Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Superbikes & Imports (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superbikes-imports/)

-   -   Godzilla! My monster from Japan. Kawasaki Z800- NOW SOLD !!! !!! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superbikes-imports/163422-godzilla-my-monster-japan-kawasaki-z800-now-sold-14.html)

Why service so early? Isnt the next service due on 6k or 7k kms?

Hey Killjoy,

The 2nd service is due at 6,000 kms or 6 months, whichever comes earlier. Somehow I don't understand the logic of a time-based service interval. Parts normally wear out more with usage so its understood that a vehicle has to be serviced at regular intervals (kms/miles). However I am not able to understand what would happen to the parts within 6 months of less usage? Do they tend to wear out faster if the vehicle is used very occasionally?

^^^I suppose its typically for the engine oil and other fluids which degrade over time even if running is low. May also be true for the lubrication of mating parts which may also wear thin over a period of time.

Disclaimer - Am applying my knowledge of cars with the assumption that certain principles remain the same. Have not much knowledge of superbikes :)

Looking at the above pic I am sure you must be wondering if the white lights on Marine Drive look better than the yellow ones? But that's not what I am looking at. My eyes are something that's weird closer to the road. After around 10 months of owning the Z, I am now wondering if I should upgrade to an after market exhaust. I am sure the maximum feedback for this would be yes go for it. This is been on my months for quite a long time and I am very confused on how to go about ordering (1) these correct exhaust (2)

To start with, what according to you is the best and economical way to get the exhaust?
Order from a reputed dealer? OR
Order it online.

Order form a reputed dealer
Pros : Genuine product, warranty backup, no replacement issues if anything goes wrong
Cons : Expensive

Order online
Pros : Much cheaper, many offer free shipping to India
Cons : No clear customs & duty figures, unknown seller, replacement in case of issues are expensive since you have to pay shipping

Keeping the above things in mind, I would like to know if anyone has ordered an exhaust online and if they could post their experience on the same. I had almost ordered for an exhaust from the US through a friend but when he checked with the airlines they said they do allow passengers to carry bike parts. However if the US ground security find the part objectionable for any reason they can order the airline to take it off and confiscated it without informing the passenger. So that option was ruled out.

So that's one thing where I am looking for an advice.

Now for the second confusion and the most important one. What brand of exhaust should I go for? Let me list my requirements.

• I am not looking for any performance or bhp gains. My average speed does not even exceed 80 kmph even on a long stretch of empty road.
• I am only looking for a slip on... Not the entire headers + slip ons.
• Looking for a good sounding exhaust... But at the same time not a loud one

The below are some of the exhausts that I came across. Looking for feedback on these and any other options I should consider.

• GPR
• Arrows
• Akrapovic
• SC Project
• Escapamento Esportivo
• HP Corse
• Leo Vince

Allen doesn't revv too much and he is happy with lower RPMs and low speed cruising so my suggestion was to NOT go for an exhaust at this point in time. Let him add on some more kms and get more SBK experience.

But i don't think he would do that so purely based on the sound of music that an exhaust makes, these are my choices.
Esportivo
HP Corse
Arrows
Akrapovic

GPR, I didn't like and don't remember hearing SC Project and Leo Vince.

And again people should note that we 'listen' to most exhausts on YouTube :) so not sure how realistic it would be. Experts can shed light.

Scenario 1
If you have a friend or relative coming down from the west, ask them to carry the exhaust in their main luggage. Avoid checking it in as a separate article as it would warrant unnecessary attention. An exhaust system is one of the last things you can expect to be allowed for hang baggage. Yoshimura / Akrapovic / Arrow / Two Brothers, etc. are all top exhaust brands and I'm yet to hear of a warranty issue as such, so buying online is just as safe as buying from your neighborhood store.

Scenario 2
If you don't have someone coming down, do not bother with buying online and having the exhaust shipped to you as unless you Fedex the package, you are going to have to deal with delivery delay, visit to customs department at post office, etc. and I doubt you will save any serious amount compared to buying it locally, especially with the current foreign exchange rate scenario.

Look at Yoshimura / Akrapovic, both brands are as good as each other, top notch build quality. The Yoshimura Alpha in Carbon Fiber looks fantastic. Racefit, SC Project, similar GP shaped pipes are mostly the loudest sounding exhaust systems but lose out heavily on back pressure.

Also add the two brothers. Their slipons already make nice sound and are track focused as well. They are plug and play literally and may not require any ECU remap etc.

But as you rightly asked, want to understand whats the best way to get these imported :). I want to get something for a future RC390 purchase but now slowly giving up on Exhaust option after readying not so great report on performance difference except sound :)

http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/10/19...exhaust-video/

Congrats on the bike buddy! With regards to the exhaust, give me a buzz and ill let you know how to do it. Im using an akrapovic slip on on my z800. I tried sending you a private message but seems like your inbox is full. Contact me on 8008655995.

AFAIK, only the Yoshi allows you to keep the spring retention with the slip-on and this will keep your exhaust quiet at low RPMs and open up at higher revs.

Also, I would suggest you buy it locally unless someone can hand carry it back for you.

Killjoy, can you please shed some light on the price difference in case of buying locally versus getting it from the US?

Not too sure man, please check the websites for prices. But there are some dealers also who can source for you at slightly lower prices than listed on the Indian websites. Please keep that in mind when comparing to US website cost.

I have a honest suggestion. 80 kmph is below 4k rpm in 6th gear. I do not believe that is good for the engine. I hope you are using lower gears to cruise at 80kmph. Also with this kind of riding, a racefit will make it worse for the engine. I would not get an aftermarket and instead concentrate on making better use of the Godzilla !

Thanks for all your advice guys! Yes it would be a risky affair to order it online and having it stuck in customs. Heard a lot of stories of stuff being stuck at customs and there being no clarity on the amount of customs being charged. The same with getting it on flight through someone.

So after a lot of thinking and going through a lot of options - GPR, Arrows, Leo Vince, Esportivo Escapamento - I finally decided to go for neither of these. Thanks to Rahul (Odeen) and Aman and Raj (Desmocedici) - I went ahead and got the HP Corse Hydroform slipon.

Fitting the exhaust was a one hour job. I wanted to have it done at KPB itself - but then I would have to travel all the way to Vashi and then there would be the headache of carrying the OE exhaust back. So got the exhaust fitted in my building itself by an experienced person.

Upgrading the air filter, remapping and Engine Check Light coming on were the only worries on my mind. I checked with a few friends and got mixed feedback on the air filter and the remap. Since there were many who have been riding with just the slip-ons without any other upgrades - I decided to go with the same approach. An air filter upgrade to a BMC or a K&N is on the cards though.

The most worrying part was of the engine check light coming staying in after the install. This would have been a very risky thing since I wouldn't know whether the ECL is on because of the install or a genuine problem (which would be a rare case). But not worth the risk. The thing is that the Z800 comes with a butterfly valve on the exhaust which needs to be disconnected when installing an aftermarket exhaust. Would this cause the ECL to come on? We didn't know. Called up Fireblader to check whether he faced any such problem on his Z. That cleared a big cloud of worry from my mind.

Anyways fixing the slip on was not a very difficult job.

• First off to come was the rear seat.
• Next to come off was the front seat.
• Then next was to loosen the OE exhaust and disconnect the exhaust butterfly valve.
• Then the side panels (under the seat) have to be removed to access the exhaust valve pulley to which it is connected.
• The whole setup has to disconnected and either removed and packed with the exhaust. You can also keep the wires connected to the pulley and tied.
• Then install the mid pipe and the slip on.
• Mission Accomplished!

Here is my feedback / review on the HP Corse Hydroform.

Looks and Quality : It is seriously one of the best looking exhausts in the market. The quality is top notch as what you can expect from the Italians. There was an option for the Matt black color but then it wouldn't match with the rest of the exhaust pipe and headers. So I went for the satin finish.

Performance : I would probably be the last person to give feedback on the performance due to my kind of riding. But once I have taken it for a long ride outside the city - I should be able to give a good comparison against the stock exhaust.

Sound : Save the best for the last. The sound is the best part of the HP Corse. It's got a deep and bassy growl at idle. The sound is not very loud too and not too silent as well. It's the kind of sound that I was really looking for. There is almost no popping sound during deceleration as well. Will put up a video soon.

Sharing my experience with Bikegear.in on the purchase of HP Corse Hydroform for my Z800.

Communication : 10
Right from the time I started my communication with Mr Gupta until I got the delivery of the exhaust, I wa s kept in the loop at every stage - ordering the exhaust, shipment of the exhaust from Italy, arrival in India and at the customs, arrival at Bikegear and shipment out. Nowhere I was kept wondering or guessing the status of my exhaust.

Delivery : 10
I was promised delivery within a month for the exhaust and I got it within 16 days.

Product Quality : 9
Now don't get me wrong here. The HP Corse loses its 1 point not to any other exhaust - but the stock exhaust (or any stock exhaust) beats any after market exhaust in terms of quality (mind you, just by whiskers).

All in all, it was a good experience dealing with Mr Gupta / Bikegear and I would really recommend him to anyone who is looking for Bikegear (pun intended).

Finally time for the pics :

Whats with the ECL? You have it coming on after installing the slip-on?

Hey Killjoy, no the Engine Check Light did not come on. I believe it did not come on because the servo motor was not disconnected and only the wires connecting the pulley to the valves were disconnected.