My exhaust questions?

[kojaxxx]

So I'm looking to get an exhaust and am having a hard time deciding and have a bunch of questions I can't really seem to find answers too.
 
 

 
Akro Carbon (the one I'm considering)
 
- My understanding it doesn't need a fuel controller. (is this correct?) I don't want one now because the exhaust is expensive, its going to cost me around $1200 Canadian. Plus I would maybe rather get the ecu flashed in the future, it seems to be the better option overall. 
 
-It sure looks really good.
 
-It does not sound that good on the YouTube videos I have watched. I know it hard to tell compared if you hear it in person but it just does not sound deep enough, like a dirt bike almost. Can anyone confirm this who has heard the Akro compared to some other exhausts on the FZ?
The sound of it is turning me off a bit and holding me back from buying it. 
 
-Do I have to repack this dam thing ever?
 
-Is it too loud with the baffle in?
 
Thanks guys
 
 
 
 

[Dirk]

Don't trust the sound you hear in video... 99% of the time they're shot with shitty cameras, integrated mic, automatic settings! I haven't seen ONE video of an exhaust with a good sound yet!!!
 
I've seen the Akro Carbon in real life once. It looks good and sounds great to... And super loud with baffle out!

[Beemer]

I have an Akra Cf pipe and I think it has a nice balance in sound. With the DB killer in it is a definite improvement over the stock pipe, it is deeper but not real deep nor loud but when you open up the throttle it is plenty loud (IMO). If you want it deeper aaand louder then remove the db killer but you may later hear yourself saying this is too loud, which may be just what you want. I left my db killer in because I heard it on a you tube video with it out and it was too loud for certain reasons. Your sound problem could be your speakers, etc. I hear a lot of people say the recordings are bad but when I listen to them they sound fine because I use a sound card that reproduces sound that is lost and brings it back/closer to it's original sound. Motherboard sound, even with good speakers, is usually crappy because the sound hasn't been cleaned up, so to speak. I use a Sound Blaster sound card in my pc with 5.1 surround and everything sounds more crisp, life like without all the static from crappy m.b. sound. Have you seen this video?
 
 
[video src=https://youtu.be/O7me6XxtXj8]

[12ival]

i ran my akra carbon for the first month without a fuel controller. it ran fine but i wouldn't leave it that way . sounded great. just sent in my ecu for a reflash.
 
the sound quality is great. it surprised me. nothing like the videos. smiled from ear to ear first time i got it.

[pineappleunderthesea]

I have the Akra carbon, baffle in, ran it for a couple weeks without a ECU flash or fuel controller, no problem. I now have the ECU flash and the bike pulls a little better, but it certainly wasn't required.
 
In terms of sound, what the videos don't capture is the deep bass that this exhaust puts out at idle, almost a bit Harley like. It'll surprise you how much deeper and louder this thing is when you first fire it up. If you stay in the Akra family, the Akra Ti also puts out a deep growl with the baffle in, but more muted than the carbon. Some people say the Akra Ti with baffle removed sounds more like the carbon with baffle in.
 
 

[so1102]

I got a smokin' deal from Dobeck on the Akra carbon + and EJK, and I run it baffle in. At idle it's not bad, at highway speeds it has a low grunt which is tolerable (I always wear foamies), and when you rev it, it is positively demonic. If you reach out to them they might be able to provide you a nice discount as a forum member, and an even better one if you are a military veteran.

[jeffkisthename]

I've been running for months with no baffle in my Akra carbon with no issues. It's a nice loud, but I can see my neighbors disliking it. Especially since I leave for work at 3:30 am. The exhaust sounds beastly at low-mid rpm, but in the high rpms it gets kind of buzzy (more to due with engine design, not exhaust). I personally wished it was louder at 80-90mph, but like @so1102, I have ear plugs in.

[AlbatrossCafe]

Akro Carbon (the one I'm considering) 
- My understanding it doesn't need a fuel controller. (is this correct?) I don't want one now because the exhaust is expensive, its going to cost me around $1200 Canadian. Plus I would maybe rather get the ecu flashed in the future, it seems to be the better option overall.  - You do not need a fuel controller at all. Ran mine for a month without and only backfired twice. ECU flash helps but definitely not necessary.
 
-It sure looks really good. - As long as you don't scratch it up
 
-It does not sound that good on the YouTube videos I have watched. I know it hard to tell compared if you hear it in person but it just does not sound deep enough, like a dirt bike almost. Can anyone confirm this who has heard the Akro compared to some other exhausts on the FZ?
The sound of it is turning me off a bit and holding me back from buying it.  - Agreed - sound on youtube blows. In person at high RPM's with the baffle-in I can see how you would think it sounds like a single cylinder thumper. At very high RPM's with baffle in it is just slightly raspy as well. This is only at high RPM's. Down low it sounds good. Baffle out solves this problem completely at the expense of more volume. I cut my baffle in half and drilled a few holes in it - it is not super loud but not as "dirt bike" as it came originally.
 
-Do I have to repack this dam thing ever?
- no, and if you do you are either at 70k+ miles or you got one that is defective
 
-Is it too loud with the baffle in?
- not at all, i was actually surprised at how tame it is at cruising. Baffle out is another story
 
Thanks guys
 

You will not regret your purchase, I can assure you. It is highly likely that you do not spend the majority of your riding above 7500k RPM so you won't hear that dirt bike sound you are talking about very often.
 

[jeffkisthename]

Akro Carbon (the one I'm considering) 
- My understanding it doesn't need a fuel controller. (is this correct?) I don't want one now because the exhaust is expensive, its going to cost me around $1200 Canadian. Plus I would maybe rather get the ecu flashed in the future, it seems to be the better option overall.  - You do not need a fuel controller at all. Ran mine for a month without and only backfired twice. ECU flash helps but definitely not necessary.
 
-It sure looks really good. - As long as you don't scratch it up
 
-It does not sound that good on the YouTube videos I have watched. I know it hard to tell compared if you hear it in person but it just does not sound deep enough, like a dirt bike almost. Can anyone confirm this who has heard the Akro compared to some other exhausts on the FZ?
The sound of it is turning me off a bit and holding me back from buying it.  - Agreed - sound on youtube blows. In person at high RPM's with the baffle-in I can see how you would think it sounds like a single cylinder thumper. At very high RPM's with baffle in it is just slightly raspy as well. This is only at high RPM's. Down low it sounds good. Baffle out solves this problem completely at the expense of more volume. I cut my baffle in half and drilled a few holes in it - it is not super loud but not as "dirt bike" as it came originally.
 
-Do I have to repack this dam thing ever?
- no, and if you do you are either at 70k+ miles or you got one that is defective
 
-Is it too loud with the baffle in?
- not at all, i was actually surprised at how tame it is at cruising. Baffle out is another story
 
Thanks guys
 

You will not regret your purchase, I can assure you. It is highly likely that you do not spend the majority of your riding above 7500k RPM so you won't hear that dirt bike sound you are talking about very often.

That is exactly what my buddy said my bike sounds like when I'm passing them while on the freeway (lane splitting in 2nd gear)