what are people’s opinions on non-standard exhausts ? Do they really enhance performance ? Or just make more noise, fail noise regs and ruin the midrange ?                                                                                                                                                                              

My own view is that they're a very expensive way of getting the wrong kind of attention from the cops...                                                                                                                                                                             

depends how heavy handed you are with the twist grip

                                                                                                                                                                             

Most aftermarket exhausts are probably not street legal. which means if you are involved in an accident it could void your insurance if you don't tell them it's fitted.
Wether you think it sounds great or not or produces a better power curve. Like pulling wheelies or getting your knee down most people will just think your a knob                                                                                                                                                                              

so for posers only then ?                                                                                                                                                                             

I guess its a persoal thing as to what sounds good. i had a remus end can i my cb1300s which sounded lovely. a lot lighter than the dustbin that was on it originally. but wasn't rediculusly loud. if i fitted one today i would have to tell my insurance as it alters the bike from standard even if it makes no discernable difference to power. they may just say its ok.
manufacturers are having to strangle the engines these days to make the noise regs so not surprised power ccurve woud be better. yor never gonna be able to make a 1 or 2 bhp difference tell unless your on a track maybe so why spend a grand to find out.                                                                                                                                                                              

yes true. Guess in practical terms then you'd only do it for asthetics and sound. In the old days I remember exhaustes were made from mild steel and would rust through in a couple of years, so Netta exhausts were all the rage ! But now they are all stainless steel and last as long as the bike

back in the seventies and eighties those that could had a Harris 4 into one and pirelli phontoms. your quite right oem exhausts lasted about as long as it took to leave the show room and hit the damp british air. left a pile of rust in the forecourt                                                                                                                                                                               

you must be as old as me, I remember them well but never could afford them. I wanted a Spondon or a Harris frame too when standard frames were all wobbly.                                                                                                                                                                              

I'm 56 but i think we had the best of it. 

Old enough to remember bloodrunners and jack shit 

We all wanted a harris chassis untill the day i saw steve burns spondon framed gsx.

Most bikes these days are butt ugly and designed on an etch o sketch.                                                                                                                                                                             

yeah I know what you mean. Bikes these days are a bit mad max, judge dredd, batman comic like. All those angles, hexi-poligons and jutting pointy bits. All a bit OTT really. But then I wouldn't want to go back to skinny wheels and tyres and heavy slabs either.

The only noticeable thing with an exhaust is noise. If you want more performance just buy a faster bike. I think they should be made to ride at the back of any ride out and only allowed to pass each other.                                                                                                                                                                             

Loud cans = irritating.                                                                                                                                                                             

Loud pipes save lives....especially dozy pedestrians texting on their iphones.....                                                                                                                                                                             

Loud pipes. Depends on the bike and quality of the exhaust. A loud pipe on a tourer will soon annoy you on a long trip, but on a sportsbike or naked such an exhaust can make for more fun.
Not all stainless is the same, cheap poorly designed systems will crack and large capacity engines which send strong pulses down the pipe will destroy poorly designed baffles. V twins, singles, in particular.
A well designed performance exhaust will give more power and midrange, but may require a remap. There are no shortcuts.

Personally, i know nothing with regards to after market exhausts and performance... However, i do prefer loud pipes.

Stuie has recently changed the exhaust on the ZX-12R back to standard set up from Blue Flame Evo which was on the bike when i bought it 6years ago. I am reliably informed that performance has improved immensely and petrol consumption has also improved (apparently the BF Evo wasnt set up properly!) All I can say is, its incredibly quiet. The shouty monster i was owned has been tamed.

Thanks Guys, I think then, that on balance, I'll stick to the standard pipes. I'm not a fan of noisy bikes anyway, brings too much negative attention from the non-bike crowd and half the biking community too. I was banned from a track day for having a non-standard pipe and they probably would fail an MOT too.

In truth it depends on your riding style.
If you want to be noticed get a loud can.
If you want to scamper about quickly and not get noticed, stay standard.
                                                                                                                                                                             

I preference a loud pipe as people hear you coming.

In London we used Loud pipes to let pedestrians know your there. It works. As a courier I have run over 4 people all tourists that look the wrong way when they cross the road and every time I had stock pipes on the bikes. So far in London with a loud pipe I have yet to run some one over. In fact I rarely had an issue with the suicidal tourists with a loud pipe. Get on a quiet bike and it all changes. Filtering tends to be easer with a loud pipe as well.

I have found they do not give more power and more often than not increase fuel consumption. Some bikes do run better such as the R series beemers but there an oddity. And yes the zx12r was a complete bitch to ride with the loud pipe as it wasn't set up for it. Stock pipe gives far more power and its easer to ride now as there are no flat spots and t now thinks it's a four stroke again. And as a for pipes and MOT's there is no db limit for legality. The law and ministry states that a pipe must have a fire trap (baffles) not leak gasses unless it's a friction joint that nots warmed up and should not sound offensive. So if your MOT tester likes noise he isn't offended. However your local officer dibble at 11pm o. A village centre might have other thoughts and his opinions as important as the MOT guy.

Not a problem up here, we don't have much congestion.