Aftermarket Exhaust for '11 GSA

Has anyone installed an aftermarket exhaust for more sound? Looking for suggestions....Thinking full system because of the flap/emissions/cat but wondering what people have done.

If there's a good slipon that adds a deeper tone, louder, might go that route.

Been looking at the Akro, staintune, leo vince, remus...

How many miles does your bike have? I had an 11 gs traded for my 11 GSA. The gs was very throaty by 7k miles. They get louder.

And, As a former Harley guy I'm in to sound.

The OE exhaust is in the "goldie locks" zone for me, not too quiet, not too loud.. I'd say it's just right. IMHO, justifying the cost of a couple more dBA seems like a bit of a waste of decent farkle money to me... Seems like a new seat, aux lights, or some other such farkel is money somewhat more well spent... Just my opinion though.

I've owned two different Remus cans and one Akra, none of which caused a real change in the exhaust decibel but which make the sound a bit more "throaty." Believe it or not, my HP2S is less loud than my GS with a Remus can on it, but one might not thinks so looking at the two bikes. I changed the cans for weight reduction purposes along with enhancing the looks some. Headers are next for me on the GS (maybe improves the sound a bit more), and then a PCV/AT to round this bike out from a motor perspective.

2,000 miles, I've had it almost exactly a month. That's good to know and that has been my experience with most exhausts in the past...I think I'm just used to my past two loud Ducatis.

I hear you on two fronts, (1) the '10 + exhaust does blurp nicely from time to time and it's comfortable. (2) farkle cash must be prioritized. I really like a little deeper and louder tone for some reason but I'm going to try and hear some systems before making a decision. For me, the sound of a motorcycle is directly connected to my experience with it, it's not everything by any means but significant to me. Therefore, I feel it deserves my farkle funds attention.

Thanks Obie, I'm interested in removing the cat and exhaust flapper too for that matter. I wonder, if you can install a full system, cat & flapper removal on a hexhead? I see BMW only sells an akro slip on. I rarely ride w/o my side cases on the GSA and not too concerned about weight on the bike I'm interested in making a change only for exhaust sound volume and depth. I just like to hear my bikes... From the sound clips I've "heard" on youtube, it seems like there isn't very much difference when only changing the can/slip on with hexhead bikes in terms of sound.

Thanks guys, for the replies. If you don't mind, please keep 'em coming.

I'm gonna go in a different direction here.

Up front... I'm 56 and have mild (knock wood)Tinitus.
Hearing protection (foam plugs) almost always when riding.

I own a 2011 GSA, and for my tastes, it's a bit too loud.
Sorta wish I'd waited to find a clean used low mile 2008 or 9 GSA.
They were much more quiet than the flap enhanced Camheads.
I was just wondering the other day if anyone is going to come out with a aftermarket "quiet" muffler for the Camheads. Now, with the new water cooled boxers coming, I doubt it. And, not enough call for it.

Don't mind the exhaust note when tooling 'round town or going up through the gears. Kind of fun in those applications. It bugs me when freeway riding. Just drones on and on. Maybe if I could snick it up into 7th gear to lower the RPM, I'd be happier.
There was a thread here recently "too loud".

I owned a 2004 K1200GT for a few years. Put a Staintune muffler on it. Same thing, On the freeway, going any distance... just too loud.
IMO my 2004 GT with Staintune was quieter than my OEM 2011 GSA.

I briefly owned a 2006 R1200GS. It came from its prior owner with a full REMUS system. Header and can, eliminated the CAT. Now that was the loudest of all. Disliked it a lot. The fella that bought it from me said he was happy as could be, loved it.

Almost forgot, had an Akrapovic can on my 2005 R1200RT. That was the most subtle and acceptable aftermarket exhaust of the 3 I've owned. Much more quiet than my 2011 OEM GSA.

Different strokes..

Dmilan

^ Scott, the gent's response above goes exactly to the point I'm trying to make. Believe it or not, the current DOHC motor coupled with the butterfly valve in the exhaust is even louder than the <2010 bikes, but to you and I who have owned (and own) Ducatis, it's not even close to what we're familiar with. Loud to one is not necessarily loud to the next guy, and I have tinutis and wear ear plugs too, but the GS is not "loud" by any stretch of the imagination. Can I hear the motor? Absolutely. Is it loud enough for me? Yes, I don't want "my" longer distance/mile munching bike to tire my ears, but I did want it to sound just slightly better than stock. I'm in pursuit of providing more flow for the motor, and that's really why I want to install the headers, and by doing so I know that it's going to get louder, but still within my threshold.

As for your question, I believe that the Akra and Remus headers mate up with cans of other manufacturers, I chose a Remus can to pretty much guarantee myself that it would fit without hassle.

Further, check out the Akra shotgun style exhaust coupled with their header....might be the loudest of the bunch me thinks.

Talk soon,

Obie, thanks for the insights. Yeah, you guys are probably right, it's got some sound to it and would likely get old on long rides if it was really loud.

I think you're right Obie, I'm used to sounds of the Ducatis with full termis

I may revisit this during the winter but it's tough not being able to hear bikes with exhaust kits in person... Maybe the Akra kit has a baffle that can be put in for long trips

On a side note, I had my '12 GSA running next to my running Dodge RAM 1500 this morning and couldn't feel my legs there was so much noise. It was awesome!

I see Termignogni do an exhaust for the 10-12 GSA?

That should be "useless cacophony".

As long as there are those who are willing to spend north of $1000.00 just to make some exhaust noise like a cheap lawn mower, I wouldn't be holding my breath for a quieter version of the OE exhaust system on the boxer.

It is interesting to see what the BMW crowd is bolting on to their BMWs...boxers in particular, GSes specifically...

It's like we are kids with our first bike...remember?... playing cards in the spokes, tassels at the end of the bars, fancy tire-driven generator for lights, squeeze bulb horns, bell on the bars, baskets, fancy seat....that just about covers it. Toward the end of my bicycle-riding career, I had a Motorola portable AM radio strapped to my bars so I had tunes while delivering my paper route....

....Oppppps....I forgot...there are no paper routes any more...sorry.

I think Harleys sound great with the right pipe, not neccesarily a straight pipe, I had a Wide Glide with megaphone header and it was sweet sound, Not "useless cacaphony" as was an opinion stated. The system on Bigdave's war pig is the one for mechanical music on the GS. D.

You usually make the point about uncertain reductions in performance. I see why people would want to customize the "look" of their bike, we're all individuals. And some motorcycles have really good exhaust notes, so I can understand that motivation (within some bounds). I would be more concerned with how the motorcycle performed after making a changed to the tuned exhaust or intake system since all the R series bikes are at the edge of leanness to begin with. If you want looks, buy an exhaust. If you want performance add an LC-1 or PC.

I have the Akrapovic full system, no cat but kept the flapper! Sounds great!

+1. With good earplugs, I don't notice it much on long rides.
Kept the flapper because I didn't want to mess with the d@mn idiot lights. I have had problems on a few bikes after removing them. 1 didn't care as long as the servo was still there. 1 had to have a bracket installed so that the servo could only turn so far (I guess it was providing feedback to the ECU). The other bike is race only so I don't care; I just painted over the light.

anyone have or know of anyone with a shorty exhaust? I got my eye on the two bros m5 in all black..just worry my passenger is going to get more gas smells from a shorter exhaust..

LMAO whenever somebody talks about HD I think of this episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4

Without looking I bet that's a South Park episode which is HILARIOUS

Quiet is Better. Why throw away perfectly good factory stuff?
There is a money/volume/brains equation here some place.

I ride because I like to. I don't ride for ego. I don't ride when I fear ice.