msquared
New Member
NOTE: I will be adding some images to the install section soon for those that want them.
TL;DR
"Your bike sounds way more badass now." - My girlfriend the first time she heard it after the install.
This exhaust is awesome. It looks awesome, it sounds awesome, it adds some HPs, it's decently easy to install, and it's cost effective. MNNTHBX is a great vendor I've been nothing but happy with every interaction I have had with them. I highly recommend that anyone considering a new exhaust for the 390 take a serious look at this system.
== Decision / Why this system ==
When I was looking at replacing the exhaust it really came down to a decision between this and the Werkes exhaust. There are obviously a lot of other options out there but for me those are the systems that stood out from what I considered to be a sweet spot in price/looks/performance. While the Werkes uses the stock fitment which I found very attractive I was a bit nervous about noise and performance level. Since MIVV had published dyno tests and videos with their exhausts, and MNNTHBX had confirmed the results in their own tests that made me feel pretty comfortable using this exhaust. A few very quickly answered emails to MNNTHBX was all it took to convince me that for me MIVV was the way to go.
== Shipping / Packaging ==
As I have gotten used to with MNNTHBX the kit shipped super fast and was on its way to me the same day I placed the order. All the items were packed very securely with virtually no chance of being damaged in transit without something extreme occurring. During the unpacking I was really struck by the feel of quality from all the components, everything just looked and felt amazing.
== Install ==
MIVV does not include detailed installation instructions; rather they include a schematic that shows how all of the parts are supposed to fit together. I found this to be easy enough to follow, however I could see this being a bit intimidating to some. That being said the installation was fairly easy.
The first step is to remove most of the plastic from the bike. I removed both side fairings, the lower fairings, and the radiator shroud.
Once you have the bike strpped down you need to remove the stock exhaust. The easiest way to do this is to start by removing the three bolts that are holding the stock system in place. There are two near the top and one at the bottom. then remove the remove the muffler clamp. Once this is complete unbolt the exhaust flange from the engine (you may need to unbolt the radiator to accomplish this). Pull the exhaust pipe out of the engine, and the stock silencer as far as possible. At this point you should be able to remove the stock silencer fairly easily. I did find that with my bike on a rear stand the swingarm prevented it from being removed completely. I solved this by getting it out as far as I could and then lowering my bike back to the ground again. Once there was weight on the rear wheel the stock silencer fell to the ground with a rather satisfying clang.
I felt like the schematic was fairly easy to follow for installation but I would offer a few tips based on my experience:
== Results ==
Quite honestly the sound from the stock system was one of the only things I actually HATED about this bike, it just never sounded quite like I expected it to; because of that I had very high expectations for the new system. Once I had everything tightened down I eagerly turned on the bike and pressed the starter button. Instantly I knew I had made a great decision. I was very impressed with the sound from this pipe. The entire tone of the bike had been lowered an octave or more and had way more depth and reverb to it without sounding significantly louder than the stock system. The grin on my face as I played with the throttle was involuntary and almost painfully wide. FINALLY my bike sounded like I had hoped it would.
The next day I went riding with my girlfriend. When she heard my bike for the first time that day she remarked immediately that "Your bike sounds way more badass now". I mean really...what more do you want? This system looks amazing, it doesn't get in the way of rear spools, it has proven power gains(with tuning), it is easy to install, it is affordable and your significant other will think it sounds bad ass.
I am very pleased with this purchase and would encourage others to put this system high on the list of exhaust systems to look at for the RC390.
TL;DR
"Your bike sounds way more badass now." - My girlfriend the first time she heard it after the install.
This exhaust is awesome. It looks awesome, it sounds awesome, it adds some HPs, it's decently easy to install, and it's cost effective. MNNTHBX is a great vendor I've been nothing but happy with every interaction I have had with them. I highly recommend that anyone considering a new exhaust for the 390 take a serious look at this system.
== Decision / Why this system ==
When I was looking at replacing the exhaust it really came down to a decision between this and the Werkes exhaust. There are obviously a lot of other options out there but for me those are the systems that stood out from what I considered to be a sweet spot in price/looks/performance. While the Werkes uses the stock fitment which I found very attractive I was a bit nervous about noise and performance level. Since MIVV had published dyno tests and videos with their exhausts, and MNNTHBX had confirmed the results in their own tests that made me feel pretty comfortable using this exhaust. A few very quickly answered emails to MNNTHBX was all it took to convince me that for me MIVV was the way to go.
== Shipping / Packaging ==
As I have gotten used to with MNNTHBX the kit shipped super fast and was on its way to me the same day I placed the order. All the items were packed very securely with virtually no chance of being damaged in transit without something extreme occurring. During the unpacking I was really struck by the feel of quality from all the components, everything just looked and felt amazing.
== Install ==
MIVV does not include detailed installation instructions; rather they include a schematic that shows how all of the parts are supposed to fit together. I found this to be easy enough to follow, however I could see this being a bit intimidating to some. That being said the installation was fairly easy.
The first step is to remove most of the plastic from the bike. I removed both side fairings, the lower fairings, and the radiator shroud.
Once you have the bike strpped down you need to remove the stock exhaust. The easiest way to do this is to start by removing the three bolts that are holding the stock system in place. There are two near the top and one at the bottom. then remove the remove the muffler clamp. Once this is complete unbolt the exhaust flange from the engine (you may need to unbolt the radiator to accomplish this). Pull the exhaust pipe out of the engine, and the stock silencer as far as possible. At this point you should be able to remove the stock silencer fairly easily. I did find that with my bike on a rear stand the swingarm prevented it from being removed completely. I solved this by getting it out as far as I could and then lowering my bike back to the ground again. Once there was weight on the rear wheel the stock silencer fell to the ground with a rather satisfying clang.
I felt like the schematic was fairly easy to follow for installation but I would offer a few tips based on my experience:
- Re-attach the exhaust flange to the engine, but do not tighten it down all the way. Allow for a little rotation of the pipe, this will make it easier to position the new parts.
- Test fit everything before tightening ANYTHING. I basically installed the whole system and then tightened everything down from the flange back, this worked super well and no doubt saved me some frustration.
- The schematic doesn't show that the link pipe (15) attaches to the frame in one of the holes where the previous exhaust was mounted. It was fairly obvious but worth noting.
- Make sure to position the can and determine the proper location for the clamp/bracket before attaching it. The clamp can be a pain in the butt as it is VERY tight; I used a pair of vice grips to help hold the clamp together while installing it.
- When reinstalling the lower fairing I noticed that the replacement trim piece barely fits over the loop for the retainer spring, I actually had to bend the loop a bit to make it fit.
- I have no clue what the spacers are for on the the new trim piece, they made no sense to me and so I didn't use them.
- My kit was missing one nut. I live two blocks from an Ace Hardware and all the hardware is clearly noted as to what size it is. I walked to Ace and bought one, it cost me 35 cents.
- If you have never installed a new exhaust component on a car or motorcycle before you should be prepared for smoke. The first few times you fire up the new system it will smell like burning and there will be smoke. Having replaced exhaust components on my Jeep before I was prepared for this, but I remember the first time I experienced this it was quite un-nerving.
== Results ==
Quite honestly the sound from the stock system was one of the only things I actually HATED about this bike, it just never sounded quite like I expected it to; because of that I had very high expectations for the new system. Once I had everything tightened down I eagerly turned on the bike and pressed the starter button. Instantly I knew I had made a great decision. I was very impressed with the sound from this pipe. The entire tone of the bike had been lowered an octave or more and had way more depth and reverb to it without sounding significantly louder than the stock system. The grin on my face as I played with the throttle was involuntary and almost painfully wide. FINALLY my bike sounded like I had hoped it would.
The next day I went riding with my girlfriend. When she heard my bike for the first time that day she remarked immediately that "Your bike sounds way more badass now". I mean really...what more do you want? This system looks amazing, it doesn't get in the way of rear spools, it has proven power gains(with tuning), it is easy to install, it is affordable and your significant other will think it sounds bad ass.
I am very pleased with this purchase and would encourage others to put this system high on the list of exhaust systems to look at for the RC390.
