My upgrade plan, talk me out of it (or agree)

[TurnOne]

Love the scooter. Considering doing some distance riding on it sometimes and ride it 2 up quite a bit.
Goal is slightly higher top speed and the ability to hold 65 up and down hills with two people. Acceleration isn't that bad already, so not necessarily needing that improved, but I wouldn't mind it.

I know it has limitations as it is only 153cc. In the Tennessee mountains last year, it would max at 43 MPH going up a steep grade with two people (Total combined rider weight around 315-320 lbs). 75 down hill.

I just ordered the Dr. Pulley 11 and 13 gram sets. Figuring this will allow me to try 11, 12 and 13 setups. $65 shipped.
Two Brothers Juice Box ($200 shipped)
Akrapovic exhaust. ($450 shipped)

I searched for info on this exhaust and nothing shows up, but I thought I remember a negative or not that positive post about it somewhere. There are cheaper exhausts, but I am partial to Akrapovic as they normally only make really nice stuff. They publish a dyno chart on their website, have detailed installation instructions, etc.

What I don't want is a loud exhaust. I don't mind a little more noise, but I am not a fan of loud slow vehicles. It's one thing to be loud and fast, something different to be loud and slow.

I would like it to remain reliable as I plan to have for a long time and put a lot of miles on.

Advice?

[IntlRunner]

I like the idea of holding 65 uphill, just not convinced it might be possible going uphill when you only have 153cc. But I do like the idea of DP sliders, remember the lighter you go the harder it'll be to maintain top end, but if you go too heavy your acceleration will suffer, so my bet is that 13 grams might be the best.

I like the looks of the exhaust you purchased, just not sure how quiet it is. Another little cheaper option is the Leovince GranTurismo, modern look and proven power increase per what the site Admin has read on the Italian forums, but not real easily found for the SH in the USA.

My worry with the Two Brothers juice box is that its mapped for the Two Bothers exhaust, so I am not sure how effective it'll be with other performance exhausts. You might know the answer to this better than me.

One other option is the BBK, which gets you an extra 18cc, but this has lead to an overheating problem with some, less so with the Polini kit. There is a thread about the BBK here from a member who lives in Reno who wanted to minimize the loss of speed uphill, which his mods did, but not to the degree of maintaining 65 uphill with 300+ lbs of load, so I will be looking forward to how your mods work in the big hills. I wish you the best of luck.

[breaknwind]

I've been reading about a 50% failure rate at about 6000-8000 mile on aftermarket exhaust. Think about what you are asking your scooter to do and is it possible. If it no longer fits your needs, then maybe it's time to move on. The SH is the fastest stock 150 out there but riding 2 up, I wouldn't do it.
When I bought my SH, it was just right. After I got a job that required traveling higher speeds, it just wasn't getting it done. Don't get me wrong, the SH is a great scoot. But if you spend $2000($1000 if you DIY) and don't get what you want out of it, then shoulda woulda coulda.
You might want to look at this for 2up riding. I have a 2014 BV350.
http://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2009 ... -110913545

[TurnOne]

I've been reading about a 50% failure rate at about 6000-8000 mile on aftermarket exhaust. Think about what you are asking your scooter to do and is it possible. If it no longer fits your needs, then maybe it's time to move on. The SH is the fastest stock 150 out there but riding 2 up, I wouldn't do it.
When I bought my SH, it was just right. After I got a job that required traveling higher speeds, it just wasn't getting it done. Don't get me wrong, the SH is a great scoot. But if you spend $2000($1000 if you DIY) and don't get what you want out of it, then shoulda woulda coulda.
You might want to look at this for 2up riding. I have a 2014 BV350.
http://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2009 ... -110913545

I understand a bigger scooter will fit the needs of two up riding, but I want to stick with the SH150i for a few reasons. One, I already own it. Two, there is a charity race 650 miles that I would like to do and it's limited to 200cc (225cc vintage). Three, I like the styling and reliability of the SH150i. Four, most of my trips are just around town.

Interesting that the exhausts are failing so soon. What is the cause? Or what is failing? One reason I am leaning towards Akrapovic, as the build quality is usually very high (hence the higher price).


And to clarify, I don't need it to maintain 65 mph up a mountain, but 65 up and down hillls 2 up would be very helpful. 70+ top end would also be nice.

Thanks for you reply.

Chris

[TurnOne]

I like the idea of holding 65 uphill, just not convinced it might be possible going uphill when you only have 153cc. But I do like the idea of DP sliders, remember the lighter you go the harder it'll be to maintain top end, but if you go too heavy your acceleration will suffer, so my bet is that 13 grams might be the best.

I like the looks of the exhaust you purchased, just not sure how quiet it is. Another little cheaper option is the Leovince GranTurismo, modern look and proven power increase per what the site Admin has read on the Italian forums, but not real easily found for the SH in the USA.

My worry with the Two Brothers juice box is that its mapped for the Two Bothers exhaust, so I am not sure how effective it'll be with other performance exhausts. You might know the answer to this better than me.

One other option is the BBK, which gets you an extra 18cc, but this has lead to an overheating problem with some, less so with the Polini kit. There is a thread about the BBK here from a member who lives in Reno who wanted to minimize the loss of speed uphill, which his mods did, but not to the degree of maintaining 65 uphill with 300+ lbs of load, so I will be looking forward to how your mods work in the big hills. I wish you the best of luck.

I haven't purchased the exhaust yet. Still convincing myself that $100 premium is worth it.
LeoVince LV One EVO II carbon is available for $370. Known brand and looks good for $80 less.

The juice box is adjustable. Settings available directly from their website for their exhausts, but it is still generic tune. Best way would be to Dyno tune it with any exhaust, but less needed on their own exhaust line (potentially).

I definitely don't want a BBK kit. Way too much money and reduced reliability.

Thanks for your input.

Chris

[IntlRunner]

Chris,

Be careful when buying a new exhaust as some of them could be just a replacement for the stock exhaust. With Leovince, the performance exhaust with a lot of positive history with the SH was the 4road. That one has been replaced with the GranTurismo which has also had good reviews related to boosting the scooter, per reviews robber57 mentioned he read on the Italian forums (where the SH is really popular). I know when its time for me to get a new exhaust, it'll be the Granturismo as its quiet, but provides a nice performance bump.

I would recommend sending robber57 a PM as about the EVO before buying as he's pretty knowledgeable on the topic.

Mark

[tranth]

Agreed on the 4road which is considered the best exhaust, both in performance and sound, for the SH. I have the Granturismo on my SH and it is just awesome. Just a little bit louder than stock but helps the engine run smoother and accelerate better. If possible, look for the 4road 2008 version, far better than other 4roads.