18 Pounds lost with the full exhaust
No secret here, the 2012 BMW S1000RR is a beast out of the box, but even the elite can use a facelift when it comes to performance. What would Pamela Anderson have been had she not upgraded an already Grade A platform, right? Forget salacious, barely legal-for-TV running scenes on beaches around the world. So why would we rob one of the most potent literbikes on the market of the same voluminous glory?
With the idea of power-driven gluttony in mind, the first upgrade that met an otherwise stock powered Bimmer was a full Akrapovic Evolution titanium exhaust paired with a Dynojet Power Commander V that cracked the whip on the already eager ride.
Drunk off the prospect of more power we headed to FJ Motorsports in Tampa, Florida for a baseline dyno run. After strapping the fire breathing demon down, it spun the dyno to the tune of 181 HP @ 78 LB-FT of torque. Although this is a respectable display of stock prowess, we weren’t the least bit swayed from throwing open the gate and letting the ponies out.
1. The Akrapovic Titanium...
1. The Akrapovic Titanium Evolution full exhaust system adds a throaty roar to the BMW’s already punchy powerband. After an initial dyno run to find our baseline power numbers, we moved onto installation.
2. After pulling the stock...
2. After pulling the stock exhaust, we removed the cables attached to the servomotors that in turn operate the exhaust valves. We left the servomotors connected to the wiring harness so the ECU doesn’t throw an FI light. The fuel tank was removed to access the top cables and the radiator was removed to get to the front servomotor.
3. Braking out the scale,...
3. Braking out the scale, we found the stock exhaust weighed a portly 25.8 pounds while the Akro system weighed a svelte 7.4 lbs. Jenny Craig can’t even get you those kinds of results in one afternoon.
4. We wiped down the pipes...
4. We wiped down the pipes with WD40. Titanium turns a wicked blue once it gets hot a few times. If you don’t wipe off fingerprints, they’ll be tattooed on the pipes forever.
5. The Power Commander V was...
5. The Power Commander V was installed and the tuning began. We refilled the radiator with Engine Ice so the bike stayed cool when being run hard.
6. At idle, a deep rumble...
6. At idle, a deep rumble resonated through the parking lot and at higher revs it howled. Stock, the BMW made 181 HP @ 78 LB-FT. Full system installed and tuned resulted in five more ponies and two LB-FT of torque for a total of 186 HP @ 80 LB-FT. From 7K RPM to redline the bike pulls noticeably harder and smoother, thanks in part to the serious weight loss.
Next Month: 2007 Honda CBR600RR facelift.