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I spent 1,000's of $$$'s upgrading my 2011 Ultra Limited. It did sound very cool though. I put in S&S 551 cams, V&H ProPipe 2 to 1, Arlen Ness Big Sucker stg 2, Power Commander V.. I noticed a great improvement in torque and all around performance.. but was it really all worth it.. I wasn't going to the drag strip or anything.. I was just cruising around town and when I did go on long rides with my buddies I had to ride in back because it was too loud. The most useful part of this setup was that I'd use my exhaust as a horn instead of the horn..
In the end, I painted that bike and it looked great.. I put on a bunch of extras and it was sweet.. I thought the trade in value I got was fair, as far as what they can actually value, but I was still disappointed..
I got a new RGU and vowed that I wouldn't put a dime extra into it. I joke about the wife not authorizing anymore expenses, but the truth is, I'm not married to this bike and it actually runs just fine off the show room floor, for my needs.. AND, I'm sort of glad to hear the peace & quiet going down the road now..
Unless you have deep pockets or just absolutely need to hear thunder everywhere you go, again, IMHO, save your money and just enjoy the road. For me that's what it's actually all about. We all have our own reasons.
I went from a stage 1 to stage 2 for well under $1000 and that included buying all the installation tools necessary. Doing the work yourself saves big $$ and yes, I think it was definitely worth it. Bike is so much more responsive and in my opinion really enhances the ride.
Yup, 07 Ultra, stock, then screaming eagle mufflers and true duals, then Rhienharts, then back to screaming eagles, then trade for 14 FLHTK. Ahhhh nice and quiet lol.
It's perfectly possible to 'do' a stage 2 and remain civilised - there's no need to be the loudest bike on the block - other great exhausts are available.....
It's perfectly possible to 'do' a stage 2 and remain civilised - there's no need to be the loudest bike on the block - other great exhausts are available.....
Plus one on that ... I love my RUSH 2:1 pipes ... AND they have removable baffles (as do many others ... ) so you can go from flat out obnoxiously loud to nice throaty growl ... Plus went from Stage 1 ( Screamin' Eagle intake & slip-ons ) to the addition of Andrews 48H cams ... world of difference. My 96" now runs neck & neck with a 103HO with slip-ons ... Most can do it yourself ... There are plenty of You Tube videos to walk you step by step thru the process ... and no fancy tools need to be purchased (Auto Zone will LEND you what you need ... ).
I resisted Harleys for many years because, IMO, they vibrated too much and were too loud. On a lark, I rented a '14 Ultra Limited and was pleasantly surprised with it's lack of obnoxious noise [it still "vibrated" at idle]. I bought my own within 1-2 months following my rental. I have since added a PCV and Big Sucker air cleaner and had it dyno tuned; I have NO intention of messing with the pipes, despite realizing I could squeak out a few more HP and/or torque - just don't need it.
Like the op I put on power duals, 551 cams , ness big sucker but opted to keep the stock mufflers. As the mufflers got older they are now a nice sound but not obnoxious.
I'm scheduled to get it dynoed. Then I'm finished
"Loud" does not mean "more power". People seem to get that confused or think the volume makes it sound more like it has "had some work done to it". I have some friends that are like that and I try to avoid riding with them. I like a good rumble and bark when I lay into it but yanking baffles and setting off car alarms is obnoxious.
The Rushmore's I question the bang for the buck on just cams but lots of guys swear by them. My take on it is that the cam they have is a low-end to mid-range cam. The stock heads only flow so much so you're not going to gain much up top without getting into the heads.
The previous 103's and 96's have very weak cams and they wake up nicely with a properly done stage 2.
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Stage 2 overrated?
