My last VFR was a 2003 with Two Brothers Carbon exhaust......pretty loud but nice tone.
On the 2015 VFR800F I put the Akrapovic on. It sounds better than stock but still a bit tame. Do you think its better with the baffle out or does that make it too loud? Also, to take the baffle out, can I just remove the screw and pull it out, or do you think I have to dismount the exhaust to do it?
Just remove the screw and pull it out to give people ammo to complain about noise levels. :laugh:
Reckon there will be plenty open hogs and screining stinky i4's in FL.....
U can stand out from the crowd by leaving them in I suppose :goofy:
I have the baffle in. Mine has the screw tac welded on, and I don't want it louder so it stays in.
Is there any danger of doing harm to the VFR engine with the baffle out of the Akrapovic?
1 hour ago, deedubIs there any danger of doing harm to the VFR engine with the baffle out of the Akrapovic?
No
My baffle is in Akrapovic. I prefer a quieter exhaust so I like the Akrapovic for that it’s not too loud.
However, there is no aftermarket exhaust on the 8th gen that would make it sound like deep tone on the 6th gen (delkevic, two bro’s/, etc). It might have to do with the length of the headers or exhaust pipes? Not sure..
I had the Akra on my 2015 VFR800X Crossrunner. Baffle OUT. Sounds much better and the cage drivers may stand a chance of being aware of your presence.
JMHO
So do you have to drill to get it out, or can you just remove the screw and pull it out?
3 hours ago, SkidsI had the Akra on my 2015 VFR800X Crossrunner. Baffle OUT. Sounds much better and the cage drivers may stand a chance of being aware of your presence.
JMHO
I'm of the carefully considered opinion that you could dip yourself in glow in the dark paint, wear LEDs and retroreflective spangles like rhinestones on a Vegas chorus girl and amplify your exhaust to the point of it being physically dangerous and there would still be people who wouldn't look away from Facebook long enough to notice that they had just run you over. I don't dress myself or change my bike to be conspicuous, I just assume they DON'T see me.
2 hours ago, signalSo do you have to drill to get it out, or can you just remove the screw and pull it out?
It’s a screw.
8 hours ago, MarveliciousI'm of the carefully considered opinion that you could dip yourself in glow in the dark paint, wear LEDs and retroreflective spangles like rhinestones on a Vegas chorus girl and amplify your exhaust to the point of it being physically dangerous and there would still be people who wouldn't look away from Facebook long enough to notice that they had just run you over. I don't dress myself or change my bike to be conspicuous, I just assume they DON'T see me.
Which is your right. :beer:
I'm of the carefully considered opinion that I'm human and make mistakes, so wearing Hi-Viz, LED lights, loud exhaust and riding with the understanding that a significant number of others on the road wont see or care if they do see me, means that I'm covering every base. My #1 consideration is getting home safely from riding my bike.
I've never understood why so many bikers think riding is a fashion statement and they have to look good (badass, cool, sexy - whatever).
If you think that merely riding with an opinion is as safe as all the other measures you could take AS WELL, then you are deluding yourself. Ask yourself why you would NOT do more to ensure your own safety?
JMO :beer:
52 minutes ago, SkidsIf you think that merely riding with an opinion is as safe as all the other measures you could take AS WELL, then you are deluding yourself. Ask yourself why you would NOT do more to ensure your own safety?
Well, when I said "carefully considered", I meant it. I have thought about my decisions and my motivations. I have no problem with doing things that actually make me safer, but I have zero interest in safety theater. You say I'm deluding myself, I say you're allowing your hi-viz to give you a false sense of security. We all make the choices we are comfortable with. The "why you would NOT do more to ensure your own safety?" argument could be leveled right back at you: why ride a motorcycle at all? A car is safer. If safety is the trump card (ughh... It's getting hard to use that phrase anymore) then clearly we should all be on public transportation.
As for using safety as a justification for loud pipes, I'd say any arguable increase in safety is at best in a dead heat with the amount of Ill will it generates from everyone else who doesn't want to listen to it. I'd rather fly under the radar and rely on my own self-preservation instincts than be obnoxiously visible. We're a tiny minority on the road and that is worth considering. Not everyone is interested in our weird little hobby (from their point of view) and we get to ride our two wheeled rockets at the sufferance of everyone else. Granted, my objection to the "loud pipes save lives" philosophy is primarily aimed at riders of one particular brand of motorcycle, I'm sure you can guess which.
As for the "fashion statement" comment, you'd have to know me to know how laughable that is. Suffice it to say, I'm not confusing any aspect of my life with a fashion show.
Agree to disagree I guess...
It's too bad the OP doesn't have a 6g, then you could have 1 in and 1 out and piss off and please someone at the same time 😆
3 hours ago, MarveliciousWell, when I said "carefully considered", I meant it. I have thought about my decisions and my motivations. I have no problem with doing things that actually make me safer, but I have zero interest in safety theater. You say I'm deluding myself, I say you're allowing your hi-viz to give you a false sense of security. We all make the choices we are comfortable with. The "why you would NOT do more to ensure your own safety?" argument could be leveled right back at you: why ride a motorcycle at all? A car is safer. If safety is the trump card (ughh... It's getting hard to use that phrase anymore) then clearly we should all be on public transportation.
As for using safety as a justification for loud pipes, I'd say any arguable increase in safety is at best in a dead heat with the amount of Ill will it generates from everyone else who doesn't want to listen to it. I'd rather fly under the radar and rely on my own self-preservation instincts than be obnoxiously visible. We're a tiny minority on the road and that is worth considering. Not everyone is interested in our weird little hobby (from their point of view) and we get to ride our two wheeled rockets at the sufferance of everyone else. Granted, my objection to the "loud pipes save lives" philosophy is primarily aimed at riders of one particular brand of motorcycle, I'm sure you can guess which.
As for the "fashion statement" comment, you'd have to know me to know how laughable that is. Suffice it to say, I'm not confusing any aspect of my life with a fashion show.
Agree to disagree I guess...
Absolutely; if we all agreed on everything, the world would be a very boring (and safer? 😄) place.
I think your assumptions about me are also somewhat off the mark. I do not allow a high viz to give me any false sense of security, it merely supplements what I do anyway and may/will allow a better outcome for any given situation than would otherwise be the case because someone else has seen me earlier than they would have had I not been wearing it. That doesn't guarantee a better outcome, but certainly mitigates further against the risk of not being seen.
The world isn't black and white, safety included. We ride bikes for many reasons but I've seen enough deaths over the years to want to ensure as best as I can whilst I continue with my choice of lifestyle that I will survive it. A single approach to safety will never mitigate all the issues. How we ride is but one.
Perhaps we see (hear) different things when we say loud pipes. The baffle-less Akra is not that loud, but it is louder and may help. Back in 2005, a car side-swiped me as he took a very late decision to exit the highway; trouble was, I was between him and the exit. He hit me doing over 70mph and pushed me up the exit. The bike was a right-off. I spoke with him afterwards and he was not aware I was there, despite the high viz jacket but when I asked might he have heard me if I'd had a louder exhaust, he said that might have been enough. A single example, but you never know.
As you say, agree to disagree.
Keep it rubber side down! :beer:
I have a 2020 with the Akra, no screw available to remove, where is it ?
The law was changed recently (2019?) in the EU afaik......
DB killer must be permanently affixed, hence a bolt being tacked with a welder. Nothing a DREMEL cannot fix.
Db killer installed
My SP2 exhausts are from early 2017, hence the db kller can be removed. I even made a set of fake db-killers that would pass a cursory glance from the polis. but eventually decided that the SP2 sounds good enough with the db killers in. I stil get ~139 ponies at the rear wheel....
@Skids
We're probably comparing apples and oranges. The UK has 20 times the population density of my home state, so we probably deal with different kinds of traffic. I spend most of my time on two lane country roads. Your story does illustrate my point though... the guy driving the car right next to you didn't see you. If I have a car right next to me, I'm looking for a way to be somewhere else because I assume I'm invisible to him. I'm probably spoiled since there is generally another option.
I mostly raise the point about noise because I think it's worth considering the effect on other drivers. The EU didn't change the law without someone finding the noise objectionable. I doubt the Akra is really all that loud even with the core removed and I doubt I'd have a problem with it, but it's still worth giving it thought.
Skids, Marvelicious...
My solution is a high-viz motorcycle! Seriously, I do believe that the dark colors and low profile of the typical cruiser (and cruiser lifestyle apparel) makes them much harder to see than the red bikes I have ridden for decades. And while I always felt the "loud pipes save lives' bit was BS, a rationalization for just being noisy, when I moved to California and started lane-splitting I did find that a blip of the throttle would sometimes get the attention of a driver looking at their phone and drifting over the lane divider. Of course that happens at pretty low speeds.
I do believe and agree that assuming invisibility is the best strategy any time the wheels are turning. High viz safety bikes:
12 hours ago, St. StephenSkids, Marvelicious...
My solution is a high-viz motorcycle! Seriously, I do believe that the dark colors and low profile of the typical cruiser (and cruiser lifestyle apparel) makes them much harder to see than the red bikes I have ridden for decades. And while I always felt the "loud pipes save lives' bit was BS, a rationalization for just being noisy, when I moved to California and started lane-splitting I did find that a blip of the throttle would sometimes get the attention of a driver looking at their phone and drifting over the lane divider. Of course that happens at pretty low speeds.
I do believe and agree that assuming invisibility is the best strategy any time the wheels are turning. High viz safety bikes:
Can't help but agree there m8.
As has been found in many studies, it's contrast that catches the eye, along with movement but in order to sense that movement you need a contrast with the background. A different colour to the background will definitely help, as will bright LED or HiD Xenon lights, but it all depends upon your background. A dark bike, with dark leathers and a dark helmet and no lights will stand out beautifully in a snowscape, but far less so in many of the road riding situations I think we find ourselves in.
There is rarely one solution to safety issues and a multi-layered approach will mitigate more to minimise the threat to a rider's safety.
As always, JMO. :beer:
so where is the weld nut that can be removed to access the DB killer ? My carbon end cap hasn't got any holes to see where it is ?
Aye pal, post up a picture so we can see what we are deling with...
I have the Akrapovic on my 2014 with the DB killer baffle still screwed in, I left it in because I ride mostly 2up and the Mrs preferred it a bit quieter. I get flashed all the time by tintops at night because of the headlights, so I just react a little more slowly now to dip the high beam- just letting them know...
It doesn't matter how prominent you make yourself, it's the one you don't see that doesn't see you that'll get you. So ride like everyone is blind and look after yourself.
I have a '78 GS1000 with a straight through Tingate, I still get tinheads cutting me up - Didn't see/hear....care..
Ride safe, Stay safe.
I just installed the Akra on my ‘14. Baffle was tacked so I left it in for now. Looks like it could break free with a wrench twist.
Sound is nice, not loud at all. There was a noticeable improvement with my bike in general throttle response, smoothness and mid RPM power. I was pleasantly surprised as I really wasn’t expecting all of that but I’ll take it. Bike runs a degree or two cooler too.
7 hours ago, deedubSound is nice, not loud at all. There was a noticeable improvement with my bike in general throttle response, smoothness and mid RPM power. I was pleasantly surprised as I really wasn’t expecting all of that but I’ll take it. Bike runs a degree or two cooler too.
I found the same (maybe not the mid-RPM power so much), as well as extra mileage. Last tank took until 210 miles to show the warning light, and this was in winter with mostly short runs. On my previous '14 with stock exhaust, it was 180-190.
It came on a secondhand bike with baffle out. I thought it a bit loud so pushed the baffle in to see how that sounded, but it was such a tight fit I now can't shift it. It's perhaps a little quieter than I would like, but on balance I prefer it in.
I have had similar results on all my VFRs ('98, '08, '15, '18 and '14 VFR1200). A decent end can seems to smooth things out and if not actually increase the power & torque, when combined with the beautiful noise of the V4 engines it feels faster! They're also significantly lighter than OEM.
Afaik, there are different versions of the slip on for the VFR.
Genuine honda part O8F88-MJM-900 has the baffle fixed in place via a tack weld so that it can't be removed, easily.
If you buy the Akrapovic as an aftermarket slip on, the baffle has a small 10mm bolt that can be undone and the baffle removed.
The bolt to remove the baffle is in the end of the muffler, right next to the outlet on the left hand side on the inner wall of the tear drop shaped recess.
Once you have removed the bolt, it's a tight fit and a bit hard to get out. I find it best if you push the outlet up/down and wiggle it out a bit at a time.
It's not overly loud with it out, but gives the Vee four an awsome note.
5 minutes ago, AudibleAfaik, there are different versions of the slip on for the VFR.
Genuine honda part O8F88-MJM-900 has the baffle fixed in place via a tack weld so that it can't be removed, easily.
If you buy the Akrapovic as an aftermarket slip on, the baffle has a small 10mm bolt that can be undone and the baffle removed.
I believe the reason is that a genuine or factory fitted part must comply with current regs (ie you can't remove the baffle) whereas aftermarket items may be fitted to earlier model bikes which don't have to comply with more modern regs so they can have a removeable baffle.
I think.