Thinking about installing a lightweight silencer on your new Ski-Doo Summit? Well the editors of SnoWest Magazine recently spent some time with Izac Hillam of High Performance Sports to learn some tricks of the trade for the installation process.
HPS has been designing and building quality lightweight silencers for years. SnoWest has had the opportunity to test these cans and work closely with the Hillams (Izac and his father Scott) numerous times over the years. The crew at HPS work hard to provide a quality product that not only shaves weight off your snowmobile, but provides responsive performance and a quality sound.
HPS tests its pipes thoroughly during the development stage. It has three crank dynos and a road dyno so it can accurately measure the pipe performance.
According to Hillam, the Shelley, ID-based company looks at five components in the silencer design process: 1) increased performance, 2) durability for extreme riders, 3) weight savings—making the silencers as light as possible without compromising durability, 4) sound—being aware of the dB levels while trying to create a tone that isn’t hollow or tinny, 5) fit and finish—the silencer needs to fit perfectly within the space and have a quality look to it.
Measured off the crank, the HPS Silencer gives you 5 hp in the mid range (a conservative average) and 3 hp on the top end. The HPS silencer weights 7 lbs. (compared to a stock silencer that tips the scales at 16 lbs.). HPS makes silencers for Ski-Doo, Arctic Cat and Polaris. It is also expanding into the sport UTV market.
Hillam took us meticulously through the step-by-step installation process.