Tenere 700: MIVV Dakar Exhaust & Carbon Heat Shield

MIVV Dakar Y.064.LDKX Exhaust + Carbon Heat Shield ACC.80.0

Why a New Exhaust?

Yamaha opted for Dakar inspired styling & cost savings vs function with the design & location of the oem muffler for the Tenere 700 that positions it precariously low & outside the swingarm, attached to a welded on vs bolt on hanger that easily bends pushing the muffler into the aluminum swingarm with the slightest provocation (there have even been reports that some damaged bikes in the USA have been written off by insurance citing a bent frame). See my blog article here for additional info on the swingarm/muffler issue & several aftermarket T7 exhaust options. The oem wide muffler positioning also complicates the use of some soft bag & rackless systems & clearance with the hot muffler plus mandates that many luggage rack systems be detrimentally far away from the center line of the bike, adding unnecessary width & undesirable handling dynamics at the back end. Despite much feedback from the T7 community & an opportunity to rectify these issues with the redesigned World Raid model in 2022, Yamaha has retained the original design.

My primary motivations were focused on improved packaging that eliminate the oem design flaws & improve handling dynamics, particularly when loaded up with luggage. My mid 60s ears & mind prioritize loud pipes & hp gains on a T7 at the opposite end of the spectrum from comfort & a skill set commensurate with remaining as unscathed as possible for the remainder of my riding career...but a little improvement in the "quality" of the auditory experience is welcome😀.

I wanted a tucked in, high mount exhaust that retained the welded on oem exhaust hanger vs being cut off & the oem footpeg hanger. Dominator, Huzar, HP Corsa, MIVV & SC Projects provide bolt on systems that relocate the muffler high & tucked in via a custom bend mid-pipe that meets that criteria...but some position the hot muffler exhaust directly onto the oem turn signals & some aftermarket tail tidy signal locations...so do your due diligence before purchase. Camel ADV was an early adopter of a popular repositioned high mount exhaust system that remains faithful to the Dakar look that addressed the easily bent hanger & muffler hitting/damaging the swing arm problem & recently added an Enduro Bend that positions the muffler more parallel to the rear side panel...but both necessitate cutting the exhaust hanger (Camel provides a template & hanger clamp) & the Enduro Bend is not compatible with the foot peg hanger & imho has an ugly near 90 degree bend of the mid-pipe connector at the swingarm + both styles do not relocate the muffler much more inward than the oem. If Yamaha had utilized a bolt on hanger, removal would create room for a longer muffler with more volume (see pic further below for MIVV Dakar muffler specs/dimensions).

Unboxed

MIVV Dakar Exhaust

I opted for the stainless MIVV Dakar Exhaust Y.064.LDKX (a black Y.064.LDKB muffler is available) during Black Friday sales in November 2022 from EM Moto in Italy including their Carbon Heat Shield ACC.080.0 & international shipping for $401 Euro or about $525 Canadian (no Canadian tax or brokerage fee was charged upon delivery by DHL Express). Note that MIVV sells the Euro 4/5 compliant db killer 50.DK.181.0 separately & that it does not include any spark arrestor component. Delivery took much longer than the 15 business days promised to ship & did not arrive until early January 2023. MIVV claims 2.1 kg/4.63 lbs for their Dakar system vs the oem muffler/mid-pipe assembly at 4.8 kg/10.58 lbs or 2.7 kg/5.95 lbs lighter and +2.20 hp & +1.40 Nm torque (see dyno graph below).

Preliminary fitment on my 2021 Canadian T7

Quality of the stainless mid-pipe & welds is average with some visible flaws, but overall ok...the i.d of the mid-pipe connector to the catalytic converter outlet pipe is smaller than the oem equivalent part, eliminating the use of the oem gasket & necessitating a smaller diameter included clamp...wall thickness is 1 mm...clearance between the bottom of the swingarm (+ nearby swingarm rubber plug) & the exhaust hanger with the connector pipe can be tweaked by rotating the connector pipe producing a maximum of 10 mm (0.4") clearance for both locations simultaneously (larger gaps can be obtained at 1 location at the expense of the other), which is 1/2 of the 20 mm (0.78") MIVV references for recommended clearance of the exhaust system in the supplied documentation...no clamp is provided for the 55 mm (2.16") i.d. muffler to mid-pipe connection, but is a snug slide on fit with over 2.54 cm (1") of overlap, but only has 1 spring/clasp instead of the typical 2...does not ship with a db killer or integrated heat shield...all cost saving measures...but can't really complain, as it is very good value & overall MIVV delivers a comprehensive good looking design/system & based on other's videos is not too loud producing a pleasant deeper tone than oem muffler, that imho emulates what Yamaha should have adopted as oem fitment. I particularly like that MIVV kept the connector pipe & muffler in line vs angling the muffler up at the back, adopted one of the nicer bends to clear the swingarm, retains use of the footpeg & exhaust hangers, positions the output of the muffler a little lower than most of the competition & utilizes a solid stainless mounting plate that bolts to the muffler for a cleaner look vs a clamp...& bolts to the frame for more rigid mounting vs the exhaust hanger.

10 mm/0.4" clearance between connector pipe & swing arm & exhaust hanger on my 2021 Euro 4 spec Canadian T7

The Carbon heat shield specs M6 bolts for the clamps, but the bolt threads are 1 size smaller (M5) than the provided M6 bolts...aargh👎 Apparently other recent buyers of the MIVV Carbon Heat Shield also had the same issue of incorrect bolt thread size on the clamps.

UPDATE Feb 2023: I emailed both MIVV & EM Moto of the issue 1 week ago & only had a reply from EM Moto so far, who will mail 2 correctly sized bolts as warranty...they never arrived so bought my own locally at Pacific Fasteners. The stainless muffler seems substantial & aesthetically pleasing...a straight thru flow design, but does not ship with a db killer, which is optional...the sturdy stainless muffler mounting plate that bolts to the muffler & the oem wheel well fender bolts will necessitate some mods to either my existing luggage rack mount & custom fender insert under the rear fender, or a new custom mounting plate to connect securely to the bike + the right DirtRacks luggage rack will need the forward mounting tube cut off the rack & repositioned/rewelded to permit tucking the rack in closer to the centerline of the bike (like I did to the left rack last year) & bolt directly to the oem frame footpeg hanger bolt threads without needing the supplied spacer which currently has clearance issues with the mid-pipe.

Connector pipe bend is compatible with oem footpeg hanger

The MIVV assembly tucks in tight to the bike out of harms way, positions the muffler outlet pipe below my Camel ADV Tail Tidy/Cyclops ADV LED turn signals, retains the oem exhaust hanger & use of the right footpeg hanger, permits narrower fitting side luggage racks & looks & sounds good to my eyes & ears 👍 As with most aftermarket mufflers the MIVV looks to be compatible with oem ecu programming, generally not requiring a flash, however, when used in combination with other modifications &/or compliance with various homologation, noise & off-road use (spark arrestor) regulations may require further investigation...do your due diligence to ensure compliance & responsible use in your region. If anyone has come across an off the shelf spark arrestor that fits the MIVV, let me know...thx.

MIVV Dakar tucks in close to the center line of the bike out of harms way

Final Fitment w/Custom Muffler Mounting Bracket & MIVV Carbon Heat Shield (March 2023)

Mid-pipe o.d Dimensions

The MIVV Dakar mid-pipe progressively increases in diameter from 48.5 mm just after connection with the oem header pipe (the 44.4 mm diameter connection is smaller than the oem equivalent part, eliminating the use of the oem gasket & necessitating a smaller diameter included clamp) to 55 mm at the muffler connection.

My set up required a custom muffler mounting bracket because access to the under fender oem fender assembly mounting bolts was blocked by my existing luggage rack mount & custom fender insert. I used 1/8" or 3.175 mm thick aluminum box stock & added a shorter 2nd inside corner piece to strengthen the 90 degree bend while keeping the extended portion of the full length bracket single layer & shaped to the muffler curvature where it attaches to the muffler for maximum clearance of the tire at full travel...all clear coated for extra measure. The MIVV mounting plate measures 150 mm from the top of its forward mount tab to the center of the forward muffler mounting bolt so made a custom muffler mount that bolts to a different location but equates to the same muffler vertical position (i.e. 150 mm from the forward wheel well mounting point that the MIVV mount uses to the center of my mount's forward muffler mounting bolt). The luggage rack under fender cross brace bolts utilized for my custom mounting plate are the same size as those utilized by the MIVV mounting bracket.

I used Permatex Red High Temperature RTV Gasket Maker for the pipe connections & the mounting bracket surface where it interfaces with the muffler bolt location for improved vibration/heat transfer isolation.

What Does it Sound Like?

It has a somewhat louder, deeper/fuller, more baritone sound than the oem...overall more pleasant, but will not know if too loud for my ears until the bike is insured for this season...but also has an annoying metallic chuff/rattle upon quick blips/release of the throttle that is not present during steady revs...it seems to be associated with rapid pressure changes of the outlet gasses at the tail pipe...perhaps a result of the tail pipe insert being slightly loose (held in place by 1 rivet) or a function of it's 5 cm or 1.9" length that barely protrudes into the interior of the muffler (the MIVV db killer is about 3x as long)...here is a brief sound byte that doesn't quite do it justice:

I won't have my bike insured for a few months, but this video posted by Windblown provides a nice sound byte of the MIVV Dakar system in use.

April 10/23 UPDATE - Clearance Issues with Swingarm Brake Hose/Cable Guide During Full Range of Travel

While mounting a new rear tire I decided to check for swingarm & tire clearance with the MIVV set up by disconnecting the shock linkage & measuring the swingarm travel & discovered that the raised forward part of the swingarm brake hose/cable guide made contact with the MIVV mid-pipe @ 165 mm of travel (as measured perpendicular to the ground at the axle relative to the swingarm being fully extended with the shock linkage connected & bike on the center stand)...with the guide removed travel increased to 180 mm before contact with the swingarm...not good as the T7 has 200 mm of rear wheel travel!

NOTE: I did not use the MIVV supplied muffler mount that measures 150 mm from the top of its forward mount tab to the center of the forward muffler mounting bolt, so made a custom muffler mount that bolts to a different location but equates to the same muffler vertical position (i.e. 150 mm from the forward wheel well mounting point that the MIVV mount uses to the center of my mount's forward muffler mounting bolt)...the only other variance is that I have a Camel Adventure Tail Tidy vs the oem assembly that may alter the mounting plate vertical position of few mm relative to the oem fender assembly.

After modifying the brake hose/cable guide, angling my custom mount inwards slightly, raising the muffler mounting location on my custom mount 10 mm (now 140 mm vs 150 mm spacing from the top of the forward mount tab to the center of the forward muffler mounting bolt) combined with loosening the mid-pipe clamp & adjusting the pipe for max height it now has 205 mm clearance with the modified guide & 215 mm of travel with it removed before contact (I may remove it & use zip ties or cut off the front portion)...but now have only 4 mm clearance between the mid-pipe & the oem muffler hanger. There was about 12 mm of clearance between the new Motoz Rallz 150/70 18 tire side blocks & my custom muffler mount.

There have been several other T7 owners who have experienced similar limited horizontal clearance with the swingarm of at least half the 20 mm recommended by MIVV in their installation instructions...but, so far, have only heard of 1 other MIVV Dakar user commenting on vertical clearance issues with the swingarm full range of travel on his Euro 5 forward catalytic converter location (vs under the motor) 2022 Rally model....interestingly his horizontal clearance was only 1 or 2 mm while myself & others with Euro 4 bikes w/under motor cats have around 10 mm...which makes me wonder if the Euro 5 location/position/angle of the header outlet pipe where it connects to the mid-pipe might be slightly different than the Euro 4 model with cat located under the motor, which is probably not an issue with the oem exhaust...or perhaps its just variances in manufacturing tolerances.

UPDATE April 18/23 - A revised MIVV Dakar mid-pipe has surfaced, but still has horizontal clearance issues with the swingarm & now the oem foot peg hanger...it seems an uncharacteristic fugly misstep by the usually stylish conscious Italians!

Based on my experience & that of others it seems that MIVV may not have fully developed their mid-pipe for adequate horizontal & vertical clearances with the swingarm & now seem to have re-designed the mid-pipe in an effort to address these issues. This new design, imho, seems an unnecessary departure from the attractive lines & larger diameter pipe for the 1st 2/3 of the original that may create new clearances issues with the foot peg hanger, far less appealing aesthetics that seems to fall short of fully correcting the horizontal clearance issue & may reduce flow & performance...when all that may be needed is to shorten the distance from the front mid-pipe connector to the 1st bend by about 10 mm, extend the distance to 2nd bend by about 10 mm & the distance to the 3rd bend a few millimeters to improve clearances with the swingarm in the static position, at full travel & the oem exhaust hanger. MIVV has yet to update their website.

Pic from Diezel @ tenere700.net

The gen 2 mid-pipe is shaped different with smaller diameter pipe in the 1st 2/3.

Pic from Mark Oppelt @ Yamaha Tenere 700

May 20, 2023 UPDATE Home Made DB Killer With Spark Arrestor Screen

While really preferring the overall deeper, more robust sound of the MIVV exhaust over the oem I find it a little too load so made a db killer extension for the short MIVV tail pipe insert that only extends the length the angled tail pipe extension (45 mm or 1.8") with 35 mm or 1.375" o.d. & 33 mm or 1.3" i.d. The 15 to 20 degree angled muffler outlet, interior oval shape & tight interior clearances to the outlet pipe complicate precise fitment of an insert pipe to allow the oem MIVV outlet insert to sit flush in the angled outlet pipe & align the rivett hole. A 33 mm o.d. pipe to fit inside the oem pipe would provide more clearance allowing a longer length, but was only able to find a 1.5" i.d. turn down exhaust pipe with 20 degree bend in a 30.5 cm or 12" length (Nickson Exhaust #17600) at Canadian Tire (whose non-flared out pipe diameter matched the MIVV insert's 35 mm o.d. It required a fair bit of tweaking to allow enough clearance with the muffler chamber internals to allow the oem MIVV tail pipe insert to fit correctly into the extension pipe. My db killer extends about 13 cm or 5.12" inside the muffler + added some muffler screen I had from another muffler as a spark arrestor. The result is about a 1 db decrease in output taking the edge off the volume & just a slightly muted version of the original MIVV set-up...mission accomplished 👍

Black Widow Decat Race Header Install Dec 2023

Full details can be viewed on my blog here.

What Does it Feel & Sound Like?

As the bike is not insured until spring I snuck out for a short ride around the neighbourhood for a sampler & noted a subtle, but discernible smoother throttle response, freer revving motor & fuller exhaust tone that is slightly louder with a little more bark & authority from behind & when aggressively blipping the throttle...somewhat similar to before installing a custom made db killer with spark arrestor in the MIVV Dakar muffler resulting in slightly muted output taking the edge off producing a pleasant & neighbourhood friendly output...at idle & steady rpm from on or beside the bike it's hardly any change from before being more of a slight change in character than loudness. As similarly observed with my 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 ES when installing an Arrow decat header, the T7 Black Widow decat header has resulted in subtle vs significant or dramatic change in exhaust sound.

Video of 2021 Canadian Tenere 700 with Black Widow Decat Race header, MIVV Dakar high exhaust w/custom db killer & spark arrestor, de-snorkel air box, FunnelWebFilters air box lid pre-filter, Guglatech Ultra4 main filter & iridium spark plugs. Recorded exhaust sounds are challenging to capture with full effect, the video below is best heard with headphones or full speaker systems w/sub woofer.

From the MIVV Dakar Website