Akrapovic 2010 YZ450 Exhaust - Dirt Rider Magazine

Some may wrongly say that Akrapovic is new to the US market, but we've been testing the stuff for almost five years now. Winning a couple of Supercross titles along the way would prove, you'd think, the sign of a pretty established company. Even if it hails from Slovenia. The stunning craftsmanship, aggressive sound compliance and notable performance gains were just overshadowed by a slightly hard-to-locate distribution network as the pipes either come through a Parts Unlimited dealer or exclusively for KTMs in the Hard Parts catalog.We got our hands on one of the first 2010 YZ450F works of art that doubles as an exhaust system from Akrapovic. It bolts right on but since the carbon straps that hold the muffler are not permanently affixed it takes just a bit more care than mounting the stocker. And no, you don't have to remove the shock, but you do have to take off the rear fender and mud flap-a few simple bolts.

Akrapovic changes the location of the sound resonating chamber to the center of the tornado circular spin of the pipe. The entire pipe is made from titanium and carbon-fiber yielding a weight savings just under 1.5 lb. compared to stock. And that muffler blows a 97.7 dBA and roughly 121 dBA in the 20" SAE J1287 and FIM 2-Meter test respectively, slightly louder than standard. But not any louder out on the track to our ears.When you are bolting on a pipe, it is all about power, correct? Well, we can tell you that the Akrapovic does not disappoint. In fact, it takes the bike, box stock, and produced the exact type and delivery of power that we strived to achieve with Yamaha's Power Controller through ignition and fuel delivery mapping changes. We started out with the bike's stock map and this exhaust made the engine way smoother on the bottom. It was strong and without any unexpected hit right as the power builds. It continued to pull smoothly and aggressively without coaxing the motor to rev up too fast. All the time it felt like there is more torque than stock because the bike is much happier to pull out of turns a gear high or at lower RPM without needing any clutch. Up top the system lets the bike pull longer and stronger. The pipe worked so well with the stock ECU setting we were eager to try it along with our previous setting that accomplished a lot of exactly what the pipe was now doing. Surprisingly, our "race" map was now too aggressive on the bottom and even better on the top. That prompted us to develop a whole new map to get even better performance from the bike with the pipe. Essentially, the pipe did a lot of what we felt the bike was lacking right from the get-go and it opened the door for further tuning with the GYTR Power Controller to go even farther in whatever direction a rider might want. We were able to get better-controlled power delivery and even more snap than we could get with the stock pipe. At $1225.95 this is not a cheap or bargain priced exhaust, even above other high-end systems, and our score reflects that. It gets the job done while easily being the best looking exhaust you've ever seen. And what is the first reason we all bolt pipes onto our bikes? Oh yeah, it was for the power. Right! -Jimmy Lewis

||| |---|---| |Exhaust|91.0| |Installation|19/20| |Power Delivery Change|48/50| |Durability|8/10| |Design|9/10| |Price|7/10| www.akrapovic.com

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