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I just got my first HD. An 06 Sportster 883. I don't really know much about it since I've mostly ridden Triumphs, and those pre '70s models. Downloaded a user manual but it doesn't have all the answers I'm looking for. It has Screaming Eagle mufflers on it and I'm wanting to change them to straight pipes. I noticed some black tubing next to the mufflers and I'm figuring it's something to do with O2, maybe catalytic converter or something. It's not in the user manual I downloaded. What am I getting myself into? Also, any suggestions on types of straight pipes would be appreciated.
Or . . . maybe I could shorten the baffles or remove them completely. Anyone tried this? I ran megaphones on my Triumphs and all you had to do was remove the baffles. Easy to remove, easy to put back. Was nothing but a plate with holes in it.
Last edited by RezDuane; Feb 15, 2019 at 11:04 PM.
I suspect what you are seeing is part of the exhaust crossover and mounting bracket.
Part 16 and 24 in the figure below is "MUFFLER INTERCONNECT BRACKET, support assembly"
The Sportsters didn't get CATs until several years after EFI (2007), it varies by market and engine size.
2006 Exhaust from parts manual:
Last edited by shanneba; Feb 16, 2019 at 05:06 AM.
Reason: added video
Those old Triumphs of yours, when new, had a balance pipe just in front of the cylinder head and the Sporties of the same era also had a balance pipe, under the air cleaner. Modern Sporties have an equivalent pipe, but tucked away out of sight, as shennaba points out. BSA introduced the balance pipe IIRC in the 1960s, soon copied by every other twin brand on the planet, because they give improved low/mid range torque. I've removed that system on my own Sporty and, as an admission, for the first time in umpteen years I had to refer to my FSM to get the darned exhaust off! If you want to tinker with yours I suggest you get one too .
Leave it alone. It's a street bike. As set up, it will give you better power. Even with the SE pipes, you have already lost some low range power and engine braking. Straight pipes will kill all bottom end torque and leave no engine braking. Sort of sucks on a street bike. But of course depends on what you want and how you drive.
Straight pipes are junk. Like a 15 year old on his first Moped in my opinion..
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Feb 16, 2019 at 06:56 AM.
I just got my first HD. An 06 Sportster 883. I don't really know much about it since I've mostly ridden Triumphs, and those pre '70s models. Downloaded a user manual but it doesn't have all the answers I'm looking for. It has Screaming Eagle mufflers on it and I'm wanting to change them to straight pipes. I noticed some black tubing next to the mufflers and I'm figuring it's something to do with O2, maybe catalytic converter or something. It's not in the user manual I downloaded. What am I getting myself into? Also, any suggestions on types of straight pipes would be appreciated.
TIA
Congratulations on your first Harley!!!
The black tube is a crossover, letting the exhaust pulses from each cylinder equalize in the exhaust. No converter or o2 sensors on your 06.
Straight pipes, there are a ton of them out there...otherwise known as drag pipes.
You can get just slip ons, or get an entire system, like the short shots.
As you can see there are a lot of folks that think all kinds of bad things will happen if you run them.
But the fact of the matter is that if you run any kind of drag pipe, straight pipe or short shots in conjunction with some Thunder Torque Inserts (which stop the torque robbing reversion) you will have more torque and more top end power than if you run stock or aftermarket slip ons.
Here is a LINK to an informative report on the Myths & Facts about HD exhaust.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Straight pipes on Sporty
