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These days, it seems like everyone wants to make 450s slower: the AMA wants to turn them into 350s; the manufacturers keep trying to mellow their power off the showroom year by year. Everyone, that is, except nearly everyone who rides one.

That’s why we all keep buying pipes to pump up the power. But at DR.D, former Yamaha factory rider Doug Dubach and his crew have taken a two-part approach: they want to pump up the power without sacrificing the rideability that the AMA and the manufacturers keep searching for.

And this philosophy has led them to a good place with the 2008 DR.D pipe tested here. This steel head pipe/aluminum silencer combo takes the power curve of my stock CRF450, which is strong and versatile to begin with, and heightens it throughout. Unlike many other aftermarket exhausts, it doesn’t radically change the bikes characteristics; it just turns up the volume everywhere—without actually raising the real volume (the pipe’s tone is only marginally more aggressive than the stock system.)

The effect on the bike is sometimes deceiving. I was unsure whether the pipe was an improvement during my warm-up laps (it felt and sounded much like the stock,) but as soon as I tried to go fast I found myself overshooting turns and flat-wheeling jumps—and this was on a track that I know pretty well. The best way to distinguish the DR.D exhaust from the stock pipe was in simple velocity. The end of long straights became blurry with the DR.D pipe—in a very good way.

Because it is made from steel and aluminum, this system is heavier than comparable titanium exhausts. But, on the plus side, it will leave your wallet heavier too: it retails for $230 less than the same DR.D system in titanium. Also, the steel head pipe has a unique bronze hue.

The fit and finish were excellent, and if I had to gripe about anything, it would be the lack of a head-pipe guard. I loved the guard on the LeoVince system I tested last, and I think every company should include one now.

Rating (out of 10): 9 If you like the characteristics of your stock CRF, but just want a little more boost everywhere, this pipe is a great choice.

MSRP: $549.00

Tested on: 2008 Honda CRF450R

Contact: Big Valley Honda at 775-322-4311 or www.bigvalleyhonda.com or www.dubachracing.com