i read through the numerous pages of this thread with some interest and i have to say if i was a manufacturer and was reading these pages it would scare from ever getting a forum such as this involved in the development of a product as in my opinion people have gone out of there way to discredit Rich and AR with some individuals reaching in excess of 100 posts on the topic even though they don't own the system or ever had any intention of buying it.
I think AR has a good product that is well made and was conceived with great intentions and did eventually hit the claimed numbers after some tuning but i think looking back Rich and his team would probably underestimate their peak HP numbers and perhaps not share as much data as they did.
At the end of this debacle i am not really sure what was achieved only
* AR hitting their claimed numbers
* Certain members of the forum felling very smug about themselves
* Scaring any future collaborators from ever getting the forum involved in any future development
i used to look at this forum to share information on bikes but lately it seems to be turning into a boys club with lots of back slapping but as has been mentioned if you don't like it then don't read it so i guess i will be tuning out for a while.
later folks
There is a lot of back slapping and banter but there are still people who are looking for information.
I think its a bit unfair to write off this thread because of the chatter. Whilst I have no doubt that AR was conceived with the best intentions but they also made some pretty big claims which didn't pan out despite the peak HP figure.
When spending a significant sum on a product (this is not a $200 air filter) I think we're entitled to test those claims, which I've tried to do in an objective way, replicating testing scenarios that would give the AR product the best chance to perform. (at my cost and using experienced tuners)
We now have data to allow members to make an informed choice and there were a number of members deciding between Termi slips/full and the AR. They now know that if they buy the product they:
1. Won't get big gains across the range over full Termis by just bolting on
2. That the exhaust has to be tuned to achieve the numbers
3. That they don't need to purchase the RB module to tune, e.g Tuneboy
4. There is very little difference in peak HP between AR & Termi
5. The heat issue is still a subjective one but on balance current owners would prefer a heat shield, which AR is providing at a subsidised cost for owners
6. The exhaust looks great on a normal bike, very streamlined
7. The exhaust sounds terrific, if a tiny bit loud, really emotive
So if you have $4,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you are choosing an alternative to the stock exhaust you have a really good balanced review to include in your decision..
Finally, If you've read ALL the threads (and i mean going back to last year as well as the most recent) you will have seen some very aggressive behaviour from AR, which as a customer was really disconcerting, and certainly didn't help. As a comparison the guys from Tuneboy have been a model contributor, despite being attacked pretty hard initially, and have won respect and customers by the balanced way they have contributed. Manufacturers and retailers need to take the high ground regardless of the comments here, which essentially represent our 'private' conversations with each other.
I am continuing to pursue the tuning process and making some changes to the baffles setup and also their packing, to work on the hole in power and also to take the edge of the sound a little. So I hope that will also be valuable to members and ultimately to AR because I really like the exhaust and if I can iron out those issues I will be delighted with it.