Question for all you Harley owners... I was at a service statioing getting gas and I heard a ultra classic ... This thing was pretty loud.. I thought it was a group of bikes... The thing is it was loud in a good way... Had a really deep throaty sound.. I swear if I ever here it againg I'm running the guy down to see his setup.. My question is there a difference as far as sound between the 88,96,103,or 110 .... or is it mostly to do with the muffler.. if muffler which manufacturer has a loud but really deep tone... I was leaning toward Rhinehart for exhaust choice...

 

It has to do with a few things - first is header type - true duals will sound much more agressive than a 2-1-2 given the same mufflers. Rineharts sound great, but if you have true duals you'll be sounding better.

Cams also have an effect as well.

 

Please don't run the guy down.

 

Ha ha. Costs money to get that

 

buy the guy a couple of beers while you pick his brain. (it might be me)

 

The size of the motor, the cam type, the header, and finally mufflers will all effect the tone and decibel level to some degree. A larger muffler on a larger motor will usually produce the deepest tone.

 

Irregardless of exhaust mods, one HD never had a rumble. That would be the '91 80 inch Evolution with a California cam. It idled and sounded as smooth as a Goldwing.
I think cam timing has the biggest effect on that copyrighted Harley Davidson potato-potato sound.
Put a Crane cam in the Evo and the great sound returned.

 

Megaphone type mufflers tend to deepen the sound. CFR's, Bassani, and others have a distinctive sound.

 

sure there wasn't a Shovelhead around somewhere?

 

Headers & mufflers certainly shape your basic sound, but performance cams add that earth-shaking lope that we all know and love.