Ztechnik exhaust for2007 R1200RT

Any experience with this? Found a good deal on a new old stock exhaust. Yeah, already planning upgrades for a bike I haven't got in hand yet...
Staintune is what I know but it's $$$ and apparently not legal in CA.

On that note, if you've got pointers for installing Stebel horn, headlight modulator and brake light flashers, please post (I will also do a search).

2010-2013 and 2005-2009 are different.

Yep, my bike is a 2007.

danix said:

Yep, my bike is a 2007.

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That would have been useful info in the thread title.. http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?46055

Mebbe I'll add it for you.

Thanks Don. I can't imagine the early version is all that different from the later other than fit, so any experience would be relevant.

The RT is one of those bikes that really doesn't need an aftermarket exhaust. I love the big can and the mellow but deep sound. My R1200S however has a full Remus Ti system and IMO Remus makes the best tone for the boxers if you want it.

Sounds like a former Harley or J brand owner with fantasies of making more power with a simple piping change- will learn eventually.
Could start by reading Roger's threads on how the fueling software works...

Thanks natrab, that's helpful.

Thanks for the warm welcome racer7... Nope, never owned a Harley and never will, but my last bike was a Honda Hawk GT with a 2Bros pipe which definitely added to the bike's power (dyno verified). I also owned a K75S with a Stainture.

I'm not looking to make more power, but came across a cheap old stock Ztechnik and was curious if it was worth it (weight savings, better sound, etc). Sounds like the answer is no.

danix said:

Thanks Don. I can't imagine the early version is all that different from the later other than fit, so any experience would be relevant.

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I suspect the difference is the later version stock exhaust has a computer controlled flap in it.. so dunno if that changes the Ztechnik fit or not.. be worth asking Ztechnik probably.

I have an 09 RT with a Ztechnik muffler and when I first installed it I wasn't happy with the sound. With the baffle out it was too loud so I started drilling extra holes in the baffle until I got the sound I was happy with, it also seems to help performance some.

danix
The short version of changing pipes on hexheads, camheads or the new wethead is that the bike fueling system is adaptive and responds to its sensor inputs (BMW publishes nothing on the actual programming, just like every other maker)- meaning it will "dial out" stuff from traditional changes left over from the days of carbed motors. The stock exhaust is not restrictive at normal operating rpm in the modern environment so there are only very modest gains to be had, at the upper end of the rpm scale in a range where the bike isn't frequently operated. (More obvious changes can be made with a cam sprocket change that moves the torque curve to lower rpm). Note that dyno runs done immediately after a change may be misleading to some extent.

The primary justifications for changing a pipe are weight reduction or preference for a different sound, or perhaps to replace a damaged stock system at lower cost. The weight reduction of course doesn't make any practical difference unless one is building a track machine- that few lbs down that low won't be noticed by most riders, especially at street speed. The commonly used BMW 49 L topcase is heavier than the muffler and in a location that impacts handling a lot more. A fresh set of good tires has a much more obvious benefit to handling.

Some older oilheads are quite different. The systems are earlier generation stuff and they are programmed very/too lean, leading to problems with surging, etc on some bikes. A lot of these bikes can benefit from altering fueling but if one only opens up air flow, its likely to just make any existing issue worse. I had to remove a poorly designed 2Bros system from an R1100S to restore proper starting and operation- or go through the more expensive process of altering its fueling and fixing the poor design (the 2Bros system in this example wouldn't even stay on the bike because the idiot who made it eliminated a key bracket holding it to the mid pipe without providing an alternate means - all it did was make noise without added power, screw up the bike and fall off)

To do anything particularly useful for BMW FI systems, to improve running or to support possible added power from improved airflow (which is minimal with only a muffler change) you either need to feed the computer properly altered signals or alter programming which might require an alternate computer.

Older stuff with carbs or early FI systems is sometimes a different subject. Already lean settings from the days of non-EtOH gas may be over-the-edge lean when seeing alcohol containing fuel- by enough to make a noticeable decrease in running smoothness or even power (especially of you get fuel from a place that does a poor job at tank maintenance and has had some degree of separation that causes alcohol concentration in its tanks- I have a friend who got fuel with so much alcohol his oilhead could barely run it was so lean and the resulting high exhaust temp damaged parts on the bike). I've recently added an older Honda Transalp with carbs (for use as an around town and fire road bike) to my set and it seems to suffer from this to some extent so I might end up doing some jetting changes if nothing else fixes it- but the bike is old enough that there are many possible causes that have to be eliminated first.

There are a range of opinions on this site as you will see but its a good place to see what others experiences have taught them.