Custom 2 into 1 Header

[Speedy818]

All right - here's my plan - need some help. Living in downtown Chicago means a couple of things:

1) I don't get to ride as much as I like to - rush hour sucks.

2) When I do ride, it's usually one of two ways:
1)
a) Coast into a stop sign
b) gun the engine up to the next stop sign
c) brake because some jackass pulled out in front of me.
d) wait in line at the stop sign
e) wait some more
f) pull up to stop sign
g) repeat

OR
2) Ride 85 mph on a highway for a really long time to get somplace where I won't have to ride method 1.

So - I've been trying to figure out how to have the most amount of fun riding possible. I borrowed a Buell from Chicago Harley and it was great scooting around. Not necessarily because it's that much more maneuverable than my Sporty, but because I could crank the engine up that much higher. It was nice to be able to have the engine up at 4500 rpm and not feel like my eardrums were going to cave in (I've got SE/II's on my 2004 Sporty).

So now that I know I want to be able to crank the engine higher up, and I've got the rubber-mounted sporty to do it with, I want to replace my exhaust system with something that will provide me an ample amount of power with a smaller volume of sound.

I've got a brand-new Buell S3 Muffler from Vance and Hines and want to adapt/create/buy/steal/liberate/invent/fake/destroy/install a header system that will mount it to my bike. Obviously, a Buell Header puts the muffler in the wrong spot, but is probably the correct length for the muffler. I want to still be able to carry a passenger (she's so cute!), and still have saddlebags (hey - it's my fantasy, OK?)

What should I do? Should I find someone local? (Ideas?) Trust a big name exhaust manufacturer? Get a Buell Header and start bending? (probably not)

OK, and to keep the posts appropriate:

I know I'm crazy, and I'm OK with that.
I know this won't be cheap, and until my wife finds out how much it will really be, I'm OK with that. (she's so cute!)
I know that people get PhD's in this stuff, but I'm not looking to break any records, just enjoy my bike and not break it worse than I can fix it.

I'm hoping some of our faster members can lend a bit of advise.

Speedy
who's going riding tomorrow for the first time in months!!!!!

[xllent01]

Not quite sure about the Buell header on a sporty, should work
just need to fab some mounts for it.

Question: how far are you from nice country riding in the Chicago
area? I'd rather go out and blast around the countryside and stop
and do some cow tipping on the way. Big city riding takes
a fearless type who is not afraid of some cager jackass with a cell
phone cramned up his a$$ not paying attention,and running a light
or stop sign and making a pancake out of your sporty. To me that
kind of on the edge of your seat riding is no fun, just a matter of
time before disaster will strike. :yikes

[Shu]

Is that Buell Muffler the one that mounts under the primary (left side) of the bike?

[MRK585]

I did a t-storm conv to my 92 and i wanted to to the same thing because buells make better power withe a 2-1 pipe i thought about the new lighting pipe because that it wiuld come out under the bike right on man

[Speedy818]

Shu - I don't know -Here are the pics from the eBay auction I just bought it from. There's springs, and a strange bracket that would appear to move the muffler over to the right, which would appear that you would be correct. Though I would think for a custom app like this, it's going to have to have a new bracket attached onto the muffler for wherever it's going.


Xcellnt - Yeah, I really hate riding in the city. Last summer, I rode up to Woodstock, IL; that was some great riding. Too bad it's an hour of concrete desert to get there... one day... to the middle of nowhere...

But anyways, I know this can be done, I know it can be done for less than $1000. It will be done and it's going to rock.

I've also got another two agendae for this project.

I want to be able to fit rear controls when they come out.

I want to make sure the Exhaust doesn't become the drag point for turns. (Ha!!!)

Speedy

[Speedy818]

Shu - here's a pic I found on the Internet. I think this is going to be easier than I thought. HA!!! HA !!!! HA!!!! :laugh

[Shu]

If it were me, I'd try to find the header pipes off a Buell S3 and then hook them onto the engine and run them around, hook the muffler on and then see what brackets you would have to make to mount it all on the sportster frame (or primary cover).

[Speedy818]

OK - let's pretend that I am you for a few minutes. Do you think that I'll have enough ground clearance underneath the bike to make it work? I suppose that was the only reason why I didn't go with that to begin with.

Since I'm still you and have all of the benefits of being you for a few more minutes:

What would you do with the oil-change hose and plug, or would you unmount the muffler every thousand miles or so? OR would you do those: "suck the oil out of the oil tank" oil changes that look very fun?

How expensive could those header pipes be? I think I'm going to like this mod.

Speedy
Feeling good - wishing I thought of this 3 months ago.

[xllent01]

I dont know about you but i scrape corners with the bottom
of my feet {foward controls} and scrape pegs on high speed
sweepers. Putting a canister under a sporty could be a little scary.
When i pull into a parking lot over the rain gutter my bike will
catch bottom if i'm not careful, depending on what angle i hit
it at. :yikes

[Shu]

I wouldn't move or change my way of changing the oil at all, I'd just reach under/around the muffler and unhook the hose from the frame. As far as ground clearance goes, It looks like the pipe would be mounted pretty tight up and under the primary, so you might have room. Once you get the muffler, take it and that picture of the S3 out to your garage and try to hold the muffler up where it looks like it is mounted on the Buell and that'll give you and idea of the clearance you are deal with. Do you have a standard, custom or Roadster? The std and Roadster have a little more ground clearance than the custom.

[Speedy818]

I've got the Roadster, and am putting Progressive HeavyDuty 412's 13.5" on tonight along with 1200S forks. With less sag, I should be OK.... Maybe I'll put the muffler on there (before I get more involved) and ride around for a while, and see what grabs what. If this doesn't work out - no big deal - I can always try mounting it on the side and just go through some custom fabrication - but this would certainly be the easier route. As far as turning clearance, as long as it's in the center (roughly), I should be fine, right?

Speedy

[xllent01]

If i were you and it was me i would put on this exhaust from
V&H SS2R 2-1 pipe. Atleast you will not set off a spark show
when your bike bottoms on the canister and you loose control. :yikes

[Speedy818]

Well, yes, but there are a couple of things wrong with that. 1) They don't have it yet for 2004 Sportsters. 2) It's a very saddlebag and passenger unfriendly system 3) I've got this muffler that I got for $50 which is the whole point of this project. If I have to buy a whole system that isn't what I want, I might as well figure out a way to do it on my own and get what I want for a little bit more...

I'll have to wait and see what happens with the primary mount when I get the muffler.

Speedy

[Dogmann]

Speedy- Any luck with your project? Pics? I'm also from Chicago & ?I am attempting to do my own custom exhaust... :tour

[Dogmann]

One more question- you said you have an 04- What are you going to do with the crossover pipe on the underbelly? :yikes

[Dogmann]

Whatever happened to this project?

[Speedy818]

Ended up trading in the sporty for a Street Rod. I figured by the time I spent the $$$$$$$ on the custom mods - I might as well have gone for the bigger bike (I always felt a little cramped on the Sportster)

I've got the muffler still if anyone wants it - $50 - brand new - never installed - never touched the bike.

[Dogmann]

Could you send me a pic?

[Speedy818]

For some reason - I can't send PM's. It says my storage quota's exceeded (5 messages stored)... go figure...

Anyways - try checking out this link:

http://vanceandhines.com/a114_ss2r_bue.html#

You can see the muffler there.

Thanks

[Speedy818]

Thanks Turbota - that's the one. Yeah - it would have been a neat project. Maybe someone else wants to take it up - otherwise, it's just going to collect dust in my closet.

[Turbota]

http://vanceandhines.com/images/pop_ups/bl_ss2r.jpg

I guess this is the muffler your talking about. I think this muff along with the Buell pipes would be pretty neat on a Sporty. I guess you would need at least 14 1/2" rear shocks .... Ground clearance may still be a big problem.

The stock 04-05 XL 1200R shocks are 13 1/4"