Sweet bass, nothing loud like a Full-system exhaust. A nice deep rumble at idle and bass when on the move.
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It will almost be a year next month when we get the Nimbus home, so far we have done 14,000 kms. While we are a month early, I have already jumped the gun while browsing the parts catalogue.
Recently did a 2K kms trip doing a bucket list circuit of Gujarat, and while the trip progressed the itch to install an after-market exhaust was getting unbearable. Once back home I looked up on the internet the best exhaust system for Nimbus, the usual suspects were Akrapovic, Arrow and Scorpion. So we dwelled deeper on YouTube to find the best symphony-creating can, as the performance was not on the cards. Given the fact that 95% of us install these exhausts only for sound and aesthetics, never in my life I would be able to extract all those 142 horses or that 110 nm of earth-moving torque.
Spoke to a couple of friends and a fellow Team BHPian @hiren.mistry on probable options. The full system was ruled out by the fact that it would be extremely loud for the purpose this bike is built. I agreed as it would be head-numbing to ride 500-1000 km days with loud full system exhausts. So, the search began for Slip-On exhausts. Akrapovic was out of the list first given how exquisite and expensive their products are, Scorpion was also out as only a race can (shorty) was available. Arrow had the Indy race exhaust on offer for INR 57k, which was right in the sweet spot in terms of both cost and required output.
I had experienced the Arrow slip-on earlier at the Kawasaki dealership on the same bike. So, the gut instinct was also to go with the tried and tested option. I admit that I would have loved to have the Akrapovic slip-on, but it was double the cost. The same goes with Scorpion slip-on, but again it was also expensive and loudest of the lot. You get the gist; it was easier to narrow down on the arrow.
Weekend was near and my Lizard and Monkey brains were all lit up, the newer part of the brain was put to sleep by these 2 asking it to just shut the F up – “Tu to naya hai, don’t teach us.” Called up Performance Racing Store, which is located in Tardeo, Mumbai. They confirmed that they had 1 piece in stock and sent me a couple of photos and the part number (71914AKN) for confirmation. Called up my younger cousin’s brother-in-law (Parth) and off we went in his car.
We reached the shop, and it was a quick transaction, some discounts were asked, and some were given. Quickly we took a couple of photos for posterity as this was an epic moment of my motorcycling journey. Exactly 10 years back I had been on the opposite side of the road, with a Leo-Vince exhaust for my Fazer150 at Bachoo Motors. 10 Years later I come back, albeit on the other side of the road, holding an Arrow Exhaust for the Ninja1000 at Performance Racing Store.
At the Store
We waded back home in the Saturday afternoon traffic and reached the X-shaft motorcycle garage. While my cousin waited at the workshop, I quickly went home and got the Nimbus. While we were in the queue for our turn, we both were dying in anticipation of how the bike would sound, Parth was a bit sceptical about the purchase as he had experienced slip-on exhausts and written them off as duds, i.e no change in sound only aesthetics. And mind you this exhaust was an Aluminium build, so it was not right up the looks department either. I on the other hand was kind of sure about the sound as I had experienced it earlier.
Installation
Anyhow, our turn came, and we opened up the box. Everything was in place, it looked like a simple swap, and it was. By the time I could register, the skilled mechanics at X-shaft had already taken off the stock exhaust.
- Stock end can weigh – 6.25 Kgs.
- Arrow slip-on weighed – 2.4 Kgs.
Now I have clearance to install spools, which I did not have with the stock exhaust.
Quickly the new exhaust was installed, in the meanwhile I was getting some unsolicited advice on how to choose an exhaust, maps etc. by a guy who was servicing his Ducati Panigale at the workshop. I missed capturing a couple of photos due to this, but managed 1 photo while the old exhaust was out. 1 mounting point and 2 bolts to tighten + some solution being applied which came with the package (The mech said it is for ensuring there are no leaks), and we were ready.
The first time we fired her it was with the DB killer in, and there was a noticeable rumble. I did not like it and Parth confirmed it, Ishan (who owns the workshop) thought to let it be as it would be much louder without the DB killer. He quickly asked, “Should I remove the DB killer?” Myself and Parth both excitedly shouted, “DB killer off” and waited in anticipation like kids drooling in a candy shop.
Turns out, the DB killer is held in place by a small piece of weld, which once removed can only be welded back if you want to install the DB killer again. We both shouted again, “Please take it off”. With a small screwdriver, it was taken off and the ring that held in place was pinched with a special tool and slowly taken out. The DB killer required some wrestling and eventually, it came off. Ishan gave the signal to switch on and start the bike.
Words aren’t enough to describe it, we were grinning like kids as the bike started. Sweet bass, nothing loud like a Full-system exhaust. A nice deep rumble at idle and bass when on the move.
Took the bike out for a spin, as we were hungry since we had not eaten anything post-lunch. The 2 km ride up to the shawarma joint was revelling. The bass sounded much deeper in the helmet than I expected and the bike felt alive.
The next day we went for a quick breakfast ride, the morning starts now require a slow push to the gate as you would not want the neighbours to get up along with you at 5 am. Enjoyed the 270 km ride, soul satisfied.
Nimbus on XP100 diet
I asked Chat GPT to write a short poem, to sum up the experience, here it goes:
In the heart of the Ninja, a transformation was found,
An Arrow slip-on, with a deep bassy sound.
Gone is the electric whistle, so thin and light,
Replaced by a rumble that ignites the night.
The throttle unleashed, a symphony of power,
Roaring through valleys, a beast to devour.
Each twist of the wrist, a thunderous growl,
Echoes of freedom, breaking the mundane scowl.
The Ninja 1000 SX, now a beast untamed,
With Arrow’s melody, its spirit reclaimed.
No more whispers, but a roar from within,
The road is alive, with a new tune to spin.
So let the asphalt tremble, and the wind sing along,
With Arrow’s deep bass, the heart beats strong.
A symphonic ride, where the soul takes flight,
Thanks to Arrow’s slip-on, the Ninja owns the night.
A little lighter to manoeuvre
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