Mike’s made by hands (Russian) Downpipes + Becker Catback Review

[highPSI-S4]

I’m not the greatest at reviews but want to at least get some info out for the rest of the group if someone is on the fence about ordering a set.

I little back story,
I bought a set of APR Downpipes from a former member Chris Morales who had them on his S8.

The Downpipes were modified to extend 3in the full length for a custom exhaust. I felt I could have them paired back up to my stock exhaust, and did a DIY hack to get them on. ( which was only some advanced auto reducer pipes) THis didn’t suffice and was leaking so I set out to get quotes. every shop I went to wanted $1500 or more to do the work. I’ll chalk it up to the S6 tax, 2 ft of pipe each side? Angry and frustrated I set out to find another solution. Did some research and Re-sold the APR Downpipes locally. One thing I will add about the APR Downpipes is, the sound once you have them installed is glorious but the gas smell in the cabin is not a hit with the ladies lol!

After seeing carx7’s thread on Mike’s “Made by hands” catted Downpipes I was just about sold as these Downpipes were in the running.

I was looking for Downpipes that matted up to a stock midpipe since the cat back exhaust systems I was looking at already included the midpipe. Something the APR Downpipes come with.

Downpipes: Russian

Here is my timeline

6/8 - reached out to Mike 5am eastern time
6/8 - Mike responded and list 3 available options
And after a few back and forth emails I decided on a set and sent payment.

6/9 - Mike replied 3 weeks for pipes to be made.
6/22 - Reached our to Mike to get an updated, and he reponded same day with pipes will be ready 6/24.

6/27 - received email from Mike, Downpipes have been shipped.
7/7 - Downpipes received.

So took a month but worth the wait. The Downpipes look like a work or art.








Install was pretty straight forward and having already installed the APR Downpipes myself these were a breeze.

Pros: no gas smell in the cabin, o2 sensors in stock location so no need for spacers and no CEL. Can connect any after market exhaust system that mates up to the OEM flange.

Cons: wait period? And the neck down that Carx7 mentioned.


Since matted the Downpipes to the EBay Becker catback I don’t have any sound clips for that setup. I have tried to get good sound on these video and have been unsuccessful, I’ve tried my GoPro Hero, iPhone and my DSLR in 1080p video mode. I’ll try to upload some later.


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[mintytoo]

Thanks for the info. About the clips, did you try mounting the go pro on the outside of the car, close to trunk? I did a clip like that and thought it sounded pretty good. https://youtu.be/LUqTjzYe6_U

[highPSI-S4]

On to the Becker catback. This exhaust is said to be a Milltek replica.


I Wanted a catback at a decent price point. At $1100 shipped it fit the bill nicely. So project budget exhaust that performs was underway.

Took about a week to get the catback, and once I opened the box I could see the quality isn’t the greatest but looks damn good for an EBay exhaust.

Made of 304 grade stainless steel
Brushed stainless finish
Piping size 2.75” OD













Install:

Install went pretty well, the catback bolted up to the Russian Downpipes with ease and a nice fit. Comes with (4) 4in exhaust tips, at first I was like damn these are huge haha, but they fill the rear valence up nicely

All the exhaust hangers are in the stock location, I had an issue getting the exhaust straight which is a hard task on the floor in the garage. The exhaust clamps are also crap, even when you tight them all the way the exhaust pieces still move and leak. I bout a better set off Amazon.

Startup:

This would The the first time hearing the complete package of Downpipes and catback.

I will say I was very disappointed in the sound. I do understand as the mufflers break in it will get louder. But this setup was beyond quiet, the stock system in sport mode was twice as loud. It also took a few days of driving to burn off the oils so my car was smoking a bit.

Fast forward to now. I have 1500 miles on the setup. When you push the start button people know to watch out as it sends that initial bite of fury out the back! But after the cold start when the rpm’s go down you can barely hear the V8 gurgle at idle and even worse with a few revs in neutral.

My Roc Euro intake is the loudest thing on the car, even under WOT all intake and swoosh noises. A few friends have commented the exhaust sounds good from the outside but being the driver the in cabin sound isn’t there. I was trying to convince myself it was the good sound deadening the car has.

The exhaust a WOT is loud enough to be heard, and crushing speeds in D mode there is a slight drone under 2 rpm, anything above that it’s hard to hear anything. The exhaust does have a deeper tone though, but the burbles and crackles are almost no existent. The stock system definitely wins that battle. I was also trying to decide was it the catback or Downpipes making this setup so quiet. The APR Downpipes matted to the stock exhaust was a way better option for the money and sound.

After a few dreams of a louder exhaust I contacted a local shop and I will have them
Remove the resonators and middle muffler to waken this setup up. I’m not concerned about drone at this point, I have a daily car and having a motorcycle with exhaust it honestly won’t bother me I’m sure. All my last Audi’s have been catless with straight pipes or one muffler anyway.


Pros: fits pretty well, quality is decent considering the price.

Cons: too quiet, crappy exhaust clamps. Wish I had just purchased the AWE track exhaust as that was my first choice initially.


I will be attempting to upload the sounds clips I do have. And will update again once I get the mufflers removed.







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[highPSI-S4]

Thanks for the info. About the clips, did you try mounting the go pro on the outside of the car, close to trunk? I did a clip like that and thought it sounded pretty good. https://youtu.be/LUqTjzYe6_U

That does sound pretty good, I might be up for that today. I have 2 weeks before she goes under the knife to remove the mufflers.

Great mounting location, thanks!

[blinx9900]

Thanks for sharing.

[Swirv]

The tips do look great and fit well!

Do the downpipes require a tune?

I’ve been really wanting to mod my car some more but am worried about taking it to a dealer and getting a TD1. Warranty is good until 2022 and I really don’t want to wait that long!





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[jcs4]

Have the Becker as I wanted a A quieter setup than the awe track I had before (have a new born). I agree on every thing in the review. I ended up welding the rear section as the clamps kept loosing up. But for the money it’s built well but is a quiet which I wanted. Now I need to order the mikes down pipes this week.

[Mighted1987]

Very nice review to read, how much were the down pipe?

[GlacierS5]

His website States 119,000.00 rur. Which in today currency rate equates to 1746.92

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[Mighted1987]

I wonder if the DP give a little more exhaust tone at all..

[GlacierS5]

I wonder if the DP give a little more exhaust tone at all..

It definitely does as I heard it myself from several members that have a DP. More of a deeper tone.

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[Mighted1987]

I need that and an roc intake!!

[GlacierS5]

I need that and an roc intake!!

SRM is a very good choice as well.

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[wwhan]

The SRM intake may be a better choice than Roc-Euro, since the intake tubes are larger diameter all the way to the turbo.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...l-step-by-step

[Mighted1987]

Do they whistle good too? Since im not tuned, I really like the turbo whistle
Sound the roc intake make, didnt hear any srm yet.

[carx7]

[highPSI-S4]

UPDATE:

Was not satisfied with the sound so I had the exhaust setup modified.

The result was a deep growl and snarling bite upon accelerating! I'm def liking the new setup
The Shop made suggestions and the end result was Resonator and Middle Muffler delete, welding all the area where a sleeve joint existed except for the rear axle portion where they installed V-Band clamps.

I have a few videos from the weekend, enjoy!

[tadhgbrosnan]

Sounds awesome.

[Shadow2]

Sounds real good, what shop did the work? I might need some work done soon.

[highPSI-S4]

Sounds awesome.

Thanks, I can't stop going on/off throttle to hear the crackles!

Sounds real good, what shop did the work? I might need some work done soon.

Thank you! I went to GT Peace in Chantilly. A few locals go here and have been raving about the work they do and just the overall experience with them.

[ntsantos]

Can someone please post or PM the info to order the Mike's Russian pipes? I'm sure it's posted already, but...lazy. Thanks in advance!

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[GlacierS5]

Can someone please post or PM the info to order the Mike's Russian pipes? I'm sure it's posted already, but...lazy. Thanks in advance!

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http://mikes-custom.ru/

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[wwhan]

http://mikes-custom.ru/

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Specifically here (open with Chrome browser): http://mikes-custom.ru/index.php/com...-c7?Itemid=618

[ntsantos]

Perfect, thanks guys!!

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[ntsantos]

Has anyone checked if the catted versions pass readiness for the O2 sensors?

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[highPSI-S4]

Has anyone checked if the catted versions pass readiness for the O2 sensors?

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These cats pass readiness just like APR and AMS downpipes that share the same or similar cats.

[ntsantos]

These cats pass readiness just like APR and AMS downpipes that share the same or similar cats.

Sweet, thanks for the reply. And to everyone else providing feedback, you suck for making me spend more $$

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[highPSI-S4]

Sweet, thanks for the reply. And to everyone else providing feedback, you suck for making me spend more $$

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Np, its Money well spent lol! What tune do you have?

[ntsantos]

Np, its Money well spent lol! What tune do you have?

I'm actually testing the Racechip GTS since it has a 30 day return policy. I may dyno it soon to see what it really does. If it's not substantial, I'll probably go APR. Not many options for the S8. I don't want to derail the thread with tune info, but the Racechip feels pretty damn good, I was surprised. Especially with no TD1, and a 1/3 of the cost of a flash. I may start my own thread with the journey.

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[[waZZup]]

Specifically here (open with Chrome browser): http://mikes-custom.ru/index.php/com...-c7?Itemid=618

And get blank snowhite page)

[GlacierS5]

And get blank snowhite page)

Works fine for me. Copy the URL to another browser.

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[[waZZup]]

Works fine for me. Copy the URL to another browser.

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Sorry. Turned out to be an issue with uBlock extension :-/

[carx7]

Has anyone checked if the catted versions pass readiness for the O2 sensors?

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Yes. I've been driving with mine for 6 months now... zero issues. And yes, I got rid of my APR pipes in exchange for these as I did not want the hassle of spacers, etc. These just work. Plain and simple. No BS.

[ntsantos]

Yes. I've been driving with mine for 6 months now... zero issues. And yes, I got rid of my APR pipes in exchange for these as I did not want the hassle of spacers, etc. These just work. Plain and simple. No BS.

So... you're saying I should spend some rubles? Great info. I've read some mixed reviews on stage 2, some people say it wasn't too significant, while others say the opposite. What's the consensus with these catted DPs + Stage 2?

It still seems like a no brainer and next on the list, just curious on the most recent experience with these pipes.

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[[waZZup]]

So... you're saying I should spend some rubles? Great info. I've read some mixed reviews on stage 2, some people say it wasn't too significant, while others say the opposite. What's the consensus with these catted DPs + Stage 2?

It still seems like a no brainer and next on the list, just curious on the most recent experience with these pipes.

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I guess the experience depends on whether it is installed on S6/7 or RS6/7. Stage2 vs stage1 difference must be much more noticable on RS turbos.

[carx7]

I guess the experience depends on whether it is installed on S6/7 or RS6/7. Stage2 vs stage1 difference must be much more noticable on RS turbos.

I can't speak to the S6/S7 as I am in an Rs7. On my car, the difference between stage 1 and stage 2 is tremendous. As to the impact of these pipes on a stage 2 car vs stock, I can't comment on that either as I'm not a dyno nor a drag strip kinda guy. Previous data suggests that an aftermarket catted setup is beneficial (AMS, APR, Mikes, etc).

If you haven't read already, I posted an update on my experience in this thread:
https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...ighlight=mikes
Specifically Post #15.

If someone is looking for catted downpipes, you have to determine your priorities and that will guide your selection.
I had APR and didn't like the O2 spacer issue an inability to set readiness. Also, they did not fit my Akra without modification.
I was looking to purchase AMS when I found Mikes. I was willing to gamble at the time (only one other review of his non-catted pipes) and so I did.
FOR ME, the Mikes pipes are equivalent to AMS in the ways I care about (stock fit, GESI UHO cat, no O2 issues) They just don't carry the AMS name. <- Not important to me.
There are a few of us now running Mike's pipes so there is no real gamble in my mind.

[audi021]

Problem now is that ams lowered the cost and they are almost comparable in price. Why gamble for a few dollars - if that.

[[waZZup]]

Problem now is that ams lowered the cost and they are almost comparable in price. Why gamble for a few dollars - if that.

[with strong accent] Because russian steel will charge your car with Soviet power [/with strong accent]

[ntsantos]

What's the cheapest AMS catted pipes everyone is seeing? It still looks to be almost $1k more than Mike's catted version.

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[carx7]

Problem now is that ams lowered the cost and they are almost comparable in price. Why gamble for a few dollars - if that.

I'm not sure I follow what gamble people see?

Several people have purchased Mikes, received, and had zero issues.-> The risk of spending money and not getting what you paid for seems limited if not non-existent.
Same 304 stainless steel-> Not sure if there is a concern about the foundry from which the raw material comes or that this would impact performance of an exhaust pipe when it is all ANSI 304SS material.
Same GESI 3840 UHO cat-> Zero difference.
Both bolt to stock turbos locations.-> Zero difference
AMS uses a machined turbo flange to pipe interface. Mike uses a hand formed flange to pipe with more gradual transition. -> In my experience with airflow, gradual is better.
AMS uses a secondary pipe to manage the transition from the DP back to the factory 2.75" exhaust size. Mike uses a welded in place transition. -> So AMS has an extra part with I guess an extra gasket?
If you wanted to bolt AMS to a 3"cat back and not the factory/akra 2.75 there is value here. Mike said he'll make this configuration also, so again seems like a wash to me.

Mike's pipes took 2-3 weeks to arrive. AMS might arrive in a week if they are in stock.

AMS is $2709 shipped.
Mikes are $2100 shipped.

Not sure what $609 buys.