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myTAKE: Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust


thenakedONES

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myTAKE: Akrapovic Titanium Exhaust
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Well... It's been a few months and about 1600 miles with this exhaust installed and I feel that another review is not necessarily needed but more to be appreciated by those who are still sitting on the fence about which exhaust to go with for their beloved FZ-07. I spent about 700 miles with the baffle IN prior to getting my ECU reflashed & intake modified and about 700 miles with the baffle OUT. I also installed this exhaust myself using mostly simple tools with a few specialty tools including a ratchet set, a torque wrench, allen wrench sockets, needle nose pliars, vice grips (for baffle removal). So without further a-do here we go!
 
INSTALL/QUALITY: The install was very straight forward in which this exhaust is a direct replacement for the stock exhaust. No modification or cutting is necessary and my particular exhaust lined up absolutely perfectly with all stock mounting points which were easily accessible in order to mount the exhaust. The stock exhaust came off easily as well as my bike only had maybe 200 miles on it at the time of removal. I reused the stock header gaskets as well as the condition was practically new. The one thing that bugged me during the install was how soft the screws were that Akrapovic included in the set which fastened the muffler to the mounting bracket which connects to the bike. These screws must be handled carefully when torquing them down as they want to strip very easily at the head. Take your time and use a perfect fitting tool for that part. Other than that the install went very smoothly. The quality of materials are top notch especially the Titanium muffler section which came nicely packed in styrofoam in the box. A small gripe I had in regards to quality was the header pipe section was lightly scratched from the factory it seemed which luckily disappeared as I rode the bike more which the heat from use turned the pipes a nice golden color. The one thing I really wished for when choosing this exhaust was the muffler canister made for the MT-07 which was engraved with a nice emblem instead of getting a damn sticker that seems it may fall off in time with increased use, moisture, and road debris.
 
PERFORMANCE: Initially as mentioned above I rode with baffle in for about 700 miles. With baffle in my butt dyno could definitely feel an improvement especially in the upper RPM range where the stock bike normally died off in power. The power increase was nothing major but if I could describe it in one word it would have to be that the bike felt "different." A good different too... Like the power band was smoother and more refined without the abrupt power loss that was felt pretty dramatically before. With baffle out... I can only comment on baffle out w/ ECU reflash and intake work done as I did them all at the same time. I assure you, this set up is AMAZING and the bike takes on a much improved power delivery band with more linear and consistent power straight to red line!
 
SOUND: Baffle in the sound is a bit louder than stock. If I could throw a sound rating on it as stock being a 2/10 in loudness I would have to say the baffle in sound would be about a 4/10. 0 being silence, 10 being hurting your ears. Baffle out... Well, well, well... As glorious as it sounds it is much louder! I would have to rate it a 8/10. Now... My previous bike was a Kawasaki Vulcan S in which I had a Two Brothers Racing full exhaust on it. Now that exhaust I would give a 10/10 as that thing was damn loud at all RPM's with such horrible drone that would give me headaches at times and would get distracting after awhile which lead to loss of complete concentration from fatigue on the ride! The Akrapovic with baffle out on the other hand IS LOUD no doubt, but very well mannered at the same time. I do not notice a horrible drone at all and actually enjoy riding with this set up even at highway speeds. I would still recommend packing some ear plugs regardless, especially on the longer rides. Now... I gotta say... By me saying this is the best sounding exhaust that I've ever heard on a FZ-07 is a very subjective thing to say... But ITS TRUE!!!!! Ive received so many compliments on this thing (with baffle out) as it truly sounds like a damn V8 monster is coming down the road! Youtube videos give a nice appetizer in sound quality but the real meal is had ONLY by hearing this baby in person. Honestly... Just about every single time I start my bike since taking the baffle out I can't help but to crack a smile... It's that lovely!!
 
So... in conclusion... I am obviously very happy with this exhaust and would recommend it to anyone! From the awesome looks, to the monstrous sound it produces (with baffle out), to the quality of materials used, to the simple install, this exhaust is not cheaply priced by any means. But... If your planning on 1 modification that changes the complete characteristics of the FZ-07 by sound alone, I would strongly recommend going with this exhaust...
 
Feel free to inquire with any questions, comments, or concerns!  ;)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Guest 2wheeler

FWIW, I had the not fun experience of riding on the right side of a guy on a FZ-07 with an AKRA Ti with the baffle out - it was HELL! That thing was freaking loud in a very uncomfortable/ear damaging way. I ended up telling him not to get on my left side. While I get the idea of a cool sounding bike, and definitely a bike a cager can hear, one needs to be considerate on a group ride.
 

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Nice and honest review! A good reading for me during breakfast, hehe.
 
 
Haha! Thanks!
Glad I could make your meal "extra special" today! ?
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FWIW, I had the not fun experience of riding on the right side of a guy on a FZ-07 with an AKRA Ti with the baffle out - it was HELL! That thing was freaking loud in a very uncomfortable/ear damaging way. I ended up telling him not to get on my left side. While I get the idea of a cool sounding bike, and definitely a bike a cager can hear, one needs to be considerate on a group ride.
 
Haha! Wow! I have never had the opportunity to be on the right side of this exhaust on a group ride yet... Just up top where a lot of the noise apparently gets blown out into the world. With my windscreen down I gotta say the sound resonates a bit more within the helmet which is boarderline uncomfortable but with windscreen up noooo probs at all! I tell ya though... comin from that Kawi Vulcan S w/ TBR exhaust this Akra exhaust is like a breath of fresh air as far as the sound volume... I rode to many destinations many times and felt like I didn't really wanna ride home it was that loud!! Almost called an Uber driver on one occasion to come pick me up while leaving the bike in the parking lot! Haha! ?
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Good review.
 
I was on the fence between the Yoshimura SS and this Akra. I couldnt be any more pleased in going with the Yoshimura, its also a great exhaust.
As per usual, regardless of which one I bought, I knew I'd want the one I didnt choose. Maybe I'll pick one up just for my "Sunday rides" haha. Havent had the pleasure of hearing or feeling the ride with the Akra. It looks really sharp.

Crush your enemies. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women.          Fuss Life.

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Nice review! This exhaust is my [HASH]1 choice, but the price steers me away lol 
Though if I can find a used one within my budget I may bite!
Same thing here with the price. I was like man that much money for a bike exhaust but it really was the one I wanted and nothing else. It just so happened that after I bought the bike this year, we had a good couple of months of overtime at work (48hrs and up) and I saved up the money to buy it and re coup some of the money I spent on the bike. So happy I got this exhaust. IMO it truly is the absolute best sounding (and best looking) exhaust for this bike. I will agree it is loud with the baffle out but I have plenty of ear plugs. :D
 
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Thanks for the report, and if it were me I'd simply get better fasteners for the "soft" ones that came with the kit.
 
And, I'm glad to hear about the brand-name sticker as opposed to other appliques. Some of us prefer "stickers" and such that we can peel off without any evidence it ever existed. My 07 is even nearly "Yamaha" free.

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I like my Acra ti with the baffles in, rode one without (dealers demo bike!) and found it too much.

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Nice exhaust and review. When I bought my aftermarket pipe I was torn between the Akra Ti. and the Akra C.F. I felt the Ti had just a slightly better sound than the C.F.  only because it produced a slightly deeper tone but the C.F. pipe has the same raspy sound and resonates the same. Since, to me, they were so close in sound I decided to save a couple hundred to buy some other things. As far as looks go, I think the Akra Ti is the best looking pipe. Someone else may like a Hello Kitty pipe better, it's relative.
 

Beemer

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thenakedONES
Nice review! This exhaust is my [HASH]1 choice, but the price steers me away lol 
Though if I can find a used one within my budget I may bite!
Thank you much! I actually did a lot of searching for the best possible price as this exhaust is damn expensive for being "partially titanium" and then BAM! Found this... Currently $871!!
 
http://www.biohazardcycles.com/akrapovic-s-y7r1-haft-racing-line-full-system-titanium-fz-07-fz07-yamaha-15-16/?gclid=CMz2x9e5p9ECFReSfgodv3kIdw 
 
....then had Revzilla price match it as they usually do without any issues. Free shipping, No tax to CA, can't beat it!! Happy shopping!! :)
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thenakedONES
Good review. 
I was on the fence between the Yoshimura SS and this Akra. I couldnt be any more pleased in going with the Yoshimura, its also a great exhaust.
As per usual, regardless of which one I bought, I knew I'd want the one I didnt choose. Maybe I'll pick one up just for my "Sunday rides" haha. Havent had the pleasure of hearing or feeling the ride with the Akra. It looks really sharp.
Thank you much! Regardless of which exhaust you chose... Just be happy that you put it on an FZ07 which sounds freakin' amazing with just about any exhaust... The engine type & layout takes a cute little cub (with the stock exhaust), and turns it into a crazy, rabid bear that just won't stop growling (with any aftermarket exhaust)!! :D 
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thenakedONES
Nice review! This exhaust is my [HASH]1 choice, but the price steers me away lol 
Though if I can find a used one within my budget I may bite!
Same thing here with the price. I was like man that much money for a bike exhaust but it really was the one I wanted and nothing else. It just so happened that after I bought the bike this year, we had a good couple of months of overtime at work (48hrs and up) and I saved up the money to buy it and re coup some of the money I spent on the bike. So happy I got this exhaust. IMO it truly is the absolute best sounding (and best looking) exhaust for this bike. I will agree it is loud with the baffle out but I have plenty of ear plugs. :D
Agree with ya 100%!!!  Damn good looking,... Damn good sounding... and... is even used from time to time as a right foot warmer when riding in the cold, frigid temps! :)
 
 
 
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I like it, but so common I went for the SC Project one... hehehe. It sounds mean too! BRRAAAAAPP!!

Safe riding!

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thenakedONES
Thanks for the report, and if it were me I'd simply get better fasteners for the "soft" ones that came with the kit.  
And, I'm glad to hear about the brand-name sticker as opposed to other appliques. Some of us prefer "stickers" and such that we can peel off without any evidence it ever existed. My 07 is even nearly "Yamaha" free.
I hear ya!  
Unfortunately I didn't find out about how soft the fasteners were until I was already working on the 4th and final one... Was torquing it down to the exact specs as listed in the Akrapovic manual and for some reason the head just slightly warped a bit. Not stripped by any means but I could tell there was a small amount of play afterwards compared to the previous 3... Regardless... All 4 of those babies are basically blue Loctite'd down to torque spec leaving em' nice n secure as I am pretty sure the purple "bolt fastener" that Akrapovic includes in the kit is comparable... If I ever need to remove them for any reason going with stronger fasteners would definitely be at the top of my list as those things are wayyyyy too soft!
 
As far as your minimal badging preference I am with ya on that! Just the Yamaha tuning fork icon on the side of my tank and the Akrapovic sticker on my exhaust are the only 2 emblems on my bike. Nice n clean IMO!
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thenakedONES
I like my Acra ti with the baffles in, rode one without (dealers demo bike!) and found it too much.
I don't blame ya, as the exhaust still sounds very nice even with baffle in... 
I just can't bring myself to putting the baffle back in though... To me... It would be like taming a wild Lion! And... That just ain't happening any time soon! Like mentioned above... Plenty of ear plugs to go around for me!
 
With my baffle in, I found the ride nice n relaxing as the noise factor wasn't much at all and the bike still felt some what uncorked and alive beyond stock form. With the baffle out... Well... Let's just say not only the sound of the bike changed but I think it changed how I ride my bike as well... I seem to ride more... Ummm... I will just call it "extra assertive and madly defensive" without being obnoxious of course! ;)
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thenakedONES
Nice exhaust and review. When I bought my aftermarket pipe I was torn between the Akra Ti. and the Akra C.F. I felt the Ti had just a slightly better sound than the C.F.  only because it produced a slightly deeper tone but the C.F. pipe has the same raspy sound and resonates the same. Since, to me, they were so close in sound I decided to save a couple hundred to buy some other things. As far as looks go, I think the Akra Ti is the best looking pipe. Someone else may like a Hello Kitty pipe better, it's relative.
Thanks so much! 
Lemme tell ya a short story about why I ultimately went with the Akrapovic Titanium exhaust...
 
A few years back... Before I seriously got back into riding after taking some years off... I can still still remember the day AND the smile on my face!
 
I was hanging out at a local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee shop on a nice summer day here in CA. As I was sitting outside on their patio sipping on some coffee, I heard an exhaust approaching. It didn't sound like an inline 4 super sport nor a V-twin, nor like anything I have heard before... It sounded like something very unique, almost like a strong V8 muscle car meeting a distinct Ducati engine kinda sound. As the bike approached, I noticed the naked appearance and the curves and became much more intrigued as I normally do when something gorgeous with lovely curves passes my eyes... ;) I then saw it... A Liquid Graphite FZ-07 with Akrapovic Titanium exhaust... I was immediately in love! With a huge smile on my face I stood up to get a better look. The bike was just absolutely gorgeous with the blue wheels and the dark graphite paint. The exhaust seemed as if it was shimmering from the bottom of the bike as it passed by. The guy then pushed the hell out of that bike and instantly my jaw dropped... I knew at that exact moment... I just gained another goal to accomplish in life... A goal to get back on a bike and live life to it's fullest! Not fearing what could be around the corner... But embracing that corner with a feeling of freedom that only riding a bike can create!
 
So here I am some time later... Talking with you lovely people... FZ-07 in my garage... Liquid Graphite... Blue Wheels... Akrapovic Titanium exhaust and a few other goodies... And the rest is history!
 
Life is too damn short! Follow your dreams! :)
 
***PS: The hello kitty exhaust was my 2nd choice! :D
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thenakedONES
I like it, but so common I went for the SC Project one... hehehe. It sounds mean too! BRRAAAAAPP!!
Nice! 
Before finally pulling the trigger on this exhaust, which I was pretty much already set on... I did consider the Akrapovic Carbon Fiber exhaust and also the SC Project Black Edition exhaust. Like I mentioned above... Can't really go wrong with any exhaust on this fabulous bike!
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Good story and equal writing! Wish there were more like it out there to read about, it was a pleasure. Being close to the ocean I get to hear a decent amount of boat engines and I've always thought that either Akra pipe made the FZ-07 sound like a jacked-up v-8 on the water hitting that magically sweet, rpm spot.  ;) Who can resist bending an ear to listen to it until it fades? Not I.
 

Beemer

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thenakedONES: Thanks for the further info and account.  And, for me... I didn't even leave the side tuning forks, hehehe!
 
 
650Sm.jpg
 

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Noticed your exhaust doesnt have the two "pipes" at the outlet (like the below photo);
 
akrapovic_exhaust_system_yamaha_fz072015_detail.jpg
 
Are the two pipes at the outlet part of the baffle?  Prefer the single large exhaust outlet, like in your photo.
 

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thenakedONES
Good story and equal writing! Wish there were more like it out there to read about, it was a pleasure. Being close to the ocean I get to hear a decent amount of boat engines and I've always thought that either Akra pipe made the FZ-07 sound like a jacked-up v-8 on the water hitting that magically sweet, rpm spot.  ;) Who can resist bending an ear to listen to it until it fades? Not I.
Thank you! Appreciate the kind words! It does sound like a V8 most definitely, but a boat V8? Hhhmmm... I haven't heard much of those lately... Gotta hang out at the ocean a bit more! :)
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thenakedONES
thenakedONES: Thanks for the further info and account.  And, for me... I didn't even leave the side tuning forks, hehehe! 
 
650Sm.jpg

No kidding! And that looks pretty clean I must say!  
Sooo... Did you have that custom made or is Avanti a brand of some sort? A logo for something? I'm actually not familiar with it...
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thenakedONES
Noticed your exhaust doesnt have the two "pipes" at the outlet (like the below photo); 
akrapovic_exhaust_system_yamaha_fz072015_detail.jpg
 
Are the two pipes at the outlet part of the baffle?  Prefer the single large exhaust outlet, like in your photo.

Precisely! :) 
The photo you have there has the baffle (or DB killer) installed which the exhaust comes with from the factory.
 
To remove the baffle, I sprayed mine down around the joining lip with WD-40 and left the canister or muffler section sit up right so that the WD-40 could work its way into the tight spots between the metals. After about 30mins of soaking I removed a single bolt that holds the baffle in place. I then used a vise grip to clamp down on the lower baffle tube which did scratch it just slightly which didn't matter to me because the baffle was going to be removed anyhow... And finally, I took a hammer and struck the vise grip away from the muffler which in about 4 moderate strikes... WALAAA!!! The baffle came right out. ;)
 
I agree with ya! The look without the baffle is very aggressive and the sound matches perfectly!
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