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Battle of the Exhaust Systems!
To enter the exhaust contest, simply send an email to Lee@ScootDawg.com with the words "Exhaust Contest" in the subject line. All names will be put in a hat and Dawg's lovely lady will draw a name. Winner will be announced when Dawg gets around to it. Winner will be responsible for installation. Fine print: Of course Dawg will keep his favorite pipe and award one of the others. Dawg is not responsible for idiots burning themselves by touching the pipe while it's hot. Don't get your finger (or any other body part) stuck in the hole. If Dawg's mother wins the pipe that's just too bad. Do not try to fry eggs on the pipe. Odds of winning are somewhere between 1 in 10 and 1 in 1,000,000. Blah blah.

V8 Exhaust. (Approx. $269)

The V8 is a good looking pipe. Welds are just a little sloppy but you have to get close to notice. At first, I was a little apprehensive about the way it was held together with springs. After having used this exhaust for a couple weeks, it is clear that the springs are not a problem.

Mounting it was pretty straight forward and it fit nicely. This pipe is a little loud for my taste but that's a preference thing. Some want loud and some don't. The performance was not quite the MRP, but very close. Differences were so slight that they could be due to factors having nothing to do with the pipe.

I have left this pipe outside in the elements for several weeks and so far, there are no signs of rust.

The bottom line? This pipe provides good results in the looks and performance category for a very reasonable price.

V8 Performance Results:

Speed:
0-30 mph = 6.9 seconds
0-40 mph = 11.9 seconds
9% grade hill = 36.8 mph
Top Speed = 59.7 mph

Noise:
80 dB at idle
98 dB peak during acceleration

MRP Exhaust (Approx. $299)

Aesthetically, this is a work of art. The chrome finish is excellent and welds are small and smooth. The header pipe is stainless steel. Build quality is just exceptional.

As far as performance goes, over the stock exhaust, the Matrix gained 4 mph on the top end. Adding a unifilter and 30 mm Keihin carb got it another 4 mph for an increase of a full 8 mph over the stock bike. It all stands to reason. Get as much air and fuel into the engine as it can handle.

Installation was a breeze. The parts all fit perfectly and there was no huffing and puffing to it like there so often is with exhaust systems.

This pipe has been extensively exposed to the elements and there are no signs of rust.

This is the pipe of my choice and will remain on the Matrix until something better comes along.

MRP Performance Results:

Speed:
0-30 mph = 6.7 seconds
0-40 mph = 11.1 seconds
9% grade hill = 37.1 mph
Top Speed 62.3 mph

Noise:
74 dB at idle
94 dB peak during acceleration

Stock 150cc GY6

Speed:
0-30 mph =7.12 seconds
0-40 mph = 13.25 seconds
9% grade hill = 34.8 seconds
top Speed = 54.4 mph

Noise:
65 dB at idle
91 dB peak during acceleration

It should be noted that all pipes were installed on a scooter that also had a 30mm Keihin carburetor and uni-filter. To get the most out of performance pipe installation, a uni-filter should be used and at minimum, upjetting the carb to keep the air/fuel mix in balance.

GT Pipe (Approx. $150)

This exhaust is showing up on some websites. Don't let the glitz fool you. This is NOT a performance exhaust. It is very restrictive. I had to put the old stock carb back in with the smaller jets to get it to run properly. Performance was worse than the stock exhaust. I didn't waste my time with measurements. Sure, if you want something that looks cool, go for it. But, don't expect it do do anything for your scooter.