pipes for 2011 ultra
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,022
Likes: 60
From: Greer, South Carolina
To start with, some may disagree with my opinion, and it's just an opinion. Now to the question. If you leave that cat. converter in the head pipe it will never ever sound or perform to it's potential and probably not to your satisfaction. Do a search on this website to see what a cat. converter looks like. It's like a big gob of hard styrofoam - it's like a muffler itself. When you look at one, the thought should cross your mind, "how can that thing do anything but hinder the performance of my bike?" You'll probably come up with the answer, "it can't"!!
So if you want to buy some slip-ons that's fine, but they won't be all that much better than stock. However, they'll get you by until you can come up with about $1,500 to install a new catless head pipe, some kind of tuner and a K&N air filter and 3-4 hours on the dyno to tune it properly.
Okay, that's my opinion (and experience). Good luck.
So if you want to buy some slip-ons that's fine, but they won't be all that much better than stock. However, they'll get you by until you can come up with about $1,500 to install a new catless head pipe, some kind of tuner and a K&N air filter and 3-4 hours on the dyno to tune it properly.
Okay, that's my opinion (and experience). Good luck.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
I went with the True Duals (see sig) for my Limited. I don’t have any complaints other than the routing of the rear header pipe (see sig), kind of funky and you won’t be checking fluids when the pipes are hot, not an issue to me.
The sound of the setup is really nice, not too loud at idle or when cruising, I can still hear the radio and no headaches. When you twist the throttle it will bark, in a nice way.
BTW, the entire setup; pipes, air cleaner, tuner, labor and dino was just under 2K. A little pricey but I wanted it done right. Also, it runs great with virtually no back-firing.
Edit:
Last week when I rode into work one of my coworkers happened to hit the freeway the same time I did. He was behind me with windows down and heard my bike at cruise speeds, when I twisted the throttle and passed a few cages, and again as he pulled up beside me and then passed. Once I got to work I asked him to be honest and tell me what he thought of the sound. He said that he loved the sound, not too loud at cruise but throaty and you could tell you were there when passing. Anyway, as others have mentioned you should check out several bikes and see what sounds best to you.
The sound of the setup is really nice, not too loud at idle or when cruising, I can still hear the radio and no headaches. When you twist the throttle it will bark, in a nice way.
BTW, the entire setup; pipes, air cleaner, tuner, labor and dino was just under 2K. A little pricey but I wanted it done right. Also, it runs great with virtually no back-firing.
Edit:
Last week when I rode into work one of my coworkers happened to hit the freeway the same time I did. He was behind me with windows down and heard my bike at cruise speeds, when I twisted the throttle and passed a few cages, and again as he pulled up beside me and then passed. Once I got to work I asked him to be honest and tell me what he thought of the sound. He said that he loved the sound, not too loud at cruise but throaty and you could tell you were there when passing. Anyway, as others have mentioned you should check out several bikes and see what sounds best to you.
Last edited by MADHOG; Oct 7, 2011 at 10:30 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,140
Likes: 17
From: Wisconsin
I went with the FuelMoto package this time around on my 2012 and couldn't be happier with the price or the performance. Went with the 2-1-2 head pipe, jackpot 4" Mufflers, FM high flow air cleaner and the PowerVison tuner. These pipes sound great at cruise, nice rumble behind you, but still hear the stereo. Jump on it under an overpass and wake the dead. I have standard baffles, there is a quiet for obviusly less noise and a competititon if you want to scare the neighbors. Look around on the forum, you will see they are highly recommended for their performance, quality and support.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
Danny,
the smartest thing you can do is go to a dealer BBQ or bike night, anywhere that the bikes are...
and see what sounds and looks good to you.
then ask the owner what he has.
otherwise you are taking advice from people whose requirements are not the same as yours.
( I use tunable 4" supertrapp supermegs, which offer hi flow and lower sound levels than comparable flowing pipes)
2.) the cat is a bottleneck to flow and therefore performance. if installing a "performance" muffler and hi flow air cleaner- the cat will still be an obstruction to possible gains.
some riders complain of heat- the cat needs to be hot to work- and that heat radiates to the surrounding air and your right leg. removing the cat gets some of that heat out the back of the pipes sooner.
(you can search the forum for the cat removal photo tutorial, or replacement headers are available for alot of money)
mike
the smartest thing you can do is go to a dealer BBQ or bike night, anywhere that the bikes are...
and see what sounds and looks good to you.
then ask the owner what he has.
otherwise you are taking advice from people whose requirements are not the same as yours.
( I use tunable 4" supertrapp supermegs, which offer hi flow and lower sound levels than comparable flowing pipes)
2.) the cat is a bottleneck to flow and therefore performance. if installing a "performance" muffler and hi flow air cleaner- the cat will still be an obstruction to possible gains.
some riders complain of heat- the cat needs to be hot to work- and that heat radiates to the surrounding air and your right leg. removing the cat gets some of that heat out the back of the pipes sooner.
(you can search the forum for the cat removal photo tutorial, or replacement headers are available for alot of money)
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Oct 4, 2011 at 06:49 PM.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 69
From: Near Myrtle Beach, SC
Danny, MK is right. However, you asked and you will probably get a lot of combinations that really work well for sound and performance.
For my 2010 Ultra Ltd, I wanted something other than stock, and I wanted the cat gone. I decided to go with the guys at Fuel Moto with a new head pipe, FM air cleaner, Jackpot Pro-touring mufflers, and a Revolution Precision Performance wide-band closed loop system for fuel management.
You don't have to do all of this if all you want to do is change the sound of your bike a little compared to the stock sound. A pair of slip-ons may be all that you need. I have not installed the header yet, but did install the Jackpots on the stock header pipe. I measured a sound difference of about 2 db, the Jackpots being slightly louder. But they have a definite low-frequency rumble that sounds pretty good to me, especially at cruising speed. I can't wait to get the header and get it on to see what it all sounds like without the cat and with FM's optimally designed header pipe.
Good hunting.
For my 2010 Ultra Ltd, I wanted something other than stock, and I wanted the cat gone. I decided to go with the guys at Fuel Moto with a new head pipe, FM air cleaner, Jackpot Pro-touring mufflers, and a Revolution Precision Performance wide-band closed loop system for fuel management.
You don't have to do all of this if all you want to do is change the sound of your bike a little compared to the stock sound. A pair of slip-ons may be all that you need. I have not installed the header yet, but did install the Jackpots on the stock header pipe. I measured a sound difference of about 2 db, the Jackpots being slightly louder. But they have a definite low-frequency rumble that sounds pretty good to me, especially at cruising speed. I can't wait to get the header and get it on to see what it all sounds like without the cat and with FM's optimally designed header pipe.
Good hunting.
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Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 892
Likes: 11
From: Northern NY
I went with the V&H power duals and V&H monster ovals. I like it. Not too loud but they carry a nice mellow tone. One thing I noticed was that the 103 with this exhaust combo never created the oppressive heat that my 96" did with the stock exhaust. As stated by others however you may want to hear your choices before spending money on an exhaust which you may not care for.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
one thing I didn't touch on above is sound is very subjective, what the rider hears is not what the bystander hears.
Rider experience is affected by saddlebag load, presence of tourpak or passenger, head gear, windscreen/fairings and many other considerations.
one of the best ways for a rider to get an enhanced experience is turn down tips, the sound reflects off the pavement and back up to the rider--- looks cool on dirt roads too.
Many pipes, the sound goes straight out the back.
the V&H combo above is what my Pal has on his 2011 Limited 103".
when I ride it it sounds fine, louder than mine.( he stores his bike with me sometimes)
when he rides his bike in front of me, i drop back to about 80~100' 'cause it's a little tinny to listen to all day.
mike
Rider experience is affected by saddlebag load, presence of tourpak or passenger, head gear, windscreen/fairings and many other considerations.
one of the best ways for a rider to get an enhanced experience is turn down tips, the sound reflects off the pavement and back up to the rider--- looks cool on dirt roads too.
Many pipes, the sound goes straight out the back.
the V&H combo above is what my Pal has on his 2011 Limited 103".
when I ride it it sounds fine, louder than mine.( he stores his bike with me sometimes)
when he rides his bike in front of me, i drop back to about 80~100' 'cause it's a little tinny to listen to all day.
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Oct 5, 2011 at 12:13 AM.