Hi all,

Thought you might appreciate some feedback on the Dominator HP5 if anyone is considering it. I didn't want to pay big money just in case I decided I preferred the OEM but actually that should not have been a big concern because it definitely is an improvement over stock in every way. The HP5 is the quietest of all the Dominator options but it's still loud.

I know many prefer underslung exhausts but I cut my teeth on sports bikes in the early 90s so I actually like the side muffler if it's not large. This looks good to me. The photo shows the clamps in ugly positions that spoil the line - I've since tidied them up. And replaced the red R sticker with a purple-blue on grey one to match the bike.

It is among the least expensive yet it is very well made and easy to fit. Fit and finish are excellent (except the db killer). The pipes have dots of colour paint on them to make fitting the headers to collectors really simple. It took less than 2 hours to fit and, without the dB killer, makes the bike far livelier, and the soundtrack is epic. It'd be too loud if you live in Europe - you're sure to get pulled over.

There is a downside - the dB killer is poorly made. The mounting flange not large enough and it's not perpendicular with the pipe so the end of the pipe inside the muffler sits close to the perforated inner cylinder of the muffler. The db killer flange is also near the end of the outlet so it creates a gap behind it where the pipe is expanding. This creates an expansion area that's closed off at the end of the muffler and I think this causes fuelling issues. As a result of the design and less than excellent manufacture, it rattles on a gentle overrun and creates more decel pops and even some loud bangs that I didn't get without it. This is after 50kms on a steady throttle on the highway to get the A/F to adjust so it's a feature it seems.

Without the db killer, the exhaust is louder than everything else so it's all I hear, and the neighbours aren't happy even as I trickle out past houses at just above idle. "It's not electric" said one old buzzard sarcastically. With the dB killer, the exhaust is one strong voice in a chorus of induction and whine and chains so I prefer that. It still sounds good with the dB killer except that it is a more hornet-like sound and less bassy roaring.

EDIT I've now fixed the rattle, pops and bangs but it took a long time to try different ways to do it. I gave up on the Dominator db killer and used a perforated baffle - the same kind of thing that Leo Vince uses - pics on this thread here.

This should give a potential buyer pause for thought if they want the Dominator because most of the exhausts, especially the shorter ones, are very loud and the Dominator db killers are not good.

Cheers,
Tom

 

I got the MIVV MX5, with/without the db killer I think the exhaust is way too loud. Does anyone have suggestions for something else that is also an underhang exhaust that is quieter?

 

Leo vince lv race is quieter and much better looking in my opinion.

 

Another vote for the Leo Vince - it has the best design of dB killer and looks good too imo. If I hadn't already bought the Dominator, it's what I would get.

But how about modifying the stock? Do you want no CAT?

If you want the CAT but better performance, the OEM is actually a very good exhaust and only needs for the 2 long output pipes to be modified/removed to remove all but the CAT's restriction. You need an angle grinder or jigsaw to cut the exhaust open and remove the pipes, and an arc welder to weld it back up and/or fit new larger output pipes. Is that possible for you?

There's some videos of people who have cut it open and I found one who cut short the pipes - that will increase noise and flow.

Pipes cut short - but sound quality isn't so helpful
Mt09 Gen3 Exhaust Mod - YouTube

Redesigned and sounding nice
2021 yamaha mt09 exhaust - YouTube

The full internal design
Opening YAMAHA 3 GEN Stock EXHAUST. - YouTube

The output pipes work like a db Killer so they'd each need to be about 80mm long and 35mm in diameter to hold down the noise but still allow decent flow. Currently they are 28mm diameter and about 200mm long and don't feed from the best place. Removing the 2 output pipes entirely would make the stock exhaust into a straight through with a short muffler and CAT - probably a little quieter than a Dominator HP3 cos of the CAT.

The design is 3-into-1 which creates scavenging, then a large single pipe that holds the CAT, and this turns pipe into a perforated baffle in a packed damping chamber and exits into a larger rear chamber without packing but with damping on some of the walls. The output pipes feed from the first packed damping chamber. Except for the output pipes, the exhaust is only restricted by the CAT.

All the best

.

 

I appreciate the suggestion, but that is a bit more involved. Plus I have no welding skillz or a welder which would mean a good excuse to learn and get a welder. One of the reasons I got the Mivv was for weight saving, but the noise is the tradeoff.

 

I did the mods to gut the oe muffler that Zurg mentioned, and aside from the o2 bung being a slight restriction that creates a hot spot, it sounds great. Not an overbearing rumble, but you definitely notice a better tone when riding. I ended up coating mine with VHT black header paint on my Raven, and it looks pretty damn nice.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cHDsgKhUk5mCPouA8

 

Very nice - you kept the headers unpainted and just painted the rest? Covers the ugly welding very well. Did you try removing the decorative plates around the output pipes? They look like they are held on by 3 fixings each - not sure if the fixings are rivets or star head bolts with a centre pin - any idea? In the second video, it looks like he replaced them with star bolts, no centre pin. EDIT - they're rivets - just drilled one out to confirm.

 

Yes, they're just pop rivets. I just drilled the heads, removed the trim plates, painted according to directions, and reassembled them with new rivets. I left it natural above the collector and painted the rest. So far, the only flaking area is around the o2 bung. There is enough turbulence around the bung that it gets much hotter in that area.

 

I haven't used VHT before. Rust-oleum high heat coating resists flaking very well (only seen a tiny bit on a very hot joint) but on very hot pipes it turns mid grey and on a muffler it stays the original shade of very dark brown, even though it claims to be black paint. PJ1 engine black doesn't run as high and would flake on high heat, but it stay gloss black on a muffler for years before fading to matt. Yet to find a truly black paint that doesn't fade or flake - might not exist tbh. So it might make sense to mask off the area around the O2 to avoid a paint repair?

Did you remove the CAT? Or just gut the rear chamber? How was welding up the can again - any issues?

I'm thinking of taking an easier route than cutting open the can - remove the decorative plates, cut down the outside pipe to the weld to free up some space, and cut a hole next to it then weld in an extra pipe next to it on each side - double outlet on each side.

 

Most of the videos I've seen had them cutting along the weld seam to remove the outlet pipes. I cut the top portion instead and cut the outlet pipes shorter. I didn't remove the cat since it really doesn't have that much improvement for all of the effort. Spending a little time prepping the weld surface to get a good joint spacing allowed me to use a solid-core MIG to weld it back together. Grind the welds down to make them presentable, degrease and apply the paint. I followed the curing directions on the can, and aside from the area directly around the o2 boss, it has zero issues. I was really just trying to get a better exhaust note, which it definitely makes a noticeable improvement. I REALLY don't like loud pipes(I had a cheap slip-on on my K6 gix 1000 that would make your ears bleed when running through the mountains), so this accomplished my goals-deeper tone and slightly louder.

 

With the mod on the stock exhaust do you get performance gains?Anyone has dynoed it to check?

 

I'm not sure if Dave @ Vcyclenut dyno'd this mod, but I can confirm that his reflash and a 15T countershaft sprocket will really hump it through the mountains...
I was more inclined to improve the sound and this was a simple, cheap mod.

 

I have not tested it

 

Unfortunately, the downside of the LV is weight - seems to be about the same as stock.

I haven't done any welding in a long time - I'm wondering whether to re-learn or just pay someone.

 

FWIW, I have the non-catted version of the LV Race which is sold in North America. I weighed it at 11.5 lbs vs. 17 lbs for my OEM takeoff. Total weight reduction was roughly 5.5 lbs.

 

I don't know myself - just referring to others on weight. "My highly calibrated bathroom scale weighed the stock exhaust at 16 lbs with the Leo Vince also weighing in at 16 lbs with all the hardware for no weight savings." Don't know how you and vcyclenut have different measurements.

 

I can't explain the variance between David's and my weight findings. I even emailed him to confirm that his testing was done on the North American non-catted version and he indicated that it was. I guess I should have added a YMMV disclaimer to my post.

 

It's good news if it is lighter though - definitely the best

 

Perhaps-You'd need to talk to Dave about the fueling changes he programmed into the ecu. I let him know what I planned to do to the resonator outlets and he based his maps on that. Based on how it runs and my calibrated butt-dyno, it works really well. The length I ended up on the outlets was about 3".

 

If it was steady state, you'd definitely get better flow - however, it's pulsating, so resonances make that less certain, as does need for maximum flow - so far it seems there's less than 10% more power available from derestricting the stock engine and that's mostly the exhaust.

I just measured the original pipe and it's 23cm long as best as I can tell.

How's the noise level? Race can level or less than that?

 

Slightly louder than stock-mostly a deeper tone.
Compared to oe, it'll be instantly noticeable.

 

I have the Leo Vince on my 2021 MT09 and it does NOT weigh 16 lbs, not even close! I weighed it on my digital scale and it was just under 11 lbs (weighed with the DB Killer removed and without carbon fiber cover, but with all necessary fasteners and springs).

I was going to start a new thread, but since the LV has recently been discussed and recommended here, I'll mention the "mods" that I had to do in order to properly fit the LV onto my bike.

I have no mods to my bike that would affect an exhaust install, but no matter how much I jiggled, wiggled, pulled and pushed, for some reason I could not get the RH header pipe to snug up, even before tightening down the header flanges and bushings. I was left with about 4mm of up-and-down play and the only way I could remedy this was to buy an extra exhaust gasket from the dealer and double up on that one RH side. It worked but I didn't like the fact that it reduced the amount of threads that the flange nuts covered, since it effectively pushed out the flange about the thickness of the extra gasket.

So...I reached out to a machinist buddy from my other vintage Kawasaki Triples forum and he machined a 4mm thick "ring" that matched the LV bushing's INSIDE measurements and he tacked welded this right up against the original "step" that the header pipe butts up against. So basically it pushes the header pipe out and down into the collector by 4mm and seals perfectly like it should have to begin with.

I don't know why I had this slack in this one header pipe, and others may not run into this same issue - maybe it's just my particular bike (slightly off tolerances perhaps)? Or maybe I overlooked something during install, but there's only so much involved in this exhaust installation. Not a big deal to me really - it sealed up just fine in the end and it only cost me a few bucks and about a week+ downtime while he machined the "ring", plus the shipping time.

The other minor adjustment I elected to do - and again, your bike may not need this, is I didn't like how close the exhaust tip was to my swingarm using the included steel spacer. So I picked up these 3 different length spacers and simply selected three that suited my clearance preference. I took some pictures but like the exhaust weight pics, I don't know where they went...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M6B7MKH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I'll repeat a third time that in all likelihood you probably won't have these two issues, but if you do, these are my remedies. I never considered giving up on the Leo Vince and going with a different exhaust system because this exhaust is BEAUTIFUL and tucks in so nicely under the bike just like the OEM system! And even though in my case I had to spend a few extra dollars for a couple of "adjustments", I strongly feel that it was and is worth the effort! The Leo Vince is also quite a bit less expensive that most other exhaust systems, so in the end I'm happy with the results, and would recommend this system on the MT's.

 

I don't know why I had this slack in this one header pipe, and others may not run into this same issue - maybe it's just my particular bike (slightly off tolerances perhaps)? Or maybe I overlooked something during install, but there's only so much involved in this exhaust installation. Not a big deal to me really - it sealed up just fine in the end and it only cost me a few bucks and about a week+ downtime while he machined the "ring", plus the shipping time.

I'd be more inclined to suspect the issue being with the LV components than with the cylinder head being off by that much, but at least you got it sorted. It's a sweet looking pipe.

P.S. your coolant reservoir cap is coming off, but maybe you caught that already.

 

Yeah baby!

MT09 2021 - 2023 Low Level Exhaust System 230mm GP Round Carbon Silencer

UK customers - please note this silencer is not road legal in the UK and will be marked Not for Road Use Black Widow Exhausts Low-level Race

www.blackwidowexhausts.co.uk

 

2 dB killers looks interesting - I wonder what designs they have for them. I couldn't find any pics - did you?

The headers look like they are very long with no balance pipes so the scavenging effect will be very different from stock?

One of the reasons for liking the Leo Vince is that they have emulated Yamaha's short 3-into-1 headers so scavenging will be about the same - seems to be the design that least needs a dyno re-tune, along with the Akra iirc.

 

Pics of the dbkiller I did not find.
Regarding the header desigg I cannot really comment if it would need a retune more than another full system.
I would regardless of exhaust choice get the MT09 tuned.
Maybe @ Vcyclenut can comment as this design seems similar to the spark exhaust.

2 dB killers looks interesting - I wonder what designs they have for them. I couldn't find any pics - did you?

The headers look like they are very long with no balance pipes so the scavenging effect will be very different from stock?

One of the reasons for liking the Leo Vince is that they have emulated Yamaha's short 3-into-1 headers so scavenging will be about the same - seems to be the design that least needs a dyno re-tune, along with the Akra iirc.

 

 

Very nice looking exhaust MasterF from Porto 👍

 

Has anyone in the US got their hands on a Spark exhaust for the 3rd gen? For the same reasons as Ratty, im leaning heavily in favor of the Spark, full Ti system. Most exhausts so far are disqualified by looks alone. I really like the look of the Austin SP2R but unfortunately not a full system. I really prefer to go with titanium for weight & looks. I think Spark is the only option then.

 

Check out Vcycles site, he’s put in a massive amount of dyno work with pipe testing.

2021 - 23 MT09 / Tracer GT/2022 XSR900

Select MT09 below to enter 2021 MT09 store , otherwise scroll down to see information about my flash and its development

www.vcyclenut.com

 

I have had a pretty thorough read through his testing & results. I'm very appreciative for his efforts in doing that! I considered the Akra homologated system with the dual canisters and not using the 2nd half. I have a turnout/tip idea that i think would look killer from welded titanium. I don't care for the look of the full Akra system with the 2nd can way out back on the bike. Thats not off the table entirely but I'd really like a full titanium system. I'd consider just getting a titanium header and fabricating the rest myself. I could build the header too but I'd rather not. Not a lot for the 3rd gen out there in that regard unless I missed something.

 

I’m very happy with my Spark full ti

but in dubai, there aren’t many MT09 that you see on the road and therefore can’t compare exhausts

I am thinking of getting an MT10 and if I do, I would seriously think about putting a spark ti on that as well

I went through vcyclenut website at least 40 times and read each review and dyno charts multiple times - it was very helpful

the arrow would have been my second choice

I’m sure you would be happy with whatever you choose

good luck - safe riding

 

I spent about a week in Dubai a few years ago and I don't recall seeing many bikes. Do you have any comparison of how loud the Spark Ti is? It looks fantastic but its going to be harder to get in the states.

 

There are lots of bikes in Dubai, but you would have to go to specific places or meets to see them all in a group

if you are just riding on the road, you won’t see a load of them

Harley’s obviously have their clubs and you see them go outin packs

so the only MT09aftermarket exhaust I have heardis mine. I can say that it is not as loud as the Akraon my mates Streetfighter v4s, butmine does sound much better (even he says so)
The spark is loud but I have been told not as loud as the SC project CRT

I am also now going to get ear plugs for me while riding just in case there is damage to my ears that I am not aware of