Leo Vince Exhaust - I need some advice PLEASE urgently

[Neville Puttergill]

I wonder if there is anyone who can give me some advice please. I have just completed fitting a new Leo Vance System to my VFR. The model is a 2005 interceptor.

In the instruction pamphlet it made mention of a graphite gasket that fits between the header pipe and the slip-ons. Now there was no gasket in the packaging and they mentioned that one should not re-use the graphite gasket. Is it ok to ride without this gasket ? The system does not seem to have any air leaks at all. I have just let the bike idle for a few minutes and given it a small rev to say 5000rpm.

Secondly is it necessary to have the engine management system re-mapped ? Will the bike run to rich/lean because of this system. I have removed the baffles already.

Last one, i have tightened up all the bolt and only needed to use 1 spacer in the packaging but the right silencer seems to still have a little movement in it. Is this normal ?

Please if someone can give me honest good advice as i would hate to burn a hole in a piston etc. I am doing a track day with it on sunday and also wanting to do a longish ride tomorrow on it.

Thanks,

Neville Puttergill

[alter ego]

Great choice on exhaust!!! You will love it I'm sure. Don't worry about the gasket, its not necessary and I went through the same thing in my install. It was a little frustrating translating the instructions! Those straps that hold the cans are torture if the rubber comes off before you put the cans in place. I have a fender eliminator too and my pipes are pretty much right up against the plate but it is ok.
As far as mapping.... I have a power commander and I put it on the 1 map. I also have my o2 sensor blocks installed so my bike runs a little richer already. If your baffles are out you may run a little lean but the bike seems to compensate. Its probably a good idea to get a power commander just to tune the throttle response. Thats the best mod I have made.
What type of movement are you getting? My pipes are pretty solidly mounted. Theres a little give because everything is together with spring pressure but it isn't loose enough to rattle. I have adjusted my cans here and there, its tough to keep them perfectly aligned with all of those pieces! Remember to check the bolts where the system bolts onto the cat and your top mounts on the cans after the first few rides..... Good luck!!

[Neville Puttergill]

Thank you Alter Ego,

I feel alot better knowing that i was not a fool on the intallation side of things. Yes, i did battle getting the cans aligned, but got them pretty close eventually, like almost 3 hours later for the complete install. I am waiting for my tail tidy, only arriving in 4 weeks time but am busy doing my own makeshift one in the mean time, the plastic rear looks terrible.

One more thing, i have been to a few track days and the guys there keep telling me that i must drop my tyre pressures. I am running it according to the book at the mo, about 2.5kpa (front) and 2.9kpa (rear) with Bridge stone's BT010 (front) and a BT020 (rear) combo. What typical pressure are you running ?

Also does the Power Commander and O2 sensor take away the "powerband" at 7000rpm. I have noticed under pretty hard aceleration when i hit it into 2nd gear the front lifts off the ground unintentially, and i have to back off the gas to get her stable again.

I have also got an off-road quad (LTZ400 Modified) and have had off-road bikes but am still battling to get to grips with how far i can lean into corners, need to trust my ruber a lil more. Been i bit intimidated as quite a number of the guys i ride with have Suzuki GSXR1000's and they give it horns all the time, cant keep up with them, specially in corners. I have managed a odo reading of 238km/h so far and run out of road, they reach just under the 300km/h mark.

Thanks for the advise.

Lifes a journey, enjoy the ride...

Neville