GPR GPE Slip-on : To install or not to install, that is the question.

 
I have been eyeing the Yoshimura carbon fibre slip-on exhaust since I got more familiarised with my Green Hornet; and from the online reviews, it's one of the better after-market exhaust made for the Kawasaki parallel twin engine. Increase in torque and high speed with a rumbling muscular note thrown in as a bonus- sounds like a great idea.

Yoshi CB was selling at around RM2,100 but the prices has reduced to RM1,800 now, as the 2012 ER6/Versys uses the complete exhaust system rather than a slip-on, so it has been made redundant somewhat.

The catch is that Yoshi does not have an O2 sensor, so one has to either drill the hole or get O2 eliminator plugs to mitigate this issue. And there are issues that the engine may run a bit lean and also back-firing when the throttle is reduced. Hmmm...

I have always loved Italian rides, so I then opted for the GPR Grand Prix Evolution exhaust from Milan, Italy. This would be a smaller outfit compared to the bigger boys of the aftermarket exhaust industry, but GPR's exhausts are hand-made and you know how passionate Italians are, so I gathered that it should be a good product. The GPE retails at RM1,800 locally but you can get them at a much better price (think RM1,000?) when purchased through bigger online outfits. Since the exhaust has ready O2 sensor so it should reduce the possibility of the engine management problem.

Or so one would think.

There is still a problem, albeit a practical one, of using an after-market exhaust system. The bassy rumble attracts attention like fly to honey; and authorities keep a keen eye on such pieces. I have been riding to work given the good weather of late; and noticed that there were some roadblocks for bikes of late. A casual chat with the friendly men in blue (or white, actually) during the roadblock revealed that such aftermarket exhausts were a no-no too. Thank goodness my Green Hornet was using a stock exhaust that was as quiet as mice, hence I wasn't stopped like the other superbikes.

So now, I am back to square one. The online purchases has a refund policy. The question now is, to install or not to install.

Hmmm...