The Akrapovic (pronounced "Ack-rap'-o-vich") company was founded in 1990, based on the experience gained in the field of motorcycle tuning by Igor Akrapovic. His knowledge comes from his own personal experiences and observations, as he himself often tested the results of his work as a motorcycle racer on the track. He capped a successful ten-year career with numerous championship titles in the F1 and SBK classes on both the national and international levels. His ceaseless desire to create and exceptional feeling for four-stroke motors, especially racing motors, has made the Akrapovic name famous throughout the world.

In the search for perfection in tuning racing motorcycles, he was confronted with an insurmountable problem. There simply were no high-quality exhaust systems available to the public which could meet extreme technical demands. The systems which were available were for the most part poorly made, with the main parts usually welded together, and usually with excessively thick pipe walls. It was considered a success if the system at least came close to fitting onto the bike for which it was intended. Technically superior exhaust systems were astronomically expensive and difficult for the average customer to obtain. For Akrapovic, whose perfectionism is well-known, there was no choice. He had to go into the field of manufacturing exhaust systems himself.

At the beginning Akrapovic only produced totally custom exhaust systems for private racing teams. Even then, in 1990, they were exceptional examples in their class, standing out from other exhaust systems. This got the attention of most of the teams competing on the Pro Superbike circuit. This was at the time a very high ranking class, just below the Superbike World Championship. In 1993 the firm Kawasaki Deutschland responded to an invitation to test the exhaust systems. After testing a model which had not been developed for that particular bike, but assisted by the exceptional talent of Mr. Akrapovic, it was clear that the system was better than the factory system. This was a huge breakthrough and the beginning of major cooperation with numerous teams in the Pro Superbike championship (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, Honda), in which Akrapovic enjoyed a string of wins and championship titles in the ensuing years.

A trendy name which was no different from those of many other exhaust systems no longer suited their purposes and did not suit the product which it stood for. Another problem was its similarity to other registered trademarks around the world. Akrapovic decided to replace the Skorpion name, which was already well-known among enthusiasts, with something completely unique, as befit the product. The logical answer was to use the name of the founder of the company, Igor Akrapovic. The unique and somewhat exotic brand name, which characterizes the product, was well-received among the public.

Akrapovic's first victory in an individual SBK race was won in 1997 by Japanese Akira Yanagawa on a Kawasaki.

In less than a decade the small workshop-style company has risen to worldwide prominence on the basis of resounding successes. Huge growth and demand for fast and major developments were at first difficult to accommodate. The spatial restrictions of our 450 m2 workshop accelerated the need for expansion. In the same year they moved into what then seemed a luxurious factory with a floor space of 3000 m2. In moving to the new factory, Akrapovic also moved the warehouse from Germany to the seat of the company in Slovenia. In the 1999 season every single Japanese team in the Superbike World Championship used Akrapovic exhaust systems.


Akrapovic's first SBK world championship title was taken in 2000 by Colin Edwards on his Castrol Honda SP-01, and in the same year they became champions in the 600 SS class with Yamaha and Joerg Teuchert. Akrapovic exhaust systems were starting to be used by everyone who understands the importance of using top-quality components in extreme race conditions. Their entry into the SBK World Championship was followed by victories in important national championships: the American AMA Superbike and the Japanese All Japan Superbike Championship. In the year 2000 Akrapovic exhaust systems were also used by the Aprilia factory team.

Their quick entry into the most prestigious class in four-stroke motorcycle racing motivated and encouraged them towards even more intensive development, and gave the company invaluable feedback which has added to their store of experience.