Akrapovic Carbon Rattle Issues

[thedriver1]

Just wanted to post this as a heads up/warning to anyone looking to buy the Akrapovic carbon full system. I purchased mine from a reputable shop that everyone knows (starts with Rev) and it showed up looking like it was in excellent condition. However, as I was inspecting the carbon muffler, I noticed that it rattled if it was shaken in the right way. It sounded like a small metallic piece was stuck inside the silencer somewhere and it couldn't be shaken out. I tried tightening the screw holding the baffle on but it made no difference.

 

Upon further research, I found the this was an issue that's happened before in the carbon systems for the FZ09 as well so I messaged both Akrapovic and the retailer. After waiting a few days, Akra hasn't responded, but the retailer requested a video and authorized a return of the entire system within a day. 

 

I'll be shipping this exhaust back tomorrow and will report if the issue is gone when the next one is received. 

 

Take this as a warning, even the top brands can have quality control issues, check the parts as soon as you get them. Also, deal with good retailers, because their customer service can be the difference between being satisfied with with your multi-hundred dollar purchase or not.

[Beemer]

Ever since I'd put my Akra C.F. pipe on I've heard a rattle at times when decelerating, not always but enough that it irritated me a little when it did do it but it wasn't real loud so I pretty much just ignored it. Not saying anyone else should. I'm assuming now it's for the same reason you mentioned. I'd never given my pipe a good shake before I put it on. If you hear of a way to resolve the problem please let me know. It's way too late for me to return my pipe.

[DewMan]

Just so all the Akra reports aren't negative. I'll report that my Akra Ti has no such rattle, loudness, nor fitment issues.

[Cruizin]

I have heard of this rattle a few times on here. You could remove it and the header pretty easily and investigate. If so, please let us know. 

[thedriver1]

Just received an email back from Akrapovic themselves! According to them:

 

"It sounds like a small piece of TI was chipped off when the rivet was punched through" and it will be handled as a warranty claim.

 

Luckily my replacement exhaust has already shipped out so hopefully that resolves the issue!

[Cruizin]

14 minutes ago, thedriver1 said:

Just received an email back from Akrapovic themselves! According to them:

 

"It sounds like a small piece of TI was chipped off when the rivet was punched through" and it will be handled as a warranty claim.

 

Luckily my replacement exhaust has already shipped out so hopefully that resolves the issue!

Damn, that's good customer service. 

[thedriver1]

1 minute ago, Cruizin said:

Damn, that's good customer service. 

I was very impressed. I got return authorization and free return shipping through the retailer within 24 hours of sending the video of the issue. They processed the return order as soon as I notified them that I had shipped out the defective product. Looks like I may have actually missed the shipping deadline for the day but the order was processed at 3:30 so no big deal.

 

And this was after price matching the exhaust, saving me $40 on the original purchase!

[Cruizin]

54 minutes ago, thedriver1 said:

I was very impressed. I got return authorization and free return shipping through the retailer within 24 hours of sending the video of the issue. They processed the return order as soon as I notified them that I had shipped out the defective product. Looks like I may have actually missed the shipping deadline for the day but the order was processed at 3:30 so no big deal.

 

And this was after price matching the exhaust, saving me $40 on the original purchase!

Akra just moved up a bunch of notches on the FZ07.org respect meter.  

 

I historically pay more for true quality customer service like that. A product is just a product, things go wrong with all companies and a company committed to making their customers happy is so important. 

 

Im gonna reach out to them and see if they would like to be a vendor. 

[thedriver1]

Just to clarify quickly, in case the original post wasn't clear: the price matching, warranty issue, and RMA, were all handled through Revzilla, who's customer service has been truly impressive.

 

Though obviously Akra has an excellent warranty and I'd be happy to see either as a vendor.

[thedriver1]

Update time!

 

Just received the new exhaust, super quick turnaround on Revzilla's part.

 

I slowly opened the box and... exactly the same issue!

 

I'm honestly not sure what to do now, is it worth it to try the return one more time? I tend to doubt it, seems like a tiny bit of titanium could just be a result of the riveting process and will commonly makes it through QC. Do I try a different brand with a different silencer construction and deal with another return plus the selection of another plus the additional time and cost of shipping the ECU back to 2WDW? Or do I just run the exhaust as it sits and hope the piece gets blown out?

[norcal616]

the question to be asking is- will this drive me nuts hearing a rattle or not when riding? 

[thedriver1]

Going through and re-watching the sound clips on youtube, it appears that the rattle occurs in nearly every clip with the baffle in. What I originally thought was popping on engine overrun may actually be rattling due to a small piece of metal in the muffler. 

 

It seems to be most noticeable at idle and I can't hear it in videos once the bike is moving. It's also much less noticeable with the baffle removed. This could either be due to the reduced exhaust velocity due to the increased cross-sectional area for the flow without the baffle (Nels at 2WDW confirmed that the baffle is a pretty significant restriction) or simply because it becomes too loud to notice. 

 

I'll probably keep the exhaust as none of the others appeal to me as much. The Akra with  baffle-in strikes me as the perfect balance of interesting looking, and loud but not too loud. In addition, it's one of the best performing exhausts for the bike. I'm definitely a little disappointed as I was expecting better from such a world-renowned company. 

[Beemer]

On 6/4/2018 at 8:43 PM, Cruizin said:

Akra just moved up a bunch of notches on the FZ07.org respect meter.  

 

I historically pay more for true quality customer service like that. A product is just a product, things go wrong with all companies and a company committed to making their customers happy is so important. 

 

Im gonna reach out to them and see if they would like to be a vendor. 

So many people here buy Akra pipes it seems like the thing to do. Maybe someone could give them a nudge about a contest to win an Akra pipe??? Wouldn't that stir up more interest in the pipe to increase sales (after the contest of course) and possibly get some special discounts on their products as forum members? 

I know you can work the magic!

[Beemer]

On 6/7/2018 at 10:20 PM, norcal616 said:

the question to be asking is- will this drive me nuts hearing a rattle or not when riding? 

I almost never hear it and it's not loud but I've had my Akra carbon fiber pipe for close to 3 yrs. now and because the packing has worn away the exhaust has become a little loud so in the near future I'm going to repack the baffle and see if I can find anything inside there that would make that noise and be rid of it. I'm thinking that the reason I hear mine only on decel is because the exhaust note is a smidgen quieter when the throttle is off.