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PRODUCT
REVIEW
SATO EXHAUST - BABYFACE COMES TO AMERICA!
by Marty KaneSo... just when
you thought you figured out what your favorite exhaust system was, along comes a new
player in the market, and one who may hold the keys to your bikes performance!
For the past seven years, Japanese riders have used exhaust
systems manufactured by a company  known as
"Babyface", and speak time after time about the quality and performance offered
from their products. Well, now US riders have the same thing to talk about... as Babyface
has come to the US under the label Sato Performance. Company owners applied the new name
to the product, figuring that "Babyface" would not translate properly... and
that was probably a good call figuring the amount of testosterone on the ego-driven US
sportbike market.
Upon first glance at their Hayabusa exhaust, I could not
believe my eyes. I have never seen a production exhaust system with so much attention paid
to detail. Every weld was perfect, every tube was deburred and the bends were
unbelievable!
The systems are currently being produced in Japan, using
equipment and materials that simply is not available here... stateside... so that sets the
product apart quickly.
Sato's pipes are constructed from metric-sized stainless
steel tubing, which gives more size sizes to work with allowing a better fit. A unique
half-million dollar 3 dimension tubing bender allows long and short radius bends without  kinking
- like normal mandrel bending machines. Interestingly, the bender is only available in
Japan, and that is what is preventing Sato from making exhaust systems stateside!
Welds are meticulous and perfect. They are done by workers,
though they could be compared with computerized robotic welds.
Flanges are cut from stainless using a computerized lazer
cutting machine.
They currently make exhaust systems in two variations...
street and race. The only difference between them is the muffler, which has either a 43mm
(street) or 55mm (race) inside diameter. The Street version has an average sound level of
94db, and the race 105db.
Both versions feature the same header pipe design, both
feature slip tubes for quick assembly and disassembly on the bike, and both feature a high
quality carbon-fiber wrapped muffler - which Sato claims can withstand 15,000 miles
without loss of internal packing or failure of the carbon fiber outer can... due to a
unique heat shield design.
For most bikes, the entire exhaust system weighs in at 12 1/2
pounds (or less), which can reduce the bikes overall weight by 20-30 pounds... very
easily.
Sato showed me several dyno sheets from different
applications, and the thing that really impressed me is that they spend their time
developing mid range performance, which is where most "race" companies tend to
fall off. It's not about how much peak horsepower you gain at 12,000 RPM, it's about how
much usable torque is gained where street riders and racers spend most of their time,
accelerating through the gears at 5,000 to 10,000 RPM.
"We spend between three weeks to three months, on the
average, to develop each exhaust system" said Tom Stillman, Sato General Manager.
He continued explaining that each step of the way, engineers
pay close attention to each and every change - noting the difference it makes... no matter
how small. "Keeping good notes allows us to use our experience for new products and
old product revisions."
Examples included:
- Kawasaki ZRX-1100
(+30hp/ 8,500 RPM)
- Suzuki GSX-R750
(+10hp/8,000 RPM)
- Kawasaki ZX-9
(+15hp/8,500 RPM, +10hp/10,000 RPM)
- Yamaha R1
(+12hp/6,500 RPM, +10hp/ 9,500 RPM)
- Honda CBR600
(+10hp/8,000 RPM, +5hp/12,000 RPM)
- Honda CBR900RR
(+15hp/7,000 RPM, +10hp/10,000 RPM)
- Suzuki Hayabusa
(+10hp/7,000 RPM, +7hp/9,000 RPM)
Sato sells their systems manufacturer direct to the racer for
$880, and are currently in stock for over 50 different applications, covering Yamaha,
Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki models.
To say that I was impressed by this new company is an under
statement. To be able to offer such high quality, at a cost effective price.
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For more information, contact:
Sato Performance
Products
2130 Sawtell Blvd., Suite 307
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: 310/575-4408 |
