Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

True Duals?

Old Feb 22, 2010 | 10:25 AM
  #1  
tmcgeesr's Avatar
tmcgeesr
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 226
Likes: 8
From: Creola, AL.
Default True Duals?

I have a stock FLHR 2009. Just what is gained by adding true dual header pipes. From the pictures I've seen one side has a lot more bends than the other and takes the same path as far as crossing over to the other side. From a back pressure point of view, it would appear the 2 into 1 and back into 2 would be better. What is gained, sound? I have very limited knowledge and would appreciate comments from the more experience Harley wrenches.
 
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 11:28 AM
  #2  
davessworks's Avatar
davessworks
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 9
From: Woodinville, WA
Default

There's a lot of posts on this topic - so if you want to read up on everyone's opinions I suggest starting with a search. Having read a bunch of what's been posted in the past it would seem that the only perceived benefit of true duals vs. 2-1-2 is the sound. I run the equivalent of true duals on my Softail and they sound great. I also have the bike tuned to give me great performance. Frankly I've yet to see a really good quality technical explanation of the whole back pressure argument (the effect of one cylinder on the other, pressure waves, etc) but such explanations are out there - somewhere.
 
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 11:43 AM
  #3  
frenchbiker's Avatar
frenchbiker
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,948
Likes: 54
From: The Burgh
Default

Originally Posted by tmcgeesr
I have a stock FLHR 2009. Just what is gained by adding true dual header pipes. From the pictures I've seen one side has a lot more bends than the other and takes the same path as far as crossing over to the other side. From a back pressure point of view, it would appear the 2 into 1 and back into 2 would be better. What is gained, sound? I have very limited knowledge and would appreciate comments from the more experience Harley wrenches.
I have an 09 UC and when I asked several knowledgeable mechanics about the benefits for my bike, they all said that the 09 stock headers are much better than on previous models and switching to true duals would bring very minimal improvement sound wise, heat wise and performance wise.
 
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 11:49 AM
  #4  
FLYING's Avatar
FLYING
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 802
Likes: 3
From: Wisconsin
Default

Nothing for performance however they do look good and if you are having a problem with a cylinder it does make it easier to do diagnostics and it also gives you a little more chrome !
 
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 12:00 PM
  #5  
tmcgeesr's Avatar
tmcgeesr
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 226
Likes: 8
From: Creola, AL.
Default

Originally Posted by frenchbiker
I have an 09 UC and when I asked several knowledgeable mechanics about the benefits for my bike, they all said that the 09 stock headers are much better than on previous models and switching to true duals would bring very minimal improvement sound wise, heat wise and performance wise.
Common sense tells me that the 2 into 1 back into 2 stock system would be better from a performance point of view, unless you can have similar length pipes with similar number of bends. Now I can see that the sound may be better.
 
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2010 | 12:45 PM
  #6  
frenchbiker's Avatar
frenchbiker
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,948
Likes: 54
From: The Burgh
Default

Originally Posted by tmcgeesr
Common sense tells me that the 2 into 1 back into 2 stock system would be better from a performance point of view, unless you can have similar length pipes with similar number of bends. Now I can see that the sound may be better.
For sound, first you need first the right slip-ons <g> and then I believe that a # set of cams would do much more than true duals. I've heard one of my friends' bike with stock cams and 255s and the difference was very noticeable. More lope with the 255s.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
TcHunter
2014-2024 Touring Models
4
Apr 19, 2014 11:19 AM
Solitario
Touring Models
10
Jul 25, 2010 09:28 AM
BOSSMAN
Exhaust System Topics
2
Jun 2, 2009 11:17 PM
davewear
Touring Models
12
May 12, 2009 08:23 PM
Hangfire1
Exhaust System Topics
6
Sep 9, 2008 10:28 PM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:19 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE