An exhaust is one of the top priorities on my to-do list for my new-to-me '16 AT. I know some are more than happy with the stock exhaust, but a quiet bike just isn't my thing.
Naturally I've been scouring the web for sound clips of various set ups to find just the right thing... and of course, the stuff I found that I liked the most tended to be full systems. Of course, as a general rule for motos of all shapes and sizes, a slip-on needs no fueling adjustment but a full system changes airflow enough that you need a tune or risk running too lean - and searching has turned up that this seems particularly true for the AT as it's already fairly lean from the factory.
So in the interest of exploring my options I called one of the top recommended tuners in Southern California who sells and works with power commanders all day on all types of bikes. The moment I mentioned I had an AT he said "don't do it". He explained that he's tried to tune the AT with a power commander and found that it runs in closed loop all the way up to around 8k rpms, so no matter what you do with the tune in the power commander, nothing makes any difference for almost the entire rpm range. And he confirmed that from what he's seen it will run way too lean with a full system that eliminates the catalytic converter.
I've got a background in race stuff on the automotive side, and I can generally sniff out pretty fast when someone is talking stuff they don't know. This guy knew his stuff. And it's worth considering that his advice was certainly against the interest of making a sale - he could have sold me a power commander and tuning time but instead he chose to be up front with what he's seen and advise otherwise.
I thought this would be interesting information for everyone. And as a subject of some debate perhaps, what's everyone else's experience here? Are there others who have had success with tuning and had no problem altering fuel and timing throughout the rpm range?
We've certainly seen some makers of full systems advertising healthy gains - and they don't necessarily always say if the bike was retuned or not. Most engines will make great power the leaner they get... right up until they start melting pistons. So making good power isn't a guarantee that things are running safely.
FWIW, I just pulled the trigger on a Remus slip-on. Gotta get some more sound out of this thing and that was my top pick from all the videos of slip-ons I found. But I haven't closed the door on a full system - if there's a proven way to adjust fueling, I could add a catless downpipe later for more volume.
Naturally I've been scouring the web for sound clips of various set ups to find just the right thing... and of course, the stuff I found that I liked the most tended to be full systems. Of course, as a general rule for motos of all shapes and sizes, a slip-on needs no fueling adjustment but a full system changes airflow enough that you need a tune or risk running too lean - and searching has turned up that this seems particularly true for the AT as it's already fairly lean from the factory.
So in the interest of exploring my options I called one of the top recommended tuners in Southern California who sells and works with power commanders all day on all types of bikes. The moment I mentioned I had an AT he said "don't do it". He explained that he's tried to tune the AT with a power commander and found that it runs in closed loop all the way up to around 8k rpms, so no matter what you do with the tune in the power commander, nothing makes any difference for almost the entire rpm range. And he confirmed that from what he's seen it will run way too lean with a full system that eliminates the catalytic converter.
I've got a background in race stuff on the automotive side, and I can generally sniff out pretty fast when someone is talking stuff they don't know. This guy knew his stuff. And it's worth considering that his advice was certainly against the interest of making a sale - he could have sold me a power commander and tuning time but instead he chose to be up front with what he's seen and advise otherwise.
I thought this would be interesting information for everyone. And as a subject of some debate perhaps, what's everyone else's experience here? Are there others who have had success with tuning and had no problem altering fuel and timing throughout the rpm range?
We've certainly seen some makers of full systems advertising healthy gains - and they don't necessarily always say if the bike was retuned or not. Most engines will make great power the leaner they get... right up until they start melting pistons. So making good power isn't a guarantee that things are running safely.
FWIW, I just pulled the trigger on a Remus slip-on. Gotta get some more sound out of this thing and that was my top pick from all the videos of slip-ons I found. But I haven't closed the door on a full system - if there's a proven way to adjust fueling, I could add a catless downpipe later for more volume.
