| Author | Message | ||
     Upaero |
Hello everyone. Since I am one of the first Torque Hammer 2 customers in the USA and have recently used it during a track day I thought I would post somewhat of a "review" of the product. Since I already had the Twin Motorcycles intake stacks and a K&N filter I now have what TM is calling their Stage 1 Kit. The system arrives with a nicely built but "raw" stainless steel manifold, muffler, clamps and the hardware. The instructions are one piece of paper without any pictures that was obviously written by somebody who speaks English as a second language. More on that later. The manifold will need to be polished, painted or ceramic coated since it still has writing on it and wouldn't look good installed as-is. I painted mine black with high temp exhaust paint. At some point I would like to have it ceramic coated but this will do for now. When installing the manifold I suggest you loosen the from header bolts to give you some freedom of movement. Also, don't forget to loosely install the two pipe clamps on the manifold first. You will be really mad if you go to put them on after it's attached to the headers. There is a hangar welded to the manifold that gets bolted to the lower oil cooler mount. This will put up a bit of a fight so be patient. You may have to adjust the bend of the hangar a bit and use a punch or screwdriver to pry the hangar into alignment with the mount. Once I got it close I reinstalled the previously removed oil cooler bolt by screwing it back into place which brought everything into proper alignment. In other words, the bolt didn't just slide back into place, but I wouldn't say that there is a pre-load condition, just a tight fit. The muffler has a pre-installed "db killer" which is basically a restrictor installed at the exhaust exit and held in place by an allen head jam screw. Luckily I decided to remove this thing before I had the muffler installed. First, the jam screw was installed so tightly that my allen wrench was slipping when trying to loosen it, so I had to use a good pair of alligator pliers to get it loose. Then the db killer still did not want to come out by pulling on it. I had to get a long bar and pound it loose from the inside. To make it easier to install and remove I ground some material from the sides to give it some relief. This is something that I think they could improve upon since most people aren't going to want to grind on their new part. Interestingly, there are two tabs welded on the inlet of the muffler for springs used on some exhaust installations. However, this kit come with clamps instead of springs so these tabs are redundant. Therefore, I cut them off and polished it back up with a polishing disc. Again, something most people aren't going to want to bother with. Now it's time to install the muffler. Here is where things are ambiguous in the instructions and where I screwed up the first time. There is a clamp that goes around the muffler, a spacer, and a hangar. The first time I installed the muffler was with the spacer on the INBOARD side of the hangar. I realized later that it should be on the OUTBOARD side which significantly changes the clocking of the muffler and therefore, your cornering clearance due to the oblong shape of the can. This is where the instructions should have some sort of clarity as well as pictures or a diagram. I also highly suggest loosely pre-installing the clamp, spacer and hangar on the can before sliding it into place. This will save a lot of time and frustration since there isn't much room to work with once it's in place. Doing things this way makes installation quite simple. Just leave everything loose until you have proper alignment and the can is correctly clocked, then tighten everything up. There are pictures attached that show the wrong and correct installations. Of course a custom ECM map is a necessary part of the package which can be installed on a stock ECM, even remotely by TM if needed. According to Dris, this map is specifically made for use WITHOUT the db killer and he is working on another one for use with it installed. I have ridden the bike with and without the db killer installed and there is a significant decrease in volume at speed, but at idle it's more of a difference in tone. In fact, according to the db meter app on my phone the volume at idle is slightly lower without the db killer. I honestly don't think your neighbors would notice a difference unless you're one of those annoying people that does a lot of unnecessary revving before riding off. If that's the case, they already hate you as it is. The difference would be for rider comfort on long rides in my opinion. Suffice to say, I probably won't use the db killer very often, but I like that I have the option. Without it installed it has an abundantly throaty V-Twin, yet tolerable tone. Not an explosive raspy tone that wears on you without ear plugs. This is exactly what I was wanting. Performance-wise the bike really comes alive at 7K RPM range and pulls strong all the way to the rev limiter. Power is extremely linear and the front wheel gets really light when speed shifting. During last Sunday's track day at Palm Beach International I found myself bouncing off the rev limiter at first because it pulls hard all the way to red line and gets to speed quicker than before. Power out of the corners was always there and there wasn't much noticeable popping during deceleration. As the name says, it's a torque oriented kit. You aren't going to have a higher top speed, you will just get to it more quickly. Unfortunately for me it was at the track that I realized there was a problem with my installation. On at least one right hand corner I managed to drag the muffler on the track which caused some superficial, yet noticeable damage. This was due to the can being clocked too far counter-clockwise when looking at it from the rear. Now that I have it correctly installed it shouldn't be a problem again, but it is something that should be made clear in the instructions for future customers. I should have paid more attention in geometry class so I would have noticed the problem beforehand, too. All in all it is a great system that provides the v-twin sound, increased performance and great looks that most of us are after. In fact, I got a lot of compliments on it from fellow riders at the track. Just take your time with the installation to avoid the mistake I made. If anyone has any questions feel free to PM me and I will do my best to help out. I have attached pictures showing the db killer, my incorrect installation, old and new hangar configuration, the pre installed hangar (looking from the front), the damage I did at the track and a track photo that shows how the clocking of the can is wrong for optimum cornering clearance. Notice the difference in the clocking of the can in the before and after photos looking from the rear. Also, I was able to do a bit of a repair to the damage and it is now pretty well hidden from view. Happy riding, Dave            | ||
| Easyrider |
very accurate write up. We are working on a install document where we will notice your experience. Can you also share a little bit about the performance part and how the setup performed on the track with your previous setup | ||
| Captjoe |
Is the 190 rear tire a straight replacement for the 180 or did you have to modify anything to get it to fit properly? | ||
| Upaero |
My previous setup was very good, but my mapping wasn't made specifically for it so it wasn't a tuned "package" like this one. It was an RT3 with the EBR race kit mapping. When I originally bought the RT3 there wasn't a custom map available at the time. Dean makes a great performing exhaust and I still like the "industrial" look of it, but the exhaust tone is uncomfortable to me at highway speeds without earplugs. I wouldn't say there's a night and day difference in performance, but I do notice more mid-range pull out of the corners with the new TH2 package. Again, this could be due to the fact I was previously running without an optimized map. You can't just throw performance parts at these bikes and expect them all to work in perfect harmony without spending a lot of time tuning on a dyno. Also, peak HP is just part of the picture. Usable power where you need it is more important in the real world. This Stage 1 kit really delivers a complete package that a lot of people like me have been looking for. That's my two cents anyway. My question now is, when is the Stage 2 going to be ready? Captjoe, as for the rear tire this is a subject that a lot of people seem to have an opinion about, but not many of them have experience with. It should probably be a new thread too.  I am running Michelin SuperSports with a 190/55 rear on a stock 5.5" wheel. The main reason for this is not for the increased width, but for the added height and profile. This rear tire is .5" taller then my 180/55 Pilot Pures. This gives me a higher gear ratio to help make up for the gearing difference between the CR and R without changing the swingarm, etc. Yes, the optimum rear wheel width for this tire is 6", but 5.5" is acceptable. I absolutely love these tires and don't notice any adverse effects of the wheel width. I don't have any trouble getting my tire warmer on with the decreased space either. Something most people don't realize is that tire sizes are somewhat ambiguous. One manufacturer's 190 may actually measure 186mm and another's at 192mm. I don't think anyone should be afraid to run a 190 on a 5.5" wheel if the manufacturer says it's ok, but I think the profile should be taken into consideration more than the width when choosing a tire. I doubt I would be as happy with the profile of a 190/50 tire for instance. Sorry for the long winded answer to your yes or no question. | ||
| Nobuell |
Upaero, I received your PM and responded. Please send me your email address for more direct communication. Does the exhaust kit come with new headers or is it a slip on system. Thank you and nice write up by the way | ||
| Albert666 |
did they noise test it at the track? | ||
| Upaero |
Nobuell - The TH2 is a slip on system. However, Twin Motorcycles does sell a set of equal length headers that you could use as well. I'd like to know if they have put the two together and measured any noticeable performance increase. Albert666 - Noise test at a race track? Why? It's significantly quieter than race systems, significantly louder than a stock muffler.  | ||
| Albert666 |
upaero just wondered what db it may measure they noise test every bike over here on track days | ||
| Upaero |
Albert666 - You Brits just love measuring everything don't you? If we did that here it would just turn into another form of competition. "Well Jim, I see that I was 3 tenths of a second faster than you". "Yes Bill, but I was 5 db louder". I think the db measurement is just part of the picture. The frequency, or tone, is also a factor in how uncomfortable a sound is to listen to. For instance, 50db of Celine Dion is much more painful to hear than 90db of AC/DC. How "loud" an exhaust is can't be easily measured and is more of a subjective thing. | ||
| Albert666 |
I just wondered how it compared on an independent db meter we don't like measuring everything but the noise limits on trackdays over here are getting ridiculous, 103db static is pretty much the norm, fail that and you don't get out, pass that just and if you trip the trackside db meter you get black flagged and go home. that's the problem with all these nimby's moving near to race tracks | ||
| Upaero |
Ouch, noise police at the track! People moving close to race tracks don't want to enjoy the sound of freedom? That's too bad. This is probably why the guys at Twin Motorcycles are working on a map for the TH2 with the db killer installed. | ||
| Easyrider |
people can find our noise test in this article: http://www.twinmotorcycles.nl/artikelen.asp?cid=6& aid=439 | ||
| Easyrider |
The sound is very deep and dark. The mobile phone we used is not represantative for the sound, we just love it. Not even 100 DB(A) at 5000 RPM Idle around 93DBA-99DBA depends on distance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMULBlt4MUU&featur e=youtu.be (Message edited by easyrider on July 24, 2015) | ||
| Easyrider |
Upaero when you don't ride the bike for about 3 weeks, send me the exhaust only, i swap it for mine on my test bike it's without damage for free. | ||
| Squish |
How does the Torque Hammer 2 exhaust (WithOut the dB killer) noise level compare to the Drummer exhaust noise level??? I am curious how the 2 compare to each other, especially noise level wise. Thanks. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
Off topic, what bars are those on your CR track bike? | ||
| Upaero |
Those are just stock clubmans. | ||
| Squish |
Bump... Anyone have an idea of how the TH2 exhaust compares to the Drummer exhaust, noise-wise? Thanks. | ||
| Squish |
Bump... Anyone have an idea of how the TH2 exhaust compares to the Drummer exhaust, noise-wise? I like this exhaust -> it appears to have a lower sound versus other after-market exhausts, even without the dB silencer. Thanks. | ||
| Theshinenz |
I just fitted my TH2 Stage 1 Kit up aswell. Dris gave me a great deal for the kit so jumped at it and heres my thoughts on it. Fitment: I agree with Upaero regarding instructions, i had to refit it about 4 times to get it right, theres a few combinations possible with the parts provided. I managed to get the spacer in the wrong place even after looking at this thread, however i also had the hanger back to front which made things even more difficult for myself. Sound: I previously had a Remus pipe with EBR ecm on the bike without a quiet core. The TH2 sounds amazing, deep with a nice growl and a bit of a crackle to it. I currently have it installed without the quiet core, I think its a lot louder than the Remus, sounds very nice cruising along though but when you get on the throttle it gets pretty loud. Too loud for our local track so may have to try the quiet core or change back to the Remus for track days. Looks: I got mine ceramic coated black and it looks pretty sexy, will try to take some photos (installed on my CR) I want to also coat my headers when I get time/money to do a valve check. Performance: I noticed the bike gets a lot lighter in the front end after install, wheelies pretty easy too, noticable power difference, have not dynoed it yet. Now the one thing I noticed as I am used to the EBR ecm is the EBR has reduced engine braking which I really like, the TM Flashed ECM does not have reduced engine braking. Some people may like this, but I find it a lot more sensitive and jerky riding round town/urban areas, this is one thing that really annoyed me with the stock Buell maps is the jerkiness for town riding. I'd say its smoother than stock but still enough to make me consider trying my EBR ecm with the pipe. I would think my Remus map will be too restricted for the pipe, but a Barkers EBR ecm I imagine would be similar when/if they become available again. I also noticed the engine braking is a bit unsettling on hard down changes into corners. I have a track day on Saturday so hopefully ground clearance is ok with the pipe. | ||
| Upaero |
Have you tried changing the deceleration fuel cut off setting via ECMDROID? It can be turned on or off in the Settings page. | ||
| Theshinenz |
No I havent tried that, I do have ECMdroid but have nil experience with it and thought I might stuff something up if I alter the settings, what exactly does that setting do? Cheers | ||
| Upaero |
It will do exactly what you want it to; cut the fuel on deceleration. If you don't like it you can change it back. To be extra safe, just save a copy of your EEPROM before you make any changes, that way you can always revert back to it.  | ||
| Theshinenz |
Thanks Upaero, if this reduces the engine braking similar to the EBR ECM it will make my day, will be almost perfect :-) Have had a barkers exhaust before too, I prefer the sound of the TH2 over that aswell. My wife has a Dean Adams RT4 on hers, its runs very nice aswell, very smooth, but just obnoxiously loud. | ||
| Theshinenz |
Upaero, I changed this setting and the bike runs like crap, actually cuts out on decel not reduces engine braking. Now the issue I have is the stupid bluetooth dongle keeps saying timeout when reading from the ECM *&$#@ So have a track day tommorrow and bike doesnt run. Looks like Im going to have to change the pipe and ECM back to Remus  The bluetooth dongle is just a headache wish I had got a cable, Ive had this same timeout issue a number of times. | ||
| Theshinenz |
Have also tried connecting via both protocols and still wont read from EEPROM | ||
| Easyrider |
Theshinenz ik can program your ECM online to help when there is time left | ||
| Theshinenz |
Youre a legend dris, thanks mate but think Ive got it sorted now, I left the bike for 30 minutes then tried connecting again as soon as I turned the bike on and now Ive reset the ECM back to how it should be, I'll buy a cable when I can afford it and ditch this bluetooth dongle. Not sure how EBR do their reduced engine braking as it makes the bike a lot nicer to ride around town, thats my only complaint about the TH2 setup other than that and very happy with the service and product, you guys are very helpful and would not hesitate to purchase from you in future. Thanks again Scott | ||
| Easyrider |
Scott, let me try to understand this, You want more or less engine braking.... | ||
| Theshinenz |
Less engine braking, so when you release the throttle it doesnt slow the bike down as much which on the EBR ecm makes quite a difference as the bike doesnt jerk as much when you are on and off the throttle at low speeds. Its also quite good when riding at speed on twisty roads and when changing down the back wheel is less likely to lock up or whip the bike sideways on hard downshifts. |
