UPDATED 8/21/2016. See last post for new video clip.

I have already given a review of this exhaust in the Softail section, but it was mixed in with my review of some other mods I've added, so I thought I'd give this system its own more in-depth review in this section, since they offer it for all H-D big twin models.

I had been on the prowl over the last few years for a good 2-1 exhaust to better complement the overall look of my bike and liked the relatively clean look of the new Ness-Comp by Magnaflow, so I thought I'd give it a go. I've only seen this exhaust in online ads and catalogs. Nobody else that I know of has one of these exhaust systems on their bike (tho I'm certainly not the first), so I'm "honored" that I get to be the first one to offer a review on this exhaust. LOL.
It was with great anxiety that I first turned her over and took my first ride with the Ness-Comp, since reviews of its siblings the F-Bomb and Lowdowns weren't exactly glowing - especially in the areas of fit and power.
Surprise! My first impression of this exhaust system was how well everything actually fit together and how good it actually looked on my bike. Fired it up. Much more mellow sounding than the V&H BR2-2s which previously graced my ride. No longer does she growl. Now she purrs at idle. This will be a negative point for a lot of people, but for me it's refreshing that I will no longer feel the need to warn people to stand back and plug their ears when I hit the START button. I have literally startled people (mostly older folks) to the point of them giving me "WTH??" look, and have had little kids grab their ears when firing it up with the V&H exhaust on. I really have warned people standing around on occasion with, " heads up, this is gonna be loud." I can see that this is not gonna be the case with the Ness-Comp.
Took her for a spin to burn 'em in and wasn't expecting much in the way of more power because of the reported catalytic converter (actually called a "Power Core") installed in the muffler. SURPRISE again! Noticeably zippier off the line and more responsive to wick twists than the V&H 2-2s while rolling. The sound when getting on the throttle is a thunderous roar like "here comes Zeus!" type of sound. Took the wife out for a 2-up test. Felt the same or perhaps like there was just a tad less power than the 2-2s with only one rider. Wife already left a boot mark on the muffler, so no longer do I have to worry about that first scratch/mark, already. Thanks hon!

Some pros:
1. Good power. Revzilla notes in their video review of the other 2 models, however, that these exhaust systems do better on stage I and up motor builds.
2. Good fit and finish. Everything fit together well and I encountered zero problems during installation. Main pipe (as opposed to shields) is finished in more durable, yet unpolished, chrome. Everything was pretty straight forward when laid out, but a good set of instructions was also included.(Long-term reliability remains to be seen).
3. Unobtrusive; nice low exhaust note (subjective and negative for some).
4. Clean, yet formidible look.

Some cons:
1. Kinda on the mellow side
2. Black finish mars easily (inherent to ceramic black finish). Top edge of collecter shield dug into and marred the finish in a minute area of the rear head pipe shield when everything heated up and expanded, but this can be alleviated and hidden somewhat by loosening and readjusting the shields.
3. MSRP of $859.95 makes this a relatively expensive 2-1 exhaust system.

Bottom line: I'm really liking this exhaust system and think I'll keep it for awhile. For those considering 2-1 exhaust systems, this is a great option to consider (though I do not have experience with other 2-1 systems on my bike). One personal plus for me is that I've never seen it this particular exhaust on another bike. Not too many people had the black V&H Big Radius 2-2s when I put them on, either, but thereafter, popularity EXPLODED. Especially after the denim FB Lo came out...

A couple pics:






Video (best heard with earphones/headphones for most accurate sonics):

Thanks for checking out this review.

 

That sounds and looks sweet - low but quiet rumble. Doesn't look like there are any shields on that exhaust.

 

Looks are deceiving, I guess. It comes in 7 pieces (2 headers, collector, muffler, and 3 shield pieces) and took awhile to install. Guess that could have been another con, but coming in that many pieces also made it easier to adjust, so there's the pro that cancels it out...LOL

 

That looks sharp. Thank you for the review and taking the time to make a video of it.

 

So if I were to fire this up in the morning at around 5:30am (because that is when I roll out from work) do you think it would **** off the neighbors? I've been looking for an exhaust that isn't obnoxiously loud, but has a nice deep sound over stock and will allow the engine to breathe more.

 

That would depend on the sensitivity of your neighbors and the acoustics of your neighborhood, but I would say you have a better chance of not pissing off and startling people with this pipe than just about any other 2-1 I've heard...

 

On an unrelated note, the pinstriping on your rear fender is awesome. But you probably already knew that.

 

Shane, great looking and sounding pipe, thanks for the write up!

 

Naaaw, you're just saying that...

Thanks!

 

Have been looking at that same exhaust for some time, but feared that would be too noisy, however in your video, it does not sound too bad and looks to be a well made system, if you don't mind my asking, how much did you pay? are you sure it has a cat as specs say is not legal in California?