thanks for the pics. i pmed you. i was wanting to get those rizoma camshaft covers from pjs parts but pj couldn't tell me if they would fit the 696 or not. can you give me a part number on those?
http://www.pjsparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1397also, can you tell me a little about getting those pipes off. i think i'm going to attempt that in the real near future! also what color did you go with. those are a perfect black!
Removing the exhaust wasnt so hard:
Remove seat, underseat tool-tray and fuel tank* (careful with those quick release fuel line connectors!).
Remove your Termis.
Remove both lambda sensors (22mm open-ended spanner I think...).
Loosen the two chrome pipe clamps (10mm)
Unbolt the Y section (the 2 allen bolts are only accessible once the tank is out of the way*). For some reason, one of the nuts on the underside of the Y section is welded in place but the other one is held by one of those crappy clip-in spring holder things....
One more slightly awkward to get at allen bolt underneath holding the rear U bend section on... accessible - kinda lol - from the behind the right side foot-peg, careful of the rear-brake line.
Loosen and remove the nuts securing the exhaust pipe flanges to the cylinder heads. The outer nut on the rear cylinder I found I could only access with a 10mm tube-spanner, no room to get a ring-spannner, open-ended spanner or socket in there.
Remove the horizontal cylinder exhaust pipe from the front cylinder head.
Remove the vertical exhaust pipe from the back cylinder head.
I found that the exhaust gaskets wanted to stay attached to the cylinder heads so I left em there, but its probably good practice to fish em out and refit with new ones.
Block off the exhaust ports on the heads to prevent unwanted junk from entering the combustion chamber - I stuffed a clean rag in there, not too far though.
And as far as I remember, that's about it.
A couple of points for the refit:
Prior to screwing the lambda sensors back in, carefully twist the wiring looms counter-clockwise so that as you screw the sensors clockwise back into the exhaust pipe the loom ends up nice and straight and not all twisted up.
Also, I used a little graphite powder on the pipe joins - allows 'em to slip back together real easy.
This isnt the definitive "how-to" but I think it more or less describes how i achieved the task!
And yup, by pure luck the semi-gloss black finish does match perfectly
. Very happy with the result.
Thanks
*Edit: mrplease reports that is not necessary to completely remove the petrol tank to get to the "Y section" mid-pipe bolts, so if you can avoid fiddling with those pesky quick release fuel-line connectors and still get the job done then I reckon its worth a go. 
