Modern Vespa

Hello all....I'm a bit dismayed by the rather poor quality of the OEM muffler/exhaust, GTS 300 Super Sport. The black paint fades, not a Premium look for premium brand.

Am considering buying an Akrapovic replacement. Recommended or not?
Too showy...?

I know the quality is superior.

Opinions?

It's a matter of taste. When I bought my HPE I had the OEM exhaust replaced by an Akrapovic and still love the look and the sound. Not extremely loud but a bit more beefy. So my answer would be definitely yea.

I don't know about the GTS but on the BV, it's easier to access the dipstick and adjust the shocks with an aftermarket exhaust. You also eliminate the graphite manifold/silencer bushing failure.
Down side is that it's a PITA to separate the manifold pipe from the silencer when changing a rear tire.

My Vespa guru doesn't recommend the Akropovic.
He says he found it places stress on the stock exhaust manifold, leading to cracking or stud shear.
We have one rider in our group with an Akropovic pipe. He is told to ride at the back because he make too much noise.

Apart from the high price it is aesthetically more beautiful but the original fits better into the line; then ... the noise changes, who likes it and who doesn't and you must hear it before buying. However there are many models of many brands, please consider well. There is a topic here on Modern Vespa with various photos and impressions, ask if they put the link.

My Commuter BV has a Malossi exhaust with +30,000 problem free miles on it. The only reason I don't have one on my Honda is rear drum brakes. Makes no sense to modify the Honda when the brakes have a hard time stopping a stock bike.

Pro: With Akrapovic you would shave 4 kilos of weight from engine in my case (non damped mass!). Rear shock absorber would apreciate this.
You get 0.5~1hp and almost same amount of torque with more narow power-rorque curve for few hundred revs what means slightly increased top speed.
Hexagonal shape give you few more ° of lean angle if OEM exhaust was limited it.
You could simpla remove slip-on by unscrewing two bolts and releasing two springs.
Contra: Noise patern would be changed. Deeper sound on idle and during acceleration. When keeping same speed no significant increasement. After 80kmh i hear only air-to-helmet noise what mean's it's not annoying (for rider) during inter city trip or highway.

It's just an aesthetic factor ... and expensive.

That could be said about the Vespa in general. There are certainly many 2-wheeled conveyances available that will get you there and back for a lot less money. I suspect most of us chose the Vespa because of its aesthetics. It's not flawless to some of us though and "expensive" is in the eye/wallet of the beholder. Me, I'm a yea Akrapovic kinda guy - or anything else you think personalizes your scoot for you.

Touche'...

There's always that one guy that can't resist pissing in everyone else's cornflakes. What the Guru found directly contradicts the experience of thousands of satisfied Akro owners. I don't sell Akro (and don't want to get started as to why not,) but it's a very good, well designed and well made pipe. How long has the Guru been involved in scooter racing, and what class does he compete in or build for, because it sounds like he's some sort of expert in modern Scooter performance?

I'd be interested in replacing the standard silencer on my GTS at some point if the replacements removed the need for the graphite bush, but not at the expense of broken exhaust studs! It seems reports of the graphite bush failing after only 4000 miles are quite common.

The Akropovic silencer I fitted to my BV350 used springs to tension the silencer where it fitted to the downpipe presumably to allow some movement. Does anyone know it this allows enough movement to prevent undue stress on the exhaust header studs?

John

Well, I just shaved a few pounds off Melody by (finally) jettisoning the entire EVAP system (which was failing badly anyway). Found a clean OEM pipe a while back that replaced the original (which will get repainted with a more-durable coating). The cost of an aftermarket pipe would pay for a a proper suspension upgrade, which to my mind is far more worthwhile from a performance standpoint, and will be Melody's first major upgrade sometime next year.

Consider this....tecnigas make high quality pipe, you can also choose in black
https://www.racingplanetusa.com/vespa-tecnigas-performance-exhaust-4scoot-maxi-system-tecnigas-vespa-300ie-vespa-modern-touring-scooters-p-173697-1.html

This would be my 2nd choice after Akrapovic:
https://www.mivv.com/en/moto/piaggio/vespa-gts-300/

*I edited my previous post above and add two more argument pro;-)

Does anybody have an English translation of this article which reviews a whole stack of mufflers for the GTS and compares them with dyno charts.

https://issuu.com/scooter-center.com/docs/auspufftest_vespa_gts_scooter_center_motoretta/5

This was in another post but thought it might be useful in the old muffler discussion.

Also how do you read the dyno charts it has in it?

Firstly, thank you all for your friendly and knowledgeable,responses!
Some of,you in the U.S. reference removal,of,the problematic evaporative emissions controls.

Can anyone please share details on the procedure,maybe a useful video, please...?

Depends on whether you're OK with the sound of the stock exhaust. I like the sound of the Akra and have one on my GS as well. Picked up a used slip on here so the cost was not too much. Improved the sound greatly on the GTS. Performance wise, hard to tell. Your decision should be based on look and sound.

I have the Arrow exhaust on my Supertech. (I chose the black one - not in picture on their website)

Malossi rebrands this and is more expensive for simply a badge change

https://www.arrow.it/en/assembled/1652/Piaggio-VESPA-GTS-300-HPE-2019
[/img]

Wellll, it's like this: there are several online sources purportedly showing you how to remove the EVAP system from a particular Vespa...

Trouble is, these instructions involve carbureted bikes: your GTS, like mine, is fuel-injected, and the hose arrangement is therefore different, as you're dealing with just two hoses, as opposed to three for carbureted engines. In this case, you might want to check the instructions for removing the EVAP from an MP3, as mentioned in this thread:

Removal of Evap Canister on BV 350: how-to guide

A bit of a headache to sort out, but now Melody is running nicely.