Mit - Index

Mit - UVK_Sinfo_2008_05_št.10 - Index

search for solutions and keeping track of state-of-the-art fourstroke
technology, which is written in the genes of the AkrapoviË
company, brought Igor’s vision to life on the world’s great
racetracks. An expanding customer base proved that the company
was on the right track. And its excellence was also reflected by
the fact that at the end of the nineties, every single Japanese
factory team in the World Superbike Championship was using
AkrapoviË exhaust systems.
FOR AkRAPOvIË, WHOSE PERFECTIONISM
IS WELL-kNOWN, THERE WAS NO
CHOICE. HE HAd TO GO INTO THE FIELd
OF MANuFACTuRING EXHAuST SYSTEMS
HIMSELF.
His innovative ideas began to take concrete form. He established
new concepts in exhaust system construction: new configurations,
new tube diameters and materials. He began to expand the use
of crossover tubes and conical headers. High-quality stainless
steel completely replaced the ordinary thick-walled steel tubing,
sinfo 10 26
and exotic titanium and carbon-fiber also made their appearance.
The first, and by modern standards quite simple pipe bending
tool was soon replaced by a large modern pipe bending machine
with optional computer control. The 450 m 2 workshop quickly
became too small to contain the growing needs of the company,
which was experiencing a meteoric rise. Exceptionally high
standards and investment in development led to excellent results.
The development and testing department was able to obtain its
own dyno bench very early on. The positive feedback from the
racetracks was continuously evident in their own measurements
of our exhaust systems.
kAWASAkI, YAMAHA, SuZukI, duCATI,
HONdA THRILLEd BY AkRAPOvI»
PROduCTS
The high quality products attracted the attention of most of the
teams competing on the Pro Superbike championship, which at
the time was a very high ranking class, just below the Superbike
World Championship. In 1993, Kawasaki Deutschland responded
to an invitation to test their exhaust systems, which was a huge