I got my grubby little hands on the Area P "pod tune" yesterday. I've been running the pod K&N with their "heavily modded air box" tune and was very happy with it but knew there was more being left on the table.

My current bolt ons include an Akra slip on, with quiet core (for today), the pods and a stock de-catted header.

First thing I noticed, the former Buhwaaaaaaaa (emphasis on the buh) when heavily rolling on the throttle is now a sharp Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrap. Nice. I had put the silencer back in the Akra because the intake honk was so friggin loud and annoying. That's comin out next!

So, torque is way up from 4500 RPM thru 9k. From 9-13 it is about the same, which was already very good. I'm betting the Akra without the silencer will be better up top. I'll be trying a few different combos of silencer core and fuel setting, but the low/mid is probably about as good as it can get.

1-2nd gear redline shift pulled the front wheel up about a foot. I'm +1 CS (15t) and 210 lbs. That is a clear improvement!

The forks are topping out in 4th gear and even 5th with heavy throttle at about 5k and up.

I'm going to need to pay more attention to cornering throttle control now!

My header diameter is significantly smaller than Area-p's headers that this tune was designed for. That might explain my bigger increases in torque, and the lesser gains I can feel up in the top end. More testing will tell.

So far, very impressed! I was a bit sorry I deleted the air box but figured this would pay off. Now that the horrid honk is a menacing and productive growl, I can say I'd do it again.

i install my area p full system yesterday and the diference between the stock pipes and the area p pipes is alot, the stock headers looks like a straw compare to the area p

Nice write up... :thumbup: thanks for the 411

If I hadn't already owned the Akra, I'd probably have bought their full system. Unfortunately, I had never heard of them at the time!

Still, the cylinders are only 150cc each. I'd guess I'm not losing that much, if anything honestly. I've had nearly these diameter pipes for each port of a KTM 520, about 255cc per pipe flowing up to 10,000 RPM. If anything, I might have better low/mid torque due to the smaller diameter headers, which is where I am 90% of the time anyway.

I'd love to see a decatted bike run on the same dyno, same day to really get a look at the differences but for non competition street riding, I'm real happy as it sits now.

Nice write up. Just messaged Kerry about getting the pod tune myself and really can't wait.

Still, the cylinders are only 150cc each. I'd guess I'm not losing that much, if anything honestly. I've had nearly these diameter pipes for each port of a KTM 520, about 255cc per pipe flowing up to 10,000 RPM. If anything, I might have better low/mid torque due to the smaller diameter headers, which is where I am 90% of the time anyway.

I'd love to see a decatted bike run on the same dyno, same day to really get a look at the differences but for non competition street riding, I'm real happy as it sits now.

Jim - Glad you are happy with the results on your bike. :thumbup: But the differences are absolutely night and day when comparing stock to our full systems. Respectfully, comparing cylinder "cc" volume is but one aspect and has little correlation to the actual overall dynamic of developing an exhaust system that works with a particular engine design, along with what your actual goal is when designing it.

We did actually test this. It simply was not worth posting any info about it. No matter how hard we tried, the only significant difference is sound and a slight reduction in radiant heat. We even tested it with the Slip-On. If you can truly feel that slight difference in low-end, you are a human dyno my friend. ;) Honestly, there is more power increase by simply re-mapping.:thumbup:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a3d902b3127ccef3fa9429292c00000030O00AbMmLRw5ct2IPbz4S/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00107998412620130723192024930.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Kerry, did you test a decatted stock header?

I was saying it might have more down low that the bigger piping with your header. I have no way of knowing that, just saying maybe.

The RFS 520/525 KTMs I raced used to have a twin header pipe, then went to a single bigger dimension header for both ports. The twin pipe was known as the torque king. The single was better mid & up.

I can feel the boost down low-mid compared to my previous tune, no question. The forks top out hard on throttle inputs. It is clearly better from 4-9K. Just my SOTP butt dyno, but this tune was a great finishing touch to the pods.

Kerry, did you test a decatted stock header?


That dyno graph is comparing stock to a decatted headpipe. :thumbup:

With or without a tune?

You don't happen to have a dyno graph with a decat/slip on and pods by chance. I know that I'm feeling a big difference between the "modded air box" tune and this "pod" tune, no question!

Maybe I can rent out my caboose as a living dyno, it hasn't been much use to me but as a place to sit for the last few decades!

With or without a tune?

You don't happen to have a dyno graph with a decat/slip on and pods by chance. I know that I'm feeling a big difference between the "modded air box" tune and this "pod" tune, no question!

Maybe I can rent out my caboose as a living dyno, it hasn't been much use to me but as a place to sit for the last few decades!

Without, because we want honest back to back data. With our FI Micro Programmer and mapping, it simply brought it back to within a few tenths of the previously posted results of the box stock, then our Programmer added. Which were actually better.

No, we did not/have not done any testing with that combo. Just not worth the R&D time to test stock/decat/slip-on with Pod Filters at this point.

I hear ya, thanks for the awesome support and service. You guys run a top notch company and your full system will be the one I buy if/when I need one. I can only imagine the overall gains with that bolted up! :eek:

Just wanted to thank Kerry and Area-P for their super quick response time. I messaged Kerry yesterday about getting the pod-tune for my bike and was quickly messaged back. Awoke this morning to an e-mail with the tune attached. Thank you Kerry.

My pleasure. :thumbup:

Aight, figure I'll update this now that I have logged some miles on the bike and can give a half-ace response about the power difference and overall ride. So for you guys/gals who haven't ridden a 600 or 1000, when and if you do, you will notice that while cruising at freeway speeds, it is very easy to look down and be cruising at 10/15/20 above the speed limit without to much fuss. Now by no means is the tree hundred in that category, but I have noticed several times while heading to work that I am effortlessly cruising about 10mph faster than normal.
I brought up the bigger bikes so that those on here who have ridden them understand it a bit better. When your cruising freeway speeds, the difference between 70 and 80 really isn't to noticeable on a bigger bike as the rpm's don't really change much and it only takes minimal wrist action to make it happen. When I first got my 300, I could definitely tell the difference between 70 and 80 as I had to ring the throttles neck to make it happen. Since I got the pod tune I have caught myself several times cruising along at 70 and looking down to realize I was actually at 77/78mph. Pretty nice needless to say!
I only launched the bike hard once while I still had the mod-airbox tune and I lifted the front wheel and held it up through 1st gear. Pretty sure I could keep it up through 1st and maybe most of second now without much effort. Also accelerating to freeway speeds is not bad now.
As far as feeling the extra power in the butt dyno, not happening. I'm not nearly that sensitive but I have noticed the power in certain situations that make it beneficial. Gonna take the bike to the track this coming weekend so I'll have a better perspective of what its got then. Really excited about hitting the track and I'll report back after I've had time to mentally sort through the day.

Very easy to find yourself speeding now.