• DIY Installing your Leo Vince slip-on

    So now that we are finally getting the Tuono V4 here in the USA I am guessing the next few months are going to see a HUGE spike in the sale of Tuono V4 pipes from all manufacturers. This is a simple DIY thread about how to install you r own pipe in only a few minutes at home. Most of you probably need no guide but for those who are on the fence about whether or not this is something the average Joe/Jane can pull off at home hopefully this will help you decide. The first step is to get the bike secure, either on it's sidestand, a rear stand or a workbench. Most of the job is VERY straightforward but at least on the last two pipes I installed there was no real "manual" so I thought this might be of interest.

    I do not have pics from installation of the Akro/Aprilia/Arrow/Austin/GPR/etc just yet but as you guys get those pipes add pics to this thread so if there are differences in the install process they can be seen by all. Basically what I am getting at is that this install series I am writing today covers ONLY the Leo Vince pipe for SURE, it probably also covers other pipes however.

    Step one: Visualize your bike with a pipe...mmm, is it black? Carbon might be a good styling choice right? We shall use that color bike for this example but I will post pics of both the Ti pipe equipped yellow one I did this week and the black with CF pipe I also did on Saturday. To help you visualize we shall start with a couple of sample pics...

    This is the yellow Tuono V4 with the Ti Leo Vince pipe:



    This is the black Tuono V4 with the same pipe but in Carbon Fiber.



    Both are obviously good looking and anything you do to make this motor sound better nets HUGE gains in aural pleasure!

    When you open the box that arrives from Leo Vince this is what you will find inside:



    Once you remove all the packaging this is what you will find from that same box:



    There are some optional parts included by Leo Vince which include a carbon pipe hangar if you decide to ditch your passenger pegs or are using this in a track-only application. Pictured is the hangar and the hardware associated with it which will be left-over if you are using your stock passenger footrests to hand the new pipe from!




    These are all the tools you will need to complete the job:



    The stock muffler is held onto the chassis and headers by a combination of two bolts and a compression fitting the joins the stock muffler to the stock collector set, it has a 10mm hex drive screw that forces the clamp closed or when loosened allows you to move the muffler away from the header after the other bolts are removed, this is the first item you are looking for:



    A 10mm socket on a long extension is how I like to get at this one, notice the orientation of this bolt, as you will want the same orientation for the new compression fitting on the aftermarket pipe:



    The next bolt to go after is a 6mm Allen head bolt that is basically hidden from view if you are on the pipe side of the bike. It is very short and only screws into a rubber damper on the stock exhaust bracket. Remove it now, simple enough!

    [imghttp://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=187085&d=1332710280[/img]

    Plenty of room to get at it, no worries there and it is easy to see from the opposite side fo the bike if your head is low enough:



    Now, onwards to the obvious bolt, this is the last one to remove. Your 6mm Allen driver and a 13mm box end wrench will come in very handy at this stage. Once this bolt is removed with the compression fitting at the header already loosened the pipe will be free to slide off, it may require a little more effort than expected or may not...I was working with brand new bikes both times so the assumption is that with age and mile racking up they will be a little harder to remove:



    This is the simple removal process:



    This is one area where I am not sure if all aftermarket pipes are the same. The bracket that joined the chassis to the exhaust can be removed when installing the LV pipe. I see no reason to keep it on the bike as after removing the stock pipe it no longer performs a function other than adding a small amount of ballast to the machine:



    Now gently grasp the stock pipe and wiggle and twist and whatnot to get it moving off the stock collector pipe. It is not nearly as heavy as I expected. Just be very careful during this portion of the job to make sure you do not scratch up your new toy! Here I am removing the pipe:



    The bike now looks like this:



    I like to reuse the stock bolt that was used by Aprilia for the top pipe mount to fill in the hole left when removed, added ballast yes, but so stylin' for a fancy washer....



    Now...you get to finally install a part, the link pipe. Just slip it over and make sure there is only enough tension on the 5mm Allen bolt that tensions the slip joint to keep it basically in place:



    Wondering what in the hell this part is as you unpacked your goodies we shipped you? Wonder no more, it will make perfect sense in only seconds!



    Well Aprilia was nice enough to leave pre threaded 8mm holes in the back side of the passengers footrests, before you add anything it looks like this:



    That bracket has a home! At this point you need to install that little bit of alloy and the short 6mm Allen (8x1.25mm thread) bolt that came with your exhaust kit:



    Slide the silencer strap over the silencer and look closely at how the rubberized edges fit, only one way is right and it will be pretty obvious, there are no marks however to confirm you have it right. This is also the point where you will start to see the reasons all those little alloy bits and that long 6mm bolts were included in your exhaust kit. Just loosely fit the strap and pipe at this point:



    This next picture shows the correct stacking order as best I can tell for the assemblage of smaller bits....





    Now you can start tightening stuff down and pulling the springs into place. Make sure the link pipe is fully seated and the silencer is fully seated onto the link pipe. once the silencer is tightened to the bracket you can go back and tighten the top clamp on the link pipe where it joins the stock collector set.




    You are so close to done now you can feel it...BUT WAIT...there is one more very important step if you want it to look good for years to come, or at least not have bodily oils baked into your new metal goods! Break out a good polishing rag and a nice paper towel, i prefer paper but it does not really matter and hose it down with WD40...yes, I mean it, do it!



    Now use that rag/towel to clean EVERYTHING you touched with your hands that will be at 700-900 degrees in a few minutes! It gives the metal a nice finish as the oil cooks into it, and removes all your fingerprints before massively cooking them!



    Now, go ride the damn thing! If you have updated mapping and leave the db killer in place the bike compensates pretty well and sounds killer but not a LOT louder than stock, If you remove the db killer it gets WAY louder than stock under load! This is what you have to look forward to once mounted in a visual sense. I am done for today...been at this photo edit since 9am with over 900 pics spread between 4 memory cards from the last week, time for a killer dinner! I earned it this week!

    This article was originally published in forum thread: DIY Installing your slip on (Leo Vince used for this example) started by Micah / AF1 Racing View original post
    Comments 63 Comments
    1. Micah / AF1 Racing's Avatar
      Micah / AF1 Racing -
      I had an RSV4r in recently for a "make run" project with the AR can like yours. Too loud for my old ass. Also worthy of note, that bike required race mapping just to get it close to ok with AR can. It was definitely small and MotoGP looking but I think I have heard quieter MotoGP bikes. I buy suppressors for my guns though, I am just plain noise averse.

      That said I installed a generic set of DanMoto cans on an Akro race system yesterday to replace damaged Akro cans. Those things are a bitch to install, apparently 60mm in Chinese translates loosely to 59.45-59.95mm in English.
    1. patkin's Avatar
      patkin -
      Quote Originally Posted by Micah / AF1 Racing View Post
      I had an RSV4r in recently for a "make run" project with the AR can like yours. Too loud for my old ass. Also worthy of note, that bike required race mapping just to get it close to ok with AR can. It was definitely small and MotoGP looking but I think I have heard quieter MotoGP bikes. I buy suppressors for my guns though, I am just plain noise averse.

      That said I installed a generic set of DanMoto cans on an Akro race system yesterday to replace damaged Akro cans. Those things are a bitch to install, apparently 60mm in Chinese translates loosely to 59.45-59.95mm in English.
      Actually I find the AR can fine with the baffle in, I have also had the scorpion GP-1 can. BTW, I hope everyone realizes I wasnt being serious about the ugly cans.........
    1. falkdal's Avatar
      falkdal -
      Having test ridden a US bike with the stock pipe I didn't find the low rpm fueling to be bad in the city. It was a lot better than my old MV Brutale 910 for sure and seemed about the same as my V2 Tuono with 2-into-2 Akro race pipes. So from an initial impression it didn't seem like it needed the race ecu/slip-on combo to make it usable. Micah you've spoken very passionately about this mod though, is it really a big enough difference that it's worth doing even if the stock setup seems fine?

      Also, as I am trying not to wake up my twin toddlers if I come or go late at night (currently I have to roll my V2 down the block before I can start it up), will either of those slip-ons with db killer in be significantly louder than the stock pipe or is it more that they sound better and fuller, not necessarily louder? Because the stock can was still pretty loud when I rode it yesterday!
    1. Micah / AF1 Racing's Avatar
      Micah / AF1 Racing -
      I knew it was a joke about the ugly mufflers...no worries.

      Yes and no on whether or not it works for YOU. I do not personally like the look of the stock muffler and the Akro looks right to me...so on mine it would probably be the Akro. Most people seem to like the "newer" looking stuff like the LV or AR and there is no fault with this. Buy they one you like the looks and sound of. I buy Akro because they have an entire building with nothing but R&D dynos running around the clock, they make their own tubing, hell the list goes on an on for me, Akro is first an R&D company and second a pipe builder the way I see it, and that is the way I like it!

      The weight of the stock pipe is not too heavy, the sound is pretty damn good but, you will see a power increase through the middle and up top with most aftermarket systems and in some cases the fueling is much better than with the stock pipe and required feedback loop to keep a catalytic converter alive!
    1. falkdal's Avatar
      falkdal -
      Yeah I'm starting to lean towards the Akro actually. Weight and power aren't so important, but if the fueling is improved then that's worth doing.
    1. Pablo Honey's Avatar
      Pablo Honey -
      Since this thread is about pipes I will keep the bar end mirror talk and bar slider stuff to a minimum, out of focus should do it right?

      Micah,

      I know this is a pipe discussion but I like that bar end mirror. Any reason that would not fit my '09 Tuono? Is that Aprilia or aftermarket?

      Pablo
    1. Micah / AF1 Racing's Avatar
      Micah / AF1 Racing -
      It is standard Rhino Moto bar ends (for use with bar end mirrors) for pretty much all Aprilia twins. Same part used on earlier bikes, no worries there. I think those were Rizoma mirrors but might have been a CRG product, looked way to sculpted to me to be CRG however. I should have taken a pic of the box they were in!
    1. scott2ride's Avatar
      scott2ride -
      I just received the very cheap, chinese made 'Danmoto' GP exhaust. Installed it yesterday but havent been able to ride the bike as I have no forks on it as they are getting a revalve.

      Looks pretty well made actually.

      Link pipe is a little sub standard but not easy to notice as it sits so low.

      The bracket is totally shit and I wont use it, But am adapting a better solution

      But the actual pipe s nicely made with superb tig welds.

      Sounds ok at idle but probably quite loud when riding.

      Looks great...

      Will take some photos.
    1. Micah / AF1 Racing's Avatar
      Micah / AF1 Racing -
      Yeah, when you first see the DanMoto "straps" you will about die. BTW, the rubber used is FAR from heat tolerant, turned a set into molten glue in 5 minutes on the dyno...but this is indeed a case of getting what you pay for. Scott, please add pics when you get it all finished up to fill in this thread with pipe options.
    1. Pablo Honey's Avatar
      Pablo Honey -
      Quote Originally Posted by Micah / AF1 Racing View Post
      It is standard Rhino Moto bar ends (for use with bar end mirrors) for pretty much all Aprilia twins. Same part used on earlier bikes, no worries there. I think those were Rizoma mirrors but might have been a CRG product, looked way to sculpted to me to be CRG however. I should have taken a pic of the box they were in!
      Thanks for the follow up, Micah. I will look for the Rhino's on the online shopping page and check for the mirrors.

      Appreciate it.

      Pablo
    1. ch3no2's Avatar
      ch3no2 -
      I opted for the Ti Leo and read all the instructions you posted here Micah before it arrived. Actually ordered the Leo before taking ownership of the Tuono. The fit and finish on this is 1st class and it sounds really sweet. The db killer removed is throaty and nice but living an an apartment I've opted to keep the db killer in as I'm also in the break-in period. Micah, your instructions and pictures are the best for this and the hint on the wipe down with the wd-40 before starting has kept that virgin Ti from nasty fingerprints at first use. Thanks Micah for your continued excellence in outstanding customer service, we really dig it!
    1. Micah / AF1 Racing's Avatar
      Micah / AF1 Racing -
      No problem ch3no2 (btw, that like Methanol or nitro methanol or something right? I know it looks very familiar and it has been well over a decade since I took any chemistry classes), glad it was a help. When we get our next round of V4 Tuonos in I will do a full system writeup or something interesting to follow this up. So far about 3 days is the longest a TV4 has lasted prior to finding a happy new home...many more incoming in a month or so...
    1. fnfalman's Avatar
      fnfalman -
      Will there ever be a red Tuono V4?
    1. Micah / AF1 Racing's Avatar
      Micah / AF1 Racing -
      As soon as you buy one I will take it down to the paint shop and have painted whatever color you like...I am thinking Ferrari Rosso Corsa?
    1. Hellgate's Avatar
      Hellgate -
      ^^^ Rene would do a killer paint job in red.
    1. jlburgess's Avatar
      jlburgess -
      Quote Originally Posted by fnfalman View Post
      Will there ever be a red Tuono V4?
      I like the silver one, but not for us in the states yet. I'm about ready to pop for one at my local dealer, although I'm sure an Ohlins equipped model will be released 5 minutes after I buy it.
      Dumb question on the Akro: how can the slip on have a deristriction code? Wouldn't the code do the same for all bikes?
      Kind of like the Leo or HydroForm I saw on Ebay, but want the correct ECU mapping too. Can't see why the Akro is twice the price?
    1. falkdal's Avatar
      falkdal -
      Quote Originally Posted by jlburgess View Post
      Dumb question on the Akro: how can the slip on have a deristriction code? Wouldn't the code do the same for all bikes?
      Kind of like the Leo or HydroForm I saw on Ebay, but want the correct ECU mapping too. Can't see why the Akro is twice the price?
      The slip-on doesn't have the unlock code, the ECU does. Aprilia developed the specific race fueling maps for the Akrapovic slip-on, which is why it's only available with that specific pipe from Aprilia. But generally a slip-on is a slip-on and they all perform very nearly the same, unlike full race systems which can vary much more, so yes the race maps that the code unlocks will work fine for any slip-on. However, you can only get the codes to unlock the race map if you buy the Akra; your other option is to buy the race ECU from Aprilia which comes unlocked from the factory and has the race maps already enabled.

      So that's why the cost of the Akra is twice the other slip-ons - you can either buy the Akra and get the codes to unlock your stock ECU, or you can buy another slip-on for half the price but then you have to buy a new race ECU to go along with it. The combined cost of another slip-on + the race ECU is very close to the Akra, so it's not really about saving money but just allows you to use another pipe if that's your preference. And at the end of the day the race maps were developed for the Akra so there's always the chance you're not getting the full benefit if you match those maps with another slip-on.

      Of course if you want to save some money you'll get another slip-on and have AF1 flash your stock ECU, but that potentially has warranty implications in case something goes haywire with your electronics down the road and Aprilia considers your ECU to have been tampered with. Not sure what the risk of that is, just putting it out there as my local dealer has had customers dinged by Aprilia in the past for ECU reflashes.
    1. scott2ride's Avatar
      scott2ride -
      Werkes pipe sounds great with race map. Surprisingly not too loud. None of my mates complained, which is surprising
    1. scott2ride's Avatar
      scott2ride -
      Danmoto GP pipe sounded great. No good photos Im afraid.

      Tig welds nice and pipe nice but bracket was shit and rubber melted first ride. They supplied a new one which is apparently more heat resistant but I havent installed yet.

      Link pipe was bit average...

      Pipe looks good though!
    1. stinky's Avatar
      stinky -
      Micah if you've got some of those unnecessary hangers lying around I'd be happy to take one off your hands for my Akra slip-on. I can't find a hanger in stock anywhere on the planet right now, carbon, aluminum, Akra, or otherwise, and the passenger footpegs come off my bikes the first evening of ownership.

      Nice write-up, btw. Will come in handy on Friday when my pipe goes on.