First my apologies for no pics. I have not been able to find my digital camera since I moved 6 months ago. It'a around here somewhere. I'll find it and get some pics up.

I took the bike in first thing Monday morning for:

10K Service
Install quick release lower fairing brackets
Install Fatcats with Ghost Pipe
Dyno Tune the bike

Well, as luck would have it, the DynoJet broke down and still wasn't up and running by Thursday, so they asked me if I wanted to just do a new download for the pipes and then bring it back to tune next week. I went that route cause I had to get the bike back.

So, here's the scoop. I've gone from essentially drag pipes (VH Straightshots to a Thunderheader) before so I kind of knew what I would get going from my VH True Duals with Ovals. No surprises. The best way I can put it is that it really changes the personality of the bike. I remember thinking the same thing on my 100/100 Hotrod Fatboy. Even after a couple of pretty good dyno tunes with the duals on the Street Glide, the bike never purred like it does now, if without any "tuning." The bike becomes a VERY smooth machine with a nice low rumble. The extra torque down low is apparent, but it comes on in a very smooth way, more similar to stock pipes than duals in fact. The pull is there, but the revs get up there so much quicker that the perception can be that it doesn't pull as HARD. In fact, when you look down you are past 3000 rpm and heading up, and getting to 70 is very quick, but again VERY smooth. The bike at idle purrs with a nice authoritative rumble and just feels more solid and, again, smooth.

I have really enjoyed my VH True Duals. I would not reccomend against them or any other True Dual system for that matter. In my opinion they aren't near as bad as some portray in terms of low end or any other end power loss. In fact at 3000 rpm those pipes WILL pull your arms. The Fatcats do too, just in a smoother manner.

I have to say that at the end of the day, I'm back with 2-1's and I remember why. As I said, the personality of my SG with the duals did feel more relaxed but had a big growl when twisted. The alter ego of the Fatcats is that the bike wants to run and loves to have the wick twisted! I can't stay off the throttle. As far as those who have been wanting to compare sound levels and tone, my Fatcats seem quieter than my duals, just as my Thundeheader seemed quieter than my drag pipes. It's a different tone and sound, but to my ear not as loud, but still plenty of nice rumble at idle and when jumped on.

I can't say enough about the look and quality of the Fatcat. To my eye they look great on Street Glides with lines that seem to flow with the bike. I did do the compromise thing and add the Ghost pipe. It looks good but not sure it would have mattered at this point. While I'm at it, I can't say enough about the look and finish of the VH True Duals and Ovals. They are IMO still gorgeous True Dual pipes, and the ovals with the stamped VH logo on the top are just as they are advertised, as Dresser Duals. Very classy. That said, I never could keep the Duals fitted tightly without frequent adjustment of the brackets and rubber mounting. They seemed to always be rattling somewhere or just generally not able to stay snugly fit. Maybe I'll have the same problem with the Fatcats but somehow I don't think so.

Like I said, the bike has a new personality. Somehow she feels younger, friskier, quicker, and begs to be ridden fast. Very hard to put into words, but the bike has mellowed while at the same time it has developed a performance oriented feeling. I'm liking it...a lot!

 

WooooHoooooo..... Welcome to the club!

They have a sweet "growl" between 1st & 2nd, don't they?

Don't worry, they won't rattle loose.

Congrats!

 

That is EXACTLY another way to describe them Phil...that 1st through actually 3rd for me growl is sweeeeettttt!

 

I'll be a happy bastard Saturday.Mine will be on.

 

Did you get the regular or quiet baffle?

 

I got the regular baffle. I think the quiet baffle would have been too quiet for me.

 

I got the quiet baffle and it seems to have a real nice rumble. I wonder what makes them quieter than the regular baffle? Hopefully there not packed full of fibreglass that blows out after a couple hundred miles.[:@]

 

It's the same physical baffle, but wrapped with something. They say it should last a long while.

 

Got a pretty good idea that your 10-1 CR has something to do with your "real nice rumble" Rideon I'm just doing the 95" with SE 203's, so not quite the crack you're getting. I've been down your road though with SE Heads, Flat Tops, Thunderheader, 10-1 CR and Woods TW5G cams. Nice set up.

 

It was really amazing when I started the bike how much smoother it ran and how much more responsive the throttle is. I can't wait to get her retuned and re dynoed on saturday!!!