Trying to build a half-decent bike (by that I mean something you are happy with, we’re all different, working under different circumstances) without a trust fund to access can be…challenging. So ya gotta get creative.
Just as a reminder, this is intended as a tough track bike built for fun, both in the building and on the track…it’s never gonna be strutting for "best of breed" at Crufts.
So where are we at? We have the engine installed in a home-brewed 999RS-ified 749R frame, Febur swingarm, ZX10R BFF forks and 749R rear suspension/triples, adapted Suzuki B-King forged ally Galespeed rear wheel, forged ally 1198SP front wheel, expanded oil/water cooling, Nemesis ECU, weird-arse tank arrangement, RS seat and tail fairing....so picture about here somewhere, with a bunky lookin' carbon tank and carbon RS seat/tail (no I don't even want to think about the dash/sub-frame...):
That's most of the big ticket items sorted....what's left? Wiring? Airbox? Exhaust? Oh shit, exhaust! I have a road wiring harness I've started paring back to the bare minimum (actually it's gone past the bare minimum but that's a story/fuck-up for another day), I have a plan for the airbox....but the exhaust is a blank space that I'm struggling to find the mental and financial resources to fill.
Actually, no, that's a lie, I have a Plan B for the exhaust, while I hope and pray for a Plan A to materialise.
The problem is: what exhaust do you install on an RS engined “not-so-Special”? The 57mm Leo Vince worked well when the thing was installed in the 749R but I can’t rob it off what is a lovely wee fella after being rebuilt.
Bloody hell, anything similar needs a government grant to purchase these days, prices are nuts….let alone a genuine 63.5mm RS exhaust which are just Tesla $$$, and you need the subframe to suit.
Ok, ripping off the bandaid, this is the only remotely suitable option I could afford, and I think it's fairly obvious why I'm not super excited about it :
I'm not sure this technically qualifies as a "muffler":
It was originally built for a Testastretta Evo 1098 engined 999 concept created by Italian designer Giordano Loi:
With 60mm primaries and 65mm tail pipe, at a great price, I thought it would be a simple adaptation and suit the RS engine pretty well, even if the look is a little......er, confronting.
Just cut the extra stud mounts required from some el-cheapo 4 stud 999 Testastretta exhaust flanges, weld onto the 3 stud Testastretta Evo flanges and the job’s a good ‘un…
Yeah…nah, I hadn't even finished bolting up the first manifold and I new I was in trouble: I had just discovered that Testastretta Evo heads have the exhaust flange positioned quite differently to the earlier Testastretta. (Insert swear word of your choice here)
If only I'd seen this video before I go into it (FYI: just to confuse you, the 848 heads shown have 999-style 4 stud flanges where 1*98 have 3 stud):
Transiting from an oval exhaust port to the round tube, with extremely thin walled bends thrown in to the mix (0.65mm WT on the streeetched outside radius) gave me conniptions (I only have a stick welder) but the rear cylinder was by far the worst.
The system used a combination of aftermarket and OEM manifolds mated to the funky 60mm header tubes. The front manifold is 58mm diameter which I'm pretty sure is larger than OEM so must be aftermarket:
The rear manifold is definitely OEM, is a measly 50mm diameter, and it clashed with the frame. I couldn't see any other option than to cut off each end and fab a 60mm section in between. Look away now if you are of a squeamish disposition (self-taught “welder” here):
Comparing the two gives you an idea of just how different the exhaust outlets are, with shock, linkage and subframe mounts all to be negotiated in a tight lil’ space, as well as the transition from oval to round sections.
But eventually you get to stand back and inspect just what the hell you’ve created: blink blink…frown…walk around a bit…blink blink...I think I need a drink to help digest this...
...hmmm, maybe spoon some tyres on to get some more realistic proportions, and wack on the busted-arse self-made carbon tank cover and RS seat/tail for the full effect:
Ahhhhh, dammit! That tail looks waaaaay too long.
Hmmm....better...more assessment and more beer required methinks, not necessarily in that order. Truthfully I don't quite know what to make of it.....
A few more angles:
Wow, without the undertail muffler elongating the proportions it looks quite different, a real chunky monkey, with the bigger 749R "tank" emphasised.....or it's just my crap camera work. It'll be interesting to see how it comes together with fairings in place. I do have the OEM 848/1*98 heat shield that came with it but it's a pretty ordinary lump of aluminium so I'm in no hurry to fit it although it will need something.
The full RS tail is obviously too long and I'm not totally hating the shorter tail, but I'm not liking it enough to hack up a perfectly good carbon RS tail just yet.
For all of my confusion around the look of the exhaust on the bike I found it looked quite sexy on a set of scales:
4.5kg's all-in is quite an attractiver number.
