Interestingly both of these big Yamahas came in within a day or two of each other – and one owner went one way while the other took a different route. So one bike got a Power Commander mated to a standard – but de-catted – pipe, the other a PC matched to a free-flowing end-can.
Both put out roughly the same peak horsepower, but the de-catted standard pipe bike made more mid-range. They both needed big changes to the fuelling though in conjunction with an 02 optimiser. Now either route here is valid, but we reckon the stock can de-catted is the way to go, as mid-range matters more on adventure bikes like these.
The before and after test ride showed just how strong this engine is – you can leave it in a high gear and it’ll go, hard. And they don’t fuss about either…