Well, I took the heavy old standard exhaust off, just end can and link pipe. Replaced it with the Scorpion stainless, oval can and stainless link pipe. The saving in weight came to 3.5kgs. Fairly high up weight at that, which will go some way to contributing to luggage or cargo carried. I was a bit trepidatious after hearing from others that this was going to be LOUD. It isn't. It gives a lovely mellow bellow (apologies to Donovan), with a little top twitter on the overrun. Generally it is just a nice boomy exhast note and once I am doing about 30ish the noise is largely drowned out by the wind noise in my helmet anyway.
Now, noise is one reason to fit a pipe, a change in engine characteristics is another. With the Scorpion fitted there is a noticeable increase in 'gruntiness'. On the standard pipe I had to be doing 45 on the flat before she would pull in top without lurching or labouring. With the Scorpion she pulls that long gear cleanly and smoothly at just 40mph on the same stretch of road. The low down pulling power is noticeable, it is just easier to ride without having to be so precise with gear selection. A fairly tight, 270 degree bend that I used to take in 3rd I can cruise round in 4th and still pull away out of it. It has made the bike lazier to ride. I have absolutely no idea what it will have done to top end and I probably will never find out. How often do you ride at engine breaking speeds? 5% of the riding time perhaps - whereas between 30 and 60 is probably 75% of riding time. I know which I would rather focus on! Cruising at 65-70 for long journeys is no noisier than it was before, because it is helmet roar that is the loudest and I can barely hear the exhaust note. It also runs cooler than the old exhaust, so burning panniers is a thing of the past. Loving it!
Now, noise is one reason to fit a pipe, a change in engine characteristics is another. With the Scorpion fitted there is a noticeable increase in 'gruntiness'. On the standard pipe I had to be doing 45 on the flat before she would pull in top without lurching or labouring. With the Scorpion she pulls that long gear cleanly and smoothly at just 40mph on the same stretch of road. The low down pulling power is noticeable, it is just easier to ride without having to be so precise with gear selection. A fairly tight, 270 degree bend that I used to take in 3rd I can cruise round in 4th and still pull away out of it. It has made the bike lazier to ride. I have absolutely no idea what it will have done to top end and I probably will never find out. How often do you ride at engine breaking speeds? 5% of the riding time perhaps - whereas between 30 and 60 is probably 75% of riding time. I know which I would rather focus on! Cruising at 65-70 for long journeys is no noisier than it was before, because it is helmet roar that is the loudest and I can barely hear the exhaust note. It also runs cooler than the old exhaust, so burning panniers is a thing of the past. Loving it!
