Today I replaced my K-Factory exhaust with the Ixil L2X from www.ixilusa.com based out of Indiana. I received the exhaust direct in about three days to San Diego and I was pleasantly surprised at what I got. In my previous post I had done a review and install on the K-Factory S-Line full exhaust. The reason why I moved to the Ixil is because I wanted something a little more louder in order to get noticed by the complacent drivers in my area, and I needed something that was compact. The K-Factory has excellent form and fitment, with strict attention to details. Aesthetically it appeared like a low mount stock system, and had a low rumble sound. Because of it's size it was rather cumbersome fitting in a side by side single garage, but overall I was rather pleased with the performance gains.
Here is what the bike looks with the K-Factory:
Even after about 11 months of weekend only use the exhaust looks like new
This is what it looks like with the lower Petex belly pan removed.
Because of the fuel controller I bought I had a wideband O2 bung welded on.
With the exhaust removed, there is a noticeable size difference in
both length, tube and muffler diameter.
This is how it sits now before I tested the pipe without the O2 sensor.
I wasn't sure if I was going to keep this but after taking it around
the block a few times I feel like I made an excellent choice!
It was very pleasing, both in aesthetics and function. The small
form factor looks right at home on the Grom!
This cell phone video does NOT give it any justice, but in person the sound
was not as deep as the K-Factory, but it certainly was satisfactory. Initial impressions:
quick pick up, solid pull off the line. Noticeably lighter than the previous exhaust, and
So after diving into the GROM life back in October 2014 and reading all of the excellent resources on HondaGrom.net, I decided to take the plunge with my 2014 Grom that I got in October at SouthBay MotorSports. This is my first "real" bike although in High school I had an Elite 250 scooter that took me well into my college years. This is my Stage I build that is happening in two phases: Performance, then aesthetics. Chimera Intake and filter from Hard Racing.com, brackets were changed to the RPM fairing brackets because the single bar supplied with the kit was not stable enough.
Stock
Fairings and stock airbox removed.
The stock airbox has to be completely removed since the new intake runner takes it's place. I really like how there was an IAT sensor port built into the intake pipe. (IAT - Internal Ambient Air Temperature ). In any fuel injected motor it is very important to retain these sensors so that the ECU may operate properly when calculating air\fuel mixture and fuel delivery.
On November 28th, 2014 I ordered the K-Factory Exhaust from a website called "WeBike" from Japan, and received it on December 24th , 2014. Apparently they didn't have them in stock and the exhaust manufacturer builds these exhausts on request. The build quality and price can't be beat for a full stainless exhaust. The quality is comparable to the parts I used to import like HKS and Greddy back in the day when I used to build imports...Anyways, here are some pictures of the unboxed exhaust:
Shipped as a one piece design
The stainless mirror like finish was impeccable
I was pleasantly surprised at the build quality and attention to detail with the welds. It came in a generic box but the product and aluminum polished mounting hardware was of very high quality. Here it is mounted:
Here's a link to the video with my thoughts and impressions as well as a sound clip:
Here's a "fly-by" video I did from a request from a member of the HondaGrom.net forum I received:
Now that the intake and exhaust have been installed, it was time to put in a fuel controller since from the Honda Factory the Grom is preset to run "lean". What this means is that there is more air being drawn in than fuel being dumped into the system to make a combustion. This was probably done in response to California's strict CARB ( California Air Resources Board ) guidelines for gross polluters, and to maximize power in the mid-range.
Any modifications to the emissions system will require a fuel controller to compensate for making a "lean" bike even leaner by adding in more air from a cold air intake. The dangers of running your bike lean is higher than normal temperatures and the potential to fry valves and piston heads. In order to protect your motor and to take advantage of your intake and exhaust mods, a fuel controller is required in order to maintain optimal ratios between fuel and air. Back in the day the only way to see if we were delivering the correct fuel is to check the plugs and see what color they were. This method should always be used since O2 sensors can fail too, even if you have more than one (upstream\downstream).
The fuel controller I chose came from Dobeck Performance. To make a long story short, they used to work with the makers of DynoJet, who created the Power Commander Series fuel controllers and "AutoTune", not the "T-Pain" version btw ;) Anyways, at this point in the build I felt I didn't need the extended capabilities of the PCV so I went with the Dobeck system because of these things:
1. Included a bar mounted gauge that reads A/F in realtime, and has a programmer built in that can be adjusted on the fly.
2. Design - This was basically their EJK and the "AutoTune" feature built in as one unit.
The DynoJet controller requires a computer connected to it in order to change settings, and, in order to use the fuel controller system, the AutoTune module is a MUST.
The narrowband sensor is simply not enough to properly deliver the correct A/F ratios consistently.
The "modules" were not only expensive, but they were separate. Whenever you have separate modules not only are you putting a higher load on the electrical system, there would be some delay in calculated values that may affect realtime performance under heavy load\riding conditions.
What I like about the Dobeck Design:
It's simple and easy to understand for beginners.
AutoTune function is built in
All in one unit, no piggy back modules, although as of this writing they are developing an ignition module that will allow you to adjust for ignition timing.
No need to hook up a computer to your handlebar just to adjust the A/F on the fly depending on your riding style.
Wideband O2 sensor and narrowband adapter included, although in my experience the ideal location is on the header downstream from the exhaust.
DIRECT control of the injector. The bypass is included on the harness, so even if the ECU has the capability to bypass piggy back systems that only connect to the data harness, there is a PHYSICAL connection that the Dobeck module makes inline with the electrical fuel delivery system
VERY easy to install.
The DynoJet has its advantages such as ignition timing, which is important for high compression modifications, such as a BBK kit ( Big Bore Kit). Even with these features I have read that it was still not enough to compensate for the higher compression and calculations needed to accommodate for these realtime changes, which is why the FinBro turnkey system comes with it's own stand alone ECU already optimized for the bigger motor.
3. Dobeck Support - I get it...they are new with this new technology for the Grom since it just came out in 2014 ( Honda Grom in the US ). When I had problems with by Gen 4 system, they walked me through understanding what the system does and what is going on. I was able to send back my unit and they replaced the "brain" for free and now it has been running trouble free ever since.
4. Two year warranty - enough said
5. Access to their Engineers and one of the owners. What company allows you to ask the engineers, let alone the owner, direct questions about their design and product?
Ok now this may sound like a shameless plug but I had to because I believe in what they do, and I "took one for the team" for you, the reader, so you wouldn't have to. I'm glad I did because it helped me understand how research and development works in this industry, and also provided insight to how the Honda Grom fuel injection system worked. So on to the good stuff...
Since I had to mount this gauge on my bar I knew I had to find a more permanent solution rather than just getting a ring mount, so I opted with an RPM gauge holder from a company based right out of San Diego where I'm from. The gauge holder is made of aluminum and anodized in black.
Here it is mounted, but realized the hole pass
through for the cable was not big enough
No problem! Just drill more holes. It may not be pretty but it doesn't matter
since I will be installing the digital thermometer gauge\voltage gauge in it's place.
Great fit! the fit was tight, didn't need any
adhesives, and as of today, November 10,2015
it's still holding its place
Whatever THIS thing is, do not use it! Just cut a 1mm strip of 3M
extra strength adhesive and line the ring. Gently push the Dobeck
gauge into place using your fingers using equal pressure
on all sides.
Really clean and professional looking
Here it is mounted, now time to run the wiring!
The OPMID digital gauge was easy since it taps from
the OEM temperature harness as a bypass, and also
under the headlight assembly to measure voltage
One thing to note about these electrical mods is that they pay attention to detail, there is no wire "hacking" involved. They use OE plugs and fittings so in the event that you need to remove these parts, there won't be a mess of wires connected with electrical tape and wire taps. As always, take your time! This is part of the fun, and allows you to learn everything about your Grom if you don't know it already.
Finding a place for the main unit under the seat is easy.
Trying to get the wires they need to go is another thing, so
take your time. Everything should look "factory" when you're
done.
Make sure there is space for the cable to travel back and forth. Be careful with the cable that connects to the brain under the seat, this is a low voltage data cable and you don't want to "kink" it anywhere. I tied the original OE fuel injector plug up and out of the way so the bypass could connect freely to it.
Here is the wideband sensor installed on the header pipe
This is the BEST location for this sensor for two reasons:
1. Far enough from the exhaust outlet to get accurate readings.
2. Far enough from contamination.
I blew through two of these before realizing that the adapter location was not sufficient and over time would eventually clog and damage the rare earth elements that make the wideband O2 sensor work right.
All fired up and running!
Here's a link to the video:
If you interested in a basic fuel injector controller that would help with your stage I mods without having to make major changes I suggest the EJK which you can buy here: EJK Honda Grom Fuel Controller
If you've ever ridden a Honda Grom, you would quickly notice that the suspension has little to be desired in terms of comfort. It's basically a fixed gas\ spring charged shock. At first I thought I was having issues with my seat, but since the shock was a more expensive upgrade that I would be doing later anyways, I thought to go with that first.
I had a couple of choices, one of them being the Ohlins brand adjustable rear, but when I saw the YSS being sold at SteadyGarage.com for way less, I decided to go with that.
I was impressed with the manufacturing quality of this shock. While there is a lot of cheap stuff being made in Thailand...cheap meaning in price and quality, I was impressed with this. It's an adjustable stage 2 gas\spring combo with a nitrogen filled piggyback unit attached. The gas unit is one piece with the top of the shock assembly and charge tube, which I thought was neat. Other designs like the Gazi brand have a separation between the reservoir and the shock assembly which is separated by a gasket. I know over time these kinds of designs would wear down quite quick with the pressure of the gas and the constant rebounding of the shock, so I was pleasantly surprised that YSS took this into consideration.
Right off the bat you could see a size difference between the stock shock and the YSS. This translates into a better ride. The spring travel is longer than stock which helps in absorbing road shock and rebound quite well.
To install this shock I had to use moving straps to attach it to the beams of my garage door frame after I "broke" the bolts holding it in place. After that it was pretty easy to drop the swing arm a little to pull the old shock out. It was kind of a bear to put the new shock in since it was slightly longer, but taking my time and using a little mechanical torque allowed me to squeeze and bolt it in.
After installing the WideBand O2 sensor on the header pipe, I knew I would eventually need to get something to cover up the eyesore as well as provide some moderate protection from road debris. I chose to go with the Petex lower cowl with side extensions from GoGrom.com. Petex is another Thailand brand that I was pleasantly surprised with. The components were made of ABS plastic and came with decent mounting hardware but no instructions.
Here is the video I made on this:
As of today I've been quite happy with this piece. I've ridden everywhere and haven't had any issues with paint chipping or the plastic breaking or cracking anywhere.
The next thing I did was buy a storage accessory. I like to use my Grom to buy groceries and run small errands. Sometimes I'll go on longer rides and will need to pack a camera with some lenses and a drink or two. At first it was Ok with a backpack but after awhile the backpack started feeling like I was riding with an open parachute. I went online and found the Nelson-Rigg brand of motorcycle storage saddles so I bought one. I wasn't quite sure of how saddlebags would look but I took the chance anyways since I was more into utility.
I got them from Amazon.com and was pretty happy with it. They were small and compact. They also have the ability to unzip to expand the compartments to hold more. I probably wouldn't leave these on my bike permanently, but for what I needed it for they do a great job!
I'll eventually fabricate side supports in the rear
