Full Arrow System Install Questions

[Crazy Canadian]

My Arrow carbons will be here any day now!  I'm going crazy waiting for them!      While anxiously awaiting it's arrival, I'm pondering a few questions I'm hoping you guys can help me with:

1) Can I install this myself without too much trouble?  I'm not great at wrenching but I do have some armstrong tools and air tools and stuff so I'm hoping I can do it fairly easily.
2) About how long should it take?
3) Do I need to take this to my dealer to get the some adjustments to my fuel mixture settings?  They are going to be pissed that I bought the exhaust somewhere else but they were almost $400 more than I paid.  It did include install though....  Oh well.  Too late now.
4) If I need the mixture trimmed or whatever you call it, what should I expect to pay for that service so I don't get ripped out of spite? 
5) I've heard that you should do something to the pipes to keep them clean and polished or they will look like hell???  Really?
6) Lastly, I am buying a dude's open airbox kit, so how much will this change the whole setup? 

FYI, I have a 2007 S2R800 with stock ECU.  Don't really want to buy a custom ECU and don't think one is even available yet. (??) Thanks!

[OwnyTony]

1)  Yes, you can install them yourself.  The hardest part is clipping on the springs that connect your cans to the pipe.
2)  It should not take you too much time.  If by yourself, the complete install took me about hour.  This is including taking off the stock cans.  You may have some trouble attaching and holding up the mid pipe to the headers by yourself as an extra set of hands come handy here but it can be done by yourself and something about 6 inches tall to rest the mid pipe on top of as you screw in the 2 figure 8 brackets.  after you have those 2 tabs holding up the midpipe, the next hard part is stretching the spring long enough to clip on the cans to the pipe
3)  You can not adjust the fuel mixtures on the stock ecu.  It may run lean.  forget about the dealer
4)  you can not adjust the fuel mixture, no money paid to dealer
5)  I dont have the carbon fiber ones.  You really dont have to worry about it too much.  Im the one who told you that I semi polished my tips and put a wax that honda re-badges from glare.
6)  open air box will make the settings even more lean.  To my understanding, the bikes are already some what lean to meet gov. emissions. 

I have an 2005 s2r800 with rapidbike for extra fuel.  I also have pod filters.  My bike was running ok without the rapidbike.  Look or rather hear for popping as you decelerate.   This is a sign that you are running lean.  Look to invest in some sort of after market fuel management such as power commander or rapidbike. 

[swanny]

1.  Yes.  The tool you will use the most is a spring puller.  Go get a good one if you can.  I used vice grips to install mine and it sucked.  Used a spring puller when helping a guy and it made the job much easier.  Also helped that I had several socket extensions and swivels.  Getting the pipe on/off the vertical cylinder can be tricky.

2.  A couple of hours.  Take your time and do it right.

3.  I would recommend having it dyno tuned if you could.

4.  No more than a half hour labor at most I would think.

5.  After you install the pipes clean them with lighter fluid and a rag.  This supposedly keeps fingerprints from being burned onto the pipes.  I didn't do this on mine but the guy I helped did.

6.  Change it out when you install the pipes.  Then get the bike tuned.  The pipes and airbox mod will change the air/fuel ratio.

Not sure if you will need an new ECU.  Mine S2R800 is an '05 model so it doesn't have the O2 sensor.  My S4RS does and I had to buy the ECU.  Buy some lube if you have to buy that b/c the are expensive!!!

Some others might have other thoughts so I am sure that they will chime in.

Swanny

[m1moto]

+1 on the above
About 45 min to install

[Gus Duc]

+1 on the above
About 45 min to install

Also take some time & polish the pipes while they're off.... they won't turn brown & the welds won't turn purple.  I started with some Eagle 1 wadding & then worked up to some Semichrome & a bench wheel.... they came out nice & smooth & evenly colored.... not too shiny & they've stayed quite nice & still haven't turned brown & are quite easy to buff up

You'll love the sound....... did you order some earplugs as well

[billg69gmc]

It's been stated... the spring retainers are a B - i - o - t - c - h!. You get a "tool" with the exhaust system, which is fine for the mid pipe. But when it comes to attaching the final stage, try this out...

Get a length of heavy gauge wire, like lamp cord. Make a loop end knot small enough for the spring end to snag onto, but not too large. On the other end, make a large grab loop. Now you can either use a glove, or slip a tool in for pulling. The benefit to this is that for the inner springs on the cans, there is no room to pull. The spring is connecting two pipes with a bigger can in the way. Using the leverage of the longer pull, you can find a comfortable arrangement to pull the spring and get it hooked onto the grab loop on the can.

I tried the little tool for a while but was getting rather raw using it. Before you make the large pull loop, test out how much lead you think you need. I rested on top of the rear tire which gave me a stable platform so I could pull with one hand, and manage to attach the spring to the catch.

Good luck!