Looney Tuned Racing – Polaris RZR Exhaust Review

Looney Tuned Racing – Polaris RZR Exhaust

Nothing spells out true performance like a custom dual exhaust system on a vehicle. This holds true even in powersports. From day one I was very disappointed at the Polaris RZR exhaust system. It was raspy and really noisy for no more performance it produced. It was also all carbon steel which immediately began rusting after its maiden trail ride. It was decided that I needed a better sounding, better looking and better performing exhaust system. We had spent countless hours talking to exhaust manufactures, doing research, listening to sound clips on You Tube and we kept looking at the top system on our list which was the dual system from Looney Tuned Exhaust Racing. LTE Racing manufactures exhaust systems for many ATV and UTV models. For over 10 years LTE Racing's passion for speed and horsepower has brought the four stroke powersports industry products that have produced great results.

We contacted Looney Tuned Racing and spoke with Richard over the phone. Richard was extremely informative with regards to the Polaris RZR exhaust system. He gave us all the ins and outs of the system and really went to great lengths to explain the performance benefits of the LTE Racing Exhaust system. Customer service and customer satisfaction is certainly a priority for LTE Racing. LTE Racing manufactures two systems for the Polaris RZR. A 2 into 1 system and a dual exhaust system. Our preference was to choose the dual exhaust system primarily for the “dual” look over anything else.

First Inspection

The LTE Racing exhaust arrived in perfect order. Everything was packaged to ensure no damage would occur during shipping. The smaller individual items were individually packaged in blister type point of sale packages.

LTE Racing took no shortcuts in their production of this exhaust system. The exhaust manifold as well as the new fuel rail was machined out of billet aluminum and the LTE Racing logo engraved into the parts. The exhaust cans were polished to a mirror finish and donned the LTE Racing logo attached to the side of the can. The custom welded exhaust pipes are stainless steel to increase performance and inhibit corrosion. Polished aluminum billet end cabs finish out the business end of this system to produce a top of the line exhaust.

For sake of this review an to satisfy our own curiosity we asked for the quiet cores as well as the Super Trapp discs and end caps that are manufactured for the LTE Racing RZR System. The Super Trapp disks utilize a series of 5 disks and an end cap for each exhaust can. This enables the user to fine tune performance and sound output of the system. Once we were satisfied with the system in its box, we decided to get right to business installing the LTE Racing system on the Polaris RZR.

Installation

Installation of the system isn’t the most easily achieved task. You are required to remove the RZR’s bed in order to remove the OEM system and install the LTE Racing Exhaust system. It is easily accomplished, however it is somewhat time consuming. Once the bed was removed, we took some time to make sure the top of the engine and bead rail and frame area was clean and free of debris. Pay close attention to the fuel rail area. Since the LTE Racing System utilizes a new fuel rail, you will be removing the OEM rail. You’ll want to make sure that area is totally clean of dirt and debris before you remove the OEM rail. Once the OEM exhaust is removed, be sure to keep track of the spring hangers as these get re-used with the LTE Racing system.

The instructions LTE Racing provides to install this system are easy to follow and leave no guesswork. We thought that colored instruction could have made the comprehension of the instructions even easier. Our total install time was close to 2 ½ hours along with cleaning and taking pictures. We didn’t think this was bad at all considering the requirement of removing the bed.

We loose fit the entire system to ensure proper alignment of the system. Once we were satisfied, we began tightening everything down to proper torque. Since the exhaust was the only thing we installed initially, we found that a fuel controller was not necessary to tune for the proper fuel range.

Ride Report

With the system installed and all double checks made we began the initial startup. As the fuel injectors shot their burst of fuel into the combustion chamber creating a massive compressed explosion of gases the RZR’s 800 cc engine came to life and rumbled along. The awesome sound immediately reminded me of the lope of a Harley Davidson V-twin engine. The great idle sound was incredible. We blipped the throttle a few times and can only describe the new exhaust as something as a close equivalent to a hot rod car. The exhaust cans did not have the quiet cores or spark arrestors install, and they are loud. I love the sound, and if you want a hot rod sounding RZR then that is the setup you need. We then installed the quiet cores which immediately tamed the beast to a deep throaty rumble and crisp sounding acceleration which was very tolerable even at higher throttle curves.

Next we wanted to test the Super Trapp disks and tips to see how power was affected and note the sound levels. The sound is slightly louder than the quiet core setup and a little raspier. Our favorite setup for normal riding to which we can ensure we’ll not annoy people around us is with the quiet cores. However we noticed a slight decrease in acceleration from the open exhaust cans. The Super Trapp disks seemed to maintain the same acceleration curve while maintaining a slightly more tolerant audible level. You can tell the different on audio levels in the video, however due to the video camera cutting out the audio levels, it is very hard to get an idea as to what they really sound like. You have to hear the pipe in person to appreciate the sound.

Here was our measured sound ratings with the different exhaust tips taken at 3000 RPM's.

Straight Exhaust W/O spark arrestor	-102 dB
Quiet Core and spark arrestor	-86 dB
Super Trapp Disks	-98 dB

Note: The stock exhaust rated at -88 dB

Here is a short video demonstration of the sound levels of each exhaust tip.

As for power, we noticed an increase compared to our stock setup. I can't even begin to guess at a horsepower level number, but I am pleased with the final outcome in power and sound.

Final Conclusion

With many things, there are pros and cons. I could not find any cons with the LTE Racing exhaust system. It is built very well, has some intricate details that you won’t find on other setups. The stainless and aluminum construction will ensure years of trouble free service. To top it all off the guys at LTE Racing are super to deal with and were eager to answer any question we had during our installation or tuning for the Polaris RZR.

We have dealt with many different exhaust systems over the years. Some of them were fair, some good and other great. For us, LTE Racing falls into the “GREAT” category.

If you are looking at upgrading your RZR’s exhaust system, give some serious though on the system from LTE Racing.


LTE Racing – Continuous Threat

(address) 850 Laughlin Way - Redwood Valley, CA 95470
(web) Looney Tuned Exhaust - Continuous Threat
(phone) (707) 485-7438
(email) info@lteracing.com