I emailed Jim Langer over at Racing Beat just to get some info on their up coming catback and here is what he had to say.


Thanks for the interest in our new exhaust for the RX-8. Mr. Oku, Racing Beat's co-founder and chief exhaust designer, has been spending a great deal of time developing an exhaust for the RX-8. While we expect to see MANY exhaust systems for the RX-8 hit the market, we assume that many will be a very simple straight-through canister design, and will be VERY loud.

We have undertaken countless hours up to this point trying to develop a muffler that, 1) makes power, 2) produces an exhaust note that compliments the stature of the RX-8 and it's driver. It is hard to imagine that someone will be willing to spend upwards of $30000 for a car, only to have it sound like a $10000 Honda Civic. Some will, but we intend to design our system to those that don't!

We do not have a part number assigned for the RX-8 Exhaust system just yet, but we can place your name on a priority list. Just give us a call and have one of the sales reps place your name in our system. You will be not be charged until the systems are ready for delivery, and only after we have contacted you to confirm that the system is still required.

I will be glad to address any question that you might have regarding the development of this new exhaust, feel free to contact me at the number below.

Mr. Oku please hurry, the Mazda Amex card is burning a hole in my pocket.

Edit: RB Put up the part number and they are expecting a Late Dec release :(

http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm

Sounds promising.

I really like the borla. I get to hear one in person soon on Speed Racer's Rx8. I was convinced.....But Racing Beat has a great reputation....and this sounds very promising.:D

Looks good!

my amex card already put the hole in my pocket

but cash is king

Mike, I thought you already bought the Borla...?

nope
I'm holding out for greddy, hks, apex

Why? What's wrong with the Borla? Just curious...

Originally posted by Omicron
Why? What's wrong with the Borla? Just curious...

Nothing that I know of, it’s just a matter of preference. RB has been working on and racing Mazda rotaries since the 70's. The experience and the quality is why I favor them.

Fair 'nuf.

no matter what the hell anyone says...a straight through exhaust is going to get just about the same amount of power...im still waiting for someone to do a custom exhaust..can anyone contact jesse james to make one of his custom pipes??

Originally posted by XDEEDUBBX
no matter what the hell anyone says...a straight through exhaust is going to get just about the same amount of power...im still waiting for someone to do a custom exhaust..can anyone contact jesse james to make one of his custom pipes??

Go to westcoastchoppers.com and fire off an email to them.. You never know, they might just do it. Have you ever heard an unmuffled rotary? Trust me, you can't go with a straight through ext. It is very very loud.

This is the one that I'm waiting for!

Forget the borla, the RB one should last for a very very very long time! These guys know what they are doing!

Longer than a million miles???

Originally posted by bureau13
Longer than a million miles???

Mazda might pay you a dollar per mile if you can get the RENESIS to last that long.

Racing Beat has launched the product page for this upcoming exhaust. Can't wait for this one...

Racing Beat RX-8 Exhaust (http://racingbeat.com/resultset.asp?PartNumber=16397)

Looks expensive...

Originally posted by syntrix


the RB one should last for a very very very long time! These guys know what they are doing!

What kind of warranty does Racing Beat offer?

Originally posted by ranger4277
Racing Beat has launched the product page for this upcoming exhaust. Can't wait for this one...

Racing Beat RX-8 Exhaust (http://racingbeat.com/resultset.asp?PartNumber=16397)

Is that a picture of the entire system? It looks like it's just a rear section (axel-back).

Originally posted by david borla
Is that a picture of the entire system? It looks like it's just a rear section (axel-back).

From the link:

Yes, we are getting closer to the completion of our cat-back exhaust system for the new RX-8!

LOOKS great but hate to see the price especially converted to australian dollars .

I would guess that retail on the exhaust will be $699

Jason
www.rx8store.com

As a 1st gen owner, I can safely say that I have never heard of a Racing Beat exhaust system failing on a RX-7. Racing Beat typically overengineers their exhaust components because of the extreme heat and pulsation coming from a rotary engine's exhaust. Not only that, but the sound quality from their products is outstanding. Nothing sounds sweeter than a N/A rotary with the full RB system.

Guys,

We are working on the new design of our system... getting close to being finished.

We have spent the last week running several aftermarket systems on a 6-port engine on our engine dyno. We compared the Borla, JIC, stock, open exhaust, and several of our prototype units.

The results showed us exactly what we were suspecting all along... power gains from ANY aftermarket exhaust will be modest. Mazda simply did not leave large untapped power gains behind. PERIOD.

We also took the opportunity to run "on chassis" sound level tests at various RPM points, both under load and at cruising speeds. We completed two runs, one with the driver's window open, the other closed.

I will be presenting the results of this testing in the near future.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

I would suspect that the biggest restriction is the cat on the car.

Any chance of creating an aftermarket cat [even though the laws are tough] with the exaust sytem?

Or have you tested an open pipe on the car with not much of a gain?

When you said open exhaust, did you mean you also replace the catalytic converter with a straight midpipe? Did you guys fabricate a manifold to replace the stock one or you keep the stock exhaust manifold?

Chuck Huang

Originally posted by Racing Beat Inc
Guys,

We are working on the new design of our system... getting close to being finished.

We have spent the last week running several aftermarket systems on a 6-port engine on our engine dyno. We compared the Borla, JIC, stock, open exhaust, and several of our prototype units.

The results showed us exactly what we were suspecting all along... power gains from ANY aftermarket exhaust will be modest. Mazda simply did not leave large untapped power gains behind. PERIOD.

We also took the opportunity to run "on chassis" sound level tests at various RPM points, both under load and at cruising speeds. We completed two runs, one with the driver's window open, the other closed.

I will be presenting the results of this testing in the near future.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

We have tested a Renesis 6-port engine on the dyno with MANY different exhaust configurations. We have run several different types of headers, with cats/without cats, and at least 10 different prototype mufflers in an attempt to uncover the potential for performance improvement in the exhaust system. We have read with amusement of some of the rather wild numbers being thrown around with regards to some of the HP claims being made about some of the exhaust systems currently on the market.

The “open” exhaust tests were conducted with a larger RB connecting pipe behind the stock exhaust manifold and cat section. The muffler section was simply removed from this connecting pipe. (Running the stock connecting pipe during testing was impractical due to the “slip-joint” that Mazda incorporated into this tube. The RB pipe was fitted with a flange that could be bolted up to each aftermarket system and our prototypes.)

The best results were found without any cats, but even running two presilencers and a muffler, the exhaust note was extremely loud! This might work for the hardcore guys, but the average person would soon become tired of this racket.

We will post an in-dept article on our findings in the near future. I am working with Jim Mederer as we organize and format the data that has been collected.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

thanks for the update

I've been a big fan of the RB exhaust systems for quite awhile. Awesome build quality, and wonderfull tone. When the time comes (wife approval) I'm going to go with a RB unit. CJ

Jim/Racing Beat, have you considered (a) trying the exhausts with a high-flow catalytic converter, and (b)Header plus exhaust port work (and cat+muffler, of course)? I hear the stock ports are cut such that a header alone won't help much, as it usually does with most engines.

Although we are familiar with the term “high flow” cat, what exactly does this mean? I have yet to see ANY documentation with any of these units comparing any type of exhaust flow data to the stock unit, right?

We tend to stay away from the rather touchy issue of replacement cats for street use. In California, the Air Resources Board does not look lightly upon the replacement of cats with any type of “high performance” unit. As long as I have been working with CARB, it is my understanding that moving, relocating, and/or “upgrading” the cat is not permissible. A cat can technically only be replaced if it has failed, and even then CARB would want to know why a cat has failed so early on such a new car.

It would be hard to claim a “high flow” unit is a “race” component since not too many cars use cats on a track. I am certain that there will be these types of units offered by some vendors in the future, I will let them assume the increasing risk of getting busted by CARB or the EPA.

We are in the process of developing a both a downpipe and header for the RX-8, but these will clearly be intended for racing applications and not intended for street use.

Jim Mederer will be undertaking porting research in the near future. Currently, stock engines are very limited and we are undertaking baseline readings before the engine is disassembled. Once we modify the engine, making comparisons against a stock engine is not possible.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

Great Jim, thanks for the well thought out, complete response.

As for the high-flow cat, Random Technologies has a unit that they claim adds 8 to 15 HP and Lbs of torque (depending on the application) due to reduced exhaust restriction. Check their website for more info: http://www.randomtechnology.com/ . They're pretty clear on their claims.

I can understand your concerns about offering a kit that includes a replacement cat... but it might be worth doing the research so that you can at least discuss that option with your customers if they ask... then whatever they do, they do at their own risk. Besides, there are 48 states that don't have the same stringent emmissions standards as California does. Just a thought.

Also, I'll be VERY interested in hearing about your port work.

The biggest HP gains that we have measured on the Renesis have been without any cat on the car, but we haven't seen any gains of up to 15HP through our exhaust program.

There are indeed other states that have adopted the CA emsissions standards. The Feds didn't want to have 50 different sets of emsission laws on the books, so they offered either the FED or CA standards to the states. At least five other states have adopted our CA standards (NY, NJ, NH, ???... correct me if I am wrong.) Many states now have programs that require tailpipe emissions tests, making "cheaping" more difficult.

My main point is that this is a VERY sensitive issue and the more prudent aftermarket manufacturers are paying close attention to the potential negative legal ramifications.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

When you dyno the car with different exhaust combination, did you datalog the a/f ratio? Any a/f ratio changing from different combination?

rx7.com has info on their midpipe and greddy cat-back exhaust system. They claime a 21 rwhp gain with the midpipe and cat-back exhaust and they claim the exhaust tone to be mild. what's your thought of that?

Another vendor offers ECU tuning that is supposed to gain 20-25 rwhp with complete stock system and with a midpipe, it will gain about 30-35 rwhp. What's your thought of that? Do you think it's safe to tune the renesis motor with a 13.2 a/f on 91 pump gas?

I trust your company more than anyone else. Your black 235 mph rx7 is simply amazing!! :)

How close are you guys to finishing the catback.. I would realy like to have it my xmas..

If I remember it correctly you cannot change your cat converter until you have 5 years or 50K miles per EPA standard. I think RandomTech website says that too.

The only exception is that the cat fails. How a brand new cat can fail is beyond my imagination. I live in CA and I care a lot about CARB certification.

So, when is RacingBeat going to release its catback exhaust?

I have a call in with my CARB rep, I will let you know their position on cat replacement for CA. What CARB doesn’t want to hear is that a cat has prematurely failed. If a cat has failed, they will look at the causes of the failure and potentially require that the manufacturer issue a recall if there is a widespread problem.

This in part plays into the “lost power” issue with the RX-8. Mazda’s engineers have programmed the car to run “rich” at higher RPM’s in order to keep the exhaust gas temperatures down. Running a leaner mixture at these higher RPM’s may overheat and prematurely damage the cat, risking that dreaded word to every car maker….. recall!

We are certainly working on the exhaust, but the man-in-charge is currently in Japan and I must wait a couple more days for an update. My guess is that we are still several weeks away, sorry.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

Just got off the phone with our CARB contact, here’s what I know. The following information only applies to CA, the Federal standards may be different.

Let’s only talk about a 2004 RX-8. If your car has been involved in an accident, you must replace the unit with an OEM replacement. Depending on the new vehicle emissions certification for that particular vehicle, a cat has been designated to last a specified time period by the car manufacturer. This might be 50,000, 100,000 or even 120,000 miles depending on that particular car. If the cat has PROVEN to have failed during this mileage period, the cat can be replaced with an OEM unit under the emissions warranty for that vehicle.

Can you place a “high flow” cat on your car and be “legal”. Legally, no. The cat cannot be replaced, moved, or repositioned and still be emissions legal. Can you still get your car smog checked during a tail-pipe emissions test with a “high flow” unit on your car? Not legally, but your car may slip through the system unnoticed. Much depends on the testing facility.

It is also possible that a less efficient “high flow” cat, may alert the trailing O2 sensor of a “failing cat” and trigger a check engine light or register a trouble code.

What if you really wanted to play by the rules and replace the cat with a legal aftermarket unit? Since the car is certified to ODB II standards, the cat must be a ODB II certified unit. According to our CARB contact, there are only a very few units that have received this approval, and they are only for select domestic applications.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat, Inc.

Good info Jim!

Any idea what Federal department writes the laws for things like this? (Read, outside of cali ;) )

Thanks Jim.

My understanding is that the EPA writes the laws for the Federal standards.

Solution: move to Texas, and in particular a county that does not perform emissions testing. Not that I favor polluting the environment, I just like all the cheap HP I can get...

:D

We could move the RB shop to Texas, but our morning commute would be a real lon-distance pain!!! If we could bring the So Cal beaches and weather with us, and we might consider moving.

Don't think you are out of the woods when it comes to emissions, things will only become tougher for ALL states in the future.

Jim

In Colorado, new cars are emissions testing exempt for 4 years. :D

Guys,

Educate me about emissions testing in YOUR state.

1. What state and city is your car registered in?

2. Are you required to pass a tailpipe emissions test?

3. How often is testing required?

4. Is there a "visual test" that is performed prior to the tailpipe test to verify that the required emissions components are in place?

5. If you purchase a new car, how many years is your car exempt before the first emissions test is required?

Let me know any other details that you think are relavant.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

Miami, FL. No emissions testing anymore. Got canned a couple years back since it was unecesary and besides, all the damn lazy latins just paid on the side to pass anyways. Yes, I am a lazy latin but I didnt pay. My neon was the bizomb. It passed on it's own.

See, you can have the beaches and sun (more of it actually), AND no emissions to worry about.

plus it's way cheaper than Cali.

And the hoochie mama's over here are plentiful and easy too! :D

1. Ohio, Montgomery County (Dayton)
2. Yes.
3. Alternating years. (odd years for odd year cars)
4. Yes.
5. Exempt for first 4 years.

I believe we are the only (or one of only) counties in Ohio with emissions tests.

In Wisconsin, Milw County and others on the east side may have something, but nothing on the west side of the state.
Tom

RacingBeat has updated their product page for the cat-back exhaust.. check it out!!! Some new photos.

Click ME!!!!!! (http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset.asp?partnumber=16397)

I want that exhaust!!!!!!!

that looks great but will them ever MAKE it

Well, their design looks the same as Greddy and HKS.

Guys,

The hard part is done... the internal design has been designed! We are now awaiting the arrival of the subcomponents from our suppliers so that we can assemble the units. Once we recieve the parts, we can start to produce these units very quickly. As usual, updates will be posted to the site.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

Hey Jim!

Will you be posting audio of your exhaust? I am very interested in hearing it (plus I don't buy an exhaust without hearing it first). Will you also post dyno charts? Peak HP isn't as important to me as seeing effect over the entire rev range.

Thanks.

I am working on obtaining both the dyno charts and sound clips for the RX-8 system.

My main concern with offering sound clips is the sound quality that is produced by a simple speaker in the computer! Now, I am sure you have a full gaming system with 5.1 surround sound on your computer (or at least a set of decent speakers), but what about the guy that doesn’t? I have listened to sound clips on different sets of speakers, and the results can vary greatly. These clips can actually work against us!!!

I have been working on various methods to record and save these clips, but I suggest you use these types of recordings a rough “guide”. The limited dynamic range of the recording and playback has limited usefulness in replicating the sound of the actual exhaust. (For example, have you ever heard a recording of a rotary engine, a Ferrari, or a Porsche, that REALLY sounded like the real thing?)

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

Looking forward to hear it nontheless. :) CJ

Send us a sound clip in 5.1! I want to hear the car drive around me first! ;)

Anything yet?

Has anyone heard of any updates on the Racing Beat exhaust? Theire website said that they would be ready by the middle of March. Also which vendors are going to be selling the exhuast?

They sure aren't in a hurry to get their products on the market..

Ok just talked to RB about 5 min ago, they said that the first 15 exhausts will be coming out on friday but that all 15 are already spoken for, he did say that mazdatrix preordered 8 of the 15 so get a hold of them. And the second batch of exhaust will be in mid april and will definately be alot larger than the first 15. I think the wait is well worth it.

i'm glad you got farther than i did, i emailed them on thurs and never got a reply. What kinda other companies will be released in April, arent most of the big ones out already? man that sucks i reeeally wanted exhaust, i just don't wanna but one and have a really hott one come out the next day.

Racing Beat will get the second batch of exhausts in mid april

I will be carrying them at www.rx8store.com
You can preorder if you like.

Jason

Originally posted by Jason
I will be carrying them at www.rx8store.com
You can preorder if you like.

Jason

carrying them from the first shipment (friday)? or in the future...?

I might have 2 on this first batch, but wont know until later this week. They also dont have a price yet, so I will post that as soon as I know.

Jason

i order mines from mazda trix from there first batch. next is my high flow cat. :D

what is the price on rb exhaust?

It has not been decided yet, but the guys at RB said that it would be today or tomorrow that they decided on a price.

By the way he also said to stay tuned for their intake that has tubing to expand on the stock lower right hand bumber intake opening.

This is kind of ironic. On one hand people are clamoring for dyno charts, sound files, pictures, etc of every exhaust out there, and in this thread we have people pre-ordering an exhaust with no pics (other than prototypes) no sound files and no dynos.

jds

PS: Of course if I missed something and there's a "RB exhaust dyno!" thread right below this one I'll feel like an ass...

I think it boils down to RB has built trust in the rotary community by building great exhaust systems with excellent sound for the last 20+ years. I like the honest HP claims.

Originally posted by tommy12g
stock lower right hand bumber

Where's the *bumber* on the car???

:p




;)

Sorry 310guy i meant lower right hand side of the bumper!

where the stock air intake opening is. they are replacing the stock and adding a larger diameter air duct that will feed the air box.

I just visited the RB website. I tried to click on the exhaust link for the RX8 on the pulldown list, it gave me an error. Maybe they're updating!

It worked for me. Nothing new yet

Looks like they updated their site and the first production run is ready. $595 from their website, I'm sure resellers will be able to go a little cheaper...

http://www.racingbeat.com/resultset.asp?partnumber=16397

Maybe but not until the channel supply improves. Mazdatrix quotes full retail plus $25 shipping to SF bay area. Mine should come in by friday...
________
Michigan Dispensaries (http://michigan.dispensaries.org/)

Originally posted by PUR NRG
Mine should come in by friday...

Cool. I'm expecting pics and sound clips :) I've been waiting for RB's exhaust to come out for a long time now... I'll probably be getting a cat-back sometime soon and it's one of my top choices so far.

MAZDA TRIX ,called me today and said my exhaust should be here friday but iam not putting it in till my stage 2 comes in and i save up for canzoomers high flow cat.hopefully by next month cant wait :D

Can we say Groupbuy yet Jason? :D CJ

Now we just need to wait for Jim Langer to post the sound clip! :)

omg please post a sound clip!!!! i have been checking their website everyday for like 3 weeks. so excited

$595 final price that is damn good!!!

Like pp13bnos said Group buy?

I think we could do a GB in the future but right now they are hard to get. I have one on the way to me from this first batch. If anyone wants it please call.

I will get some good pics of it as soon as its in.

Jason
www.rx8store.com

I'd be willing to do a GB down the road. I need to first sell my m2 carbon fiber intake first. So, I'll need some time anyways. CJ

PUR NRG or smrx8 do you guys have any sound clips yet? i'm so excited

not bad for 595...its a really nice looking muffler...excuse me for my ignorance but how large are the exhaust tips?

Per their website, 4" tips. Looks nice.

Originally posted by Navybeardbb
PUR NRG or smrx8 do you guys have any sound clips yet? i'm so excited

You can find one here

http://www.rx8web.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid

Hope this helps

Lou :D

link didn't work for me. here's the correct one.
http://www.rx8web.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=277

Originally posted by Navybeardbb
PUR NRG or smrx8 do you guys have any sound clips yet? i'm so excited
Sorry but no. When Mazdatrix called to confirm the order they said it would go out wednesday. It went out thursday instead so it should be arriving today. However I won't get a chance to install it until the weekend.
________
ZOLOFT LAWSUIT SETTLEMENTS (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/zoloft/)

Can you say DAMN!! Thats has to be the perfect balance of sound that I've heard on an 8. Racing beat has outdone themselves. I've def made up my mind now. Thanks for the link.

Whoooo ordered mine!!! should be in my clutches on Monday. I can wait!!! Will post pics when I install it.

that sold me on the exhaust...that's the sound i was hoping for..good job Jim and Crew!!!.......now i have to wait for 2nd production run...

Originally posted by adrian-1
link didn't work for me. here's the correct one.
http://www.rx8web.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=277

Oh yeah sorry guys. Thanks Adrian-1!

Isn't it the best exhaust out there :D

ooooh boy...i need to rob a liquor store now

Mine's on order, too. Once again, Racing Beat proves that they are the kings of Rotary performance. My Miata was ALL RB, (springs, sways, header, exhaust, etc......), and I'm glad I waited for them to release thier exhaust for the 8.

Sweet. :)

IAM just sitting hear thinking how different it would be with canzoomers cat.and mid pipe with the resonater.iam ordering that kit sometime next week?

Aw crap..knew I shoulda waited for the RB:( I was itchin to get an exhaust, and at the time, the best thing for me was the Borla. Right before I placed the order, I was interested in the RB. But since there wasn't a sound clip (and I didn't have the patience to wait for it), I decided to go ahead with the Borla. I figured if I kept waiting to compare the Borla with another new exhaust, I'd never get anywhere. Now I wish I'd waited just a few weeks longer. Crap for crap..

Such a nice sounding exhaust. Still, I'd like to hear what it sounds like on start up.

System looks nice. Good to see it out on the market. Some pics of it installed would be great. As far as the clip goes... I agree with you...can't tell much by a clip on a PC.

BTW Jim, did you ever get my PM I sent a couple months back? I never heard back from you, so I wondered if you got it or not. No biggie.

That clip sold me too, i'm glad i didn't go with rx8store's...gotta call my dealer see if they care if i put an exhaust on..then order time. What a sound, i just hope the magnaflow one wont be better...nah racing beat is too perfect.

FWIW - my local dealer sells RB parts in the parts dept, and if they install them you keep warranty.

You can also order here. http://www.rx8store.com/product.asp?0=639&1=640&3=307


Jason

Ordered mine too, said it should ship friday or monday at the latest. I'll get some pics of it installed and see if I can get a decent sound clip too.

All this sweet talk about this exhaust has me ready to purchase. I'm so weak.LOL

Bought mine from Mazdatrix today!! Get it on Monday !! cant wait. They had 3 when I ordered mine, I guess 2 left now, before you have to wait for 2nd production run by mid or late april

WHAT!!! Two Racing Beat exhausts in Miami!!??? NO NO NO, cancel your order Tommy, there can only be one!:D Congrats bro, I can't wait either!!

When do you get yours?

I also ordered the CZ stage one get it in about 1 month Maurice said. so im done with mods, K&N drop in, CZ1 and RB exhaust!

Done with mods.

Ahh... If I had a dollar for every time I said that.:D

Mine will be here in Orlando on Wednesday, April 6th. Can't wait.

Originally posted by tommy12g
When do you get yours?

I also ordered the CZ stage one get it in about 1 month Maurice said. so im done with mods, K&N drop in, CZ1 and RB exhaust!

I get mine on Friday, will try to install for Saturday's Autox, are you going? Yuri and I are heading out there. I ordered Stage 1 as well, Group Buy 2. I'm also waiting for the Green Filters to arrive. After this I'm going for the Racing Beat Front sway bar. I drove Alex's car and it is amazing, the body roll is greatly diminished.

Dude wtf!!!! where are you guys getting these from! i called this company down in my area today that was on Racing Beats website for dealers, they said it was on back-order until the end of april and i could make a deposit!!! i was like wtf that sucks. But anyway if you guys know of any place i can get it sooner that owuld be awesome i'm gunna call the rx8store tomorrow.

they probably are on backorder cause i think all the ones that were manufactured are already sold...=(

I talked to Chris Cortez down at racing beat and he said that he would probably have one to ship for me on friday or monday at the latest. I actually expected to have to wait longer but hopefully I'll have it by next week now =)

Potent, please cancel your order, there are TWO RB exhaust in Florida already!! Don't you think that is enough? JK Congratulations bro, looks like us FL boys are getting all of them :D

Lol, mine's on the UPS truck out for delivery :D I'll be putting it in on Saturday morning.

Congrats Superfan! Are you going to the autox on Saturday? Is yours being delivered Friday? I'm putting it on on Friday, thats when mine gets here.

UPS says the package weighs 59 lbs!!! I hope most of it is packaging :/

LoL wow that does seem kinda heavy but then again Stainless isnt exactly light. Ahh I could care less if its a couple lbs heavier than stock at this point, it sounds so good I just want it! :)

They are currently on backorder again. They told me they should have more next week sometime. If anyone wants to preorder one give me a call and it will ship as soon as Racingbeat gets them.

Jason

I am sure the box is also a good 10 pounds since it does need to be rather solid.

I gotta say I was behind a WB car for most of my commute this morning, and I am still surprised at how big and ugly the stock can is.

It'll be here today [UPS Tracking] (http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/processRequest?HTMLVersion=5.0&Requester=NES&AgreeToTermsAndConditions=yes&loc=en_US&tracknum=1Z9873480348260440). My tires are toast so I can't autox the car right now. I should have new tires and some springs in by the 18th so I'll go then. I might even put the exhaust in tonight when I get home if I'm not too tired. I put my name on the preorder list back in late Oct 03 so that's what 6 months. I can't belive it's finally here :D:D:D

Originally posted by lourx8
Congrats Superfan! Are you going to the autox on Saturday? Is yours being delivered Friday? I'm putting it on on Friday, thats when mine gets here.

Originally posted by strong bad
Aw crap..knew I shoulda waited for the RB:( I was itchin to get an exhaust, and at the time, the best thing for me was the Borla. Right before I placed the order, I was interested in the RB. But since there wasn't a sound clip (and I didn't have the patience to wait for it), I decided to go ahead with the Borla. I figured if I kept waiting to compare the Borla with another new exhaust, I'd never get anywhere. Now I wish I'd waited just a few weeks longer. Crap for crap..

Such a nice sounding exhaust. Still, I'd like to hear what it sounds like on start up.

Without sound files or dyno sheets, what is it about the RB exhaust that makes you want it? Is it just the name that attracts you?

What is it about the Borla cat-back that you don't prefer? Your input is of great value to us as we're always looking to improve our products. Thanks for your help.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO ACTUALLY MAKES THE RB EXHAUST? I'm fairly certain that rb does not have exhaust manufacturing capabilities.

Well I think I speak for everyone when I say that the borla sounds great!! The only reason I sided against it was that weird bend in it. Just seems to scare me for some reason. Ive heard the borla in person and it sounds amazing. The RB clip sold me though, a bit of a different tone and looks to be a much smoother design. I would've ordered the borla already if it wasn't for that odd bend in it.

Originally posted by Potent
Well I think I speak for everyone when I say that the borla sounds great!! The only reason I sided against it was that weird bend in it. Just seems to scare me for some reason. Ive heard the borla in person and it sounds amazing. The RB clip sold me though, a bit of a different tone and looks to be a much smoother design. I would've ordered the borla already if it wasn't for that odd bend in it.

Fair enough. Thanks for your input.

Originally posted by david borla
Fair enough. Thanks for your input.

That is the same reason I went with the RX8store exhaust and not Borla - the weird bend.

Originally posted by david borla
Without sound files or dyno sheets, what is it about the RB exhaust that makes you want it? Is it just the name that attracts you?

What is it about the Borla cat-back that you don't prefer? Your input is of great value to us as we're always looking to improve our products. Thanks for your help.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO ACTUALLY MAKES THE RB EXHAUST? I'm fairly certain that rb does not have exhaust manufacturing capabilities.

Uh oh. I hope I didn't offend you. It was not my intention...I didn't even realize that my post/comments on the RB came off as bashing or regretting the purchase of your product.

The truth is, ever since the posts started coming out about your catback for the 8, I was swayed in that direction to buy it for myself. There were several positive comments not only about this exhaust system, but Borla as a whole. That gave me the assurance that you were a very credible manufacturer. When the sound clips came out, I, as well as many on the forum, fell in love with it even more. That pretty much made it a lock for me. I just needed to save the money. But during this period, other competitors began to market their systems. So I did moderate research on the other brands to compare your system with theirs. I tried to factor my decision based on price, appearance (size of the tips), and the sound. In the end, I still preferred Borla over the other's, and I still love that deep tone.

For a moment, I was waivering between your's and the Greddy system. My roommate, without any knowledge of the systems available for the 8, made a blanket statement to persuade me twds the Greddy. He cited Greddy being the typical vendor of choice for modifying japanese cars, and that I should stick with them because of this. Again, I ultimately sided with Borla again. Part of the reason was after some thought, those Greddy tips really did seem too big for my tastes.

But then right when I ruled Greddy out, I caught the thread about the RB system. While reading through some posts, I got the same impression of their product as I did for yours, several months ago. The only thing that was missing for me was a sound clip. Because of that, I decided to stick with my first decision. Also, I was noticing my lack of decisiveness. The longer I waited to make a purchase, the more unsure I became.

So I finally ordered the Borla, and was pleased with my decision (by the way, it speaks volumes about your system that I was lured by several alternatives, only to return back to my first choice). The problem was, the vendor I ordered it from had the exhaust on back order without notifying their customers. So I was stuck waiting, and it made me both unhappy and impatient. That's when the RB sound clip was finally released and when I heard it, I liked it a lot. So I think that, coupled with the fact that I was waiting indefinitely for my order, led to my rash comments about the RB and such.

Today my order arrived (with the cool Borla hat :)), and I'll be installing it tomorrow. Based on the feedback I've read, as well as the deciding factors I lised above, I see no reason to ever regret my decision to stick with you guys. RB may have a nice system too, but I'm more than happy about my choice. I apologize for the slip up..because I wasn't trying to bad mouth your product in any way. I hope this reply helps. Thanks.

I ordered mine today also thanks to jason, cool guy. For all of you who havent gone through rx8store, i havent got my exhaust yet but the order went smoothly lol, so far so good jason.

just ordered the last one from mazdatrix....

I have a Borla and am very happy with it. I do have one observation regarding the RB exhaust. It seems the RB has two smaller cans. This might help lower the temp in the truck. Although, I already see some improvement in that area going from stock to Borla.

BTW. I thought the sound clip of RB is in conjunction with a K&N filter. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Is there a sound clip that has only the RB exhaust?

Originally posted by RX Guy
Is there a sound clip that has only the RB exhaust?


Not yet...

I installed the RB Exhaust last night and it sounds great.. Here are a couple of pics I took this morning. I also recorded a small vid (about 2.5 megs). Don't know if I can upload it here. If someone wants to host it, just PM me and I'll send it over.

Pic2

Pic3

Pic4

Very Very Nice pics superfan....very tempting indeed!! I'd be interested in seeing/hearing your sounds when you find a place to post them.

S_D

How would you compare the weight of the stock exhaust to the racing beat one i got mines and it seems very heavy .i have not put mines in yet as iam waiting for my stage 2.

I think the RB is a little lighter. I was going to weigh it on my bathroom scale but I forgot. When I was taking the stock unit out, it slipped and landed on my chest so I was kinda pissed when I carried it away. The surge of adrenaline kinda made it feel lighter than it actually is :)

Originally posted by Superfan
I. When I was taking the stock unit out, it slipped and landed on my chest

LOL, the same thing happened to me! The stock system is pretty heavy especially when it's on top of you. :p

YOU GUYS CRACK ME UP :p anyways ill try to weigh it when i install it .i dont think i can wait 4 to 5 weeks for the stage 2 to get here everytime i see laying around its like it whispering take me OUT ! :D

Superfan, just an observation, you need to rotate your tires. Your rears are pretty much bald where as the front seem to have some tread left in them.

smrx8,

Go install it!! :) You've waited too long already!!

Wish I had one whispering to me too.

damn.......i might just have to get the RB exhaust just cuz it reps my hometown anaheim. i am loving the detail on the exhaust tips.

im hearing nothing but great things about this exhaust. planning on getting it soon. was hoping to see some dynos prior to purchasing but all of the feedback sounds extremely positive so im pretty much set on it. that IS pretty cool that its from anaheim because its like my second home besides fullerton, so that sik.
try to post more sound clips guys.

hey djmano, are you the guy thats always parked in front of anaheim high school. now that i think about it i always used to se a titanium rx8 there

And not on my car :D

So Lourx8 calls me up and tells me the only shop open is a Pep Boys and they wanna charge him 150 bucks to install it. I tell him to buy a mm wrench set, a couple ramps, a can of WD40 and a crowbar and to haul his ass over.

The 2 nuts by the cat where a mission.. The first rubber hanger was a pain as well. Once those are done, everything else was easy as pie.

The exhaust is pretty of course. The lettering on the left side isnt close enough to the edge to be seen, but the other side does. It's about as heavy as the stock exhaust I would say, but the piping is larger. Tips look very very nice on the red 8.

The sound rather surprised me. It is a very low rumble. Even when revving it's hardly louder than stock, but there is a very noticeable rumble when your WOT. I really liked it a lot. If your looking for a low tone this is the exhaust to get.

I am sure lou will show up soon to post. And tomorrow it's a nice auto-x day at a great track (we hear) with a 2 hour cruise over.

I'm surprised at the weight comment...being all stainless I would have expected it to be considerably lighter than stock.

jds

Oh, and btw:

It sounds great and drives very nice :D


Lou hit my house when he was done ;)

Here's a short vid I shot this morning of the RB exhaust. I'll make something better tomorrow.

Download (http://home.earthlink.net/~asuperfan/Superfan_RBExhaust.zip)

I had my Racing Beat exhaust installed 2 days ago along with the k&n air intake. I love the both of them the car sounds like a freakin jet air plane when whinding down in gears. I have had minor idle problems though, wonder if I need to retune the ecu, anyone have any input on this problem.

Next is the RB flywheel and header with a high flow cat when it's available.

superfan, the racing beat exhaust sounds awesome.... It shows they spent a long time on trying to get the best sound out of it. Cant wait to get mine delivered..Thanks for posting up that vid...

Originally posted by devious12
I had my Racing Beat exhaust installed 2 days ago along with the k&n air intake. I love the both of them the car sounds like a freakin jet air plane when whinding down in gears. I have had minor idle problems though, wonder if I need to retune the ecu, anyone have any input on this problem.

Next is the RB flywheel and header with a high flow cat when it's available. The idle problem is most likely your K&N intake... lots of people with them are reporting that same problem. Hunt around a bit and you'll see.

Grats!!! Im gonna have to check out the website now.

I have an RB dual tip catback on my FD RX-7. The build quality is fantastic and it looks great. I am very happy with the exhaust tone. It is noticeable, but quiet under normal operation. At WOT it roars. The reason I have been waiting for this exhaust is simply from customer satisfaction. They did it right with the FD so I'm expecting the same for the 8.


PS - Regardless of reading all the "fluff" on the RB website...... I don't believe for a second that Borlas or any other catbacks are making 10-12 RWHP gains.

I would really like to know a definitive answer on this weight thing. Considering you are eliminating the single large canister for two smaller ones and going to stainless steel piping, I would have expected it to weigh a lot less than stock. This is important to me. What does it weigh?

It looks like the best solution yet unless it is heavy.

Sorry, I was more concerned in getting it on and heering it than putting it on a scale :D

Maybe an email to RB to ask them?

Is rear weight really an issue? Given the front is much heavier wouldn't weight in back help with respect to balance and rear traction? Granted 10 or even 20 lbs wouldn't make much of a difference but I'm talking theory here.

I installed the exhaust last weekend as well. I was lucky with the cat bolts--one sharp tug on each and they came loose. No lubricant required.

The pipe hanger was a pain. Sprayed some WD-40 on a small flathead screwdriver, wedged it into the hole and leveraged it apart so I could spray some more WD-40. Eventually I worked the screwdriver entirely through the hanger and leveraged against the end of the hanger until the rubber came over the hanger's lip. Left it halfway off while I worked on the rest. Leaving it halfway on helps support the exhaust while you disconnect the other hangers and frankly there wasn't enough room to completely remove it.

I noticed the upper part of that hanger looks like it's connected by a 17mm bolt. Unfortunately I didn't have a wrench that size so I could test out the theory. If anyone else plans to do the install let me know--unbolting the hanger first may be an easier route.

The other four hangers were a cinch. Insert small screwdriver, open it up and spray WD-40. Then take a very large (like 18") flathead and pry the hanger apart from the back. Apply enough force from behind and the rubber pops off the exhaust hanger pretty easy.

If you are removing the exhaust by yourself you can prop the can up with a jack, remove the pipe hanger and yank backwards to clear the cat bolts. Installing the new exhaust is definitely a two person job. I got lucky and didn't have to reposition the tips.

You will experience smoke and a strong metallic smell from the exhaust as whatever's in there burns away. Don't worry it goes away.

I imagine the sound will get louder as the stuff in the can packs down. After ~200 miles I like it. And my wife likes it, which is more important since it's her car. :) We were at an autocross on sunday and driving into the paddock a couple people asked if we had a supercharger. I think the MS body kit and JIC coilovers contributed to that impression.
________
Digital vaporizers (http://digitalvaporizers.info)

Originally posted by elgueroloco
[B]was hoping to see some dynos prior to purchasing[/B
Why? RB claims 3hp so the primary reason to get the exhaust is for aesthetics.
________
Wendie 99 (http://www.lovelywendie99.com/)

Originally posted by PUR NRG
Why? RB claims 3hp so the primary reason to get the exhaust is foraesthetics .

Reasons to get an exhaust:

Aesthetics
Sound
Maximizing other mods like ECU

What about weight? I thought it would be lighter than stock. Anyone know the actual weight?

Delayed still!!! Talked to Chris Cortez of RB today. They are still waiting on some peices and wont have a ETA til tomorrow!!! Man im too impatient. Im about to just order the B&B.

Talked to RB today, and they gave me an ETA of around next friday for the next batch(something like 25 of them in that batch). Then he said the 23rd, which isn't actually next friday, but the friday after next. Either way, I'm #16 on the waiting list :D

Just got mine today and put the exhaust on the scale and it is 39lbs. havent taken off the old one yet to compare, will later tonight to let you know the weight difference.

UPS just dropped it off, install in about the next 2 hours. Sweeeeeettt!!!! :D

Same here!!

Finished the install. Man, is that thing sweet!

Visually, the back of the car now looks complete, with proper tips protruding in place of the little bitty stock ones. The sound is very low pitched, not tinny or ricey at all. I can't wait to get it broken in and a little louder, but this system is great. Way to go Racing Beat!!:D

I am thinking of installing the rb exhaust system on my rx-8 and removing the cat. they don't don't check for those here in miami any longer. good thing! however I am curiosu if any of ytou have heard this setup before? if so what kin dof gains should I expect. rb says that their system pumps up 3.5 horses. fill me in if ya know!

rx8miami,

A couple guys have put midpipes in....

Check this thread for one...

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24866

rx8miami, Dude it sounds like DOODOO!!
go to Canzoomers area and he has a thread on it. i just put my RB yesterday and it is bad ARZ!!

that sucks, I guess I will hav eto wait till a resonater comes out for the cat by rb. so does your rb loook and sound great?

Tommy,

Let me know when your down in dade so I can check it out. I want to compare it to my Greddy.

I just got my exhaust today, but its raining out and half of my body will be in the rain. Tomorrow i will post pictures and maybe post another sound clip if you guys want me to.

Originally posted by NoVa
I just got my exhaust today, but its raining out and half of my body will be in the rain. Tomorrow i will post pictures and maybe post another sound clip if you guys want me to. Love to see and hear it!

Edit: Thanks to xXcfeboXx for hosting the files for me..Heres a link
http://www.hawaiian.net/~cfebo/

They told me I'm 9th on the waiting list today, and expecting a new batch in any day. Getting closer. Naturally, I'm going out of town for two weeks, so hopefully it'll be waiting for me when I get back.

On this site http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm it states that the Racing Beat exhaust only provides 3.5 HP with the stock engine is that correct? Kinda low or is it not?

Can anyone verfiy how much does it actually give?

that is roughly all that is available from a cat-back system on the RX8.

The exhaust system from the cat back is not terribly constrictive in stock form. The reasons for buying a cat back system for street use for the RX8 become more about sound and looks that actual HP increase.

anyone exhaust tips changing color mines are turning gold .

Originally posted by smrx8
anyone exhaust tips changing color mines are turning gold .

smrx8, What kind of exhaust do you have?

Nevermind smrx8, I read your other post in which you said you have the RB. So, how long have you had your exhaust for? I'm going to clean the soot from my tips and check it out now.

i have the racing beat exhaust for about 3 weeks on

Originally posted by NoVa
Edit: Thanks to xXcfeboXx for hosting the files for me..Heres a link
http://www.hawaiian.net/~cfebo/

Thanks for the vids. It sounds awesome!

Originally posted by david borla
Without sound files or dyno sheets, what is it about the RB exhaust that makes you want it? Is it just the name that attracts you?

What is it about the Borla cat-back that you don't prefer? Your input is of great value to us as we're always looking to improve our products. Thanks for your help.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO ACTUALLY MAKES THE RB EXHAUST? I'm fairly certain that rb does not have exhaust manufacturing capabilities.

RB got people to wait through all the delays and sound w/o sound clips or dynos sheets purely on reputation.

It works for you too... for those of us coming from American muscle. We know the Borla name and quality.

As some people have noted... I think the bend has been a bit of an issue for some people. It's come up several times in different threads. According to yours and even RB's dynos it makes no difference perfomance-wise...

Who makes RB? As I mentioned to you in another thread... they designed it themselves (according to their site). From what I've read here, they outsource the component parts of it and just assemble it themselves.

What can you do to improve your product? Well everyone loves the sound of your cat-back. No problems there. Weight? You're a lot lighter than stock and it seems maybe RB too. Looks... most like it a lot. I did too... yes did (past tense). The look of the RB tips and Magnaflow SS system tips... I like 'em a lot. Maybe upgrade the size of yours to 4"? Really a better suggestion I have is this... make 2 lines of cat-backs. What you have now... economical and makes it's power... and a new line.

As for the new line... catch the thread "A challenge for cat-back exhaust makers..." A short run down... after doing some more thinking about the LEG Motorsports "Sequential Muffler System" and the Odula cat-back... I'm convinced that there is some power to be gained in the low- mid rpm range. The inadverdent torque increase magazine reviewers felt at 3,000- 4,000 rpm in the LEg system, I believe to be caused by the pressure building to just the right level before it is able to open the actuator at 4,000rpm. Odula's system uses some smal diameter pipes and lots of curves... more pressure? slower exhaust? They say more torque from about 2,000 -7,000 rpm. Putting out something that can do this.. give a bit more low-mid grunt AND do what you do in the higher rpm already...That will get people's attention. It'll cost more than what you have out now, but if reasonably priced... you might just have a winner.

and then throw in the mix of a FI application and you're at a whole new ball park..all the bends will kill a FI application. Turbo's like free flowing exhaust...to much back pressure will kill the system...the whole point is to force it in not have to force it out...the less bends in the mix the more FI application wanting folks will buy..

I think the best system would be a single outlet with no or minimal bends...of course this will be loud...disrupt the aesthetics of the car and (being nice) GAUDY...but to get the most bang for the buck on a FI application i have seen more positive results with single outlet, minimal-no bend exhaust systems...of course I have never tuned rotaries before...i come from a Honda, Nissan, Mitsub, and Toyota shop background..so this may hold false for Rotaries..

I think instead of trying to perfect what Mazda applied to the N/A motor manufacturers should be thinking ahead because you know darn well FI is right around the corner...

And that is being narrow-minded XeRo. Putting FI on a 8 is an automatic "game over"... your engine warranty is now voided. Even if a kti comes out from Mazda it is very possible that they still say you void your warranty (another board member said that DC did it with the SRT-4). Beyond that, not everyone will want to spend $4000 for a kit and another $1,000-2,000 for install and tuning of a S/C or T/C. So it is hardly a waste to build parts that perfect N/A performance of the 8. We also have no guarantees that the next 7 will have FI either. At the moment the Z and S2k are N/A. THe next Supra looks to be N/A too. ONly the Skyline may have FI and how much will that car cost??

Manufacturers have to think about the majority of people, not just the enthusiasts. The majority of people are not going to add FI to their N/A car (look at the Miata).

I think either you took what I said the wrong way or I misrepresented what I was trying to convey...

I wasn't being narrow minded...i mean I totally understand the actual enthusiast is more of a minority, what I meant was...

Not only is it nice to try and improve on the current state of the car, being N/A and trying to squeeze every bit of potential out of it, but it would be nice if the future would be included in the design so that us few that will be going FI can have one less worry of replacing a part we already replaced...is that better?...

Oooh. I see. We got our wires crossed.

Yeah... I'd like to see both. I prefer to see everyone happy than just one group or another. I dunno how well one could make an exhaust system that is good for FI and N/A (reconfigurable?), but what you speak is the truth...

Just got on the waiting list at RX8 Store for this bad boy. Hopefully I can get it installed before the big Rocky Mountain club meet in Denver June 5th.

Originally posted by tommy12g
Just got mine today and put the exhaust on the scale and it is 39lbs. havent taken off the old one yet to compare, will later tonight to let you know the weight difference.


Any more word on the difference in weight between RB and stock?

RB = 39lbs? Well here's the JDM roundup from RX-8 Sports Magazine...

Fujitsubo LegalisR = 39.24lbs
Ganador Vertex Titanium= 18.96lbs
HKS Legamax= 44.31lbs
Trust/GReddy MX Muffler= 35.05lbs
Auto Exe Stainless Muffler= 40.12lbs
FEED SONIC AS Stainless Muffler= 40.79lbs
RMagic Sound Tune muffler= 36.60lbs
RE Amemiya Dolphin Tail Muffler= 39.90lbs
Knight Sports SE763 Legal Muffler= 39.02lbs
Pan Speed Original Muffler= 37.91lbs
San Ai Works Original Stainless Muffler= 40.78lbs
Revolution Exhaust System= 35.27lbs
JIC Bullet Spartan DE= 39.24lbs

The weight of the RB system looks about average to me aside from the Ganador system. Even then there isn't enough of a weight difference to make a difference acceleration wise. With so close of a weight difference between all of the systems, no one should base their buying decision on which one weighs how much. In fact the true power gains from all of the systems are going to be so close that the only 2 relevant buying decisions should be on sound/noise and price. Everything else is too close to call.

I agree completely. when I heard RB was heavy, I was worried at first, but as I posted the figures and saw it all together... I came to the same conclusion. Get what looks and sounds good to you.... the rest is all equal... more or lesss.

hitmann just got hiS!!!! i havent installed it ill post a pic and video once installed hoping to get a deep noise not ricey like the b&b

Actually... does the RB muffler give an almost Italian sports car sound... like an Alfa Romeo? B&B? Just curious...

Good news, we are still on schedule for an early June delivery date of the next batch of RX-8 exhaust systems.

As with most new exhaust applications, we start production slowly in order to sort out any fitment issues. The last thing we want is a large number of exhaust systems on the shelf that require reworking!!!! The demand for the RX-8 exhaust was larger than we initially expected, which caused a bit more of a backorder than we normally have had in the past. Oh well, what can we say..... you guys are just a bunch of die-hard fanatics!

For those of you that already have our exhaust, try this. With the car in third gear, and keeping the RPMs high, run the car through a tunnel or freeway underpass with your windows down!!! Let us know what you think the exhaust sounds like.

Jim L.

June? Pout, whine. I would like one by next Monday, for a Memorial Day race.

I just called & put my name on the wait list of 40-some other people in front of me. Oh well, I should've been doing some mindreading and fortune telling, and put one on order when I bought the car. :)

Originally posted by Racing Beat Inc



For those of you that already have our exhaust, try this. With the car in third gear, and keeping the RPMs high, run the car through a tunnel or freeway underpass with your windows down!!! Let us know what you think the exhaust sounds like.


i dont think ppl around me will like that!

Originally posted by Racing Beat Inc
For those of you that already have our exhaust, try this. With the car in third gear, and keeping the RPMs high, run the car through a tunnel or freeway underpass with your windows down!!! Let us know what you think the exhaust sounds like.


I fully plan on doing this in my work parking garage :)

Originally posted by project
I fully plan on doing this in my work parking garage :)

coughyourfiredcough!

lol

Originally posted by project
I fully plan on doing this in my work parking garage :)

coughyourfiredcough!

lol

Originally posted by project
I fully plan on doing this in my work parking garage :)

coughyourfiredcough!

lol

Just got a call from RB. Looks like they about to start shipping the next batch of exhausts. Should have mine next week.

The Stock exhaust off of my 8 with the pipe was 45# and the RB exhaust with the pipe was 52#-a fairly sizeable increase for racing purposes. I wish I had known the weight differential before I bought it. The build quality is excellent as is the exhaust note (although I could stand a little more db). but for racing purposes, I would really like an option of a much lighter exhaust seeing as my competition in S2000's are dropping up to 35# with titanium exhausts! The tips do turn real bronze and after talking to Jim Tanner, the GM at RB, I used Stainless Steel Polish and it hasn't changed. Maybe I'll get used to it.

Ive heard many reports that the tips turn a bronze color. I was wondering if anyone has a picture of a "seasoned" RB exhaust tip to better show this.

The stock tips stay perfect (aside from getting black from soot). They are very easy to keep bright with a wipe down every time I wash the car.

I would rather the RB tips stay equally as nice, but it seems they discolor after a few heat cycles. Jim Langer in a phone conversation prior to the sale of the first units told me about the problem, but it would be limited to the first systems they manufactured. He explained that they had plans to "double wall" the tips to shield the exterior chrome surfaces from heat to prevent any discoloration. Maybe they have decided to keep with the original design, or maybe we have yet to see the revision.

I'm ready now to plunk down my $600. The weight issue doesn't bother me much (you should see all the tools in my trunk), but I would rather the tips stay bright like the stock ones do. Its not too much to ask:)

Like I said before, this issue is not unique to the RB exhaust. I own an HKS exhaust and am experiencing the same thing. Another friend of mine has the GReddy and it too is discolored. Personally, I don't dislike it.

Polish it off with mothers works great i too had the same problem

Polish it off with mothers works great i too had the same problem


thats what alot of ppl have been saying so it must work

hitmann just got hiS!!!! i havent installed it ill post a pic and video once installed hoping to get a deep noise not ricey like the b&b


Well.... Any install yet?? :confused:

Mine came last night. I'll probably install it tomorrow night or friday and post back with pics.

The 8 goes up on ramps at 4PM PST on Wed for the install - :D

God I love my Racing Beat cat-back. It growls,gurgles and screams when you want it to. Always civilized and high end sounding. It echoes under highway bridges with a musical drone as you pass under. It turns heads from the sound alone. Let a friend drive your car as you stand on the side of the road.....you'll see what I mean. It really has commanding sound at high RPM from a distance.

I finished my install. Very easy with 2 people. Sounds absolutely perfect.

I will have a video soon of the comparison between stock and RB.

Finished mine tonight also - damn those rubber hangers :mad:

got mine done. ill post the pics soonish. im noticing a burning electronics/clutch/brake pad smell coming from the exhaust with tiny wisps of smoke. is this normal or did i screw up the install somehow? other than that i love it. it sounds unbelievably good and i was really surprised at the difference the larger tips make to the appearance of back end.

got mine done. ill post the pics soonish. im noticing a burning electronics/clutch/brake pad smell coming from the exhaust with tiny wisps of smoke. is this normal or did i screw up the install somehow? other than that i love it. it sounds unbelievably good and i was really surprised at the difference the larger tips make to the appearance of back end.


Your exhaust will smoke for a day or so. It will smell funny for 2 or 3. This is normal and will stop completely when evrything burns off.

My tips turned a bronze color 1 hour after I installed them. I was pretty disapointed because they lost that new bright look almost immediately. However the next day after the tips were completely cool, I polished them with Blue Magic. The bronze color came completely out after only a few second of polishing. The other good thing is that they seem to be staying chrome in color after many heat cycles.

Ya, it only took 10 miles (1 short trip) for mine to begin turning color.

So Blue Magic, huh? Where's the best place to find that product? Hardware stores?

Yes.....hardware stores are a good place to start. Some bigger auto parts store will carry it (like Pep Boys). Alot of guys use this stuff to make their Harley's sparkle.

It will make your dulled tips look like you just peeled the bubble wrap from them.


also.....it took a 250 mile trip to make the bronzing slightly come back. alot better than 15 miles the first time.

Due to the extremely high exhaust gas temperatures of the rotary engine, the issue of tip dis-colorization has been circulating the rotary community for years.

We have attempted to minimize the discoloration of the tips by designing a “dual-walled” tip. This inner wall meets the outer wall at the tip outlet, under the curled edge. Although this does not eliminate this naturally occurring event, the effects of this extreme heating is minimized.

Yes, you can utilize various polishing compounds to remove the color, Blue Magic seems to work very well. (We received a sample bottle from the supplier, sorry we do not have a source.) We are continuing development on yet another that may be introduced on later models.

The “oily” smell, and wisps of smoke are residual oil from the mandrel bending process and will burn away during the first few drive cycles.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat, Inc.

Hey Jim, what is the torque on the bolts attaching the pipe to the exhaust? I know the CAT/Midpipe are around 33-44, but I don't know the other ones.

Great Exhaust by the way :D

I should be getting mine within a week! I am getting mine from devious12! Can't wait can't wait can't wait. :D

We recommend that the connecting pipe-to-muffler bolts be torqued to 28 ft/lbs. I will make a change to the installation instructions to reflect this.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

Thanks, I had them elbow grease tight :cool: , but will re-check with the torque wrench.

Great quality exhaust from RB. I can't wait to deck out my RX in full Racing Beat trim! All that I read about the exhaust note was correct, sounds great under full throttle when I'm tearing down the Kink @ Road America.

Hello Jim,

I just picked up my RB catback exaust 7/27 is that one of the redesigned ones???
One of your sales rep showed me around your shop. Was very pleased with the tour. I like that turbo two truck with the jet ski, sounds sooooo tempting to buy. Oh back to the Exaust, I cant wait to install it. Just reading everyones post on the sound, wow cant wait to hear it!!!!!!!!!!

We haven't "redesigned" anything with this latest production run. We are still producing these exhaust systems from the large batch of supplies that we recieved about a month ago. On future batches I am not aware of any major changes that are being planned.

Enjoy....... let me know what you think!


Jim Langer
Racing Beat, Inc.

opps... I mean the tips being fixxed so that they dont bronze up??

Bronze???? We like to compare the color to the golden hue of a 60's era Formula 1 header, an Olympic Gold Medal, the golden amber of an ice-cold pale ale......

Yes, we are experimenting with other tip materials to see how they compare when exposed to the high heat of the rotary's exhaust. For whatever reason, the RX-8 guys seem to be a bit more sensitive to this issue than we have ever experienced in the past. We will keep diggin' and see what we come up with.

Jim Langer
Racing Beat

[QUOTE=Racing Beat Inc]Bronze???? We like to compare the color to the golden hue of a 60's era Formula 1 header, an Olympic Gold Medal, the golden amber of an ice-cold pale ale......

....LOL I understand, Oh well I will have to polish it then. No Biggy, I will install it after my next oilchange. Kinda worried about MAZDA seeing it and voiding my warrenty. Is MAZDA going to trip about it???

There is much debate going on regarding the issue of aftermarket parts and warranty issues. It is our understanding that there should be some "cause-and-effect" relationship between the part and a potential problem. It is difficult to link a malfunctioning tire pressure sensor to an aftermarket muffler, but smoking carpet in the trunk may be a different story! Much depends on the policy of a particular dealership, the attitute of the service manager or rep, and/or the exact nature of the problem.

We suggest that you contact your local dealer for a clarification of THEIR policy prior to the installation of any aftermarket part that you may question. Record the name of the contact person and inquire if they have any information in writing that addresses these policies.


Jim Langer
Racing Beat, Inc.

I got my RB cat back last Thursday from devious12 who was selling his because he is having a friend custom make him something. Anyway, he had it on his car for a month before selling it to me. It has "bronzed" a bit as stated above. However, it's not like it is really bronze, nor is it gold, it's more of a chrome looking like it has a bit of a golden cast. I think it looks beutiful when compared to the stock set up. I am having it installed tomorrow by a friend. My personal garage is too full and too unorganized to get my car in there on the concrete floor or I would be doing this myself. My drive is rock gravel and I am not fond of climbing under my car in that situation.

Why has there been no sound clips of this cat-back system that I am aware of? If there is, where? If not, I will do this myself as I have a digital camcorder I can do this with. I have the facilities to produce a digital sound clip with it but I have no place to host the sound file when it is done. Also, if I do find someone capable of hosting it, can you tell me the format it needs to be saved in for doing so. I can do this in just about any setting, format or quality, I just have to know what is best.

Thanks.

Screw the uncooperative Mazda dealerships. I would take mine the extra 60 miles to another Mazda service shop if I have to do this. Thankfully, there are three others within this radius if my PITA dealership objects to my after market cat-back or my CAI, for that matter. The only thing I let them do anyway is change the oil and any warranty service. I'll find another authorized service center for anything more than these issues when the time comes, if I have to.

Did I miss something here? Has anyone actually been denied any warranty work by a Mazda dealer because they installed a cat-back exhaust system such as the Racing Beat? Please share your stories if you have any.

I can understand the dealer having issues with other mods such as intakes that oiled MAF sensors.

I hope to be installing mine this weekend after waiting 3 months for it :) .

rx8cited

Why has there been no sound clips of this cat-back system that I am aware of?
Thanks.


D MENAC 7,



Here's (http://www.rx8web.com/videos/mztxracingbeat.wmv) a clip.

D MENAC 7,



Here's (http://www.rx8web.com/videos/mztxracingbeat.wmv) a clip.Thanks! That was great and sounds just like mine. :D

demanac polish the tips every 2 weeks and they will look like new ,use mothers it works great

Here are a few of pics of my RB Cat-Back that I took today. The first thing I noticed that is different from all the other pics I have seen of different makes of aftermarket Cat-Back systems is that the exhaust tips are centered in the exhaust outlets. The other competitors are not from the pics and threads that I have read about the Borla and others. This sounds really nice when comined with the K&N CAI that I have on my RX-8. (note the sparkly VR paint in this light setting, especially on the side view of the tips. :D)

Here is where I was at when I was taking these pictures. This is the old state capitol of IL. And, no, my strakes aren't missing, they are waiting to have molds cast of them. It looks so bare without them. :(

Here are a few of pics of my RB Cat-Back that I took today. The first thing I noticed that is different from all the other pics I have seen of different makes of aftermarket Cat-Back systems is that the exhaust tips are centered in the exhaust outlets. The other competitors are not from the pics and threads that I have read about the Borla and others. This sounds really nice when comined with the K&N CAI that I have on my RX-8. (note the sparkly VR paint in this light setting, especially on the side view of the tips. :D)

D MENAC 7, what size are the tips on your exhaust.

Thanks.

The tips are 4" pipes with double walls. The stainless steel pipe attaches after the cat-back and immediately turns into 3" tubing.

Here is the info from their web site: "Construction
The Racing Beat REV8 “street legal”, cat-back exhaust system is the perfect replacement for your stock RX-8 exhaust - a durable assembly offering a real horsepower gain over your stock unit. Our system consists of a 304 stainless steel Racing Beat connecting-pipe, muffler canister, tubing, flanges, and outlet tips. The replacement connecting-pipe is manufactured using 3-inch (OD) tubing and features cast stainless steel flanges for positive exhaust gas sealing. The stainless steel muffler canisters are each finished with 4-inch, polished 304 stainless tips for an aggressive look."

Here are a couple of pics from their site. Also, they have been most helpful. I bought this system used and the gasket never made it though shipping so I had to buy a new one and I called RB and their service rep sent me one out and I got it in two days. The gasket only cost $3.50. That was a pleasant surprise.

Heres a picture of how you would see the Racing Beat cat back if you were driving behind the car.

Sweet. :D

I'd like to thank RB for their fast service and excellent product. I will be buying from these guys again. I ordered my RB exhaust from RB's website on Monday and it came in today (Thursday). Very fast service. The exhaust was very well packed and came with no dents what so ever. Install wasn't too bad and fit perfect. The sound is just right, its loud but mello on the cruise.


Dave

DONT GET ME WRONG THE EXHAUST LOOKS "SIICK" BUT WHY ONLY 3.5whp? DOESN'T Greddy CLAIM 22HP?

For Heaven's sake kid, quit yelling! "Claim" is the magic word. I didn't get it for the HP gain, I got it for looks and sound. Plus, I got it for the value. Look up the G Reddy price, compare, then see the difference.

Also, Greddy's claim is with a midpipe replacing the cat... that's where the biggest increase comes from, not from the catback muffler.

I was going to get the Greddy because of that "marketing tactic" done by Greddy. But I realized that "something smelt fishy" w/ that #, considering Racing Beat upfront honesty on their site showed otherwise. So, with that in mind and RB's great rep, I went with RB. And like D Menac said, you get the exhaust FAST.

alex

what number??

Yup, Got mine on...FINALY :D

i'll be ordering my RB cat back system today!