Hi Team HD

After just over five years of planning I am only months away from my first HD Iron 883- black, of course. My question to all y'all is this: what is the most cost effective slip on exhaust out there (that still looks and sounds great)- I see that HD do their own, there is the always cool Vance and Hines short shots...or, can I really cheap out and just gut the factory exhaust? I am looking to do a stage 1 and have settled on a Kuryakyn Black Blood Groove air filter. I am still working out whether I can do the EFI tuning myself or whether having the dealership do it will cost the same. I took a 2014 883 Iron for a quick blast (with a modified factory exhaust) and loved it. Being 5'9" and 180 pounds I thought the suspension was fine, brakes were fine, the only areas of improvement I felt was a better exhaust note and some extra power. The Stage 1 will get me there. I will also change the stock handlebars to something slightly wider and higher. My wife just walked by and noticed I was on the HD forum. gotta go....

 

For real?

Sound and looks are subjective. Power is objective.

You will be hard pressed to get more power out any slip-on over the stock ones, when modified as shown in the following videos.

As far as looks and sound. I have never heard a slip-on that sounded better to me...that is completely subjective though.

Looks, I like the look of a 2-1 best...but, again, that is completely subjective. For slip-ons, my current favorite look (yes, it changes) is seen in the second video below

 

IMO, if you're going to do it then just get the full exhaust. Slip-on pipes are better than nothing but the Short Shots are priced pretty damn good for a full system.

 

Right, looks like a full exhaust change then. I do like the look of the 2 into 1 exhaust- am I correct that a 2-1 will give more power than a 2-2?

 

http://m.motorcycle-usa.com/413/13194/Motorcycle-Article/Harley-Davidson-Sportster-Exhaust-Shootout.aspx

Looks are subjective. Love the look of short shots. Performance is not subjective, and short shots actually take it away, not give it. After I read/watched what's in that link I bought bassani pipes and couldn't be happier. Louder and lower than short shots, and a lot more performance and at a lower price.

 

please resist the urge to stick any cliche vance and hines or whatever on your bike..... this flies in the face of all the advice you will be given..... fight the urge. you would basically be turning your bike into the motorcycle equivalent of a mustang with flowmasters. try to stay focus on performance, not racket


look for an old pair of screaming eagle II (pre-2005) on ebay ($50) or chop the stockers and add the dk inserts... thunderheader will probably give you the best beast but, then we are talking a full exhaust kit.

truth in jokes:
southpark season13 episode 12

 

Older Screaming Eagle Slip Ons won't fit 2014 and up models.

 

"look for an old pair of screaming eagle II (pre-2005) on ebay ($50) or chop the stockers and add the dk inserts..."

i did say or chop. I honestly don't see why the older pipes will not fit. Its come up a few times and people say stuff about cats and sensors. That doesn't mean they dont fit. The mount bar is removable/replaceable...

and theres the whole "can't, don't, never, etc" SAT question thing... when people say those types of things.... it's never true. Theres always a way. To say the opposite denies customization... like a convertible bmw 850i.... bmw said no.... the world said yes.

http://www.bmwblog.com/2009/01/01/91...s-never-built/

I dont understand "can't, don't, never, etc"

 

Here is a link that has a lot of useful information regarding exhaust, and what to take into consideration regarding exhaust, intake and tuning (a Stage I) on a Sportster. In the video there is a 2-1 exhaust also.

Clicky

To answer your above question. 2-1 exhausts have the potential to give the most power, more than a 2-2 system.

However, the stock Sportster is Not a true 2-2 system. It has a crossover pipe, and it functions very well. Most 2-1 systems will Not out-perform the stock Sportster exhaust that have a good slip-on set up.

 

The "Crossover Port" is mounted to the header and not the Muffler bodies on the newer bikes. Click on the link to verify the "crossover port" is on the muffler.
http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...-06-8041504--1