I have a 2012 street glide. Looking at decatting pipes. Can't afford to do full stage 1 at this time. If i decat the pipes, use stock air cleaner and add RC Gatlin Chrome slip-ons. Do i need a fuel tuner?? Will this work at all?? I would think just getting the cats out would help the bike tremendously. I was at a dealership today and a guy was picking his bike up that just had the stage ! done. Sounded good as hell but he walked out $1800 lighter. That's just too steep for me. Thanks, for any input.

 

I believe you will only need to remapp if you do the intake. What you want to do will help a bit but not like adding a good intake and tuner. I am running decatted stock pipes, fuel moto stage 1 intake and wild pig slipons with a power vision tuner pre loaded with a map from fuel moto. You shouild check into the wild pigs. Mine were like $285.00 and look great and sound very nice.

I am going to change it all out when I have the coin but for now, it was much much better than stock sewing machine.............By the way, I decatted my own pipe. It is not hard at all. Look up some threads here as someone shows step by step how to do it. Do NOT cut the pipe in half. Cut out the square panel method and you will have zero realignment issues.

 

I am currently running a decatted head pipe with a set of V&H fishtail slipon mufflers. I also have an S&S Stealth air cleaner installed with a set of XIED's to manage the fuel enrichment. Bike runs a lot better and cooler than the stock configuration and well under the $1800.00 price tag mentioned.

My ride is a 2012 Electra Glide Ultra Limited

 

Call The Fuel Moto crowd do the wrenching yourself and be at around 1000.00. If you can replace your license tag you can do a Stage 1. You will be very happY

This does not include the de-cat. That is a little more complicated unless you weld.

 

This has been debated time and time again. You don't need to weld to take the 'cat' out of your stock headpipe. You can use a drill bit and get everything out quite easily (30 minutes and you're done). Buy a set of slip ons and hold off on the A/C until you can afford a tuner.

I second the suggestion to get in touch with Fuel Moto. Did my Stage 1 with their gear.

Kevin

 

what he said! 1 inch x 16 inch paddle bit takes a little while to do and you get it all out, no problem. just don't breath any of the dust. oh yea, hold on to the drill tight.

 

What do you mean by helping the bike tremendously? What are you trying to accomplish?

I wouldn't begin anything until those two questions are answered and fully understood.

 

Contrary to popular belief the cat is not a significant restriction to exhaust flow, until you start overwhelming the stock head pipes (nearly impossible with stock cams). It does make heat in the collector and reduce exhaust sound if those are your concerns. An air cleaner is around $150 and nice like new used slip-ons can be had in the $200-$300 range (lots of guys change them like girls change outfits). That could leave ya some change for a decent tuner and tune, which will make the biggest difference in performance.

 

What he said.

 

In my opinion, what you guys are doing is merely drilling a hole in the cat material. Having cut a panel out of my cat, I dont see any way at all that you have all the material out, not even close. With my panel removed, I had to chip, tear, scrap and grind ALL of the material out so that when I had the panel welded back up the surface was devoid of any little strips of the metal catalyctic material. I could imagin that leaving so much material that you would be leaving "could" possibly cause metal on metal tinny sounds as the exhaust pulses through the chamber.

Just my 2 pennies worth. Do as you want to your bikes.