The FMF powercore I have is pretty loud when you open it up. If you're interested, I may be selling mine. Drop me a PM
Dude just hacksaw off both mufflers and run straight pipes. Awesome sound especially at decel when you get a sonic boom backfire. haha Ok now for my serious reply to you. _
I'd say FMF single. I like the mellow-ish sound of my Leo w/db killer myself. I have outgrown the desire for loud pipes.
The Leo will make a nice bass sound that sounds like you are riding the refined big bore that your are. Anything more is just contributing to the neighbors wanting to shut down the track.
My twin Arrows are loud, expensive but legal. The idea to mount a single exhaust does not convince me greatly. It´s certainly a weight loss but cannot be the ultimate in letting exhaust gasses through.
You should definitely try WINGS mufflers with dB-killers removed since this mufflers have the largest inner tubes. Details on their web site www.wings.si
Just wanted to share my install experience w/ everyone...esp for anyone going for a FMF Powercore 4. This thread really helped me decide which would suit my needs and budget. Huge thanks to Tropicoz for the good deal on this pipe. I mounted it up yesterday after work- turns out it was largely self explanatory and straightforward. I gotta admit that the press fit- the mid to the header- was a certified biatch to do....took forever to get it far enough onto the header to get the mid point bolt aligned. I sure hope these headers are sturdy. "Tapping it" (more like solid whacks) from the end of the mid-pipe caused some flex at the header, which I quickly found I wasn't really negating by holding it w/ my knee. So, to minimize any flex, I parked the bike nose to curb and used a long piece of wood (wedged between the header and the curb, which put it largely in line w/ the whole pipe) to support/negate the flex caused by the forward force of the mallet hits. Had to keep whacking away. Kind of scary, but it made it home and all aligned. I did find that the 2x4 I was using as a block to whack at the end of the mid-pipe was chipping up pretty good, so before installing the can I cranked it over and let it blow- a la wood chipper. I gotta admit this is better than I expected. The weight reduction alone is worth it (as others have said), and I'd swear I can feel a noticeable gain...more torque. I'm not getting any odd behaviors (no popping on decel, flat spots or anything) so I think I may be pretty good air/fuel wise. Still...will check TPS and settings in the near future...if anything for peace of mind. I've got iBeat on the way. One other thing on fitment... When I went to bolt up the can there's that spacer (that the bolt goes through) that goes between the can hanger and the subframe grommet/hole. I had to pull pretty forcefully to open that gap another 5mm or so to get the spacer in. Felt like a fair amount of pressure, but then again nice and tight. I may swap a more narrow spacer in there. It's got a very real- and very attractive- bark. I love it. However, given that I live blocks over from an old historic district in a small town downtown area I'll likely get the quiet insert for it. For now, though, I gotta admit I love the very sharp barking brap, and it sure sounds good when doing those occasional alley-way wheelies. This weekend I plan to install the Uptite skid plate.
You're probably going to want to leave the spacer in there as is. Too narrow a spacer and the can won't clear the rear tire.
Don't forget that fuel metering requirements change with having a quiet core installed to full open flowing exhaust.
EricV - your detailed install explanation motivated me to pull the trigger on a Powercore 4 as well. It will be my Memorial Day project.
Easy for me to say (as I've no firm idea of your preferences on sound, configuration, perf expectations...beyond your choice this far) but I think you'll be very pleased. My expectations have been exceeded so far, so I'm quite happy. I also like the fact that I can change the decibel level pretty easily. Now of course I've not had the opportunity to see up close (or ride a bike with) the attractive options of Leo, Arrows, Wings, etc., but I did know (largely based on my comfort level) that I wasn't up for springing 700-1100 on a system and, given that I wasn't after monster gains nor tuning every last drop out of the bike, that the FMF would be a great economical compromise. Fast1- thanks. I've thought of that and as mentioned have iBeat on the way so I'll be sure to get a read on what the bike is up to before and after. I won't have a quiet insert in for a few more weeks, and gotta admit I will sure enjoy a long ride tomorrow w/ the deep barking mean sound. I'm also not one to have severe bike vanity, but have to say I love the look of the bike w/ a single can on it...sure cleans up the appearance, in my opinion (esp the right side, but also the left owing to less busy looking shielding and a shorter can.) I think I'll stick w/ the supplied FMF heat shield, though will probably paint it high heat flat black soon.
I too went with the Power Core.. And love it.. I ran mine open fore the first shake down and it did sound good but too loud for my hood. Best guess 98db. Sounded like my 07 CRF450 when new.. So tried the enclosed spark arrestor and it sounded much better.. acceptable for sure you can keep the level low with throttle control when you need to. 96db? Finally I through in a Quiet insert that I have from another bike.. And It is what I will leave in.. Sounds good but not obnoxious.. I can get on the throttle without being a heat score. Maybe 92-94db? There wasn't a feel a power loss with different inserts.. Not enough to make me take out the quiet core insert anyway.. +2 on the appearance .. I think the bike looks much better.. And the weight savings!!
+3 Especially after you remove the FMF sticker. Also don't forget the heat reduction. Big big difference as the stock pipes get very hot. _
Here is my experience. Purchased/installed FMF Factory 4.1 Titanium single and SS mid-pipe. Weight savings and improved feel very noticeable. Without its 94db quiet-core insert, the FMF was much louder than I would prefer, especially when on the gas. With the quiet insert, better but still a little bit on the loud side for me. Interestingly, FMF told me the Factory 4.1 with quiet insert is actually quieter than the FMF Q4 and provides better power. Go figure. Power was slightly better than stock with the FMF Factory 4.1 and quiet insert in. I suspect that some iBeat fuel/air tuning would add even more but I did not have the time to experiment with that. Mid-pipe and can was much cooler than stock. Next I tried the twin Arrows with new ECU. Without db killers in, cans were slightly louder than the FMF single without its quiet insert. The twin arrows with the db killers in were quieter than the FMF without its quiet insert. Since I do not have a db meter and these are subjective descriptions I will rank them relative to each other in loudness, power and weight (as they appear to me). I have the PU kit installed and airbox baffle removed; 14/43 gearing, all else is stock. Loudness (quietest to loudest): 1. Stock (no surprises there) 2. FMF Factory 4.1 with quiet core insert (fuel ratio unadjusted) 3. Twin Arrows/ECU with db killers installed 4. FMF Factory 4.1 without quiet core insert (fuel ratio unadjusted) 5. Twin Arrows/ECU without db killers installed Power (most to least) 1. Twin Arrows/ECU without db killers (strong improvement) 2. Twin Arrows/ECU with db killers (strong improvement) 3. FMF Factory 4.1 without quiet core insert (fuel ratio unadjusted) 4. FMF Factory 4.1 with quiet core insert (fuel ratio unadjusted) 5. Stock Weight and feel (lightest to heaviest): 1. FMF Factory 4.1 with SS mid-pipe (strong improvement) 2. Twin Arrows with stock mid-pipe 3. Stock My objective from the start was light weight and low noise (power was never an issue). That said, the jury is still out on which way I am ultimately going to go. Going to try the Arrows on some longer rides and see how I like them. Out of curiosity, I did try running the FMF Factory 4.1 and SS mid-pipe with the new ECU that came with the Arrows. I did not notice any difference in power, but the pipe seemed to run hotter than with the FMF/stock ECU combination.
My desires for the pipe were similar to yours...and prefer to have the loudest can I can. (no pun intended)...loud is safe...and fun.
Installed my Powercore 4 tonight...straightforward....slid right on to the midpipes...took 90 minutes and I was dicking around. Sound is fantastic...removed the spark arrestor...shouldn't be an issue as I do a lot of urban riding and no matter how loud this new can is, it won't even come close to the Harley morons running wide open from stoplight to stoplight. Love the clean look and can't beat the price for the value...I think I paid $482 delivered. Can't wait for the commute tomorrow and for the Autotune to work its magic.
Great to hear it. You said yours slid right on to the head pipes (assuming you meant head pipes) - makes me wonder why mine was so incredibly tight. SilverBullet also had a tight fit. Last night I cut my heat shield down and painted it black - I think that'll look better. The FMF shield isn't great, but it sure beats the stock shield that looks like some kind of a ray-gun thing from an old sci-fi movie or from the weird little space guy in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons. I'll post pics this weekend when I stick it back on. I'm also loving the sound of mine, but still think I'll probably go the quiet insert route.
About a pound lighter, given that it's Ti. Here's a comparison: http://www.fmfracing.com/Products/BikeAsList/2011_HUSQVARNA_TE630
