To exhaust or not to exhaust...

LoneRonin

LoneRonin

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Got 60k km on my 09 250r, had her since brand new. Will be riding her til 2015 when I will get my SS. I will still be keeping her, either as a commuter or dedicated for track.

I've always wanted an exhaust but never got around to getting one because I was always spending my money on tires, brakes, fixing her after crashes and proper gear...Only exhaust I want is the Akrapovic Carbon Fiber which is about 500 bucks.

I got about that much sitting in my paypal after selling a few vintage fountain pens I had and thought hey lets get an exhaust, but I've already ridden so much without one its not a necessity and I'm already saving for the next bike...should I just forget about it at this point?

Akra is the only one I'm considering because it looks and sounds awesome, and I got the jacket to match...
 
It adds no value to the bike and it adds no/negligible power. In some cases an aftermarket exhaust could rob your bike of power unless you tune the engine and its fuelling. All it's gonna do is look and sound good. If that's worth $500, go for it. The longer you think about it, the bigger the waste of money it's going to seem. If you just go for it, when you hear it start up for the first time you'll probably forget all about the money.
 
I would probably dynojet my bike as well if I did, costing another 100 bucks or so...
In regards to the noise, I ride with my music blasting and redline the **** out of her every time, so I don't fully hear my exhaust anyways and its already loud enough to anyone around me. I think it looks nice more than anything and gives it a nice rumble at idle, compared to purr it has now...I'm so torn but at this point don't think I will, was hoping for you guys to convince me...
 
I agree with espro. If it's between the exhaust and saving for a new bike I'd save the cash. You'll probably wanna make the same mod to the SS anyway. Like you said, you've gone 60K kms without it already. But I get the itch to mod...
 
I personally think Akras are the only exhaust that sounds good on a 250r but having said that I don't think any after market exhaust should be installed on a 250. If you got the $$ to burn go for it, other wise save it up and use it to mod your next bike.
 
I'd put the money towards supsension work over a slip on, then buy a used slip on later if you want to.
 
You'll enjoy it I suspect.

Just don't use the BS tale about how it makes you safer on the road when asked why you got it.

You got it cuz it's a feel good part...and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The dilemma you're in though, whether you should save it for the next bike? Pfft..for that matter, why bother buying anything at all if you're going to save it for the 'next thing'.
 
espro said:
It adds no value to the bike and it adds no/negligible power. In some cases an aftermarket exhaust could rob your bike of power unless you tune the engine and its fuelling. All it's gonna do is look and sound good. If that's worth $500, go for it. The longer you think about it, the bigger the waste of money it's going to seem. If you just go for it, when you hear it start up for the first time you'll probably forget all about the money.
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+1. It's all about your enjoyment of your bike for YOU... not anyone else. I'd say go for it!
Kudos on going the Akrapovic for the 250. The only other one I think comes close is Scorpion Serket.
 
Have you heard what that bike sounds like with an aftermarket exhaust??

The Kawasaki twins sound like a bomb going off, because of the firing order. Personally, in MY opinion, that's a sound better off kept quiet. But it's your bike. 180-degree parallel twins are hard to keep quiet, and most aftermarket exhausts don't get the job done.
 
I actually like the 250/500 mod exhaust noise... but yes, some Youtube time would be good.

I say that if a pipe adds to your enjoyment of the bike, do it. Even if you'll replace it eventually, you'll spend hours on the thing...
 
Brian P said:
Have you heard what that bike sounds like with an aftermarket exhaust??

The Kawasaki twins sound like a bomb going off, because of the firing order. Personally, in MY opinion, that's a sound better off kept quiet. But it's your bike. 180-degree parallel twins are hard to keep quiet, and most aftermarket exhausts don't get the job done.
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Two Bros is crap and obnoxious on the 250, Yoshi is good but the Akra is just awesome...
This coming from the guy who had an exhaust on his 125??
 
LoneRonin said:
Two Bros is crap and obnoxious on the 250, Yoshi is good but the Akra is just awesome...
This coming from the guy who had an exhaust on his 125??
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You're right. Everything Brian P does is purely for cosmetic reasons and has nothing to do with performance or making the bike better lol


/sarcasm

anywhoo, by asking this question, you've already made up your mind now just looking for justification. Get the exhaust, sounds like it will make you happy. Pun intended.
 
LoneRonin said:
Two Bros is crap and obnoxious on the 250, Yoshi is good but the Akra is just awesome...
This coming from the guy who had an exhaust on his 125??
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pretty sure brian has the stock exhaust on all of his bikes.

the kawi twins are the worst sounding bikes ever made. it's better to not draw attention to the fact your riding a ninja 250.
 
LoneRonin said:
Two Bros is crap and obnoxious on the 250, Yoshi is good but the Akra is just awesome...
This coming from the guy who had an exhaust on his 125??
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I agree that some sound a lot better than others, just make sure you know what you are in for. The Kawasaki twins are hard to make them sound good because of the firing order.

P.S. All of my street bikes are either stock exhaust (including the current 125) or have an additional noise-reducing baffle in them to keep them quieter. The old 125's exhaust setup with Hindle muffler with noise-reducing baffle was quieter than my ZX10R's stock exhaust. I rode it once without that extra baffle in it to see what would happen ... the baffle went back in and stayed there, too obnoxious!

The current 125 is staying with the stock exhaust because after considerable research, all aftermarket exhaust systems for that bike have a primary header pipe that is too big for the engine and will kill what little midrange the engine starts out with. Your 250 Ninja has cylinders the same size as mine (revs a bit higher, though), and the stock header pipes are pretty small in diameter (GOOD for mid-range), and I think there's a crossover pipe between them ... do your research ...
 
Should add: Worst sounding exhaust EVER. Anything made by D&D ... The spare FZR400 that I have registered as a street bike came with a D&D from the previous owner. It long since went in the recycling bin. Not only did it sound horrible, but the primary header pipes were too short and that killed the mid-range. That was probably responsible for the raspy sound, too.

Akrapovic is normally one of the best. If you know what it's going to sound like, go for it.
 
Brian P said:
Should add: Worst sounding exhaust EVER. Anything made by D&D ... The spare FZR400 that I have registered as a street bike came with a D&D from the previous owner. It long since went in the recycling bin. Not only did it sound horrible, but the primary header pipes were too short and that killed the mid-range. That was probably responsible for the raspy sound, too.

Akrapovic is normally one of the best. If you know what it's going to sound like, go for it.
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Your 400 sounded fantastic last year at the Gap, I guess you got rid of the D&D by that time? But there's no way that was stock, was it?
 
twostroke said:
pretty sure brian has the stock exhaust on all of his bikes.

the kawi twins are the worst sounding bikes ever made. it's better to not draw attention to the fact your riding a ninja 250.
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He had the Hindle on the old 125...
I don't try and hide the fact that I ride a 250 so I could a give a **** less...its the perfect bike for the situation I'm in and the only reason I got something to ride...
Especially when I got guys asking me what tires will give them good grip because they're too scared to lean, yet think they're hot **** riding their liter bikes.
 
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fastar1 said:
Your 400 sounded fantastic last year at the Gap, I guess you got rid of the D&D by that time? But there's no way that was stock, was it?
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That's a hand-made exhaust header with a Hindle muffler on the end (with an extra noise-reducing baffle). Looks like crap underneath the fairings (my welding is nothing to brag about) but it works. I have a similar one on my race bike.
 
Poking around in search of a dyno chart. Seems that an Akra slip-on is a common thing to do. That will keep the stock header section and shouldn't affect how the bike runs too much. It'll need rejetting ... but Ninja 250 requires rejetting straight off the showroom floor with the stock exhaust (too lean down low), so no surprise there.

Not Akra but just to give an idea ... http://www.ninja250mods.com/ninja-250r-exhaust/
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