I'm sure this question has been posted a million times because I've read a ton over the past couple of weeks since I purchased my 2011 Ultra Ltd. 103, and the more I've read the more I'm unsure as to what I should do.
The bike is 100% stock right now and I want to get better sound and more pep, so the options are to replace the breather/headers/exhaust with:

'Cat-less' header, and new exhaust, or
A complete 'true dual' system, or
A complete 2-1 system

I like the sound of duals, but I've read I will lose low end torgue. I like the torgue of 2-1 (like fat cats) but I've read you lose the 'harley rumble'. So, how much low end torque do you lose going with duals vs. 2-1, is it like a couple of lbs, or is it more like 10 lbs? Is there only a difference on paper, but not really on a 'seat of your pants' dyno? If there really isn't much of a difference between the two then I'd probably go duals. But then, what is the diff between a good free flowing header and slip-ons, vs duals? I understand I'll have better torque with free flowing 2-1-1 headers and slip-ons that duals? Is that true?

And then another thing to add into the mix is that eventually I may want to upgrade the cams in a year or two and I don't want to have to redo the whole system and spend a bunch more $$ to do so. I ride 2 up a lot, and do a lot of longer trips, but I also use my ride as a daily commute so it's a real all around ride.
Any recommendations on what would be a good approach would be appreciated. Oh ya, obviously I'll need to add a tuner and I'll probably go with a MasterTune TTS so if I upgrade cams later I don't have to pay for more dyno work.

Thanks!

 

I just finished with adding V&H True Duals which looks and sounds perfect. I went to fuelmoto.com to get the PC-V they will program it for free just call them up and tell them what you are doing. Plus they give freee tech support for life of the PC-V.

BTW I cannot remember how to change my avatar that i have a RK Custom now.

 

Too many different exhaust choices and motor builds to have a direct set in stone answer.

 

2 in 1 will give you more low end. However, I like the look and sound of the duals. It really comes down to whether or not you mind sacrificing 5ish tq on the low end. The stock pipe, gutted or not, with slip ons with give you a nice gain. And more importantly, will sound awesome.

 

I've been researching this a lot in the Toruing side and am just as lost as I was coming into it. I had a Thunderheader on my 10 Wide Flide and it sounded awesome and gave a lot of power. Had V&H Big Shors on my 06 Deluxe and it had pretty good pep. What I'm wanting to do on the RK is put CFR slip ons for now and then do FullSac head pipes with intake, tune, and dyno but no one with that set up or even with true duals has said how much they lost going with true duals or CFRs. Sorry for the long explanation just to say I'm subscribing in hopes of a definite answer.

 

Personally I'm doing a 2x1x2 from Fuelmoto soon...but you might call them and ask them what their experience is for your application and personal desires for your sled. They have done a lot and can lead you in the right direction.

 

Your not alone and I am glad you asked...When you say gutted are you talking the Cat is gutted out of header or the stock Mufflers have been altered. If your talking mufflers I would like to know how to proceed as I just want a little more bark without going over the edge. I had SE II on my Heritage and after a hour at 65mph it was Advil time

 

IMO, go for the sound and get the true duals. 2-1 will give you more bottom end, but the thing isn't a rocket. It's intended for eating miles. Even stock, the bike has enough usable torque for typical riding situations. If you decide to go cams, the true dual set up will give you a much more noticeable lope.

Every bike is a little different, but the right tune will show better numbers with a 2-1 vs a true dual set up. If you're about squeezing everything you can out of the motor, 2-1 will be your best bet.

 

I was trying to make the same decision a few weeks ago. It was down between the Jackpot 2-1-2 protours and the MGS true duals. The MGS pipes sounded better to me, so I ended up going with them after reading some comments that the users really couldn't tell a difference with the butt dyno between the jackpot 2-1-2 and the MGS duals. They ended up being cheaper too, so that was a bonus. Installed everything this past weekend, and wow. Sound is awesome. I didn't get a chance to ride too much as it was pouring most of the weekend, but the 20 minutes I got to ride so far have shown a noticeable increase in pull, especially between 2.7-3.3k RPM; right where these 103s like it.
I did order a powervision from Fuelmoto to go along with the pipes. The tune out of the box is damn close from what I could tell from my short ride. Enabled the autotune feature with their help to iron out the last little bit As always, top notch service from those guys!

Either way, you can't go wrong imo. Just choose what sounds and looks the best to you. Any of the major and highly praised systems out there will net you close to the same power, at least as far as a stage 1 will go.

 

Not to worry, man. Your bike will not suddenly become a dog in the low rpm department if you install true duals. You'll lose maybe 1-3 lbs/ft of torque in the 1200-2500 rpm range - something you'll likely not even notice. But you'll also gain far more than that from 2500 rpm on up.