So first off, I used to have a 2015 Softail Slim

I fit V&H slip ons, hated them. Really 'booming' sound, very loud (stock 'competition' baffles) and just not a great 'Harley sound' from the riding seat... sounded better when you're stood behind the bike though

I ended up getting a set of generic turnout slip-ons, which sounded great - that old proper 'potato-potato-potato' (or 'wet fart'!) sound.

I also tried a set of Paughco Bell tips - great 'old school' Harley sound from the off - loved them too.

So now I have a 2018 Heritage Classic, with (obviously) the M8 engine.

I thought I'd try a set of the V&H again, as people had said they sounded great on the M8, one Youtube video I saw sounded great and I found a great deal, so on they went. They DEFINITELY do not sound the same as on my twin cam Slim. Less 'booming' and not as loud, but also kinda 'muffled' and (certainly from the driving seat) still just not the Harley sound I was after.

So I tried my turnouts, which I still have. You do get the old-school 'potato-potato-potato' sound, but it's heavily masked by a really offensive almost 'truck-like' rumble. Again, just no good.

I've ordered a set of tulip (or megaphone) slip ons that have removable baffles, so I can play with the sound a bit, so we'll see what they're like (hoping they'll sound like my old Paughcos), but really, this M8 sounds VERY different to my Twin Cam Slim.

I have the V&H Fuelpak FP3 hooked up, so I thought I'd pin open the 'active exhaust' valve, as I did on the Slim, which helped the sound, but looks like these M8's don't have the active exhaust anymore

Feeling a bit gutted. I love the bike, but the sound just ain't right yet. It' sonly done 100m from new, so I know it'll change a bit as it breaks in, but still...

I'll report back once the tulips go on.

 

Not sure you will find the same sound, you once had, from the M8.

IMHO, kinda think you are trying to make apples out of oranges, so just for whatever it's worth here is my 2 cents:

If you read through the many threads on the '18 Heritage, the most popular slip-ons seem to be the Rineharts.

For those who have installed the Rineharts, including myself, they seem to be quite happy since I have not seen any threads where they were changed to some others. They also look nice as there appearence fits the look of the Heritage well.

I freely admit my Cherry does not have quite the same sound as some of the other, previous year Harleys, that I often ride along with, but then the M8 is not quite the same engine as the previous models either.

The sound is faily loud on heavy accelereation with a fairly deep rumble while cruising. As I am not a fan of extreamely loud pipes these are just to my liking. On start up they are not so loud that I wake up the dead and I can sneak out of my developement with out ratteling windows as long as keep the RPM low.

Hope you find what you like. Ride safe!

 

 

I went with the Tab Performance slip ons. They almost sounded like an open drag pipe and cackled hard during shifts and decel. I added DK performance torque cones because it seemed as though I left a little torque off the table due to the complete lack of back pressure. Those torque cones brought the torque back but they also significantly improved the throaty sound and eliminated the cackling in the exhaust. From everything I've read, a cam change is in order to get the old school exhaust cadence back.

 

I gotta say, I put on a few more miles and the V&H are changing in tone... and growing on me.

The tulips arrive tomorrow - I'll try and do a sound video f the V&H and the tulips.

 

 

Universal tulip slip-ons

LOVE 'EM!!!

They sound a bit more 'throaty' than the V&H slip-ons... really nice 'Harley sound'... and they have a removable baffle, so you can play with sound options

 

Put the tulips also on my Heritage, best looking slipons for nostalgia look and cheep.
They are pretty loud but I'll try some lollipops and see what it sounds then.

 

 

The sound without lollipops is better when you let of gas and not much louder. No popping even without a tuner and no lowend torq los, with *** dyno 😉