The racing muffler is probably one of the most popular pieces of tuning no matter if you are looking at cars, motorbikes or scooters. It is also (at least for scooters) a relatively inexpensive way to really gain horse power and speed. On top of that the manufacturers have noticed that exhausts sell even better when they are homologated (this means legal to use on the street) using various performance restrictions. It is therefore perfectly legal to replace your stock exhaust with a racing exhaust if it comes with an ECE homologation.
As there are more and more exhausts available on the market our friends at Streetbuzz went through a total of 26 exhausts to find out which one is the king of the streets. Welcome to the Scooter Tuning Exhaust Test 2013!
The Source
As mentioned above the source for the scooter tuning exhaust test results was a German print magazine called Streetbuzz. Unfortunately they shut their doors after the release of the 9th mag in 2010. However, thanks to the internet and chief editor Mr.Hood all mags are still available for free online here. Those test represent the outcome of the Streetbuzz mag. I gave my twist to the data sheets and added the knowledge I have about the tested exhausts.
The Setup
In order to recreate a common street racing setup the Yamaha Aerox with a liquid cooled Minarelli engine was already equipped with a Stage6 Steetrace cylinder kit, a 17,5mm Motorforce carburetor and an unrestricted intake manifold. All other components have been kept stock (including variator rollers and clutch springs). At a retail price of about 200€ the above mentioned parts are great street setup and make a perfect daily rider.
Restrictions
All exhaust with a street legal homologation are getting shipped with certain restrictions to affect the performance (and therefore make them legal to use). It is not uncommon that the exhaust with the restrictions run even worse than the original exhaust. You should therefore remove all restrictions before installing the exhaust. Be aware that when removing the restriction you technically loose the street legal homologation (you can still keep the paper to show the police :)).
Removing the restriction is an easy task similar to removing the restriction of a stock exhaust. Look out for dummy pipes or flow reductions and get rid of them. For the scooter tuning exhaust test all restrictions have been removed!
Scooter Tuning Exhaust Test Results
For all those who can’t wait I’ve created this table giving you a quick overview about the test results.
| Manufacturer | ModelName | Max.Power | Revenue/minute | Max.Torque | Homologated (Street Legal) | Street Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Vince | Touring | 7.8 hp | 6,994 rpm | 8.1 Nm | Yes | 90€ | Cheapest exhaust in the test |
| Metrakit | Handmade Ecologic | 8.7 hp | 7,437 rpm | 8.6 Nm | Yes | 120€ | |
| Tecnigas | Next-R | 9.6 hp | 8,163 rpm | 8.5 Nm | Yes | 115€ | |
| Laser | X Pro | 9.6 hp | 8,256 rpm | 8.3 Nm | Yes | 150€ | |
| Yasuni | Z | 9.8 hp | 8,223 rpm | 8.6 Nm | Yes | 150€ | |
| Polini | Scooter Team | 9.5 hp | 7,519 rpm | 9.1 Nm | Yes | 160€ | |
| LeoVince | Handmade ZX | 10.0 hp | 7,925 rpm | 9.0 Nm | Yes | 125€ | |
| Tecnigas | Tek | 10.1 hp | 8,381 rpm | 8.8 Nm | Yes | 100€ | |
| Hebo | New Performer | 10.5 hp | 8,470 rpm | 9.0 Nm | Yes | 160€ | |
| Stage6 | Pro Replica | 10.5 hp | 8,608 rpm | ? | Yes | 125€ | Price-performance winner |
| LeoVince | Handmade GP | 8.7 hp | 7,289 rpm | 8.6 Nm | Yes | 150€ | |
| Malossi | MHR Replica | 9.9 hp | 8,176 rpm | 8.9 Nm | Yes | 220€ | |
| Tecnigas | Trek | 10.0 hp | 8,433 rpm | 8.6 Nm | Yes | 100€ | |
| Artek | K1 | 10.1 hp | 8,405 rpm | 8.8 Nm | Yes | N/A | Out of production |
| Yasuni | R | 10.3 hp | 8,842 rpm | 8.8 Nm | Yes | 200€ | |
| Stage6 | Pro | 10.6 hp | 8,716 rpm | 9.4 Nm | No | 170€ | Highest torque in the test. |
| Tecnigas | RS II | 9.5 hp | 7,837 rpm | 8.6 Nm | Yes | 150€ | |
| Polini | For Race 3 | 10.4 hp | 8,354 rpm | 9.1 Nm | No | 280€ | Most expensive exhaust in the test. Homologated For Race 2 available. |
| Top Performances | Nardo | 10.6 hp | 8,615 rpm | 9.0 Nm | No | N/A | Only available as a homologated Replica version nowadays at around 200€ |
| Stage6 | R1200 | 10.9 hp | 9,106 rpm | 8.5 Nm | No | 250€ | |
| Yasuni | C16 Kevlar | 11.0hp | 9,996rpm | 8.8Nm | No | 250€ | Highest power in the test. Homologated City version available but different in performance. |
Reviews
LeoVince Touring
The cheapest tuning exhaust in the test also delivers the lowest performance. Clearly targeted as a replacement for the original exhaust this is a cheap alternative with a small power gain and homologation for street use.
7.8hp / 8.1Nm / 90€
Metrakit Handmade Ecologic
Nothing much to say about the Metrakit. It delivers a good power band but maximum hp is a bit on the low side. Probably better suited for the stock cylinder kit.
8.7hp / 8.6Nm / 120€
Tecnigas Next-R
This exhaust is a legend. Out there for more than ten years it is together with the LeoVince ZX probably one of the most sold exhaust in the scooter scene. At 115€ and 9.6 max horsepower you can’t go wrong with this one. It also runs excellent on stock cylinder kits!
9.6hp / 8.5Nm / 115€
Laser X-Pro
Very similar performance to the Tecnigas but more expensive and a slightly lower torque. I’d prefer the Tecnigas.
9.6hp / 8.3Nm / 150€
Yasuni Z
Also a very popular exhaust with a great quality coming from Spain. Definitely not a bad choice and a great performer on stock cylinder kits.
9.8hp / 8.6Nm / 150€
Polini Scooter Team
A bit on the expensive side but with lots of torque and the great Polini sound (the only still available legal Polini exhaust on the market).
9.5hp / 9.1Nm / 160€
LeoVince Handmade ZX
The other legend in the test. Also made for ages, excellent fitting quality, rusts within seconds and has a lot of haters. Nonetheless a very good result at 125€. This is the muffler the average dealer will try to sell you… margins must be huge :)
10.0hp / 9.0Nm / 125€
Tecnigas Tek
A bit on the ugly side but with one of the best performances in the homologated range of exhaust. Dead cheap as well!
10.1hp / 8.8Nm / 100€
Hebo New Performer
Lots of power and heaps of torque at a relatively high price.
10.5hp / 9.0Nm / 160€
Stage6 Pro Replica
Given the tests at Streetbuzz were correct this one is the prize performance winner of the test. 125€ for 10.5hp can’t be beaten. You can pick this one up on eBay for less than 50€ by the way…
10.5hp / ? / 125€
LeoVince Handmade GP
Rather poor performance of this newer LeoVince exhaust. I have also not yet met anyone who thinks it looks cool…
8.7hp / 8.6Nm / 150€
Malossi MHR Replica
Malossi, the other big player, also has a homologated exhaust. The MHR Replica delivers decent power at a very high price for its class… Only for you if you really need the homologation and desperately want a Malossi exhaust.
9.9hp / 8.9Nm / 220€
Tecnigas Trek
The third Tecnigas model in the test delivers a similar performance to Tek. Given the name I’m not surprised… But still, Tecnigas can you please ask someone else to come up with a name for your products they are by far he lamest amongst them all.
10.0hp / 8.6Nm / 100€
Artek K1
Unfortunately out of production and only available second hand. Still a good exhaust and good for everyone who does not want to ride another Aerox with Stage6 exhaust.
10.1hp / 8.8Nm / N/A
Yasuni R
Slowly moving into the 70cc muffler region, the Yasuni R delivers an excellent performance at a high price. However it’s homologated and definitely something your friends will be jealous about.
10.3hp / 8.8Nm / 200€
Stage6 Pro
The Stage6 Pro is the first non homologated exhaust in the test. This means when the cops stop you, you don’t have nothing to show them that the exhaust is legal. Comparing the results with the Pro Replica I’d suggest to go with the Replica as it’s cheaper and homologated. Nonetheless the Pro has the highest torque amongst all tested exhaust and is believed to perform REALLY well on the Stage6 Sport Pro cylinder kits.
10.6hp / 9.4Nm / 170€
Tecnigas RS II
This exhaust is a dedicated 70cc exhaust by Tecnigas. Unfortunately the performance results were not as expected. Given the setup this is probably one of the worst choices to be made.
9.5hp / 8.6Nm / 150€
Polini For Race 3
This exhaust is a legend (I still own one of the first generation models) known for huge torque it disappoints a bit in this test. Power output however is high and at 280€ definitely one of the exclusive exhausts in the test.
10.4hp / 9.1Nm / 280€
TopPerformances Nardo
Unfortunately out of production but it used to be the choice for all TopPerformances Minarelli tuners out here. Due Plus is the cylinder this exhaust is meant to be used with. You can still pick up a homologated Replica version at 200€ nowadays. Great looks too.
10.6hp / 9.0Nm / N/A
Stage6 R1200
The R1200 is the weapon of choice for most Mid Race setup nowadays. In combination with the Stage6 Racing more than 15hp are possible. Not cheap at 250€ but with great looks and a great quality.
10.9hp / 8.5Nm / 250€
Yasuni C16 Kevlar
The winner of the test comes from Spain and offer incredible 11hp and 9.996rpm. Not cheap at 250€ but a real racing exhaust with great and exclusive looks. There is also a homologated City version available which however does not perform equally well.
11.0hp / 8.8Nm / 250€
Conclusion
I ultimately decided to choose a winner in two categories for the scooter tuning exhaust test. One is the overall winner based on overall performance and the second prize is given to the price-performance winner. Please keep in mind that performance might vary a lot depending on the components you use. The scooter tuning exhaust test winners might perform great on the tested engine and cylinder kit, running another cylinder kit however might give you completely different results. Always make sure to setup your carburator and adjust the variomatic rollers to get most out of your exhaust!
Scooter Tuning Exhaust Test Overall Performance Winner
The overall performance winner of the scooter tuning exhaust test is the Yasuni C16 Kevlar. It is not the cheapest exhaust in the test and it only slightly outperforms other exhaust but tuning is about max power and this is what the Yasuni brings to the table.
Scooter Tuning Exhaust Test Price-Performance Winner
The scooter tuning exhaust test price-performance winner award goes to the Stage6 Pro Replica. I find this exhaust has a great build quality, excellent performance and comes at an unbeatable price. You can’t go wrong with this exhaust you might however see it a lot around your neighborhood. Still, its never wrong to have the best piece of equipment and if everyone else has it it can’t be all that wrong can it…?
How did you like this article? Which exhaust do you ride on your scooter? Have a question about the exhausts? Let me know in the comments or in the forum and I will for sure reply!