FIRST IMPRESSION OF QUALITY After opening the box that contained the Akrapovic, I was VERY impressed! To say the least, the exhaust system was beautiful, and the carbon fiber finish was brilliant! In fact, this has to be the best carbon fiber I've seen! :fact Though not full titanium like the Striker, the weight savings from the stock exhaust system is very good. Like the Striker's, the welds in the Akrapovics are near perfect, and it's obvious that a lot of R&D went into these systems. However, I think the Akrapovic systems have a slight edge over the Strikers.. Akrapovic 10..........Striker 9 *Please note that the Akrapovic could have been boxed up a little more securely* INSTALLATION AND FIT The Akrapovic Full Exhaust systems are a lot easier to install when compared to the Striker. The system comes with the headers already connected to the collector (even the springs), and the only thing the installer needs to do is connect the 2 header groups into the midpipe...then the canister. The pipes fit very tight (no sealant needed), but will slide together very easily with the use of a little WD40! Once everything is torqued down, the exhaust mounts as solid as a rock, and does not move around like some other systems. Conversely, the Striker systems require a little more connecting time. Each piece comes seperate, and needs to be put together piece-by-piece. Connecting the 4 header pipes to the collector is nothing short of a pain in the ass. I must have used half of the can of WD40, and it was still a bitch!! However, once connected, the pipes fit together VERY tight, and does not require any exhaust sealant to prevent leaks. Unlike the Akrapovic, the Striker will move around slightly once torqued down. It's not really a big deal (it's not like the exhaust is going to fall off), but just something I thought I'd mention. Installation and Fit: Akrapovic 10.........Striker 8.5 SOUND This all boils down to personal preference, but I like the sound of the Striker's a lot more than the Akrapovics. The sound of the Striker is nothing short of breaktaking on the R1, and is throaty as hell! At idle, the Striker systems rumbles like a liter bike should, and only gets meaner as the needle on the tach races to the redline! The Akrapovic really is "that quiet." The only time it sounds throaty is at warm up, but as the temperature of the bike increases (and the idle decreases), it becomes as quiet as many slip-ons. I imagine the Akrapovics sound will get louder over time, but as it sits now, it's a little to quiet for my taste. (however, it draws a lot less attention for those of you who like to tear up the highway in the middle of the night ) As for the sound: Akrapovic 7..........Striker 10 PERFORMANCE The performance of an exhaust system depends on many factors. The most important of these factors is how the bike is tuned with the exhaust installed. Neither my Striker nor Akrapovic were custom tuned, so I'm just usind the maps on Martinc's website for now (the ones I've used/am using *feel* like it's a pretty good starting point) Now, after trying a few maps (from online), my bike pulled hard as hell with the Striker!!:rock The bike came up with ease in the first three gears, but backfired like nobody's business on cooler temp days. The Akrapovic seems to make my bike run a lot smoother. The power seems to be more linear, and for some reason or another, I am noticing a lot less engine braking. The bike barely backfires (if at all), and the bike is pulling very hard. Although, it doesn't seem to pull as hard as it did with the Striker (as of yet ) Again, there are many factors in regards to a bikes performance, so I won't rate either on a scale of 1-10. LOOKS Again, this is something that is determined by personal preference, but in my opinion, the Striker kicks the shit out of the Akrapovic...even with the Akra being carbon fiber. The high exit angle of the Striker is beautiful, and the enclosed hanger is of good quality. (just wish it was black) The Carbon Fiber of the Akrapovic is beautiful, but I would have preferred if the angle was increased to a "high exit." The Akrapovic comes with a Lockhart Phillips Carbon Fiber hanger that looks pretty cool, but feels very cheap. While torquing the hanger bolt, I heard slight cracking in the hanger. (I'm looking for an alternative as I type this) In the looks department, I give the Striker 10..........Akra 8.5 Again, this was just a short review, and I'll post more about the Akra as soon as I get a custom map. If any of you with this set up has a map I could try, please let me know! :thumbup For those of you who are torn between the two systems, your money will be best spent on the Striker. (in my honest opinion) Both systems are very good, but for less money you could have the Striker....allowing you to spend the difference on something else. I am neither pleased nor displeased with my purchase, but I am very glad I got to test this sytem FIRST HAND!! I don't like to "believe the hype", and I like to try things out on my own. Here are a few pics (excuse the low quality, as they were taken in less than optimal conditions)