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