Headers!

Mark H-W

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I’ve just acquired a 2006 1200GS. It all very stock and all very clean and tidy.
I’m contemplating fitting a cat free header. Does it improve the performance, ie smother, on the early 1200GS.

Mark
 
the cat doesn't make it run funny

nasty fuelling, glitches and recalcitrance are the beautiful result of hideous mapping to fiddle noise and emission regs… the cat just makes the filth less filthy... the performance gain is circa 0.00002% of something you will never notice, unless continuously on full throttle at 7500rpm and sadly less than 0.0000000001% of GS owners have ever been there
 
Mark H-W said:
I’ve just acquired a 2006 1200GS. It all very stock and all very clean and tidy.
I’m contemplating fitting a cat free header. Does it improve the performance, ie smother, on the early 1200GS.

Mark
Click to expand...

I switched from a Stock System to a Full Akrapovic on my previous 2008 GSA.
I ran it for a couple of hundred miles before binning the Cat Free Headers and going with Stock plus Open Can.
I've now got the same Set Up on my current 2007 GSA.
I hated the constant Popping and Banging on the Overrun and the Noise in general.
It did feel more Responsive at the Throttle, but I'm prepared to forego that in favour of the more pleasant Growl / Rasp that having just the Open Can brings.
Each to their Own.....
 
BillyBoxer6 said:
I switched from a Stock System to a Full Akrapovic on my previous 2008 GSA.
I ran it for a couple of hundred miles before binning the Cat Free Headers and going with Stock plus Open Can.
I've now got the same Set Up on my current 2007 GSA.
I hated the constant Popping and Banging on the Overrun and the Noise in general.
It did feel more Responsive at the Throttle, but I'm prepared to forego that in favour of the more pleasant Growl / Rasp that having just the Open Can brings.
Each to their Own.....
Click to expand...

Have to say I agree. I had cat free headers and feel I lost low down torque and gained vibrations and a lot of noise that was a real drag on longer trips. Best set up I got was standard headers, Akro can with baffle out and AF XIED units…..smooth, punchy and right amount of noise on WOT.
 
oldnfat said:
Have to say I agree. I had cat free headers and feel I lost low down torque and gained vibrations and a lot of noise that was a real drag on longer trips. Best set up I got was standard headers, Akro can with baffle out and AF XIED units…..smooth, punchy and right amount of noise on WOT.
Click to expand...

Exactly that.
I've a very similar Set-up, only with a Used Scorpion Can cos I'm a Cheap Skate.....
 
I was the opposite. Fitted a bos can. Couldn't put up with the noise from it. I put decat headers on with the stock endcan. I found it much better that way round. Each to their own I suppose. Despite what botus says above mine has run well like this for over 100.000 miles. Though I did have it hilltopped many years ago but that's it.
 
I have a 2006 bike, I swapped standard for a full BOS system, I run with baffle in as it becomes annoying on long trips, haven’t noticed much difference in performance, maybe a bit better throttle response at lower revs, it does pop a little bit but it’s not an issue for me. I have never ran it with decat headers and Std can.
I have never noticed the flat spot with either set up that a lot of people talk about with the early bikes, the bike may have been remapped by previous owners, but I have no evidence of that.

Al.
 
I ran a 2007 GSA with full exhaust (Remus can) and axfied.

It definitely improved performance but it made it very harsh and not very nice at motorway speeds at a constant throttle.

But it could definitely zip through the gears all the way to the red.

S20 5G sent this......
 
Thanks for all the input. Once it’s fully serviced and balanced I’ll possibly try just and end can as the changing of headers, from your vast array of knowledge, appears to possibly problematic.
Thank again
Mark
 
When it comes to power increase, Acrapovic specifies approximately gain of 2 hp for the can and 2 for the header. Combined it will be less than 4.
 
if you radically alter the exhaust, then mapping to get fuelling right for what's changed will make a huge difference.

They run terribly due to appalling mapping from the factory... if you then introduce a big change and don't fix it will be slower / nastier
 
Ha ha coming from sportsbike i really enjoy riding with the stock headers and end can, ienjoy the more relaxed pace of riding
Bugger i am getting old....
 
I spent my money on decat headers and a remap. Left the end can standard. It sounded great and ran even better.
 
Greenman14 said:
I spent my money on decat headers and a remap. Left the end can standard. It sounded great and ran even better.
Click to expand...

Where did you get the remap done? Was it local? I'm asking as I live near Worcester not that far from you and I would like the same set up as you are running.
 
I had the remap done by Geoff at Hilltop. It’s not too far and actually a nice ride if you choose your route carefully. The remap took a bit over an hour if I remember right. The wisdom here seemed to be that the air filter and end can are not the problem so I left them standard. The exhaust note was certainly louder but not too loud.
 
Greenman14 said:
I had the remap done by Geoff at Hilltop. It’s not too far and actually a nice ride if you choose your route carefully. The remap took a bit over an hour if I remember right. The wisdom here seemed to be that the air filter and end can are not the problem so I left them standard. The exhaust note was certainly louder but not too loud.
Click to expand...

Okay. Thanks for the info.
 
dashfixer said:
Okay. Thanks for the info.
Click to expand...

Having had both a remap and AF XIED units to two different TC GSAs I would have to say I would go the AF units again rather than remap. Remap is marginally better BUT cost about the same and you can sell the AF units for about 2/3rds the original purchase price when you come to sell. I also found the motor ran cooler with AF units on the setting I chose meaning my header units did not discolour anything like stock or remap come to that matter.
 
I replaced the entire exhaust system on my 06 GS with the Remus version. Nice sound but popping,etc. on overrun not pleasant. I then installed the Dynojet system which required a professional tuning ( about an hour and $300). When he was finished ,the technician presented me with the printed out power curve showing the smoothed out powerband, no more loss at 6-7k and an increase in horsepower from 82 to 101. Very pleased with the results and the improved sound!
 
I was planning on fitting a set of Keihan stainless cat-free headers as my OE headers look awful at 13 years old. Might have to think about it some more after reading the above.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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