I guess I don't understand why you don't want to decat the stock pipe. If you sell the bike are you planning to put it back to stock? If your selling it with all the parts you listed still installed then you won't want to pull the aftermarket pipe and install the stock one with the cat because it will throw the tune off. My opinion on this is the very slight gain from an aftermarket pipe compared to a decatted stock pipe isn't worth the money you'll pay for the aftermarket, no matter how much it costs. If you're doing a big bore then you might want to consider aftermarket. You can easily decat your pipe with a long 1/2" drill bit by drilling around it until it is loose and then removing it.

 

Those welds sure are purty...

 

If just doing the stage 2, decat the OEM headpipe. spend the savings on goodies more worthy of your dollar. Lotta great pipes out there, but bang for the buck on a stage 2 is questionable.

 

I would like to see an un biased Dino with an after market header and a decatted stock header. With the same mufflers.
one thing you need to keep in mind is the M8 motor needs back pressure to work good so how ever you get back pressure either through a header or slipons or combination of both. That’s why so many of these pipe and slipons sound good but work horrible. Do a lot of reading studying and keep asking questions. don’t get in a hurry.
on a side note. Fuel Moto can’t be beat. I know this from many dealings and purchases from many many different venders. There is an individual that posted in this thread that does not like anything Fuel Moto says or does. For what ever reason who knows (just my observation over the last couple of years)but from what I have read or collected on here over the years there is no doubt
Fuel Moto is who I would choose between the two. Just an observation I have noticed in the last few years.

good luck on your choice.

 

I fully agree. Seems most select slips based on what's the loudest or the deepest. Not on what provides the best performance improvement. Many of these huge slip-ons people select based on sound actually hurt low end torque where most ride.

 

I must say I'm one of those guys, guilty as charged! I've put inserts in my new khrome werks full system and it is a very noticable difference in performance but.........it is killing the sound I like. I'm getting re dynoed next week and I'm having a hard time deciding if im gonna leave the inserts in or say screw it and take them out and just get the best tune I can get with open mufflers. Even though I know I'm giving up some in about a 1k rpm range (2-3k) my bike still runs fine for what it is in the low range with open mufflers. Decisions decisions

 

Hey Quick..some things to consider if you haven't already for making a decision..being your build is fairly recent guessing you plan on keeping the bike for number of years.
how old are, do you tour a lot or plan to do more and more over time? is the sound you like based on volume mostly or tone? reason I ask is from my experience having gone through this, I loved some of the louder exhausts I've had..for awhile..but as I rode more longer trips it wore on me to the point less noise became more enjoyable...I'll take optimum performance all day every day these days over louder so by tuning with inserts in you could possibly future proof those potential issues and be done with it..just a thought, because it's raining and I'm bored..enjoy

 

It's not necessarily volume but tone for me. I like a really deep hit you in the chest kind of tone. I'm only 43 so I plan to ride for years and years as long as the powers to be sees fit. I ride multiple states now, 4-5 and none of the exhaust I've ran has been an issue wearing on my ears. For me, one of the main draws to Harley was sound, so if the bike runs great but sounds like farting in a paper bag that just takes away a huge chunk of Harley for me. Dont get me wrong, I hate crazy loud obnoxious look at me type sound but I do want my bike to have a certain tone regardless of how good it runs.

 

totally get it..I'm 58, got my first Harley at your current age and first thing I did was put Python pipes on my Stage 3 big bore kit..sounded awesome, super loud. and for about the 30 years prior to that when I started riding and then raced 2 stroke dirt bikes...that and shooting guns and rock concerts and....LOL...enjoy what works for you now!!!!

 

For my first few Harleys it was all about the sound. Got educated by a well known tuner in 2009. On my 2209 CVO RG I had a fullsac heads pipe and V&H Hi-Outputs, in my mind best sounding muffler at the time, very deep. He tuned my bike and we looked at torque curve. I rode my bike 15 miles. He had my come back, removed the hi-outputs and put on his set of CVO cans with a 2" fullsac core. Much better looking torque curve especially where I ride at 2000 to 3000 rpm. Rode it and the difference was noticeable. I do two approximately 5K mile trips a year on a bike.

Since then Its always been performance first sound second. I really like Fullsac head pipes and cores, I run 2.25. They sound good at low RPM. Can listen to stereo at 80mph, which is right at RPM. When I crack the throttle above 3K they sound great, I'm sure the 12 to 1 compression and cam helps that. I'm 57, my wife a bit older is more about sound of the pipe.

My 03 Fatboy, my first new Harley, Has V&H big shot longs on it with a cam, 95" cylinders and more compression. That thing is very loud. Sounds great. 200 miles is about the limit I can take the noise, if that.

Friend has a built M8 bike like mine, with D&D fatcat. One of the very best performing pipes for a M8. Wow is it loud, It does sound great. No way would I ride it to the rocky mountains where I try to ride once a year. My Fullsac exhaust gives up nothing the to Fatcat except volume. Mine is mellow below 3K rpm, but I give up no torque or HP to the Fatcat, my torque actually comes on a bit earlier. My bike is great for 800 mile days, his not so much. His does sound better at idle and sounds like it would blow my doors off, but it won't.