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Just looking at the exhaust on my new to me, 2008 Sportster, I notice the rear header incorporates a slightly enlarged section that the front does not. What is this section, a catalyst?
I see, thanks. I guess I would have realized it when I remove the slip-ons. It seems like a good place for an extra shield against heat why did you remove it?
As stated above, that is the inner heat shield, it could be there to protect the rubber oil hoses from the heat of the exhaust pipe. The shield is item number 15 in the parts diagram below.
I also removed my inner heat shield because I installed a starter motor cover on my 2011 Iron 883, the cover protects the oil hoses from the heat, so the stock heat shield became superfluous to my requirements. See the photograph below.
The catalystic converters are inside the mufflers on 2004 to 2013 Sportster models, it is the 2014 to 2022 models that have their cats in the header pipes. In 2014 the interconnection pipe manifolds were moved from the mufflers to the header pipes.
Last edited by Rob Roy's Revenge; May 6, 2024 at 06:50 AM.
Only inside some 2004-2013, right? Not in 07-13's. At least according to an earlier post here I just found in a search:
Domestic (US 49 state and Canada): 2004-05: No cats 2006: 1200, no cats; 883, cat in front muffler only 2007-13: no cats 2014+: cats in both mufflers
For CA models it's: California: 2004-06: cat in front muffler only 2007-13: no cats 2014+: cats in both mufflers
You are correct, cats were first installed in 2007 with the introduction of EFI, I apologise for my error. Today is a bank holiday here in the UK and I think that my rain has gone on a holiday.
You are correct, cats were first installed in 2007 with the introduction of EFI,
Hmmm but according to the above there were no cats in 2007-13, not in the mufflers or headers. But while this is apparently the case on Sportsters here it may not be on Euro versions, and I see you are enjoying a bank holiday in the UK.
Hmmm but according to the above there were no cats in 2007-13, not in the mufflers or headers. But while this is apparently the case on Sportsters here it may not be on Euro versions, and I see you are enjoying a bank holiday in the UK.
I think this would explain the sometimes extreme price difference between mufflers of the same year depending on where the world the bikes were sold.
Hmmm but according to the above there were no cats in 2007-13, not in the mufflers or headers. But while this is apparently the case on Sportsters here it may not be on Euro versions, and I see you are enjoying a bank holiday in the UK.
The European market Sportster mufflers did have cats installed from 2007 to 2013, that was due to the Euro III emission restrictions for two and three wheel vehicles which was introduced in 2006. My 2011 XL883N certainly had cats installed in the mufflers, they are very heavy.
Except for California, most of the United States don't seem to have a strict emissions laws as elsewhere in the world, Europe and Japan take vehicle pollution very seriously. The last year that air cooled Sportsters were sold in the UK was 2020, two years before H-D ceased producing them.
I am enjoying my holiday, thank you, I'm currently making up a black stainless Sportster engine hardware kit for a customer's 2017 Forty-Eight. I will dispatch it tomorrow wnen the Post Office is open for business again.
I see, thanks. I guess I would have realized it when I remove the slip-ons. It seems like a good place for an extra shield against heat why did you remove it?
Just because it was a PITA to install plus IIRC they weren't used on bikes for all markets.
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2008 stock header question, cat?
