Hi there, I'm the proud owner of a 2008 vivid black Night Train! I purchased it from the new Harley Davidson dealership in Taipei. You guys in the West have no idea how lucky you are, GAWD are prices expensive over here...

I have so many questions, as the experience of the mechanics over here is a little questionable, and my experience is nil. I know where to put the gas and how to ride, and I guess I didn't figure that a Harley was to be a work in progress until after I had it under my butt!

So, if you'll permit me, I'll fire my first one off, and go from there.

Temperature and humidity in Taiwan is a killer. So, for an already lean bike, the heat that comes off this guy is ridiculous! I almost have my Taiwanese wife convinced that new pipes, and some form of fuel management to richen out the mix would help to stop melting her.

I am considering the Vance and Hines short shots (ordered from the States and sent here - price is over a thousand US here!!), and I wonder if my wife's right foot would be a little cooler without the stock muffler running directly below her foot. And... does the black ceramic version make a difference?

Thanks, and please forgive me for all the future questions I will ask!

 

Welcome to the nut house and I imaginge that running a lean NT would be a bitch over there.
One thing your going to have to contend with is that your bike may be an export model. If so it will have a device on the exhaust to redirect the exhaust flow through the upper muffler (I think, never saw one in person) whenever the engine is running in a 'steady state' or cruiseing along.
Its some kind of crap to make the bike comply with the International verson of the EPA's noise regulations.
So pulling your pipes off and replacing them is not going to be a straight up change. Your going to need something to fool the ECM or its going to start lighting up the 'check engine' light on you.
There may be two ways around it, but only one that I know for sure works. The first, and questionable one, is to get hold of a US version of the SERT and reprogram your ECM to US standards. I believe that only California bikes have been 'blessed' with that particular device as of now. So a US standard version of the SERT 'could' be used to reprogam the ECM without it.
The other and sure way is to get hold of one of the guys from 'Down under', seems they have an outfit there that markets an eliminator plug for it. Unplug the old setup take off the pipes, literally plug in the eliminator, and put on your new pipes. It really is as simple as that. A couple of guys in Aus and the UK have sent for them and report they work fine.
You will still need some form of fuel management system if you do a stage 1 upgrade to the intake as well, like an add-on controller (PCIII, a SERT to reprogam your ECM, or a replacement ECM (Thundermax).
As for the black vs. chrome on the pipes, its up to you. Neither one is going to be anything like significantly cooler than the other and might even be hotter than the stock pipes. But the Short Shots do have the virtue of being farther away from the passenger pegs. Just make DAMN sure that when the bike has been running neither one of you has a momentary case of the stupids and touches them with any bare skin from any part of the body. You WILL regret it I promise you.

Again welcome to the place and do look around, your bound to find a lot of answers to questions than you haven't even thought of yet. But don't hesitate to ask one if your not sure or unclear about something. Its my firm belief that the only dumb question is the one you DON'T ask. Cause the odds are that the answer to that one could save you time, trouble, money, or all of the above.

 

Welcome from Vancouver BC
Question, I heard the biggest big you can have in Taiwan is 350, how can you get around with it? Correct me if I am wrong.

 

Welcome from Nawlins!!!

 

Congratulations - I also have a vivid black 2008 Night Train. I hope you like yours as much as I do mine. The V&H pipes will probably help, but you'll need a remap, and as Citoriplus noted, that could be a can of worms. You might want to consider slip-ons with IEDs.


If you are saying that the CA bikes have the exhaust flow redirection, that's not correct. California bikes have the exhaust coming out both pipes under all conditions (there is a concealed x-over on the NTs). The only difference I know of is the calalyst mufflers (even quieter and hotter than the 49-state version, if such a thing is possible) and the charcoal canister in front of the lower splash guard, plumbed to the tb and gas tank.

 

As far as pipes go...V&H is it IMO.

 

What is that black thing above the left forward control? That sure isn't on my 08 NT.

 

Sorry its my error, I confused the exhaust redirecter setup for the cat system.

 

Welcome from Arizona. Enjoy your starter kit!!

 

Ain't that the truth.