Yes, my only reason for mentioning the placebo effect is because you said you would "give a detailed rider report", but it appears what you meant was that you'd give your opinion.
I would love to see the Motone results because we've got before-after tests of most other brands, and it would simply be an additional clue to what makes the most effective design. Until we did the 'Definitive cross-pipe test" everyone thought the x-pipes made the bikes run lean, and until we compared a MotoTrio to the Meerkat everyone thought they all had identical performance.
So as you say, "why don't you just buy a Variety of x pipes and do some independent testing, since that seems to be your interest?". Well, I've already spent many hundred dollars on time and materials testing combinations, so it's nice when people take the time to donate dyno results to me to add to the collection, but each to their own. I make every single result public, irrespective of the manufacturer or country of origin (and yes, I get flak simply because the Australian made ones give the best results so far), and since I don't have a retail parts shop or anything to bias my results I like to donate the findings as a kind of open information sharing repository.
FYI (and for free!) here's a chart from an SC showing the decat gains of up to about 8% through the mid-range on a bike I did in January. Yours may or may not be similar... who knows?
Who is "we"? Your dyno shop? What's it's name? let's see those unbiased "comparisons with most other brands". It would be of great interest to all. I only have seen charts comparing the cheap Moto Trio, but that's the only one. The Meercat has indeed tested well on its' own,( i'm not putting it down).
I have not seen any conclusive testing of any other brands ( Tec, Free Spirits, etc.) except against the Moto Trio that indicated otherwise, so please do share those comparisons if you have them, for free yes, no one is charging here.
As I said, I don't have a stock set up on my Street Twin to offer a base line test, so their is little point in me trying to pawn off a a base line test with out pulling all the stuff off my personal bike, running a test, then installing an X pipe testing again then adding back my other mods and testing again. Had I started this process with evaluating x pipes from the start, I would have considered it. While I do value dyno testing, and numbers can be important for a variety of reasons, A riders honest opinion on how his bike performs is valid, if he knows what to to evaluate. If we have to dyno test every mod to validate our riding experience it is pointless. So I will indeed publish my "opinion" on the Motone and folks can disregard it if they so choose. If I ever get the impulse or chance to dyno my final result with my other mods I'll share that also. There are enough stock Street twin dyno charts out there to know if there is and how much an increase there may or may not be ( 48-50 RWHP).
As for the current mods, Intake mods do little, in my case straight through glass pack mufflers offer a potential slight increase because on my Thailand Tune (#4) the stock pipe has a substantial mechanical baffle installed, unlike US bikes, so even if I offered a box stock dyno run, it's not apples to apples. the booster plug just adds a 6% closed circuit enrichment to protect the engine at full throttle acceleration. Adding the decat is intriguing because of the potential for a nice increase in power and throttle response. I will know it if there is an improvement, I don't need a dyno to tell that my bike is running faster or has better throttle response, or not. I only need a dyno to show exact power increases on my particular bike, or prove to others empirically that what I observe is real, and frankly it's not high on my priority list. Think about it, If a rider spends 200 bucks on a decat for reasons of increasing his bikes performance, and after installing it can not feel the difference from stock, there is no point in installing it, A dyno chart will perhaps make him feel better if it shows numbers that his bike is producing more power. If a guy installs the decat to reduce weight or have a louder exhaust then Bingo, point is moot.
in closing let me say this, The Meercat is one of the best performing Decat pipes out there, (and one of few actually tested) The only reasons I did not choose the Meercat, is, I prefer, and it is my personal preference, an X pipe that retains the stock points of attachment, and the ability to use the stock heat shield which makes the installation invisible. The street twin does not have any solid mount on the forward portion of the header other than the top clamp and the clamp to the CAT or x pipe. Real or imagined, I like the idea of a solidly mounted X pipe. I've had the system off and on a few times and you have to make sure those clamps are tight if you expect them to hold up the headers long term. So While I admire the Aussie loyalty and support for a local well made product, it is not the only game in town.
Chasing peak HP on a street Twin is largely counter productive given the cruiser tune it has, and factory limited output that only installing a cam can even partially undo. Keeping all things in perspective, If you can get 5-6 or so extra HP (or approximately 55 RWHP)and some better mid range torque, that's a reasonable expectation.
I'm too old to care whose x pipe is the absolute best, But I am curious about what they can actually add to my riding experience. And that, my opinion or not, will be forthcoming.
If I decide to take it off for any reason after evaluating it, I will send it to you for testing on a stock Street Twin, for the postage and a case of beer, voucher accepted.. But you have to agree to publish the results here.