The FMF Apex slip-on comes...
The FMF Apex slip-on comes with the best of both worlds—titanium (tip) and carbon fiber (muffler).
It’s no surprise a quality slip-on is one of the most popular mods in the aftermarket. Who wouldn’t want to ditch the factory pipe for a lighter replacement that not only boosts power and street cred, but also adds a pleasing tone whenever the starter button is thumbed. While hacking the stock muffler might be tempting, sadly that route produces a heinous exhaust note and better resembles a haggard piece of modern art than a performance pipe.
In this case, we turned to FMF when it came time to breath new life into a 2009 Kawasaki ZX-6R. Even in stock form the ’09 Kawi 600 has the strongest-in-class motor, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement.
FMF includes everything needed...
FMF includes everything needed to let your Kawi breathe free, even a removable quiet insert should you live amongst picky neighbors or strict law enforcement.
The stock exhaust is unique, to put it politely. In addition to a funky shape, the OEM system also sports a pre-muffler and a huge catalytic converter. These components are great for keeping it green and quiet, but they do nothing to stir the soul or raise performance.
In place of the Kawi components we swapped an FMF Apex slip-on to see what sort of performance gains it offered. The Jordan Motorsports team uses the Flying Machine Factory for all its racers, but would the track prowess transfer to a streetbike?
Before installing the exhaust we admired its build quality. The unique shape is said to increase ground clearance and the titanium tip perfectly accents the carbon fiber. For those with sensitive neighbors, a removable quiet insert can be added between the mid-pipe and the muffler.
The stock can may muffle the...
The stock can may muffle the monster, but it’s heavy and does little in the looks department.
The Apex slip-on ditches the...
The Apex slip-on ditches the exhaust servo valve. The servo motor must remain in place (without a proper delete plug) unless you can live with an FI light. Remove the cables from the servo motor and work them out from the tail section.
Upstream of the bulbous muffler...
Upstream of the bulbous muffler you’ll find this hefty pre-muffler/catalytic converter. Remove it and then install the FMF mid-pipe followed by the muffler. Fire it up and listen to a job well done.
When it came to installation, removing the stock stuff proved to be the most time consuming, especially the exhaust servo cables. But once free of the OEM components, the FMF piece installed in minutes and immediately lightened the back-end of the bike.
On the scales the Apex slip-on shaved 8.8 pounds over the stock pipe, weighing 5.9 pounds, down from the factory 14.7. On the dyno it saw solid increases from bottom to top with peak gains ringing in at 4.9 HP and 1.3 LB-FT for total sums of 109 HP and 42.7 LB-FT at the wheel. A closer look at the graph reveals nice gains from idle through the midrange with a significant bump up top—these are the type of increases immediately felt from the saddle.
The FMF Apex is the kind of pipe that provokes unnecessary downshifts and beckons the rider to carry a gear a few thousand RPM longer just for the good sounds. But don’t think for a minute this is a slash cut howler—you’ll stay squid free with the FMF Apex.
We’ve installed many pipes and it never ceases to amaze us how much more enjoyable a bike becomes when it has a proper exhaust. The performance and aesthetic improvements speak for themselves, and the beautiful sound from a quality pipe is simply priceless. SSB
*4.9 HORSEPOWER INCREASED WITH FMF APEX SLIP-ON
THE NUMBERS:
WEIGHT
Stock: 14.7 pounds
FMF Apex slip-on: 5.9 pounds
Weight savings: 8.8 pounds
POWER
Stock: 104.1 HP and 41.4 LB-FT
FMF Apex slip-on: 109 HP and 42.7 LB-FT
Gains: 4.9 HP and 1.3 LB-FT
Next Month: A Hayabusa gets throttle’d up with a Motion Pro tube.