Loud mufflers are about as cool as tinnitus and they are getting riding areas closed. If that statement offends you, read and understand the following: Off-road, dual-sport, single track, enduro, non supercross bikes with loud ‘race’ exhaust systems are actively harming our sport. Loud powersport vehicles (I’m also looking at you, side-by-sides) are really good at angering other user groups, which then causes these folks to work to close our riding areas so they don’t have to hear these excessively loud vehicles any longer. Loud bikes are not doing your hearing any favors either. So if you’re operating a vehicle with a loud exhaust and no-ear pro, you’re most likely damaging your hearing (there’s no cure for tinnitus) and you’re certainly harming our sport. Thankfully, there’s a way to make your street-legal Austrian 350 / 500 sound better, perform better, and not be stupidly loud. It’s called the LeoVince X3 EVO slip on muffler.
The X3 EVO is constructed with quality materials and attention to detail making it one muffler that does everything a rider could ask for. The sleeve (body) of the X3 is made from 304 Stainless Steel. Metal joints are TIG welded, and then the whole thing is media blasted for a matte finish that is also found on the carbon fiber end cap, which also provides that “race system” look. LeoVince provides all of the necessary hardware for installation, including a wash plug and spring puller in case those items aren’t in your toolbox.
Installation is straight forward – but pay attention to how the aluminum collars and rubber bushings go together for the sub frame mounts. As long as you do this, installation takes just a few minutes.
The first time you start a bike with an X3 EVO, the difference over the stock muffler is instantly obvious, as the bike now sounds like a real dirt bike. Roll on a little throttle and instead of the Jetsons soundtrack of the stock muffler, you’re greeted with proper dirt bike sounds. Performance over stock is also improved thanks to better exhaust flow. LeoVince has two tip inserts for the X3 EVO: a simple screen type, and a dB-killer screen type insert. It’s also important to note that the X3 EVO has a USFS approved spark arrestor – a feature you won’t find on many ‘race’ exhaust systems.
The best part of the X3 EVO is the sound level that it produces. To make sure our science was sound, we reached out to one of the foremost experts on motorcycle sound testing: Chris Real, owner of DPS Technical. He’s the guy who makes the sound testing kits for the AMA, and he helps OEMs with EPA compliance, so it's safe to say his knowledge is quite sound about things relating to sound. Our bike for testing is a 2024 KTM 350 EXC-F, which according to Chris’ testing, produces 89 dBA using the SAE J1287 test method. According to our tests using the same SAE J1287 test method, the LeoVince X3 EVO produces 90 dBA with the regular screen installed, and 88 dBA with the db killer screen installed. So what does that mean?
In short, the LeoVince X3 EVO gives a rider everything they could ask for in a slip-on muffler: their bike sounds good, it performs better, the muffler looks fancy (like a race muffler), and it produces sound levels that are near stock. Does the X3 flow like a full race system? No. But does it get you most of the performance of a race system without the super loud sound penalty? Absolutely. This means the X3 EVO gives riders (almost) all of the benefits of a full race system, without all of the drawbacks, like potential hearing damage and closing riding areas.
About the only complaint I can level at the X3 EVO has to do with the carbon fiber end cap. Carbon fiber looks super-cool, but if it gets smashed or damaged, it can become super sharp and dangerous, which is not a feature I want on my bike. It would be awesome if LeoVince made an aluminum (or non carbon fiber) end cap for the X3 EVO, so riders don’t have to worry about sharp or splintered carbon fiber after a crash or a tip over where the muffler hits something.
One last note about end caps is that replacements are available at TMBR MOTO.
All said and done, LeoVince has an awesome muffler in the X3 EVO. I would be surprised if mere mortals could tell the difference in a blind A/B test of performance between the X3 EVO and a full race system. Yet everyone, including the folks who like to close our trails, will certainly be able to tell the difference in sound levels between the X3 EVO and a full race system that has 10 + dBA higher sound levels. The X3 EVO hits a balance of everything a rider could ask for in a slip on: better performance, good sound, good looks, and it does all of this at near stock sound levels. Installation takes mere minutes, and you don’t need to hack up your OEM muffler to install a new end cap, which is great for when it comes time to sell that bike.
Other exhaust companies would do well to come up with their own version of the X3 EVO. Loud bikes are a direct threat to the future of our sport, so companies need to make products that help ensure the sport’s future and not just destroy it. As riders we need to be smart about how we setup and use our bikes so that we can enjoy the riding areas we have for years to come. To buy the X3 EVO Slip-On Muffler for your 2024+ KTM EXC or Husqvarna FE visit TMBR MOTO.
