When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
3 years ago, with all the Covid-19 problems, I changed jobs & handed back my company car. I then needed to purchase a car and so sold my Softail for the needed funds but always regretted the sale. Well, 3 years later I bought it back as the owner had had a hip operation and was glad to sell. But boy, what a state it was in! It looks like it's been stored in a damp shed and NEVER washed or cleaned. I'm no clean freak, but when it was sold by me it was pretty sparkly... now everything I touch is greasy or dirty... the paint on the rear mudguard (fender) has a gouge taken out and almost every screw or fastener he touched seems damage. I think his main tool was a set of vice grips!
Worst of all though, he's removed my lovely stainless mini apes with internal wiring, and replaced them with an ugly set of bars, on tall risers, with the wiring zip-tied to the outside.
This was as it was when I sold it:
And this was how it was bought back (after a long wash and session with the pressure washer):
The first thing I found was the baffles (such as they were!) in the slash cuts had been removed and it now FLIPPING LOUD!!!
As a temporary measure, I've put the factory silencers (mufflers) back on to keep the MOT inspector and the police happy. So my first question to the group is can anyone suggest some pipes that are not too loud?
Next came a good clean with degreaser and lots of rags. There is not a lot of chrome, but what there is has been cleaned with coke & aluminium (correct spelling there!!! ) foil then lightly oiled. Then the Arlen Ness foot peg extensions were re-fitted and then onto those bars!!!!
When I had done the internal wiring I had de-pinned the connectors and made sure all was returned as was... not this guy he cut and badly butt crimped the wires. one wire was already pulling loose!
now moving forward a couple of days... My old apes have been returned and the wiring is now again run internally. The next job will be a long session with solder and heat shrink to replace the cut sections.
That's pretty cool to get your old bike back..... I would try to buy back either of my former Shovel heads, or my former EVO if I could find them AND they were in good condition.....
As to the exhaust, sound is very subjective... Without hearing a recommended exhaust in person, you'll never really know if it suites you...
IMHO.....
If you could find some NOS (new old stock) Cycle Shack slip-ons they would be nice. They used to make the SE Mufflers, back when they sounded really nice. That relationship ended when they got into a dispute with the MoCo , and lost.... I found a set of NOS on eBay for my '16 Low Rider. They have a nice sound, but not obnoxious...
I also have used a set of Khrome Werkes slip-ons that have a very similar sound as the Cycle Shacks, but maybe just a tad quieter...
Good luck with bringing the old bike back to its former glory.....
Last edited by hattitude; Sep 23, 2023 at 11:45 AM.
I've regretted selling my mint 1990 ZX7 since the day I did it. If I had the opportunity to but it back I would in a heartbeat.
Good luck with YOUR bike OP. Its great you found it again.
So today I spent a couple of "fun" hours with solder and heat shrink to remove the crappy butt crimps and replaced them with short extensions. At least I now know the joins are all sound. Next to re-fit the front brake and work out the length of line needed.
Bought It Back
) foil then lightly oiled. Then the Arlen Ness foot peg extensions were re-fitted and then onto those bars!!!!
