Winter blues

I haven't ridden since my last post when I picked up some craigslisted ZX6R parts. In all honesty, those parts are still in the trunks of Megan's SV.

It's cold. The beloved asphalt is laced with sand, gravel, and salt. There's snow in the forecasts. These are the street bike blues.

Stocking up...

Or stocking back? Well, whatever phrase sounds more marketable, I'm on the return my bike to stock bandwagon. There are lots of reasons why, like failed aftermarket tail lights and painfully-loud exhausts. The latter is my current inspiration.

I was lucky enough to find a Craigslisting in my area for a stock 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R exhaust. It should be the same piece that was originally fitted to my 2006. The buy even included the stock cable pulley that mounts to the exhaust servo motor under the pilot's seat. So I should have all I need to return my exhaust to stock.

Why would I want to bother? Well, first and foremost, because the Cobra aftermarket can that's fitted to my 2006 is annoying. It's way too loud and fitting an aftermarket exhaust for sound is just not reflective of who I am, so I want it off. Second, it's ugly as heck now that I had to put the stock rear blinkers back on. Third, there some voices on the forums that say nothing performs as well as the stock 2005/2006 ZX6R exhaust with the exhaust valve and servo motor working (taking this with a huge grain of salt). So it seems like there's little (if anything) to lose.

Kudos to Megan's SV and the Pelican 1550s for being able to fit a stock 2005 ZX6R exhaust. That thing is much larger than I anticipated...