What’s the difference between aluminum, stainless, titanium and carbon fiber cans?
Aluminum and stainless are the heavier and less expensive cans. They almost always have a polished “chrome” look to them. Titanium is lighter and has a dull, matt finish that discolors under extreme heat. It is usually the preferred choice on race bikes. In actuality, titanium itself is a heavier metal than aluminum, but is stronger, allowing less of it to be used for the same amount of strength resulting in lower weight. Carbon fiber is also light weight and has a black weave finish. Another benefit of carbon fiber is that in retains heat, making it less likely to burn a leg. Some bikes with high exhaust temperatures can deform carbon fiber, so it is not always a good choice. Virtually all of the pipe makers use the same core on all on the different finishes, so they will sound very, very close to the same.
