Marvelicious

With the exhaust... It's a simple way to slightly enrich the mixture across the board. Basically, it fools your bike into thinking the air is colder (and therefore denser) than it is. It's a quick and dirty compromise. Dyno tunes are all well and good, but unless you have an unlimited budget or own the dyno, you're going to pay them to try and spit out maximum power at wide open throttle, which isn't necessarily ideal for other conditions. Also a quick and dirty compromise. Meanwhile, your stock map is neither quick nor dirty, but it's definitely a compromise with emissions laws written by people with little understanding of actual combustion, leaving your engine running on the lean side. Pick yer poison... I prefer to stay away from overly lean conditions and I don't have the time or budget to pay for my theoretical ideal tune... The Booster Plug is cheap and reasonably effective.

I've got a Leo system and a power commander. It might be a bit on the lean side without it, but I'm not sure it's quite as drastic as it is often thought to be. The previous owner installed them both and had the bike dyno tuned by a well regarded shop. I got curious about my poor mileage and installed a pod and the dynojet wideband controller and started logging the mixture... Crazy rich. So yeah, it made power but at the cost of efficiency. If I had it all to do over again, I might buy a Booster Plug and be done with it. If you aren't familiar with them, go give them a look. They do work and they're definitely a much cheaper option. I also feel they're a bit overpriced for what they actually are, but I guess it represents 1% parts and 99% working out the details.

I've had a Joe Rocket mesh jacket for a couple of years now. I'm quite happy with it. Sizing on coats is so all over the place anymore that I don't even know whether to say whether it runs true or not, but I would hope that they at least run true inside their own brand.

I know there are a lot of "OEM only" types here, but I've had excellent luck with Napa filters. Never had any leaks and I've never had any issues with removal. I use this technique that I've developed: I grab the filter with my hand and I turn it counter clockwise. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a moose. Interestingly, I'm still stymied by the occasional pickle jar...

A triple that doesn't sound like a coffee can full of ball bearings? Madness!

My mileage definitely varied: the Sargent seat on my 6th gen was almost as uncomfortable as the stock seat. I always prefer lighter, but not at the cost of my ability to walk! @sllik Have you tried a Sargent before, or do you just like the look?

@Skids We're probably comparing apples and oranges. The UK has 20 times the population density of my home state, so we probably deal with different kinds of traffic. I spend most of my time on two lane country roads. Your story does illustrate my point though... the guy driving the car right next to you didn't see you. If I have a car right next to me, I'm looking for a way to be somewhere else because I assume I'm invisible to him. I'm probably spoiled since there is generally another option. I mostly raise the point about noise because I think it's worth considering the effect on other drivers. The EU didn't change the law without someone finding the noise objectionable. I doubt the Akra is really all that loud even with the core removed and I doubt I'd have a problem with it, but it's still worth giving it thought.

Well, when I said "carefully considered", I meant it. I have thought about my decisions and my motivations. I have no problem with doing things that actually make me safer, but I have zero interest in safety theater. You say I'm deluding myself, I say you're allowing your hi-viz to give you a false sense of security. We all make the choices we are comfortable with. The "why you would NOT do more to ensure your own safety?" argument could be leveled right back at you: why ride a motorcycle at all? A car is safer. If safety is the trump card (ughh... It's getting hard to use that phrase anymore) then clearly we should all be on public transportation. As for using safety as a justification for loud pipes, I'd say any arguable increase in safety is at best in a dead heat with the amount of Ill will it generates from everyone else who doesn't want to listen to it. I'd rather fly under the radar and rely on my own self-preservation instincts than be obnoxiously visible. We're a tiny minority on the road and that is worth considering. Not everyone is interested in our weird little hobby (from their point of view) and we get to ride our two wheeled rockets at the sufferance of everyone else. Granted, my objection to the "loud pipes save lives" philosophy is primarily aimed at riders of one particular brand of motorcycle, I'm sure you can guess which. As for the "fashion statement" comment, you'd have to know me to know how laughable that is. Suffice it to say, I'm not confusing any aspect of my life with a fashion show. Agree to disagree I guess...

I'm of the carefully considered opinion that you could dip yourself in glow in the dark paint, wear LEDs and retroreflective spangles like rhinestones on a Vegas chorus girl and amplify your exhaust to the point of it being physically dangerous and there would still be people who wouldn't look away from Facebook long enough to notice that they had just run you over. I don't dress myself or change my bike to be conspicuous, I just assume they DON'T see me.

Ha, wonderfully illustrative pic: try riding the bike instead of sitting on top of it! It's definitely pretty silly that people have gotten their egos wrapped up in it, but in a world where people do stunt riding on the freeway in shorts, it's hardly a surprise!

Yep, different results, but I also have a very different set of variables. I'm down to only half again your weight (dangerously close to being in shape), different tires, plus I've made some minor changes to the geometry on my machine now that I consider it. Still, it's interesting academically... understanding why the bike handles the way it does.

I'm with you: riding the Duke is making me faster on both bikes. I think it helps to occasionally force yourself slightly out of your comfort zone. Also interesting: I do occasionally drag pegs on the VFR, but the tires are untouched on the edges. They definitely don't look like mountainslide's. I think I probably use more of the tire on the Duke because it's so light that body English goes a long way. It just lends itself to a different riding style. I'm not one to go riding wheelies through traffic or other similar douchery, but I can see why that bike appeals to those who do.

I think we need pics of the system as it was installed... for the laughs if nothing else.

Add some trees and/or clear-cut and that pretty much looks like the kind of roads in my neighborhood. Not surprising really... it's still the coast range, it's just a little warmer down there. The clear cuts are more line-of-sight friendly, but the trees are prettier.

The companies that sell them with springs set for your weight all reference a lead time... I assume that means they get them from the manufacturer, which means Italy. I can wait: my wish list is hardly the biggest thing going at the moment. On the other hand, I've been doing plenty of riding. I live in the country and it's not like anyone is getting too close to me on the bike. Judging by the number of bikes I see on the road, it's not just me. Seems like a pretty safe activity under the circumstances. I get limiting travel, but if I start and end my day at my own home and the closest I get to anyone is the gas pump, I think I'm following the spirit of the thing.