If you follow AMA Superbike, World Superbike or MotoGP roadracing, you've probably noticed a lot of Akrapovic pipes; they have won several National and World roadracing titles. The Slovenian company transferred its deep knowledge of four-stroke exhaust to the off-road motorcycle market a few years ago and quickly won a few World Enduro and MXGP titles and even the Dakar Rally. To our delight, Lockhart Phillips is now selling the motocross/off-road systems, so we dirt mavens also have access to the high-quality systems. We really liked the Akrapovic system on our 2003 YZ450F, so we rounded up the Evolution Titanium unit to try on our '04 YZ-F.
The first thing you will notice about an Akrapovic exhaust is the build quality. It is a work of art. Akrapovic is not a small mom-and-pop organization that tinkers in a dirty workshop. In fact, it has 140 employees and uses the latest computer-design and manufacturing processes. The attention to detail is worthy of a Formula 1 race car, and the fit and finish on the unit we installed was perfect. It uses springs on the headpipe and muffler joints, which are a bit of a hassle to install, but the free-floating design reduces the chance of fatigue failures. The full system weighs in at 5 pounds 13 ounces, which is about 1 pound less than stock. With an MSRP of $695.95 for the full system it is not cheap, but the Evolution registers in the lower price range of other brands' high-end systems.
Since the YZ450F is a rocket ship in stock trim, we were not looking for a pipe that would give the bike a huge surge of power. Instead, we wanted something that would provide manageable power to help improve ridability and, hence, total moto times on the track. That is exactly what the Akrapovic system accomplished. It is not a night-and-day difference from stock, but you can ride it faster because it's easier to ride hard and do long motos at race pace. A side benefit to the Akrapovic's European roots is the sound output. Unlike many aftermarket exhausts, the Evolution's sound output is similar to stock because it is made to comply with strictly enforced European sound limits. We like less noise, and we really like this exhaust system.