Slip-on Exhaust BMW G650GS

UPDATE at bottom of the page!


After owning my little Beemer for about a year and a half, I decided it was time to do something about the few things that bothered me...and one of those things was the exhaust.

The G650GS, much like its predecessor the F650GS single, is a nice, well thought-out machine. Except, it does not really sound like a motorcycle. And while I personally don't care for loud pipes, I don't want my bike sounding like a sewing machine either.

Unfortunately,despite the fact it has been produced for years, there aren't that many options when it comes to aftermarket exhausts for the F650GS / G650GS. Staintune, Akrapovic, Two Brothers...none of them exactly cheap. Then someone on ADV posted a link to an Italian-made stainless exhaust within my price range.

I communicated with the seller directly, off Ebay, and placed my order on Tuesday, May 22. Paid via Paypal, and hoped to get the exhaust within a week or two. On Thursday, May 24, a DHL truck showed up in my driveway with a box.

Hello GPR Tri-oval!

 This is how the exhaust showed up. Well packaged, and without any damage. Kudos to DHL.

Inside the box was a smaller box containing the exhaust (wrapped in bubble wrap and an extra layer), a bag of small parts, and an instructions sheet.

Once unpacked:

 The connector pipe came with an extra sleeve to be used on older models with a smaller diameter header pipe. I did not need this on my 2009 G650GS, but it was nice it was included.

 The connector pipe installed easily, just a slip on to the header pipe, and clamp using either the supplied clamp, or the stock BMW clamp. I used the new one, since the old one was probably stretched some.

The exhaust itself came with two baffles. The seller calls these "Db Killers" but these are mechanical baffles alright. One the outside they appear identical, but they have a different diameter opening. I chose the more restricted one, to make the straight-through muffler a little quieter. 

The can itself mounts with a pre-bent clamp and an 8mm bolt, which goes through a tab. The tab mounts on to the stock location, and is retained by a set screw (Allen head). The can is then attached to the connector pipe with two springs.

As you can see, it clears my Givi racks just fine. Here is a picture from behind.

Following the 30 minutes long installation, the bike started normally. The ECU should adjust itself for the added airflow after some miles with this mod. Combined with the opened air intake I did last week, this exhaust makes a really nice sound. I'm not sure of any (if any) performance changes as I have only ridden and couple of miles with this setup, but I will post an update in the future.

If nothing else, this exhaust looks and sounds good. At the minimum, I shaved off some weight (which is always a good thing) and now I have extra space on the right hand side to hang my tool tubes.

Overall, I'm impressed with the speedy delivery. The finish on this exhaust is nice, without any machining marks in the polished area. The connector pipe is a standard mill finish type. The exhaust came with everything necessary to make the switch without having to make a trip to the hardware store, and installation was a breeze.

Of course, GPR makes other models as well, and their entire line can be seen here: http://www.gpr.it/home.htm?language=en  

If you are considering an aftermarket exhaust for your Beemer, I can highly recommend dealing with Alex, who not only shipped pronto, but also communicated with me during and after the order. he can be reached at:  info@motochepassione.it

Website: http://motochepassione.it/categorie.php?categoria=7

UPDATE:

After a few days of riding, I really like the exhaust. Bike seems to rev easier, and throttle response is quite improved, especially mid-range. When riding slowly, the exhaust is very quiet, but as soon as I pull the throttle wide open, it can be heard - in a good way.
For you EU guys: The exhaust has E3 stamp, and comes with a "homologation certificate".

And finally the good news: Alex (the guy who sold me the exhaust), saw this review and liked it. I talked to him a bit about pricing and he agreed to extend a 10% discount to purchases paid direct via PayPal (not via Ebay). So, if you see something you like on ebay, just shoot him an email directly and mention the 10% discount. I believe this goes both for the US$ and the Euro prices.
And, in the interest of full disclosure: I'm not getting anything from promoting this. Just a happy customer who asked the right question. 

Opening air intake on BMW G650GS

I'm getting ready to install an easier-breathing exhaust on my 650GS, and since the engine will breathe easier out, why not help it get some more air in as well.

BMW uses a very restrictive snorkel  system that works okay with not allowing too much water into the intake, but at the same time, it does not exactly allow the engine to get plenty of air. Instead of removing the snorkel entirely (I've seen some users do just that) - we have a plenty of rain days here - I decided to open it up a little.

After removing the countless fasteners that hold the plastics on top of the faux tank, I inspected the air intake for dust - the reason behind it was to find a spot that receives no (or almost no) splashes. The obvious choice was the top of the snorkel just above the intake opening, and the flat part that faces the battery. Earlier today, I stopped at a hardware store and picked up a few of one inch snap-in bushings. Armed with a hole saw of the right diameter, I made three holes in the snorkel.

With the holes cleaned up, I scuffed the outside a little to provide some additional grip for the glue I planned to use, and then I got my supplies ready: Snap-in bushings AND some fiberglass screen (to prevent any unwanted entry into the airbox - bugs, debris...)

I then simply laid the screen over the holes and pushed the bushings into it. The bushings themselves provided enough tension to hold the screen in place, but I wanted some added security, so after trimming the screen, I ran a bead of glue around the bushings.

Now the airbox has almost double the intake surface area vs stock.