I have a 2014 Road King and I want a little more umph, I have heard of people gutting the cats as apposed to getting a whole new exhaust. I am wondering if anyone has done this. I have heard of it being done but not how it is done. I am wondering if this is something that I could do in my own garage with a set of craftsman tools, or would I need a bunch of specialty stuff like a welder or cutter? Also I am wondering if the difference in power is worth the trouble.

 

Most do it because of the heat, not so much for power. You have a few options, but you'll have to do your own searching. Buy an already gutted header on eBay. They're relatively inexpensive. Keep your original header just in case you ever want to or have to go back to OEM. Some have drilled them out using a drill motor and various hole saw and paddle bits. Finally, take it to a muffler shop and have them cut it open, remove the cat material and weld it back up.

 

I had to remove the V&H power duel head pipes from my 2015 CVO Roadglide due to a change in Maine state EPA regs. I have the 117 engine in mine along with T-Man Performance cams.

I found several listings on EBay where guys had built jigs foe the OEM head pipes, cut them at the front of the catalyst chamber, completely removed the material and wire brushed the interior clean, then welded the assembly back together.

I decided to give one a try and I noticed no loss of power in my bike. I even contacted Vance & Hines technical support for their map recommendation to reprogram the ECM via the FP3 Fuel manager I have. They recommended I keep the map for the power duals and monster oval slip-ons.

Best part of all is these head pipes are cheap, going for between $85 to $125.

Hope this helps.