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450R HMF BILL BALANCE
SERIES EXHAUST
During a resent phone call Laz
Summers about our project 450R we told him about ours goals for this
bike. Laz, who is a respected engine builder and owner of GT Thunder,
recommended HMF for our exhaust. So when it was time to look for an
exhaust for project XC 450R we turned to HMF.
One thing that HMF is known for is their attention to
detail and their support and service. This is one thing we can attest
to. Every time we called HMF we got whom we needed to speak with in a
timely fashion and/or they responded to our emails within a reasonable
amount of time, always within one day. Customer service is a major
factor in buying parts for your bikes. If you buy a product and have a
problem with it, you need to be able to contact the company to help fix
the problem.
The friendly guys at HMF recommended the Bill Balance
Series carbon fiber full exhaust system. The order was placed and in no
time the carbon fiber exhaust system showed up at our door.
From the time we opened the box till now the pipe amazes us
every time we look at it. The first people that saw the pipe thought it
was a pipe for a sport bike- crotch rocket. When we told the guys at HMF
this they told us that they got their start building sport bike pipes.
The pipe is extremely well made and the install was a breeze. They even
included the jets you need to jet your carb without a separate kit or
additional cost.
At first glance compared to the stock pipe the first thing
anyone would notice is the carbon fiber but every time we look at this
exhaust we notice something else they went the extra mile with. First
off the carbon fiber, we have bought several things carbon fiber and
been totally let down by the quality and the finish on the material.
This is not one of those times. It is as good of a finish as on a carbon
fiber hood that you would see in a import car. Also the head pipe is
noticeably larger beginning with a high quality exhaust flange to bolt
up to the head. All around this is a very high quality exhaust system.
The power increase was incredible. It helped with the tall
first gear a lot but the midrange hit felt like it was a totally
different machine but still maintaining the smooth delivery of the
power. This pipe is known as a low to mid range pipe but the top end was
also dramatically increased. The gains on this pipe felt better than any
gains we have experienced from an exhaust alone on any bike. The sound
of the pipe is very nice. Its not too loud or quiet. We ride in several
areas where we cannot run a real loud pipe and we have had no complaints
about the exhaust. We have ridden with several people who commented
about the nice sound and how it’s not near as loud as other
aftermarket pipes.
The testing grounds so far have been in Maplesville, Al at
a MSWS site for hare scrambles and XC races. This is known as one of the
rougher courses on the circuit so if it stands up to this testing it
should be fine anywhere. The only complaint is the insert for the torque
curve. This insert that fits into the exhaust will alter your torque
curve to adjust itself to the type of riding you will be doing. On our
test system the insert sometimes rattled but if you was on the gas we
couldn’t hear it. We told HMF about this and they are working on it so
by the time you read this article the rattle will probably be fixed. Our
pipe was one of the first pipes out and the bugs had not quite gotten
worked out. But keep in mind this insert is an extra no other pipes has
and you don’t have to run it.
HMF
has really raised the bar with this exhaust system the quality and fit
of this exhaust system compares with the high end exhaust systems you
would only see on sport motor cycles. HMF has really ……….. This
article was cut short because we wanted to ride and test the MUDandDIRT
Project 450R a little more.. MaD |



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