chief reason that I bought them was because they looked really cool and different from the stand-off-the-mill full-face helmets. Heck, the Shoei RFX looks plain simple when placed next to the Daytona design! Plus, they came with Sirim certification (DOT for overseas) so safety wasn't compromised.

For a helmet that cost within the RM500 region, I found the helmet to be quite comfortable- the cheek padding were snug and tight (similar to the Shoei RFX's), and gave the rider a sense of assurance. There was an inner retractable smoke shield so that you needn't wear sunglasses while riding, and the outer shield was said to be anti-scratch. The adjustable head and chin vents assisted in the flowing of sufficient air to keep one's head cooler.

On the other hand, the helmet was a bit heavier when compared to the Shoei RFX, and seemed to be noisier too when riding at higher speeds.

Further details of the helmet as lifted from Daytona Full-Face Helmets are as per the following :
  • Fusion Of Motocross Rear And Full Face Front
  • Meets Or Exceeds D.O.T. Standards
  • Removable, Washable Interior
  • Moisture Wicking Fabric Keeping You Cooler And More Comfortable
  • Adjustable Chin And Forehead Ventilation
  • Inner Retractable Smoke Shield
  • Outer Anti-Scratch Shield (No Hassle Replacements Available)
  • UV Clear Finish
  • Comes With A Free Head Wrap (Valued At $5.95)
  • Also Comes With A Draw String Cloth Bag
  • Quick Release Latch Retention System
From the website, it would cost around RM350 when ordered online, excluding the taxes when the helmet arrives at our customs at LCCT. All in, it should still cost within the RM500 budget; or a simpler way would be to walk-in and purchase straight from bike accessories shops.

Some bike accessories shops would stick nice decals on the helmet to make it look more attractive as per the following pictures- and I think they look cool as cucumber, mate.


Ride safe, everyone!


The Wedding "Car"

Ever thought if you could use your beloved Kawasaki Ninja 650R as your wedding car to fetch your lovely other half on the loveliest of days?

Well, apparently, this rider did and his lovely other half obliged :)
 

Hope you guys have a lovely wedding life ahead...

Mod : Kawasaki Ninja 650R + Akrapovic Titanium SS-K6SO5-TT

In the spirit of Lebaran, the Green Hornet plus the Akra Titanium transforms into the Green Ketupat to wish everyone a very happy and enjoyable Selamat Hari Raya 2012. Maaf zahir batin and may all riders have a safe and fulfilling ride!



Consider This : IXIL Silencers @ RM1,380

Contrary to popular beliefs, this posting isn't about me shedding some weight. It's about my ride shedding some weight. As you know, the stock exhaust can on a Ninja 650R weighs about 7 kilos.


An after-market exhaust slip-on typically weighs about 2 kilos- translating to a massive reduction of 5 kilos. That's besides the increases in torque and speed that would be gained from the change as the after-market exhaust slip-ons concentrates on performances rather than exhaust emission restrictions.

Of late, there seems to be more and more slip-on exhaust offerings for the 2009-2011 Ninja 650R besides the usual suspects ie Yoshimura, Akrapovic and Leo Vince, in Malaysia. Perhaps this is due to the Ninja 650R being a favourite selection amongst Malaysian riders and therefore, the huge market naturally attracted resellers to bring in more designs and brands for the general public's consumption.

I would like to talk about IXIL Silencers in this posting.

IXIL came on the market in 1955 through a family company in the heart of Barcelona. Perseverance and tenacity of two generations, will always offer the best guarantee in our products, have been instrumental in getting worldwide recognition, a great team in the manufacture, marketing and distributing the brand allows the competitiveness in the international market. . Recent technological advances are present in all our production processes to help to overcome the strictest European standards.

The development of products, is based on computer-aided design (CAD) which allows greater speed and high accuracy in the adaptations. The whole production process is supported by computer, from laser cutting machines to the welding robots. IXIL is present in the world of competition where it has the confidence of global elite riders, fighting in the premier class of MotoGP, where they develop and experiment with new materials and technologies to provide the highest quality.

About  
IXIL is present in five continents around the world, with distributors in over 40 countries.

IXIL has 2 products for the 2009-2011 Ninja 650R being :

1) SOVE : oval extreme evolution; and


2) L3X : dual hyperlow XL.


The one that I have seen on local adverts refers to the L3X. Briefly, this silencer is manufactured from AISI304 stainless steel with a satin polished finish. The sport end cap is manufactured from injected aluminium with a bright polished finish.
  • Reference : XK7351X
  • Shape : Dual round 50mm.
  • Length : 430 mm.
  • Weight : 2 Kg.
  • Complete : Matt polish
  • Material : Inox AISI304
  • dB Killer : Yes 
This is how the twin babies would look like, installed on the Ninja 650R.



At RM1,380, it seems to be a pretty good buy. You get to have a fiercer and more masculine exhaust note in a jiffy, while at the same time does not end up looking like every Tom, Dick and Harry's Ninja 650R with a stubby can in place of the stock can.

You get style and substance in an affordable package. Good buy- you betcha!

Consider This : YSS Suspension for Kawasaki Ninja 650R

Found an article on suspension upgrade for Kawasaki Ninja 650R from the Net and here's sharing with all fellow readers here:

For the Kawasaki Ninja 650R finally the day has come for a suspension modification. After a few weeks we finally tracked down a supplier who could offer a decent suspension for the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. We all know that the Kawasaki Ninja 650R is Thailand most affordable sportsbike, but it also comes with a suspension what should be improved to make machine more rideable.

We finally found a supplier, YSS Thailand, who was capable of offering a better rear shock for the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. The YSS MZ506-290TR-09, a gas-buffered, hydraulic shock with the capability of adjusting about everything you could want. For some, the amount of adjustability can be a bit overwhelming.

YSS is a world class suspension manufacturer which was established in 1983 to produce shock absorbers for after market in Thailand, they have research and development centers in Holland and Germany.
 
For the result of improvement, was it worth the wait, the money! It took a trained mechanic a few hours to complete the installation. The total installation time could have been reduced to probably one hour, if we did let our mechanic do his work.












When the final bolt was torqued down and everything was buttoned up, we took the Kawasaki Ninja 650R for a ride. Already without any adjustments to the preload and rebound we already left more confident riding the Ninja 650R, with a few tweaks of our trusty mechanic we were doing twisty roads like we could never do before. The modified Kawasaki Ninja 650R can drop his unmodified 650R brothers like a bad habit. And with a good rider a the controls, the modified Kawasaki Ninja 650R squirts from corner to corner quicker than a unmodified Kawasaki Ninja 650R.

Friday 17 August 2012

Mod : Installaton of Akrapovic Titanium SS-K6SO5-TT (part 2)

It was a rainy day today but that didn't dampen my resolve to fix up the Akra after work. Thank goodness the skies cleared in time to make it easier for me to follow my initial resolve.

I told Ah Ho that I would like him to fix up the Akra just the way that it was- without the linkage pipe and spring. He was puzzled until I explained about my theory on the HTT and TT models. Thereafter, he got Sandra and Bai to help me on my exhaust. Sandra was from Myanmar and his workmanship was top-notch, plus he took the time to ensure that things were done properly all the time. Bai's slength indicated that he was from India or Bangladesh, and he was more careless and less attentive. For instance, Sandra placed the original exhaust carefully on the pavement after dismantling it; Bai just dragged it aside when he needed the space. Darn, the exhaust could be scratched by doing so, man!

Anyway, it took almost 2 hours to install the Akra properly and ensure that the FI system tuned up to the new exhaust. When I first started the bike with the Akra, the bass was there but somewhat muted. Not exactly what I had in mind. After the dB killer was removed, wow, the sound of the Akra was simply osgamic! The parallel twin engine never sounded better!

I took the opportunity to go for a nice long ride and the Green Hornet definitely was pulling faster and top speed was gaining pace very quickly. The whole characteristic of the bike has changed- it felt more urgent and was more like a litre bike. Really nice!

The sound was simply ferocious! Even cars hogging the bike lanes quickly moved away as Green Hornet approached. Previously, they wouldn't care a tuppence even if I was horning them like crazy.


The Akra was simply marvelous- and Green Hornet is simple a roaring success of a beast now!

Thursday 16 August 2012

Mod : Installaton of Akrapovic Titanium SS-K6SO5-TT (part 1)

There are 2 types of Akrapovic Titanium SS-K6SO5 exhaust slip-ons as per the following :

1) HTT : this is the EU-compliant road legal slip-on with catalytic converter and noise level adjusted to be maintained at 90 desibel ie same as the stock exhaust;

2) TT : this is the non-EU compliant slip-on as it is designed to be used for racing purposes- its sole purpose to milk every inch of performance that could be derived from Kawasaki's parallel twin 650cc engine, with its noice level increased to 98 desibel in the process.

The one that I ordered was the TT version and today, I knocked off work on-time as I wanted to rush to KS Motorsport @ Jalan Ipoh to fix up the Akra TT.

When I reached there, the boss Ah Ho slid open the packaging of the Akra to reveal the contents of the largish rectangular box. After a few minutes, he informed me that the exhaust can't be fixed as yet, as a linkage pipe and spring was missing from the parts. He showed me the schematics from the Installation Guide Book and it dd looked like I have rushed there for nothing.

I tried calling the seller, DC but to no avail. Thinking that he could be busy, I dropped him an sms explaining about the matter and requested for him to return my call. After about 20 mins with no calls, Ah Ho suggested that I came again on Friday or Saturday, as he has other bikes to attend to.

I had previously purchased from DC before, and has heard many a good feedback from other fellow riders about his online trading house so I have confidence in his products. On the other hand, many ER6 bikes' aftermarket exhausts were fixed at KS Motorsport so the boss would a thing or two about Akra exhausts. Hmmm...

DC called me back later and requested that I wrote to him on the specific missing parts' no. so that he could check on the matter. No doubt his call would have been more helpful if it had came sooner when Ah Ho was wiling to speak directly to him to explain; but the fact that DC did call back showed that he was a genuine seller and my confidence in him has not waned. I would definitely buy from him again given suitable upgrades in future.

Although somewhat disappointed that the exhaust was not fixed up today, I was not giving up and came back home to read the Guide from page to page. I would be going back to KS Motorsport tomorrow with a theory- the ones that he had previously installed were all HTT so there were the catalytic converters present. Mine is the TT for racing, hence the missing part, so to speak.

We shall know if I deduced correctly tomorrow, when we attempt to install this Italian baby. Wish me luck, will you?

http://www.starcycle-usa.com/catalog/pdficon.png


Tuesday 14 August 2012

Mod : Arrival of the Akrapovic Titanium slip-on

  

After waiting excitedly for the Akra titanium slip-on, the courier services delivered it this afternoon. It sure looks good and is pretty light too- looks like substantial weight-savings for Green Hornet then.

My checking in bike shops around KL revealed pricing of between RM1,800 - RM2,200 previously; so it was a pretty good price that I am getting from a bike accessories trader, DC whom is very active in local bike enthusiasts' circle. As part of the Ramadan special sale, I got the Akra at only RM1,500! Definitely a steal of a price.

I shall be fixing this baby up this very Saturday, and look out for a review on this baby soon!

And if you're looking for the original ER6 exhaust, I am ready to part with mine if you are interested, for a song of a price. It has only been used for less than 10k mileage, so it's in very good condition.

Sunday 12 August 2012

Consider This : Steering Damper & Tank Slapper

Here's something from a fellow reader :


Ashen and trembling I maneuvered my California Superbike School Kawasaki 636 off the track and into the hot pits, pulling up next to course control and a few of the other coaches. They took one look at me, my white face and shaky hands and asked “what happened?” “Tank-slapper,” I replied sullenly and they all laughed, “welcome to the club!”

I was at Reno Fernley Raceway, coaching with the California Superbike School when I experienced the scariest moment of my riding history that didn’t end up in a crash. I was working with a very fast student, an unassuming guy that I never thought was going to be as fast as he was, but he was blazing, and getting faster and faster each session which meant I had to work!

The layout at Reno Fernley raceway (it has since been added to and modified) was fun and fast with a smooth front section that flowed really nicely. The back section however, was extremely bumpy in a kind of wavy and rippled way, and all morning I had been a little nervous and tentative going through it. It happened later on in the afternoon, I was sitting parked off of the track near the front straightaway when my fast guy student screamed past. I pulled onto the track quickly and raced after him, closing the gap considerably in the first few turns. When he pulled onto the back straight however, he was still about 10 bike lengths ahead of me and I needed to close the gap further if I was going to observe him ride. As coaches we usually follow our students for a lap or two and then get in front and lead them for a lap or two. I twisted the throttle harder to close in and everything was going along fine until I hit one of the bumps so hard it bounced me right out of the seat.

When I came down the bike jerked and bounced and the bars started to shake from side to side, tossing me back and forth with it. I thought I was going down and for an instant, out of sheer panic I clung to the bars and tried to make it stop. Big mistake, the bars started shaking more violently, I was bounced higher and harder in the seat and as much as I tried to hold on to the handlebars I couldn’t. They were literally ripped right from my hands and started slapping into the tank going from lock to lock.

I prepared to eject. I was quite literally about to jump off the bike when an amazing thing happened, the bike started calming down and straightening itself up.

I was so excited, and eager to regain control of my machine that I grabbed at the bars again and the instant I clamped down on them they started shaking wildly again.

This time I smartened up to what was happening and implemented some of the very basic things that I teach every day at the California Superbike School about rider input. Basically, as Keith Code says in his book Twist of the Wrist II, “riders create more problems than motorcycles are designed to handle.”

What he means by that is that the more you interfere with what the bike is trying to do on its own, by holding on too tight, by trying to muscle the bike around, by squirming and wiggling and messing about, the more difficult it is to have a stable bike.

Yes, all these thoughts did zoom through my head as I was flailing around on my bike like a stunned chicken, leaving foot long skid marks trailing behind me.

I squeezed the tank with my knees, raised my butt a little bit off the seat to help soak up bumps with my legs (like a jockey riding a horse) loosened my grip, made my arms like wet noodles and tried to relax while rolling on the throttle. After another series of wild jerks the bike calmed down and I had regained control. Whew.

Then oddly enough I remembered some random comment that a racer had once said to me that at the time had made no sense at all. “If you ever have a tank slapper, remember to pump up the brakes afterwards because it can cause them to not work at all.”

I reached for the brakes as I approached the left hand corner at a high rate of speed and low and behold, no brakes! I pumped wildly, got the bike slowed down enough to make the turn, looked up the track to see my speedy student disappearing in the distance, rode straight for pit exit, and into an awaiting group of shark like coaches who thought my whole experience was funny. Funny?

So what exactly is a tank slapper anyway?

Let’s break it down.

A tank slapper is a rapid, high intensity and unwanted motion of the handlebars back and forth. Literally it is the slapping of the bars from side to side that can get violent enough to actually hit the tank of the motorcycle, hence the name “tankslapper.” The bad news is that they are scary as hell and can cause some pretty nasty crashes. The good news is that there are some very effective techniques you can use to handle them.

What causes tank slappers?

The suspension system on a motorcycle is designed to make the ride more comfortable for the rider and primarily to keep the tires in good contact with the road surface which can include bumps, cracks, pot holes and all manner of imperfections. This system must work while the motorcycle is straight up and down and also during turning when the bike is leaned over, sometimes at very extreme lean angles.

In his book, A Twist of the Wrist II, Keith Code explains, “the process of head shake (which can be the beginnings of a tank slapper) begins when the tire hits a ripple and, along with the suspension, compresses. This throws the wheel slightly off-center. When the suspension and tire release, the wheel is light and flicks back toward a centered position, but again, slightly off-center. Still off-center when it loads again from the next ripple; again it is flicked past its centered position. The cycle of flicking back and forth repeats as the front-end seeks to stabilize through this automatic and necessary self- correcting process. Any bike will do it, and what most riders fail to realize is that this shake is a necessary part of the bike’s suspension system.”

The little wiggle in the front of the bike is how the motorcycle self corrects and gets itself back on track. Ever see a motorcycle race where something, either a tank slapper or a big slide causes the rider to either be ejected from, or fall off the bike? As soon as the rider is no longer on the bike it wiggles a bit, straightens out, keeps on going perfectly straight until it runs out of momentum and falls over. This is a classic example of how a bike, if left to its own devices will sort itself out. Code mentions that, “based on the amount of wiggling, squirming and overuse of controls most riders exhibit, the bike would, if it could, surely ask them to leave. Riders create instability on their own mounts.”

Head shake can be caused by hitting a bump or a ripple in the pavement or it can occur when accelerating hard out of a corner. Hard acceleration can cause the front end to get light or even wheelie which means that the tire is no longer following the road very well, and when it touches back down it can skip or bounce or be off-center, starting off the headshake. Code explains that, “the good news is that if your bike is basically tight (steering head bearings not excessively worn, forks and shock not sticking etc.) the head-shake stays up front and does not transfer to the rest of the bike.”

Eventually, the oscillation will die out on its own, unless we interfere.

How Riders make the situation worse:

Our normal reactions when the handlebars start to slightly shake are to stiffen up on the bars. Keith Code calls this our “survival reactions,” noting that we do not usually choose to get stiff and tight on the bars, our bodies just do it. When we stiffen up the head shake is transferred through our bodies to the whole bike and that is when the shaking can get more violent. Code says that “too tight on the bars is the most common source of motorcycle handling problems.”

How to Prevent a Tank Slapper:

Knowing that gripping the bars too tight is what transfers head shake through the bike and makes it feel like a ferocious tiger ripping a piece of meat into shreds, we can work to prevent a tank slapper from ever occurring by maintaining a relaxed position on the bike at all times. Practice sitting on your bike with your knees gripping the tank for more stability. Sit back a little further in your seat so that your arms have a nice bend in them with your elbows pointed to the ground and then flap em like you’re doing the funky chicken. That’s relaxed, and from that position you can easily use your legs to lift your weight off the seat a little bit, like a jockey on a horse, so that your butt is not banging down hard on the seat. Think light as a feather, one with the bike, Zen and the art of motorcycle riding……

Installing a steering damper is another way to help prevent tank slappers. A steering damper works to limit the travel and intensity of any head shake that the bike is experiencing by damping or soaking up the excess energy. They are necessary on some of the more modern bikes that have aggressive frame geometry, relatively short wheelbases and powerful engines. Dampers are mounted up front so that there is insufficient leverage to transfer shake through the bike. Keep in mind though that a motorcycle with a damper will still shake if you are tight on the bars, so relax!

What to do if you experience a tank slapper:
If you do find yourself in the unfortunate situation of experiencing a tank slapper first hand don’t try to muscle the bike or force it to stop as it will only make it worse. Try to relax your grip on the bars, pinch the tank with your knees and lift your butt off the seat a little bit. Also, don’t chop the throttle as that will put more weight onto the front and potentially make the situation worse. Ideally you want to continue to accelerate if possible to get the weight further to the back of the bike, or at least maintain a steady and smooth throttle.

Popping a wheelie would eliminate a tank slapper immediately because there would no longer be a front wheel bouncing back and forth in an effort to straighten itself out, but I don’t know too many people that could pull off a stunt like that in the middle of a panic situation.

If all else fails, let go. The bike will try to fix itself.
Another important thing to remember is that occasionally very violent tank slappers can force the front brake pads and brake pistons away from the rotors, causing the brakes to go soft or even to fade completely. So, once you regain control of the motorcycle, check your front brakes and if they feel soft then pump the lever a few times until the pressure returns.

Finding yourself in a situation where the motorcycle you are on is suddenly out of control is no doubt a scary predicament. The more knowledge you are able to arm yourself with, the better equipped you are to handle emergency situations, and the more you are able to practice certain techniques (such as being nice and relaxed on the bike at all times) the more likely you will be to actually do it when it is absolutely necessary. It’s a pretty cool feeling to be able to consciously decide to do something that makes a bad situation better.

Ride Safe,
Misti Hurst
www.mistihurst.com

Review : Shoei RFX




Okay, so fellow readers would know that I have had the Shoei RFX for about 2 weeks' now; but as I was on a business trip overseas, I have yet to have the chance to put it to good use.



This afternoon, I decided to go for a spin on the Green Hornet and it felt good to have the engine rumbling to life. The digital display showed that fuel was low; so the first stop was the Shell station Desa Sri Hartamas that was located some 5 minutes away. After filling up the tank with the good stuff, I rumbled away and enjoyed a nice ride from Hartamas to Bangsar to Damansara.


First impression was that the RFX felt lighter than some other full-face helmets that I have used. The air vents were located at the upper front and chin area; and worked well to divert the air into the inner helmet to keep things cool. With both vents opened, wind noise intrusion was acceptable at speeds up to 90 kmph, thereafter it became somewhat louder; although I can still hear myself think.


The inner padding had good grip and was comfortably clinging to my face. The visor area felt larger than normal, with good view on the front and sides.

It started raining midway and I quickly pulled into a bike halfway rest area. Quickly donned on my RST jacket and continued on my ride.

In the rain, the helmet got fogged up but this was easily mitigated with the visor parted slightly above the chin guard, allowing more cold air to flow into the helmet. The rain waters runned down the visor easily, therefore ensuring that the view was not compromised. Even during the downpour, the inner cushion was not wet despite having the air vents kept opened.

I reached back home after riding for a while and was impressed enough with the affordable RFX. It was light, had good grip, had acceptable NVH padding, was airy and it's a Shoei, so safety was assured. The minus point was the fogging, although that could be treated with anti-fogging solution/spray on the visor.



All in all, for a helmet that costs circa RM1.3k (including import taxes and courier charges from overseas), I find that the RFX is a pretty good Japan-made helmet and should suit most riders well.

Saturday 11 August 2012

Akrapovic Titanium Slip-on Exhaust : SS-K6S05-TT @ RM1,500

Yes, it is RM1,500. No, it ain't no typo. Yes, it is a brand new set selling in Malaysia. No, it is not a rip-off or counterfeit unit. And yes, it is worth buying at that price, mate!

Akrapovic has always been a natural choice for bike enthusiasts when it comes to exhaust upgrades- sans the higher entry cost compared to other brands in the market. The titanium setup as utilised in model no. SS-K6S05-TT for Kawasaki Ninja 650R (2009 - 2010) used to retail at RM3,000, then RM2,800 before stabilizing for a long while at RM1,800.

But guess what, with the big market for Kawasaki's 650 cc twin-parallel engine utilised by its ER6, Ninja 650R and Versys 650, prices of the Akrapovic has also reduced of late-  and you can now get a set of this pedigree can for a mere RM1,500.

That's half price compared to its selling price just a couple of years back!

Looks like the originally-planned Ixil hyperflow (RM1,350) for my Green Hornet, will be replaced by Akrapovic Titanium (RM1,500) now.

Keep your eyes posted here for the latest review upon the can's installation shortly!



  • Exhaust Type - Titanium
    Code: SS-K6S05-TT
  • Our sporty and lightweight SLIP-ON systems offer a great balance between price and performance and represent the first step in the exhaust system tuning process.

    The muffler outer sleeve is made of titanium, which gives a special hi-tech touch to our SLIP-ON SP Series system and reduces overall weight by 4.51 kg as it is not street legal and dedicated for racing oriented riders.

  • PERFORMANCE
    Measurements of the Akrapovic SLIP-ON OPEN system on the KAWASAKI ER-6N (without muffler insert):

    Power & Torque: the exhaust system modification with the SLIP-ON system results in a major boost in performance, delivering a usable 72.3 HP at 8900 rpm on back wheel. But the increased power isn't available just at the top of the range; the system shows its quality already from 2000 rpm up through entire rpm range. The maximum power in-crease between the Akrapovic and the stock system is 5.2 HP at 5280 rpm. Additionally, the torque is substantially higher in the lower rpm area at 3000 rpm and in the middle of rpm area.