CHOICES, CHOICES

With so many exhausts to choose from how do you make a decision? I think you have to apply some filters to remove options which are not applicable to you, so here are a few possible criteria to consider.

1. Budget consideration

This is probably the most popular consideration

UP TO £100 AF STD CLUBMAN £80 AF SLOPE SIDE £88 AF VW £98 AF 48 BIG BORE £90 SCOOTOPIA CLUBMAN £95

UP TO £200 TINO ANCILLOTTI £170

UP TO £300 BGM £220 GORI RACING £280 MITO REVERSE £285 NEW RON MOSS £275 (target price - when available)

UP TO £350 GORI GP50 £350

2. Performance considerations

The standard pipe provides an important lesson, as the conditions that riding in a ‘short-shift’ manner dictates are very important. So think about every 20, 30, 40, and 50mph zone that you’re forced to ride in. The times where that ‘instant response’ and ease of riding in stop-start traffic becomes a pleasure, but where it doesn’t leave space within the traffic to build sufficient rpm to get into a power area that the higher-rpm performers come into their own. For sure, wind up a higher rpm/hp pipe where space allows and you will liberate the much larger bhp potential that the other pipes produce… but what percentage of the riding that you’re doing comprises of low-rpm use vs high-rpm use? The reality is, that whatever the high-rpm power has to offer, you will be forced to ride through the lower rpm first to access it! There are situations where you will appreciate more power, motorway mile-munching and overtaking trucks for example, that the standard exhaust would strain to achieve or do as swiftly, but might just manage it. This is where the higher rpm/hp pipes will come into their own. But if the journey takes you through a hilly region or mountain pass, these Clubman set-ups are well known to leave expansion-equipped machines with ease. The considerations here are to know your requirements, your likes/dislikes, and type of intended use for the scooter. Consider what gearbox you have and final drive sprockets, chain etc., as well as your intended £-spend, because if you have to add a different gearbox, chain, sprockets and chain guides etc., these may play a role in the decision-making process.

3. Fit

Despite the pipes tested all being done on original type fitment cylinder, just the GORI and BGM have TS1 style fitment options, so without having to get the hacksaw and welder out, these become your only choices if you run those kits. Although I presume that with Ron’s low volume, handmade exhaust, I’m sure you could request a TS1 type stub fitment. The BGM has a good advantage here, in that it comes ready supplied with both exhaust stubs in the kit as standard. Then there is quality of fit, if you have a non-standard configuration with packers below the cylinder or a kit like the Rapido or Mugello then the slight variation can throw the fit out, and force you to get the tools out to modify the pipe to attain a decent fit, especially more so on fixed bracket versions. There’s also nothing worse than pipe under tension, this can lead to cracking.

4. Style

When is a Clubman not a Clubman? Some are sensitive to retaining the original look and style, as Innocenti intended. So the likes of the AF VW, Gori with the add-on mini silencer, and the Mito reverse will be struck off the list.

5. Noise

Do your homework, visit friends or attend a rally/ride to hear for yourself similar systems to the ones you’re interested in, think of your location and neighbours’ attitude to noise when town or village riding or if noisy pipes cause your ears to ring on long journeys. At first, the lust for a powerful pipe, or one well-priced, can be very powerful... almost to the point that people are willing to try and ignore all known negative factors. But in the long term, it’s you (and those you ride with or who live nearby) who have to live with high-db exhausts. Earplugs will probably become obligatory on longer rides with louder pipes, if you can find anyone willing to ride with you.

Final word

So with all the above considerations we can’t pick a pipe for you; it’s better to lay down the information and allow you to make the informed choice, as each rider will have his own set of criteria. I have my favourites of course, my No1 being the standard exhaust! Not one aftermarket pipe matched the power up to 5000rpm, and that will suit the needs of a very large percentage of town riders, although it’s not available any more. So the nearest to it and very close performance-wise under 5000rpm (plus lots more after), are the pipes which retain standard looks and offer ‘bang for buck’ with a low price (under £100), good availability, low enough noise to live with… namely the AF Slope Side or Scootopia Clubman.

If my budget stretched to £220 then the BGM ticks all the same boxes with very good performance that will ease longer journeys and stretch its legs on dual carriageway or motorway, has adjustable brackets and TS1 stub thrown in. With the new V4 promising better build quality than previous systems (previous versions were known to have build quality issues).

If peak power is your sole concern, well… the upper priced Gori GP50 has met the expansion power benchmark, so those who want the all-out peak hp which is usually reserved for expansions, but must have a Clubman style, may consider this option. At £350 though it’s stretching the budget to the max.

The last on test, the new Ron Moss development pipe, looks a very viable choice for the future; upon completion (and with extra noise reduction) it may well match the new Gori GP50 in the ‘points mean prizes’ calcs, due to beating it in the lower-rpm range (although a tad lower at peak power) with both scoring 17, but does so without the add-on silencer, thus retaining standard looks and coming in at, what I feel, is a ceiling price for a Clubman product. Words & Images: Darrell Taylor