"Upgrade" and "downgrade" are terms salesmen and marketing departments use to manipulate people who don't know any better. Congratulations on not getting sucked in, and being able to think for yourself.
And now you have some ammunition to use when people say ignorant stuff like that.

Regarding slip-ons, I don't know of many people who have been satisfied with the sound of the Screaming Eagle.

 

Sold Bagger + bought Heritage = Happy Dance (for me too!)
It's in my user name, I feel like I graduated to a Softie!

 

You'll definitely be a little unique out there in the sea of touring bikes! Seems like at least every other bike on the road is an HD touring bike of some sort. Congrats!

 

Man, ain't that the truth. About 9 out of 10 bikes I pass the other way on the road have the batwing. It's getting to a point that if I don't see a batwing, I wonder if it really is a Harley. On the subject of the pipes, I stopped by the local dealer and talked to the service manager. He said the softails don't have cats (unless it's a Calif model) When I get mine, I was planning on pulling the mufflers and if there is indeed no cats, just punching a 1" hole saw through to liven up the sound till I decide on slipons. Kind of looking at the Rush line now.

 

Congrats on the new ride!

Throw a shotgun shock on it and you will be amazed. The ride is simply amazing.

 

Congrats on the Softail you will enjoy it, I felt out of place at Daytona bike week this year with my Softail.... I could have swore it was Street glide week.

 

Softails do have Cats, and not just the California ones. My '13 CVO Breakout, from North Carolina, had cats in the mufflers. Changed them out for V&H 3.5 slash slip ons. Best money I ever spent for a little extra oomph and they sound great. Though I can't fire it up early on Sunday mornings anymore without waking all the neighbours, LOL.

 

My friend bought his in Indiana and it had cats in the muffler

 

Just heading out to go by the dealer and hopefully pick it up later today. When I get it home, I'm pulling a muffler and checking it out.

 

My buddy has a 13 Lo and he just cut the tips off, gutted it and rewelded the tips back on and coated them black. He threw in some torque cones and the sound pretty goood and you'd never know he cut and welded them...