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We installed the Akrapovic Titanium Slip-On muffler on the ADB WR450F long termer not because we wanted more power but because we were looking to save weight.
WE RATE
WEIGHT The Akro saves a few hundred grams, not as much as we’d hoped but it was saved up high on the Yamaha. It isn’t enough to notice but, like saving your pennies to buy a dream bike, it all adds up.
SOUND The glorious sound from the Akro makes twisting the throttle all that more addictive – kind of like driving a V8 through a tunnel, you can’t help but smile every time you open the taps. It’s not so loud that farmer Joe is going to chase you through the forest with a pitch fork, it’s just enough to sound good.
STYLE In terms of bling, the pipe scores big points. The titanium finish lifts the look of the entire bike and looks miles better than the stocker. It’s also smaller, slimmer and shorter so it tucks neatly behind the sideplate. If it had a carbon tip that would be next level.
PERFORMANCE The feedback you get through the Akro is much better. It’s easier to judge the revs and the throttle response is sharper.
DON’T RATE
PRICE The slip-on is the best part of $800 and you could argue, depending on the bike, that the money might be better spent on suspension if you’re chasing performance and want to save seconds off your lap times. However, if you’ve got your heart in your trousers you can’t go past an Akro.
SCRATCH PROOF The colour of the pipe doesn’t age well. Scratches are more obvious and although it’s a dirtbike and it’s going to get scratched the Akro looks so good fresh that we didn’t like seeing it get scratched.
VERDICT
THE AKRAPOVIC Titanium Slip-On muffler offers solid performance, it’s a nice-looking piece of hardware and it sounds epic. It’s shorter and slimmer so it tucks more neatly behind the sideplate. Everyone comments on it and, at the end of the day, isn’t that what you want?
Digital Editor Olly Malone
