Great video. You had me rolling when you mentioned you were banned as a customer in the intro. Not sure what they were hoping to accomplish with that as you have a great following and could easily get around it. I have seen incredibly unprofessional responses from them all over the groups and have always held back on buying anything from them just because of that. Besides the shotty fitment under the car, this does have a nice sound to it. The key will be to check back in a year or so to see if it survives all the track driving you do.
The illegal reuse of USPS packaging from a major company just further solidified ballade sports as a bad company to purchase from, the review was solid but I can’t feel comfortable buying anything from them.
If you watch the ballade video about this exhaust, you can see they didn’t re-tune the car when switching. The decibel meter was clearly farther way and less directly placed on the ballade test too
I just received my Ballade Type S single from their late 2022 batch (50 units) and wanted to say they've really improved the shipping packaging. Arrived with no damage and was carefully padded all around, and this time without illegal USPS boxes too.
I remember when my ballade rollbar was delivered..it looked rattlecanned and all the feet were bent and the packaging was horrendous. But my tct has held up great over the past 4 years ☺️
these guys wouldnt pick up the phone, then when i got through they took down my name and number and told me they'd call back in 15min. ofc never heard from them
I lol'd when you said you were banned. I think I've tried contacting them too, and they seem super sketchy. So awesome that you had to secret buy it from them.
Glad to see a new video from you man. I’m glad you did this review, it looks like a nice exhaust, I do hope they make a new run and solve those issues, that packaging is unacceptable.
Bought their rear window glass for my hardtop about a year ago and this is indeed how they package items, surprised the glass wasn’t shattered upon delivery smh
RIP to my ears at the end 😂 Sadly these are all reasons i still can’t find myself purchasing anything with this company. I have a spoon single exit exhaust and i love it. Great review!
In my completely unbiased opinion, I love the way they Ballade sounds. They're both similar which is nice, but the Ballade has a certain "crispness" to it. ASM sounds good too, of course. But, the Ballade is just perfect to me.
Interesting review. I have my Ballade Type S and it is perfect on a 2007. The way I got around the passenger was by leaving the slip fit bracket loose and adjusting the rotation and depth of connection until everything cleared. No issues at all
Have you tracked your car yet? With the hangers I can get the exhaust not to rub when just cruising but as soon as I go into a high g corner the exhaust will sway over to the left and making rubbing noises.
Also it’s really interesting that you have no issues because even in Ballades latest video you can hear it rub. The fitment issue is why Duane Bada actually ended up returning their exhaust, despite being in their video lol.
@@DIYGuysvideo I have no tracked it yet so a high g corner could be a complete different story. I admit I use my car primarily as fun road car. Rarely track it anymore. Perhaps some exhaust wrap could help in this scenario. For me it solves all my goals. 1) less weight 2) no drone 3) quiet when i want it 4) good noise when i want it I would love a titanium version of this!
New to S2Ks and Ballade. It's sad because from a product POV I'd buy this exhaust, but seeing the reputation they have, not so much. That being said, what exhaust would you recommend? No drone is what I'm after. I'm currently set on the HKS SSM. Thanks for the content!
If you're looking for a 70mm exhaust there are almost no options. Its this, the Urge scavenger, or some baller JDM exhausts like the Amuse Euro S (made to order). If you're ok with a 60mm exhaust there are a lot of options. HKS SSM, Tanabe Medallion, Fujitsubo exhausts, Amuse Euro S. There are probably a bunch of others I don't know. Alex Lin could probably chime in.
DIYGuys hit the nail on the true no-drone exhausts. The HKS SSM is a solid choice. It has the noise level I want in vtec range while maintaining low NVH just rolling around. I would love to try the Amuse Euro S 70mm Single (stainless steel) if purchasing wasn't such a pain.
If you add a coat hanger to any regular old 70mm exhaust, would that get rid of the drone? I'm tempted to buy this because of 1) HP, 2) weight, and 3) sound... But I've NEVER heard anything good about Ballade. I would really cringe giving them my money. The single-exit appears to be in stock now. Unless they're just taking money for something that's sold out. Which also wouldn't surprise me.
I don't run a high flow cat anymore but at the time I was likely running the BalladeSports 63.5 to 70mm step up HFC. Don't recommend it though, welds broke and its junk.
not entirely related but im havin similar experiences with aFe takeda, & it seems alot of people have issues with them after checking customer reviews…. anyways, this ballade exhaust is probably one of the nicest single exits on the market . ballade is definitely shady but they have cool stuff like that carbon oem style hardtop👀 fire video 🔥
How you going to say you’re banned from ballade sports and not give the back story lol. Nice video though. The exhaust is too loud for my taste but the video was very well done.
Luckily mine wasn't damaged in shipping. I can confirm there is zero drone, it is even quieter than my Fujitsubo Power Getter that I had on before. I drove it about 3 hours to the track last weekend and you could almost forget that you had an aftermarket exhaust on. I also have an 06+ S2000 and ran into those fitment issues, I had emailed Ballade back when I preordered and they said they were aware of the 06+ differences and that it wouldnt have any issues... Overall I am very happy with the exhaust and would purchase it again even with the fitment issues
Ballade 🤷♀️ What did you do for the fitment issues? I ended up using a hose clamp / metal zip tie to hold the exhaust piping to the rear subframe so that the exhaust is pulled to the passenger side. I also needed to buy aftermarket exhaust hangers too. Problem I have now is that the exhaust hits my rear bumper on hard left turns and is starting to melt the bumper a little.
@@DIYGuysvideo seems like maybe the only alternative is to have a competent exhaust shop modify the Ballade because there's no way I'm going to take a hammer to the car or risk having the bumper get melted. Based on your install and experience, can this be achieved with welding on another hanger or should the pipe be re-bent?
@@DIYGuysvideo I tightened the diff hanger bracket last and pushed the exhaust to the right as far as I could when I torqued the bolt down. Then I took some zip ties to the rubber hanger and compressed the hanger a bit. That and experimenting with the stock triangle hangers in various positions has it adjusted fairly well. The tip isn't close to my bumper and it doesn't touch the chassis or brace unless I really shake the exhaust hard. I didn't notice any issues while driving on the track.
Great video! My box came in with a hole too, but nth damaged. However, I am having an issue with fitment on RHD Ap1, my exhaust doesn't fit right at the bumper. No matter how I adjusted it, the exhaust tip is almost touching the bumper. Any idea?
I had a lot of issues where the exhaust wanted to touch the top of the bumper cutout. I ended up buying a set of aftermarket exhaust hangers which gave me a little more adjustability.
You probably want to swing your diff hanger counter clockwise as possible. Otherwise you can try using a hose clamp attached to the subframe to keep the exhaust from sliding to the left. I did this to avoid the rubbing issue against the exhaust tunnel.
I'd be curious to hear how this compares to the HKS Hi-Power Single. After the packing got burnt out in the Berk exhaust, i switched to the HKS exhaust. Full stainless, 540 bucks, great fitment. Been able to pass sound at NCM so that's a plus, hah.
@@DIYGuysvideo confirm it drones. I think if you add the coat hanger pipe like how the ASM and ballade copy does it I think it will solve the problem. It only happens around 3-4k rpm. With that said whats the length of that pipe? Maybe its the same needed length needed on the HKS.
@@DIYGuysvideo I have one as well, it drones without a test pipe to a near unbearable level on long drives. I'm really interested in the Ballade exhaust especially since my Remark hasn't met their backorder date either
Could someone measure out the quarter wave resonator? I don't see why the rest of us could not use the HKS single and weld that piece on and get rid of drone.
@DIYGuys thanks for the heads up! I guess I will stick with my 60mm Tanabe. I have bought a few products from ballade sports and I haven't had any issues.
There are less bass-like sounds with the test pipe, so it’s just that much more livable. This is the same with all exhausts really. Drone is always reduced with a test pipe.
lol I have exhaust video(s) in that same location. That place is excellent for pulls but has been blown up every so often with packs of cops. I considered this exhaust to pair with my ballade header but decided against it.
So basically, 70mm throughout, stock resonator and coat hanger locations, and a single outlet port. that's all? Looks like am easy Saturday afternoon project to build such a replica.
Banned as a customer? That's salty af. Regardless, I might be ordering one before demand goes to the moon. Still curious if this exaust passes Laguna 90dB
@@DIYGuysvideo always on the wrong side of the supply-demand curve :/ On the plus side, that means I can save money for something more important. Like a roll bar.
Ballade puts out sub-par products and personally attacks their customers when something goes wrong with their products. They have also been known to not refund on faulty products. They also oversell their products performance/durability. It's top-down poor management.
2021 and most exhaust manufacturers still completely disregard eliminating drone. Glad to see this Ballade Sports exhaust has no drone despite all the other issues lol.
To be fair, most issues with Ballade TCTs happen due to the installation method. So if its not showing issues (over tensioned chain noise) you are probably fine.
And for whatever it is worth I have nothing but the best to say about Ballade. They have treated me very well over the years. I dont but all their parts but I am a huge fan of this exhaust and their large brake rotor kit.
Removed my ballade TCT because it was leaking after being used for 2 months. Also used there motor mounts and they went bad after 1 track day. Never buy there products.
I was considering them for upgrading my AP1s keepers and retainers, but they have a video on their own channel of them doing a cam swap on a customers car outside behind their shop. Valve cover off and everything just out in the open, like dafuck? Sana Ana winds gonna trow twigs and crap in there. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lF_Sxtc8mZU.html don't need to watch the whole thing but its at 10:50
C'mon man, you've proven in the past you're better than this -- declaring it an "almost perfect" copy of the ASM without *any* quantitative testing? No back to back dyno, no sound measurements... you didn't even put them on a bathroom scale? Even when you said it doesn't drone, you didn't provide the actual in-car audio?! I really expected more from you.
You expect too much. Back to back dyno is a lot of time and money (more than I already spend gambling on this stuff which is way too much). I’ll agree I could have some decibel testing (although ballade has already done this on two occasions). In this video the ASM is louder, but the ASM is worn (and breaking) so it’s not a perfect comparison. I did weigh them, just didn’t put it in the video. ASM is 26lbs and Ballade is 28lbs (probably due to slip fit design). This is on a bathroom scale so not perfect. I have the in car audio and it’s just boring, I can send it to you if you’d like. Otherwise you’ll have to take my word and Alex’s word for it (two people who have absolutely nothing to gain from saying nice things about a Ballade product).
Also, I said it was almost the perfect exhaust (in general) not that it was an almost perfect replica. In the video I said they did a great job replicating the design and the exhaust note is quite similar.
Hi DIYGuys, it's twohoos. (Apparently my phone is logged into a different google/youtube account). Anyway, thanks for replying -- and sorry in retrospect, my post reads a little harsher than I meant it to. I sincerely DO love your vids, and that's why I subscribe. That said... ;) As far as whether I "expect too much," I'd argue that you yourself set my expectations in the first minute of the vid: you state that a now-classic and hard-to-find ASM exhaust---known for its unobtanium-like combination of performance and sound quality---is being essentially copied by a company with a (let's be honest) sketchy reputation for living up to its claims. You go on to specifically tick off the ASM's features: 1) sound quality, 2) no drone, 3) 14 hp/13 lbft gain [BTW, I'll eat my hat if those figures are true, but that's a different discussion], and 4) ability to pass a 90dB day at Laguna. Now, let's be clear: there are any number of S2000 aftermarket exhausts which 1) sound great; OR 2) don't drone; OR 3) add power/torque; OR 4) will pass a 90dB day at Laguna. But *all four* of those?? THAT'S the magic. THAT's what makes the ASM (or any S2000 exhaust, if it can do them all at once) so special. So, when you introduce the video and you say "let's find out" whether the Ballade replica will "live up to the reputation of the ASM", to me the obvious question is whether it really managed to find a comparable sweet spot. But instead, by the end of the vid, you've only addressed sound quality and drone (which frankly are subjective); and even then, we didn't get to hear the evidence for drone. And yet, without power or loudness measurements, AND despite Ballade's obviously shady packaging and customer treatment, mystifyingly, you STILL go on to claim: "In the end, the Ballade exhaust lives up to the reputation of the ASM, both good and bad. It's almost perfect." Wait, what? Again, let me stress: ANYONE can make an exhaust that SOUNDS good (make a pipe) and doesn't drone (add a helmholtz resonator exactly like the OEM one). I mean, that much is child's play. But can you do it while ALSO making power and torque, AND while passing sound at Laguna? (Oh yeah, AND while saving weight? Arguably, weight is the only true Achilles heel of the OEM cat-back exhaust.) I suppose if this were a product from an established tuner (Mugen/Spoon/Amuse/etc.) and they claimed power gains, you might take them at their word. But as you yourself acknowledge, Ballade doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation for delivering real-world quality. So to me the obvious question is whether this new part (regardless of whether you like its sound) actually does anything at all in terms of hp, tq, or weight. And for you to essentially give them a pass on all of those things, which are the trickiest part of exhaust tuning...well, yeah, I expected more from you. P.S. FYI, the Mugen dual exhaust only weighs about 28 lbs, so a single exhaust which can't beat that is, well, not exactly a unicorn. (The Amuse weighs 14 lbs, if I'm not mistaken, but then--natch--it's LOUD, so don't take it to Laguna!)
Thanks for the follow up. I was operating under the assumption that if they copied the piping and the muffler/resonator construction (since the sounds are very similar) that the performance should be similar. Maybe I’m naive. Anyhow, I’m going to get the car tuned soon so we should see if there are any performance issues. I probably won’t go back to back against the ASM but I could go back to back against stock. I’ll need to find a shop that will put up with my bs. I also have a 90db Laguna day at the end of November. So we’ll see how that goes. Not too worried since this exhaust is quieter than the ASM in person. I’ll be sure to post on Instagram and here with results. Correct me if I am wrong but the Mugen exhaust is a 60mm so it’s not ideal for tuning.
Cheers, my good man! :) My sense of these things is yes, you might be "naive" as far as whether copying the general shape and construction of the piping and resonator is enough to achieve comparable hp/tq gains. By the same token, I myself might be naive as to whether 60mm vs 70mm piping implies any specific tuning advantage. To me, exhaust "tuning" is really all about the details of everything that comes out of the exhaust side of the engine block: piping shape, length, size, every single interface (e.g. before & after cat, if any), etc... BTW, your OEM CR exhaust is known to be good for 2-3hp and a couple lbs of weight. If you decide you don't want it, PM me (twohoos) on s2ki and I'll take it off your hands for the price you paid for your Ballade.. :)
I might be able to down the road. What will most likely happen is I will get tuned on the ballade setup and hopefully I should make close to 230 whp on a dynapack.
