Dave Sonsky: Editor
Miles: 2780
Mods: Brock’s full exhaust and clutch mod
Contact:
Brock’s Alien Head Exhaust
$1395 The low exit pipe looks mean...
The low exit pipe looks mean and unique, but it's left the R1 in an unusual situation—the stock exhaust's mounting holes are now blatantly obvious.
As I mentioned in my first report, the stock R1 didn’t place high on my chart of all-time favorite bikes. But it’s been extremely receptive to each mod I’ve bolted on and is quickly moving up the like list. Did this month’s double-whammy from Brock’s Performance (full exhaust system and clutch mod) elevate its status even further?
The idea for the clutch mod came after checking out a YouTube video of a 2010 R1 being launched hard at the strip. With the stock clutch it’s nearly impossible to get a good holeshot, so I was naturally intrigued how this rider pulled it off. It turns out that he had installed the Brock’s part, and I hoped it would be the ticket to solving my lurching, bucking clutch quandary.
Simply replace the three black...
Simply replace the three black arms with the Brocks spacer ring for an instantly smoother clutch.
The snatchy clutch was initially one of my biggest complaints, but guess what? Problem solved. The clutch mod is simply a spacer plate that slots in where the stock slipper clutch arms would normally reside. It’s simple, yet amazingly effective. Now I actually enjoy the opportunity to launch away from stop signs because the bike smoothly pulls from a dead stop. For track days I’d simply swap back in the slipper arms, but for street riders or strip lovers this mod is imperative and has one of the most profound results I’ve ever felt from an aftermarket part.
The full exhaust is one I’m still coming to grips with. After riding with the whisper quiet stock pipes, the aggressive Brock’s tone was a bit much to handle initially. I’m growing to appreciate its growl though, albeit a bit slower than I expected. Part of the problem is that I’m not the biggest fan of the engine’s raucous exhaust sound in the first place, so amplifying it is frankly a little hard to swallow. Love it or not, it added four horsepower and knocked off 14.5-pounds over the stock system, and because the air/fuel ratio is pretty happy throughout the rev range it doesn’t require an aftermarket fuel box—so I can’t complain.
Although the curve is still...
Although the curve is still a bit lumpy, power was improved throughout the rev range and we're now 10 HP up from stock.
The low mount system certainly looks unique but raises the question of what to do with the holes left behind in the tail section. I haven’t found an aftermarket undertail to replace the stock part yet , so I’ll have to figure out a way to finish off the awkward underside on my own. Bummer.
Next Month: Hopefully an undertail solution...