Leo Vince SBK Exhaust - The Goods

photographer: Jim Moy
SBK Slip-On Duals Save 15.2 PoundsThe enormous amount of exhaust volume produced by the Kawasaki ZX14's large displacement, 1352cc inline-four engine pretty much necessitates a dual exhaust system from the factory. With each individual combustion stroke producing more than twice as much spent gases as a 600cc middleweight motor (and more than twice as much noise, too), two big mufflers are necessary to evacuate those fumes in a manner that is still quiet enough to sneak under the increasingly restrictive noise emissions standards. The problem here is that dual exhausts mean twice as much of everything, including weight-and on a sportbike as big as the 563-pound ZX14, every pound counts. OEM motorcycle mufflers are traditionally anything but light, and the twin cans on the stock ZX14 are no exception-and the integrated midpipes; the stainless set that comes stock on the ZX14 weighs in at a titanic 28 pounds. Looking for a good way to shave a few pounds from our Project ZX14 without sacrificing the benefits of a dual exhaust system (quieter exhaust note and symmetrical good looks) led us to the SBK slip-on dual exhaust setup offered by Italian manufacturer LeoVince. Gorgeously constructed of titanium midpipes mated to carbon-fiber canisters (aluminum and titanium canisters are also offered), the $743 SBK slip-on duals save a significant 15.2 pounds compared to the stock system, as measured on SSB's official digital scale. Straight-through, race-type baffles significantly improve horsepower compared to the more restrictive stock cans, but because there are still two mufflers in place (compared to converting to a single-canister exhaust system) the bike now sounds suitably aggressive without being obnoxious-LeoVince claims an imminently reasonable 98 dB sound rating for this system. The SBK slip-on system is an excellent solution if you want to improve the looks, power, sound and overall weight of your ZX14 (or any other modern sportbike, for that matter) without abandoning the dual exhaust system•