Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but paid users have great benefits. Paid member benefits:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
The Shop
Same goes for triple clamps. There are so many bad products on the market that just look nice.
What kind of pipe is it? Maybe you just need a different mapping.
And those Mugen engine kits from back in the day that sell for thousands upon thousands of dollars now??? Let's just say that some of those dyno runs are quite disappointing.
I recently sent a email regard this exact issue to Kris Keefer. On my particular bike he said stock is good and if I wanted a little more Mid hit to get a FMF. 17 450sxf
In retrospect could it have been better on a Dyno? Sure. But on the track it wasn’t an improvement until I pulled the insert.
The aftermarket's we did test all lost power in spots - with no gains anywhere else.
The slip on portions did very little to the power on the dyno - but altered feel on the track. A lot of that altered feel is sound - people can't get around this mentally and swear it feels better. Some of the altered feel is minor mapping changes influenced by the pipe.
It's like saying that freak in the bed felt better even though she didn't - she just sounded better...and we thank her for that.
In general - on my dyno this day and age - any pipe worth 1 hp anywhere in the curve is a massive success. OEMS have the smartest, most well resourced people working for them. Sometimes they are handcuffed in what they can sell but it's hard to beat them when they want to win.
Pit Row
I considered putting an aftermarket system on, but after spending some time looking at the design work that went into the header and midpipe I think I've decided against it for now.
There are some pretty impressive details, complex tapers, bends (some look hydroformed?) etc that look very expensive to produce. I can only assume if Kawi finally redesigned and changed the look of their mufflers, the engineers had a reason to spend the time/money where they did and had to prove a benefit to fight for the funding to do so.
Not to derail the topic from KTMs but I'm curious how the stock 19 KX system stacks up to the aftermarket if you've tested it?
Im hearing that there are noticeable power gains out there - but one thing I learned on my personal 450 kx a few years back - the stock pipe on it was my fastest lap times on technical rutted tracks.
The motor was jazzed up because I can't help myself - but it ended up hurting me lap time wise
After doing more suspension testing than I can ever fully explain - I gave up trying to fix my handling issues.
Then I broke my pipe and put the stocker back on and magically the entire bike transformed to a far faster lap time machine and solved the issue I was fighting.
It still made 60 hp at peak (at the time was pretty strong for a 450) but did so like a modern ktm - smooth off bottom and totally progressive with throttle opening. Ever since I now focus all my 450 efforts on delivery. I think the ktm is really good at the pro level because the engine can be ridden hard and aggressively without killing you.
The yzf is so barky and exciting (less so now than the 12) - I LOVE IT. But IMHO it's harder to ride in ruts. I think a lot is to be said about a 450 that doesn't require the rider to be ultra perfect/precise with his throttle hand when first tipping in. It should be smooth and when you want/need more power you have to consciously open the throttle more.
I was shocked how amazing the corked up system worked. It sounds like a sewing machine stock! But definately some gains to be had with an open system on those - ESPECIALLY after some mapping - being so corked up it needs more fuel to match the open exhaust.
Post a reply to: Stock pipe better then after market?