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Removing Akrapovic Carbon Exhaust Baffle (tutorial)


AlbatrossCafe

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AlbatrossCafe

I have had my Akra Carbon for about 2 months & almost 3000 miles now, and ever since the beginning I have been curious about how it would sound without the baffle. Youtube videos never do it justice. People's description of it on the forum only went so far.
 
I was reluctant to remove the baffle because I couldn't find a step-by-step tutorial on it (and I looked pretty thoroughly). I could only find tid-bits of the process online. Because of this, I decided to make a walk through of my own. This isn't a professional process by any means, but it seemed to work just fine for me. The operation sounds difficult/risky initially, but once you figure out what is involved it really is very simple, especially if you had experience putting this exhaust on in the first place. Sorry for the average-quality pics - it was night and my lighting was questionable. Anyway, here we go!
 
Required Tools:
[ul type=disc][*]12mm socket
[*]13mm open-end wrench
[*]4mm Allen wrench[*]Torque wrench[*]Needle-nose pliers[*]Some kind of large towel/cloth
[*]Shop towels[*](Optional) plunger with wooden handle or some kind of narrow wooden dowel
[/ul]
 
Step 1 - Remove the muffler bolt from the bike
This makes everything 10x easier to reach, and you severely limit the potential for collateral damage. Plus, to remove this you have to remove only 1 bolt and 2 springs, so there really is no reason not to. Start with removing the bolt. Use a 12mm socket for the head, and hold the nut in the back with a 13mm open-end wrench. Be careful not to go too fast and let your wrench slip off and hit the muffler.
 
http://i.imgur.com/sFGgwrI.jpg
Step 2 - Remove tension springs between muffler and mid-pipe

Next, remove the two springs that hold the muffler piece to the exhaust mid-pipe. To do this, I use needle-nose pliers to grab the hooks and pull them out & over the loops in which they are secured. This is much easier than trying to use fingers with ridiculous grip strength.
 
http://i.imgur.com/SpFBPAU.jpg
 
Step 3 - Remove muffler from bike
 
You will first have to remove the carbon fiber clamp/holder that secures the muffler. This next part was probably the most difficult for me as I have had this exhaust running for ~3000 miles. I remember when I put it on, the muffler slid right on & off the mid-pipe. Now that heat has caused it to expand, it was harder to remove. I recommend laying on your back on the ground, and using two full-hands to slowly rotate/wiggle it off. Carbon fiber is not the strongest material a decent amount of force maybe required, so using all of both of your hands is recommended as to not put too much pressure on any particular spot. Remove the exhaust and place on a soft cloth or in my case a Shamwow for padding:
 
http://i.imgur.com/4WIquAq.jpg
 
Step 4 - Remove baffle screw
 
There is a rubber insert on the muffler on the side opposite of the Akrapovic sticker. Remove that insert, and inside you will see a screw with an Allen head. Remove this screw using a 4mm Allen wrench. Caution: Make sure that the exhaust is directly over a table, cloth, or something else with a decent amount of surface area. There is a very small washer than might fall out upon removal. If it doesn't, move the exhaust around until it does. The screw is a bit harder - I was shaking the exhaust around for a few minutes before I finally gave up, and then during my handling of it in the next few steps it randomly fell out so make sure to watch for it. Sorry, I forgot to get a picture for this one.
 
Step 4.5 (Optional) - Knock baffle with some kind of wooden piece
 
As suggested by some, I started by using the handle of a wooden plunger to try to knock the baffle loose going through the inside of the front of the muffler. I am not sure if it actually did anything and I was afraid I was going to damage the muffler so I stopped. It is up to you if you want to give the baffle a few knocks first.
 
Step 5 - Fold a section of a shop towel and put between pliers
 
I ripped off a 1/3 of a blue shop towel, folded it onto itself twice (4 layers) and put it in between the needle-nose pliers as to prevent damage when we are grabbing the baffle.
 
http://i.imgur.com/ffVR4S2.jpg
 
Step 6  - Remove the baffle
 
To actually remove the baffle, I used the needle-nose pliers with the shop towel between them, grabbed the baffle and simply pulled. I didn't use any WD-40, and it required "enough" but not a ridiculous amount of force.
 
http://i.imgur.com/eZSQtgm.jpg
 
When everything is removed, you should have the following parts (rubber insert is off screen):
 
http://i.imgur.com/df8y3rS.jpg
 
Your muffler will have a lot bigger hole...
 
http://i.imgur.com/rkCWfDJ.jpg
 
Step 7 - Reinstall exhaust
 
Reinstall the exhaust. Note: Don't forget to install the rubber insert back into the exhaust before you put it on! Next, I slipped the muffler over the mid-pipe, then attached the springs, then put on the carbon clamp, then had to rotate the exhaust a bit to make the clamp fit close enough to the bolt mounting location, and finally attached the bolt. Use the torque wrench to torque the bolt to 16 ftlbs or 22nm. Be careful not to over-torque this as you are tightening against the carbon clamp which could easily crack.
 
All done!
 
http://i.imgur.com/oalNA8u.jpg
 
 
I have only ridden it for about 8 minutes as it was 40 degrees and I was in shorts & a sweatshirt, so my opinion may be void. I will update after tomorrow when I ride to work. As of now, here are my opinions on the sound levels:
 
Stock Exhaust: 2/10 volume - many have stated that it is prius-level quiet. We have a 2004 biege prius for some reason, and I would agree with that statement
Akra Carbon w/ baffle: 5.5/10 volume - Not as loud as I was expecting after I first installed the exhaust. If you get on it, it can get loud though.
 
Akra Carbon w/o baffle: 8.4/10 volume - Pretty loud. If you are hearing-conscious like I am, earplugs will be required while I did not use them with the baffle-in. Idle is not bad and cruising RPM's produce a REALLY bad drone that vibrates your skull. Hammering it is actually not that much more painful on your ears than the drone at 4000 RPM. It is probably super loud for the people behind you, but is only just "loud" for the rider. This is about as loud as my last bike's aftermarket exhaust - a 2014 Yamaha Raider with a 1854cc V-Twin. If you have heard the "standard" Harley using an aftermarket exhaust WITH baffles, it is about at that volume. If you are racing around you will probably annoy people pretty quickly, but very casual riding would be "tolerable" as long as you aren't trolling through neighborhoods. Still, a Harley or some other big V-Twin WITHOUT baffles is easily louder.
 
EDIT: After riding to work today with no earplugs as a test (~45min ride), I will be putting the baffle back in tonight lol. I felt I couldn't go very fast because of the guilt that incurred when giving it any gas. The worst part is the drone around 4000RPM.

Regardless of volume, the actual sound quality is much better!! It is a deeper sound, and the best part is that it is not raspy anymore at high RPM's like it was with the baffle in. If I could somehow find a way to achieve this sound with the baffle-in volume & performance, I think I could become a millionaire...
 
Hope this helped, if anyone has questions let me know!


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Just got my Akra Carbon in the mail, first thing I did when I pulled it out of the box was yanking the db killer out :P way easier to do it before install. Just pull off the rubber plug, unscrew the hex bolt, pull the baffle out with some pliers, put the rubber plug back in. Hopefully it won't bother the neighbors too much

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AlbatrossCafe
Just got my Akra Carbon in the mail, first thing I did when I pulled it out of the box was yanking the db killer out :P way easier to do it before install. Just pull off the rubber plug, unscrew the hex bolt, pull the baffle out with some pliers, put the rubber plug back in. Hopefully it won't bother the neighbors too much
Taking the muffler off after it has already installed isn't that bad - I thought it was gonna be a chore at first which is why it took me so long to remove it but the whole process only took me about 30 minutes. 
However, the no-baffle exhaust bothered my ears WAY more than it bothered the neighbors...
 
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Nice write up! I've thought about doing this, but I think I'm happy enough with the sound with the baffle in. I might do it just to hear the difference, we'll see.

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AlbatrossCafe
Nice write up! I've thought about doing this, but I think I'm happy enough with the sound with the baffle in. I might do it just to hear the difference, we'll see.
Curiosity got the best of me - I had to know. I think it is worth a try on like a Saturday... you can have it out, ride around a bit, and put it back in within a couple hours if you don't like it. 
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  • 4 months later...
kanchanj88

@albatrosscafe - Nice write-up. I am looking to buy a Carbon exhaust for my fz and need some info please. I was reading that the Akrapovic Carbon does not meet emission standards, can u install a catalytic converter in it? Also did you have to install power commandos, etc??

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AlbatrossCafe
@albatrosscafe - Nice write-up. I am looking to buy a Carbon exhaust for my fz and need some info please. I was reading that the Akrapovic Carbon does not meet emission standards, can u install a catalytic converter in it? Also did you have to install power commandos, etc??
The only aftermarket exhaust that can have a catalytic converter on the FZ-07 is the Akrapovic TI. You don't HAVE to install anything like a power commander. It will work fine without it. But those can help. 
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kanchanj88
@albatrosscafe - Nice write-up. I am looking to buy a Carbon exhaust for my fz and need some info please. I was reading that the Akrapovic Carbon does not meet emission standards, can u install a catalytic converter in it? Also did you have to install power commandos, etc??
The only aftermarket exhaust that can have a catalytic converter on the FZ-07 is the Akrapovic TI. You don't HAVE to install anything like a power commander. It will work fine without it. But those can help.
Thanks for the reply. But without the catalytic converter, it would make it illegal in CA, right? Just curious.. 
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AlbatrossCafe

It is illegal everywhere and has been for the last 25 years or so, but no one checks for it. Look at any motorcyclist in the country and you will find a good number of them have an aftermarket exhaust, many without the cat. I know California has the strictest rules and may be the only state that could ding you for it. I would search the forum/google or maybe create a new thread asking about it. I live in WA so I don't know.

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wickedtwister

You can buy a cat and still pull the db killer. Thats how i run my akra ti.

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Thanks for the tech tip and a bigger thanks for being honest about how you felt about the pipe w/baffle removed. I trust your judgement and won't be taking my baffle out of my Akra CF pipe. I wouldn't like the droning either.

Beemer

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It is illegal everywhere and has been for the last 25 years or so, but no one checks for it. Look at any motorcyclist in the country and you will find a good number of them have an aftermarket exhaust, many without the cat. I know California has the strictest rules and may be the only state that could ding you for it. I would search the forum/google or maybe create a new thread asking about it. I live in WA so I don't know.
I would have to go back and find it again but if I recall correctly, Florida Law states that any aftermarket pipe has to meet the manufacturer's specification for the original pipe and that's probably about every state that requires that. A person anywhere would probably be safe from Johnny Law if he or she didn't go around constantly "BRAPPING" up the town. I wish Fl. allowed lane splitting. I could surely make better time at times when all the snow birds are here. 
A little off subject but (in Fl.) it's legal to pass someone on the right (car sitting still, waiting to turn left) if there is ample room and you can do it safely but apparently there are people that don't know about that law. In the Toyota, I passed someone on the right (safely) the other day and they laid all over their horn in disapproval. I'm just glad they didn't turn their wheel towards me and hit the gas. I could've ended up in the lake with the gators and turtles.

Beemer

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kanchanj88

@albatrosscafe, Thanks for the reply. This forum is awesome, everyone is so supportive and helpful!
 
@beemer - This is what I found about the rule in PA.
 
"§ 3304. Overtaking vehicle on the right.
 
(a) General rule.--The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under one of the following conditions:
 
(1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn, except that such movement shall not be made by driving off the berm or shoulder of the highway.
 
(2) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaken vehicle, except that such movement shall not be made by driving off the roadway.
 
(b) Limitation.--No passing movement under this section shall be made unless the movement can be made in safety"
 

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@albatrosscafe , Thanks for the reply. This forum is awesome, everyone is so supportive and helpful! 
@beemer - This is what I found about the rule in PA.
 
"§ 3304. Overtaking vehicle on the right.
 
(a) General rule.--The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under one of the following conditions:
 
(1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn, except that such movement shall not be made by driving off the berm or shoulder of the highway.
 
(2) Upon a roadway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two or more lines of vehicles moving lawfully in the direction being traveled by the overtaken vehicle, except that such movement shall not be made by driving off the roadway.
 
(b) Limitation.--No passing movement under this section shall be made unless the movement can be made in safety"

Sounds just like Florida's. I fall under the 1. in that incident, was on the road when I passed.

Beemer

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Premium Member
ch3rryghost
The only aftermarket exhaust that can have a catalytic converter on the FZ-07 is the Akrapovic TI. You don't HAVE to install anything like a power commander. It will work fine without it. But those can help.
Thanks for the reply. But without the catalytic converter, it would make it illegal in CA, right? Just curious.. 
Yep technically illegal but I don't know how cops are where you live but they could care less about bike mods. Every other bike has an illegal exhaust here in southern cal.  
The vendor will likely have you sign a document that you are aware the exhaust is for off-road use only and is going to be used as such.
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  • 1 month later...

I have a dilemma that I need to solve folks. I would appreciate the help a lot. Here in Turkey we have a local exhaust producer called TIGER exhausts (http://www.tigerexhaust.com/) who manufacture great looking, great sounding exhausts for reasonable prices. They even export their products. However the one that they manufacture for FZ 07 is far too loud for anyone. Now when you buy one, they do not recommend installing their small baffles or other baffles that are sold worldwide because they insist that baffles increase the back pressure too much thus causing the temperature to increase in the engine. They claim that this harms both the engine and the exhaust. It also increases the fuel consumption. So I think, what is the difference between their cans and other internationally sold ones because every other brand has baffles. I do not understand. I am thinking of buying a perforated long baffle online even with the fiber covered ones. Should I install one or not? Thanx for reading this long paragraph. Sorry for the inconvenience. :-)
 
 
Update

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  • 8 months later...

Great write up AlbatrossCafe, I have just removed mine and I'll see how I go with the sound volume.
 
All up I was donew in about 10 minutes, thanks again :)

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  • 1 year later...
Lemanstar95

So I plan on installing the akra CF on my fz 07, I just have a couple questions. I cant afford a flash ecu quite yet, and plan on just taking up to the local shop to get it tuned after I install the new exhaust (as well as removing the snorkel on the stock air filter) Is it safe for the ride to the shop before tuning? It's about 10 miles away. Also, I need to register the bike still in North Carolina, should I register it prior to installing the exhaust since it doesn't have a catalytic converter and doesnt pass emissions? Thanks guys!

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Albatross:  it's been two years since you posted your great step-by-step instructions for removing the Akropovic baffle.  I stumbled upon your post while looking for a louder exhaust for my 2016 Kawasaki 300ABS KRT.  It had an Akropovic exhaust when I bought it used, but it was just too quiet and wimpy for my tastes. 

I'm an old ex-racer, from way back when mufflers weren't required for road-racing and flat-track, so I need the noise to really enjoy riding.  

Anyway, I was about to trade my Akro can for a no-baffle Coffman can when I found your article showing how to remove the Akro baffle.  I didn't even know they could be removed!  DOH!    So, you saved me a nice chunk of money.  Thanks!

Edited by chucklantz
typos & TMI
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