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There's some things not to like about the V-Rod. Stock top end power isn't one. Yeah, idling they sound like a sewing machine - big deal. It's 7,000 and up where that puppy just roars!
Like I said, V&H with a tuner is a popular choice. Me? I run stock. When I find myself wanting more at 130+ or sub 3.5 seconds, I'll consider an upgrade. Plus I think the stock pipes look cool as is:
[In my best Ronald Reagan Berlin Wall impersonation] "Mr. Levatich, bring back the V-Rod!"
Last edited by Mark out West; Jun 7, 2018 at 11:04 PM.
I agree with you, I like the stock look too. As far as the noise, I haven't had a chance to notice the "sewing machine" sound for myself since the previous owner did his modification. That was his motivation for doing it, he was annoyed with the buzzing.
As an update: I've ordered the Vance and Hines Competition Series Slip on's and a K&N Air Filter along with a Vance and Hines Fuel Pak that was on sale. I think those three should be enough for now. My goal is to bring the sound back to a normal level, and maybe get a bit of fuel mileage out of the whole deal. I'm not sure how much the baffles affect the performance of a bike but I've been reading about something called back-pressure and when you remove the baffles and that the bike loses some low end torque but maybe gains some high end horse power.
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