I know you've heard it before...
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Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,180
Likes: 3
From: utah
Pwfd, have you driven your deluxe with the stock pipes? I only ask because I had the slip ons installed off the showroom floor so I don't know how much the 103s pop stock. Everyone says the stock bikes pop. When I'm cruising and accelerating the slip ons have a real nice sound. I also like the way they look. I test drove a slim before I bought it as well as a blackline and I don't remember either popping much. My nightster stock didn't pop at all. When I'm going down my hill sometimes it sounds like I fired a shotgun! I worry about that and the heat. When I put the fuel management on the nightster I noticed a big decrease in heat. If the stock engines run similar I will consider this money well spent either way.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 2
From: MKE, WI
Shopewell, I actually just posted a thread about this on the form. I have logged approximately 400 miles on my new deluxe. I do find quite a bit of the decel pop for this motorcycle theme brand new and stock. I know the cat is in the mufflers and wonder if the strict EPA requirements if it is now common practice to do a tuner on a simple slip-on install?
T
T
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,180
Likes: 3
From: utah
That's what frustrated me. When I bought the bike the dealer said I could install the slip ons without a tuner. Now that I have them on I don't know I what I'm experiencing is normal, if they're coming off leaner or what. Of course now the dealer wants me to do the tuner, dyno, etc. They won't tell me if the bike is running so lean that it will hurt the bike. They also weren't giving me other solutions; I basically made my decision reading the forum and other articles. Don't get me worry-i love the slim. I just want it running smooth!
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 2
From: MKE, WI
A smooth running bike is key... I think at this point I'm going to leave my stock until I decide to drop the additional funds on a tune. My bike runs great now. Sure, I do have tue occasional pop now as she is stock way more than any other stock bike ive had but it runs good. With the cats in the mufflers the popping is no loud that is going to turn any heads so going with a muffler that doesn't have cats I thini I may wake up the dead with any other muffler installed without a good tune.
Good luck with your decision on what steps you are going to take to correct you issue
T
Good luck with your decision on what steps you are going to take to correct you issue
T
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,905
Likes: 66
From: Hartford, AL
Unfortunately, popping is part of the package. You can minimize it significantly with a good tuner, but there will always be some residual gurgling and such. I ultimately replaced my exhuast with Screamin' Eagle slip-ons. Not loud, but a deeper rumble than stock and absolutely zero popping. I didn't change the tuner settings either and it runs great. The 103s run hot no matter what, even when you're not running lean.
Unless you got the older version of the SE mufflers, you have the cat in the mufflers. The cat is heat. SE mufflers are EPA compliant and as such have the cat in them. There are other threads about this.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 115
Likes: 6
From: Southwest
The first mod to my Slim were Cobra slip-ons w/ 2 inch baffles and had the popping. HD added a heavy breather and flashed it, still popped, but better. Then I installed Cobra's PowerPro fuel manager, still popped, but added good power and improved the temp considerably. Then I went back and torqued the muffler clamps to the upper end of the range and that help considerably, cut it by 30% (unscientific opinion, of course).
So with some pop still there, if I'm quick and smooth on the shifting (up or down) the popping is gone. I also noticed that if I down shift at the right time, the popping is negligible. Just letting off the throttle I'll always get loud popping, let off gradually and they're not too bad. The only thing that bothers me about the popping is I'm not sure about the "cool" factor... More pops less cool? LoL
At least my shifts are tighter, quicker, and cleaner.
So with some pop still there, if I'm quick and smooth on the shifting (up or down) the popping is gone. I also noticed that if I down shift at the right time, the popping is negligible. Just letting off the throttle I'll always get loud popping, let off gradually and they're not too bad. The only thing that bothers me about the popping is I'm not sure about the "cool" factor... More pops less cool? LoL
At least my shifts are tighter, quicker, and cleaner.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,164
Likes: 6
From: Greenfield, Massachusetts
My husband has a 2013 Fat Boy Lo, with Rush slipons - 1-3/4" baffles. Major popping on decel. He installed a Vied from Nightrider. Still a lot of popping, but says the bike is running much better in general so he'll just learn to deal with the popping, since MOST of what he has seen to be said is that it's not hurting the bike. Interesting to hear comments that the 103's pop more even when stock. (And yes, all clamps are tight, no leaks). I know I had a Heritage with a 103, Rush Slipons, and it popped so much I bought a tuner from Fuel Moto. It helped, but never got rid of the popping. Maybe the 103's do just pop more....
Then again - my '03 FXSTI with V&H Short Shots, with Screamin' Eagle pops like hell on decel too. So who really knows. Guess I'll just accept it deal with it too, lol.
Then again - my '03 FXSTI with V&H Short Shots, with Screamin' Eagle pops like hell on decel too. So who really knows. Guess I'll just accept it deal with it too, lol.
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 60
Likes: 1
From: SoCal
I have a 2012 Deluxe that I purchased new. With stock mufflers, it never popped. I punched a 1" hole in the stock baffles ... Then it started popping on decel. Now I have Rush slip-ons with 2" baffles and high flow A/C and FL-VIED-10's. I still have decel popping, though not too bad. Next step will be a tuner.
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 103
Likes: 2
From: Fort Worth, TX
I put V&H slipons on my SLIM...lots of popping on decel, removed them put on SE slipons, now have no more popping than when it was stock and no more than my 96" Street Glide had with SE slipons...I like it better this way
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,164
Likes: 6
From: Greenfield, Massachusetts
I have a 2012 Deluxe that I purchased new. With stock mufflers, it never popped. I punched a 1" hole in the stock baffles ... Then it started popping on decel. Now I have Rush slip-ons with 2" baffles and high flow A/C and FL-VIED-10's. I still have decel popping, though not too bad. Next step will be a tuner.