The Akrapovič (pronounced "Ack-rap'-o-vich") company was founded in 1990, based on the experience gained in the field of motorcycle tuning by Igor Akrapovič. 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 Akrapovič 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 Akrapovič, whose perfectionism is well-known, there was no choice. He had to go into the field of manufacturing exhaust systems himself.

At the beginning the company 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 our exhaust systems. After testing a model which had not been developed for that particular bike, but assisted by the exceptional talent of Mr. Akrapovič, it was clear that our 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 we enjoyed a string of wins and championship titles in the ensuing years.

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

In less than a decade our 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 our need for expansion. In the same year we moved into what then seemed a luxurious factory with a floor space of 3000 m2. In moving to our new factory, we 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 Akrapovič exhaust systems.

Our first SBK world championship title was taken in 2000 by Colin Edwards on his Castrol Honda SP-01, and in the same year we became champions in the 600 SS class with Yamaha and Joerg Teuchert. Akrapovič exhaust systems are starting to be used by everyone who understands the importance of using top-quality components in extreme race conditions. Our 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 our exhaust systems were also used by the Aprilia factory team.

Our quick entry into the most prestigious class in four-stroke motorcycle racing motivated and encouraged us towards even more intensive development, and gave us invaluable feedback which we added to our store of experience. In less than a decade our small workshop-style company has risen to worldwide prominence on the basis of resounding successes. We have constantly upgraded our production and invested the largest amount of funds into modernizing our machines and educating our workforce. Computers have long been our constant companions in the 3-D planning of configurations, programming of tools, computer-aided manufacture, and as an indispensable accessory in the testing department for the analysis and setting of all possible parameters.

The year 2009 ended with a bang in the history of the Akrapovič company. In addition to numerous successes and winning twelve motor racing world championships, Manthey Racing again won the Nürburgring 24 hour with a Porsche race car equipped with an Akrapovič exhaust system. To top it off, the Akrapovič a-workx team won the German Porsche Sports Cup in only its rookie season. In 2009, the company also made a great leap forward in the business arena: a state-of-the-art foundry began operation, becoming the company’s fourth major division in addition to the motorcycle exhaust systems, car exhaust systems, and composite products.