Akrapovic DIY

Che · Post by **Che** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:40 pm

Too tight to pay the £80 my dealer asked to fit the full system, I'm going to try it myself. Is this foolish? Will I have bits of motorcycle left over at the end that I'm not sure where they went? (other than the original exhaust). Curious to know if anyone else on here has a had a go.

soggybottoms · Post by **soggybottoms** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:28 pm

If the new pipes include a y piece to ditch the cat then it's easy enough to do yourself with a bit of patience.
Easily the hardest part is detaching the O2 sensor.

The best way that'll do least damage is to drop off the placcy bits (that side panels, tank cover and all the tupperware at the back end of the bike as well) and lift up the tank.
If you follow the sensor wiring upwards you'll see a tube like a small black smarties tube. This pulls apart and let's you unscrew the O2 sensor thread without stressing the wiring.
I should say that you'll need to undo all the boltage and lever the crap, sorry cat and pipes backwards using a blunt instrument - forehead, twatting mallet, 2 x 1 x 24 bit of wood. Gently encourage the pipes backwards - useful to have a mate tugging whilst you're at the front encouraging.
When you've got them back just resting on the edge of where the little black guide rubbers (or whatever the things are) go into the slot in the frame - you'll have enough room to get a big f#ck off spanner in and undo the sensor. Thinks it's a 22mm

Go easy on the bolts. Make sure you lube them all well and let it soak in before playing. Beemer bolts are shite and if they've been overtorqued on assembly may shear leaving you with trouble.

Re-assembly is easy enough - just remember to fit the O2 sensor before you jemmy the pipes up to the headers to ensure you've enough spanner room

winger · Post by **winger** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:09 pm

I'd do yourself for no other reason than finding how everything comes apart,but 80 quid??? at a BM dealer jeeze thats cheap

Che · Post by **Che** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 12:13 am

I see. Thank you. The wisdom that comes from experience. Because in the photos in the Akrapovic fitting instructions, the original bm exhaust just slides off, gently gliding away, requiring only one disembodied hand to pull it free.

I had a feeling the sensor would be the fiddly bit.

£80 is reasonable, dealer has been good so far. I feel a strong DIY force within me though. Watch out for an advert posting on Sunday. "Akrapovic full system for sale, never used, customised by existing owner with mallet"

Jason M · Post by **Jason M** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:10 am

Personally - I reckon it is easier to remove the sensor out the cat when you have the whole lot off the bike. Follow the sensor lead up about 2ft into the frame and there is a simple plastic push clip to release it. doing it this way saves twisting the wire numerous times as you undo the bolt in-situ

Jason

winger · Post by **winger** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:23 am

10 quid hot air gun from B+Q and a quality spanner thats the right size,easy peezy,when i took Gus's off after he'd tipped his upside down,thought it might be a horror but heated it up a couple of times just to get the old exspansion going!!! and out it came,one of the few things that wasn't bent or broken!!.

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:20 pm

Like Winger says - sensor requires a bit of preparation.

Attacked mine with a blow torch and penetrating oil, left it in the yard for a week and was almost disappointed when it came out first attempt with the correct sized spanner...

Ade

Me-109 · Post by **Me-109** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:35 pm

soggybottoms wrote:useful to have a mate tugging whilst you're at the front encouraging.

"Go on my son! Harder....."

Che · Post by **Che** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:37 pm

Suddenly £80 is beginning to sound like a bargain.

Whilst I have a hot air gun, blow torch, penetrating oil, and a mallet, I am less certain who I would feel comfortable with at the other end tugging and issuing words of encouragement.

But back to the exhaust. If I disconnect the sensor further up the loom as proposed, and remove the cat and collector I can really go to work on it in the comfort of my living room, right? I'll do that.

Also, I notice there is a catalytic converter you are meant to drop in between the link pipe and the muffler. I'm not sure I want anything in the way of my exhaust gases. Is it frequently forgotten?

oyster · Post by **oyster** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:26 pm

Difficulty in releasing the system bolts is directly proportional to the age of the bike/mileage/winters endured. The four cap head bolts connecting the downpipes to the cat are often siezed solid. Likely to shear, or you may want to grind the heads off (if they are siezed) and think about bothering to get the residual bolt out later. The O2 sensor came off my 1999 relatively easy using a LARGE adjustable spanner while the box was in situ. The wire disconnects via a plug just under the tank, right side. It's a shielded wire, so try not to break it. Hard to repair.
Dont forget the 10mm bolt under, to the rear of the cat box. Clamp joining silencer to connector pipe needs to be free to slide away. Drop cat box away. Silencers should (!!!!) just push away towards the rear, demounting them from two prongs. A silicone lube spray, with a long nozzle to get to these almost inaccessible prongs will help the slide. Number plate, holder and wires are fixed to the silencer. It's best to detach this lot first. New system fits reverse of above, with no cat box. Beware of rocking the bike off the stand/support while doing this lot. Dont forget the gasket between downpipes and new collector. Clean new system before it's fitted and polish it again after fitting. Packing tape and grunge will leave almost permanent marks once heated to ride temperature. be prepared for loud exhaust sound once completed.
Good luck.

soggybottoms · Post by **soggybottoms** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:50 pm

Che, to use one of Wingers phrases "there's no drama" in doing this job.

Prior to my S, I only every had multi-cylinder Honda's

and never worked on them as it always looked too bloody hard and complex.

In comparison, I love fettling the S as it's so easy.

I reckon you'll have to set up a camlink on the site and we'll sit in our chairs having a beer using joysticks to move the spanners around

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 7:29 pm

The stainless cat bolts on my S are now the cleanest fixings on the bike

Many years ago, I removed the lambda sensor in situ with an adjustable spanner to swap to a Remus 2 into 2 system - didn't like it so swapped it back

It can be done if its not too tight, just remember to pre twist the cable before putting it back on to compensate for tightening the bolt.

More recently removal involved a fair bit of swearing, drilling and hammering

viewtopic.php?t=3736

Its not that difficult but I'd avoid the adjustable spanner.

Ade

Che · Post by **Che** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:22 pm

Armed with the combined experience of Boxertrix above, I am actually looking forward to giving this a go tomorrow. The bike is brand new so there should be no corrosion or siezing issues. Sadly I don't have a garage, but I think some photos, comedic or otherwise, will have to be taken during the procedure. If only because it might help remind me where bits go when I replace the oe exhaust on resale.

Unpacked the Akra and it looks well made and very simple to put together. A tad embarrassed to discover that the lambda sensor doesn't go into a hole. It looks sealed. I was expecting something like a spark plug arrangement, a hole into which the sensor would poke through into the path of the exhaust gases. How foolish. Why I am owning up to this I do not know.

Unlike the Akra, the instructions that came with the Nippy Normans rear led kit is a piece of work. It's perfectly plausible English, but makes no sense. Borat meets bablefish.

soggybottoms · Post by **soggybottoms** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:39 pm

A tad embarrassed to discover that the lambda sensor doesn't go into a hole. It looks sealed. I was expecting something like a spark plug arrangement, a hole into which the sensor would poke through into the path of the exhaust gases.

That sounds worrying - I'd exect to see a similar O2 shaped hole on the new 'zaust as on the cat! That's certainly the case on my Staintune and other bikes that I've nosed around.

Might be worth a good lookysee and plan before you incapacitate your bike by pulling the bits off?

Maybe one of those obvious things, but is it the right exhaust for the bike - especially if it ain't got a sensor hole thing?

bigblackfalco · Post by **bigblackfalco** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 1:20 pm

soggybottoms wrote:
A tad embarrassed to discover that the lambda sensor doesn't go into a hole. It looks sealed. I was expecting something like a spark plug arrangement, a hole into which the sensor would poke through into the path of the exhaust gases.
That sounds worrying - I'd exect to see a similar O2 shaped hole on the new 'zaust as on the cat! That's certainly the case on my Staintune and other bikes that I've nosed around.

Might be worth a good lookysee and plan before you incapacitate your bike by pulling the bits off?

Maybe one of those obvious things, but is it the right exhaust for the bike - especially if it ain't got a sensor hole thing?

I noticed on the 12GS that the lambda probes are on the headers and now it has one per cylinder. I take it we are talking a 12S as you have mentioned Akrapovic?
Bailey.