Disintegrating Akrapovic Carbon Exhaust...

[WindyChuffer]

I have an Akrapovic carbon exhaust and it seems to be disintegrating. Its gone a bit soft and squidgy inside the carbon if you were to touch the outside of it. It is also noticeably louder now. Exhaust has done about ~16,000 miles in 11months - so not a lot of miles.

Anyone know of any issues such as this?

 

[IainMac]

Once the exhaust wadding breaks down and the exhaust gases get to the carbon it will start to fail.
If you can find a suitable replacement sleeve its should be possible to get it re-sleeved (and repacked) but for your mileage thats going to be a regular thing. It maybe better to think about an alloy/stainless/titanium alternative.
No idea on whether or not it would be covered by warrenty or not, as they might say it should have been repacked before now due to usage?.

 

[WindyChuffer]

Once the exhaust wadding breaks down and the exhaust gases get to the carbon it will start to fail.
If you can find a suitable replacement sleeve its should be possible to get it re-sleeved (and repacked) but for your mileage thats going to be a regular thing. It maybe better to think about an alloy/stainless/titanium alternative.
No idea on whether or not it would be covered by warrenty or not, as they might say it should have been repacked before now due to usage?.

Hmm. Interesting points. None of which were made at the time it was supplied and fitted, and no documentation provided by supplying dealer.

Now the 'zorst is under warranty...

A hard casing 'zorst does seem like the better option for sure.

 

[Wapping]

Hmm. Interesting points. None of which were made at the time it was supplied and fitted, and no documentation provided by supplying dealer.

Now the 'zorst is under warranty...

A hard casing 'zorst does seem like the better option for sure.

Many 'free flow' exhausts pound their internal wadding. Many carbon cans get cooked by very hot exhaust gasses once their wadding has gone. It was always thus.

What exactly do you want the after market exhaust manufacturer to say in their leaflets or the fitter to tell you?

If you want to avoid it.....retain the original can.

 

[WindyChuffer]

Many 'free flow' exhausts pound their internal wadding. Many carbon cans get cooked by very hot exhaust gasses once their wadding has gone. It was always thus.

What exactly do you want the after market exhaust manufacturer to say in their leaflets or the fitter to tell you?

Spending £400 on an aftermarket 'zorst to have it last 11 months is a complete frikking joke.

If the 'zorst had such a short life then thats exactly what you need to know on the manufacturers product brochure/website/guff wot comes in the packet.

How else are you supposed to find out? Its not as if us punters are born with this information is it?

In the many pages of exhaust debate on this forum, I dont recall anyone highlighting that the carbon can will self destruct in such short order.

If you want to avoid it.....retain the original can.

Thanks, very helpful. As it happens I have the original can, and will also make a warranty claim.

 

[Wapping]

Thanks, very helpful. As it happens I have the original can, and will also make a warranty claim.

You are welcome.

Excellent that you have now sorted it all out.

 

[GrinningGSer]

Are you having a bad day Wapping ? Seems like an interesting problem to me .

 

[DWJ]

Acropovic Carbon Can issues

Are you having a bad day Wapping ? Seems like an interesting problem to me .

Had exactly the same happen to mine at 6,000 miles and approx 8months old.

Took it back to Clarks and after a little toing and froing Acoprovic finally agreed that it was under warranty.

I changed to a Remus Titanium Hexagon and much happier than I was with the Acropovic carbon.

However, had lots of acropovic before with no issues but would not consider a caerbon one again.

Take it back to the supplier if it's under 12months and get a refund - don't get the carbon again.

 

[gsbiker]

This is an interesting post? I have a Ackrapovic exhaust can, the one supplied by BMW. I believe they have a 2 year warranty or am I mistaken? What's not clear in this thread, to me at least, if the can needs repacking, can that be done cause the can is riveted together, IE no serviceable parts? Also, WindyChuffer is right, I was never told about the servicing side of these cans or how long they last either. Think this is important to know before buying as I paid £500 or £550 for mine, can't remember now? Not cheap!

 

[Wapping]

Are you having a bad day Wapping ? Seems like an interesting problem to me .

Not particularly. The bod seems to have helped himself, putting in a warranty claim and having a spare exhaust. He's also learned that aftermarket exhausts can get their guts blown out and that thin carbon fibre can distort, go soft and / or generally disintegrate when exposed to very high temperatures over a long period. It is being melted and blown apart from the inside out.

More often than not the lightweight aftermarket exhaust cans are designed to go on racing bikes, where nobody cares too much.

The same can happen to metal cased exhausts. My Harris exhausts on my SP1 used to blow their very limited wadding out due the power pulses. Eventually it will happen to the original exhaust, too. But few people ever keep a bike long enough (or crash) to find out.

 

[WindyChuffer]

Not particularly. The bod seems to have helped himself, putting in a warranty claim and having a spare exhaust. He's also learned that aftermarket exhausts can get their guts blown out and that thin carbon fibre can distort, go soft and / or generally disintegrate when exposed to very high temperatures over a long period. It is being melted and blown apart from the inside out.

More often than not the lightweight aftermarket exhaust cans are designed to go on racing bikes, where nobody cares too much.

The same can happen to metal cased exhausts. My Harris exhausts on my SP1 used to blow their very limited wadding out due the power pulses. Eventually it will happen to the original exhaust, too. But few people ever keep a bike long enough (or crash) to find out.

Well just to clarify, when I said "thanks" earlier it was tongue in cheek. Your post was particularly unhelpful and you came across as a know it all expecting everyone else to posess your knowledge.

Are you on at the moment?


"...disintegrate when exposed to very high temperatures over a long period". Sure, but are I really don't think that 11 months and ~16K miles is a long period for a branded 'zorst from a BMW dealer sold for a road going bike !

 

[Wapping]

Well just to clarify, when I said "thanks" earlier it was tongue in cheek.

I knew that, too, really

As it's under 12 months old there is a reasonably good chance of an exchange, I would have thought. You can only ask, and it's free, after all. My metal skinned Remus (not disimilar to an Akrapovik) has done OK over 44,000 miles and three years, without too much harm, so you might like to look at that as an alternative, perhaps, the weight difference being negligible or irrelevant.

Carbon fibre mat (which is what an exhaust skin is) is OK until you get little splits in the matting. The hot exhaust gasses are literally blown into the gaps, ruining its integrity. Condensation water also gets in, which doesn't help. The matting becomes soft or, rather, softer as they are never that strong in the first place. The same used to happen to older fibre glass matting exhausts.

Akrapovik erxhausts carry a one year warranty, I believe. Though, the warranty may say something along the lines of: The warranty is limited to defects recognized by our technical department and to normal use, and excludes items subject to normal wear (gaskets and damping wool). The guarantee is void in case of accident, modification, improper or competition use.

However, your statutory rights are not effected. So, plead your case with the dealer and / or the manufacturer.

 

[WindyChuffer]

I knew that, too, really

As it's under 12 months old there is a reasonably good chance of an exchange, I would have thought. You can only ask, and it's free, after all. My metal skinned Remus (not disimilar to an Akrapovik) has done OK over 44,000 miles and three years, without too much harm, so you might like to look at that as an alternative, perhaps, the weight difference being negligible or irrelevant.

Carbon fibre mat (which is what an exhaust skin is) is OK until you get little splits in the matting. The hot exhaust gasses are literally blown into the gaps, ruining its integrity. Condensation water also gets in, which doesn't help. The matting becomes soft or, rather, softer as they are never that strong in the first place. The same used to happen to older fibre glass matting exhausts.

Akrapovik erxhausts carry a one year warranty, I believe. Though, the warranty may say something along the lines of: The warranty is limited to defects recognized by our technical department and to normal use, and excludes items subject to normal wear (gaskets and damping wool). The guarantee is void in case of accident, modification, improper or competition use.

However, your statutory rights are not effected. So, plead your case with the dealer and / or the manufacturer.

Thx. This time I mean it ! .

Although anyone (Dealer or Akrapovic) that tries to fob me off with normal wear and tear when its 11months old is letting themselves in for a very hard time from me !!!

 

[gsbiker]

Thx. This time I mean it ! .

Although anyone (Dealer or Akrapovic) that tries to fob me off with normal wear and tear when its 11months old is letting themselves in for a very hard time from me !!!

16000 miles in 11 months, or 1455 miles per month or 335 miles per week or 67 miles per day (mon-fri) - you must have a red bottom full of sores

 

[Cartman]

16000 miles in 11 months, or 1455 miles per month or 335 miles per week or 67 miles per day (mon-fri) - you must have a red bottom full of sores

33.5 miles to work and 33.5 mles home sounds reasonable. I do 120 miles round trip a day, gel pads are great

my Akra carbon can on my old K12R went perfectly for 16000 on my bike and is still going strong on my friends bike.Yours has definately not lasted as it should.

 

[Schtum]

my Akra carbon can on my old K12R went perfectly for 16000 on my bike and is still going strong on my friends bike.Yours has definately not lasted as it should.

Twins are much harder on exhaust cans than four cylinder bikes are.

 

[Funners]

even tho the cans are riveted together they are still rebuildable, you just drill the rivets out and replace them, the repack kit contains stainless rivets for this task.
yes twins are much harder on carbon cans than IL4's but it also depends on the cans you buy, Acro aren't always the best,
I ran Arrow cans on my Aprilia V twin and in three years never had one problem or needed to re-pack them, the CF used on those was noticably thicker and better quality than the equvilant Acra, even tho Acra do the "factory" system for Aprilia(like they do for BMW)
the Arrow CF was that strong that you could pick up the back end of the Aprilia using the cans if you so desired....I'd not do that with either thin wall Ti or Acra Carbon...

 

[gsbiker]

Interesting. I wonder though, I run my bike with baffles out so the gas escapes faster. I wonder if I should expect a longer life from my Ackrapovic as a result?

 

[Wapping]

Interesting. I wonder though, I run my bike with baffles out so the gas escapes faster. I wonder if I should expect a longer life from my Ackrapovic as a result?

Take one baffle out and leave the other in.

Report back to us with the result.

Unless you meant baffle singular and have only one exhaust can. In which case, leave it out and compare with the OP's figure.... Though he does more miles than you so it may take years to find out.... But such is investigative science, there was over a thousand year gap between discovering the last then known planet and Uranus.

 

[WindyChuffer]

16000 miles in 11 months, or 1455 miles per month or 335 miles per week or 67 miles per day (mon-fri) - you must have a red bottom full of sores

Not really. The mileage soon mounts up. 9,000 miles commuting over 9 months, but thats now gone up to 70 miles a day (1,600 per month - London to Reading and back).

Chuck in a long weekend in France (~900m), the HUMM (~2,000 miles) and weekend riding (~2,500 miles), and that makes around 14,500 miles I think.

The HUMM trip (London to Spain and back + off road riding there all in a week) was a sore bum trip. Was a challenge for sure sinking a whole GSA tank in one sitting; couldn't have done that without a sheepskin (my cheapskate gel pad !).