I've read several threads regarding this and they all end up in arguments over dyno sheets as to weather 2 into 1 or better than 2 into 2 or mine's better than yours by people who've not done it on their Sportster. Some threads have had good info but no pics of bike.
What I'd like to know is from people who've actually made the install on the Sportster. What problems did they have installing? Did they make an improvement & if so how much? Was it worth the money?
Could you post a pic of your bike so I can see what yours looks like?
seeing pics of lots of makes on a site selling pipes isn't as good as real world actual install & use info & pics.
Thank you!
Here area couple of photos of my Thunderheader pipes. I'm not sure of the performance gain, but I like them. I saw where some of the guys on Sons of Anarchy have them.
Here's a shot of my Patriot Defender black pipe, with chrome shields. The bike is set up similar to a Seventy Two with the 21" wheel, forwards, & the Seventy-Two gauge mount. No issues with install. It can scrape on the right when riding aggressively. it's supposed to be one of the better performing pipes. What I like about it is you can adjust the loudness with a butterfly flapper. Open it's quite loud. Closed it's almost stock.
Also keep in mind the type of riding you do. If you're a twisty rider, or otherwise have a habit of "scraping parts" around corners, pay attention to the exhaust's ground clearance. The great performing Patriot exhaust that many rave about, is also low hanging fruit around corners. If you look at the Patriot in post 3 above, note how low the bottom of the exhaust pipe is in relation to the bottom edge of the rear wheel pulley. Remember that in most pics, the bike is leaning to the left on the jiffy stand, making the ground clearance appear greater than it really is.
Thanks for the pics so far
I've been to Hammers site as well as others. Just wanted real customer reviews
My indy guy said Thunder headers & Arlen Ness big sucker with a jet change was the best but I'm FI & the Thunder headers are a little long in appearance for my taste. I want to shorten the look of the bike.
The Patriot Defenders are closer to what I had in mind but would get scrapped in the corners as I already scrape my SE slip ons on right turn corners
Any one else?
Thanks!
Also keep in mind the type of riding you do. If you're a twisty rider, or otherwise have a habit of "scraping parts" around corners, pay attention to the exhaust's ground clearance. The great performing Patriot exhaust that many rave about, is also low hanging fruit around corners. If you look at the Patriot in post 3 above, note how low the bottom of the exhaust pipe is in relation to the bottom edge of the rear wheel pulley. Remember that in most pics, the bike is leaning to the left on the jiffy stand, making the ground clearance appear greater than it really is.
And I will ad to this in regards to clearance issues. Some 2 into 1 setups such as the Freedom Performance American Outlaw High ride high interfering where passenger pegs mount. You can forget about having passenger pegs with that style. Just some things to keep in mind if you go the 2 into 1 route. Oh and another thing, not all air cleaners would fit with those pipes if they are large. You can see in their photo they use a small air cleaner. However I will say I did hear the Freedom Performance 2 into 1 and they sounded real nice, but they just wasn't practical for me.
Also keep in mind the type of riding you do. If you're a twisty rider, or otherwise have a habit of "scraping parts" around corners, pay attention to the exhaust's ground clearance. The great performing Patriot exhaust that many rave about, is also low hanging fruit around corners. If you look at the Patriot in post 3 above, note how low the bottom of the exhaust pipe is in relation to the bottom edge of the rear wheel pulley. Remember that in most pics, the bike is leaning to the left on the jiffy stand, making the ground clearance appear greater than it really is.
I have Defenders. The leaning angle to the right and left is about the same. Had Thunderheader before - it was sitting much lower.
Nobody has mentioned the measured benefits of a 2-into-1 over two pipes. I haven't modified my Sporty but have run both systems on my Glide and had both set-ups dyno-tuned by the same shop and operator.
Both systems gave similar headline numbers in horse power and torque, so no winner if we look no further. However the shape of the torque curve was very different, with the 2-into-1 giving significantly more torque in the low/mid rev range, where most of us ride.
The unexpected bonus is how much smoother running the bike is with the 2-into-1, it is far nicer to ride and wins hands down. I suspect a well tuned Sporty with a suitable 2-into-1 will give similar benefits. I have a Supertrapp Supermeg, also available for Sporties - subdued and discrete - not blaring loud and in yer face!
08-03-2015, 12:35 PM
Best 2 into 1 exhaust for Sportster 72?
