G'day gang,

I bought my 2001 XLH1200 last month, it had straight thru pipes fitted. To get it registered I had to fit the factory pipes, fortunatey they were also supplied when I bought the bike. I now feel it is no longer a Harley, it's so quiet. I'm just curious and I think an interesting thread to ask how may Sporty owners still have the stock pipes fitted? I have to say I think the straight thru's are a bit too loud, almost get a sore right ear. I'll be putting them back on soon.

Have fun all...we own beautiful bikes...... Dave.

Hi Dave!

I think there's quite a bit of discussion on pipes on the old XL Forum website...I'm pretty new as a Sportster owner, too, but I know the folks here will have lots of good advice for you...I went with the Screamin' Eagle slip-on mufflers, and they have baffles in them which I think keeps the noise down a little...I'm pretty pleased with them, and my neighbors haven't thrown anything at me yet, so I guess they're acceptable...the local police don't even blink even when I'm next to them at a stop light! There's so many to choose from now-a-days, so good luck!

You really need that Harley sound I think, even HD themselves accept this (what other manufacturer offers so many aftermarket exhausts?). They only fit the standard ones to get through emmission & noise tests, apparantly the are 300% more restrictive(according to the tuning manuals)!

I have the SE 2's on mine, with the baffles in and it is just about right.

When I bough my '05, the DEALER asked me is I wanted to order pipes and have them changed for thwn I pick it up. I declined because I did not want to pay the excessive dealer cost for install. When I got home, the 1st thing I did was install a set of BUB exhaust pipes. I let the dealer jet the carb. Runs and sounds great!!

Good Luck

Hey Dave, I'm with Planb...........SEII sounds great especially over time :tour

Dave, the two most important truths Harley boys and girls need to know about Harley ownership:

1. Your bike should never look exactly like every other Harley!
2. Your bike should sound exactly like every other Harley!

If one or both of these truths are not met, it could result in you being jerked off your Harley, while at a stop light, and pummeled within an inch of your life, by big burley "one percenters"!

This has happened to me on many occassions!
Billy

I have been running the stock exhaust with the baffles removed. It sounds great, but I am just not satisfied with it. I will be purchasing new exhaust soon. It is just a matter of deciding which exhaust I want...so many options.

Let's see some pic's of your exhaust too if you have aftermarket ones on. :clap :clap :clap

My bike had SEII on it when I bought it. Will be changing exhaust again after Conversion!!! :D

If your changing pipes you will be altering the efficiency of the exhaust system. In most cases your exhaust will be working better than stock. This will require you change your mixture settings in your carb as well or there will be no benifit to putting on the other pipes. A higher flow intake and a "Yost Power Tube Master Kit", "Dyno Jet" kit, or increasing the size of the low speed and high speed jets in the carb will be required. I found the "Yost Master Kit was the easiest to work with and do myself.

With the easier breathing pipes, carb kit and breather increased the performance of the bike noticeably not to mention the much better sound.

Oh ya! I went with straight pipes from "milwauki twins" and used power cones in the exhaust ports. This was the besst sounding and cheapest exhaust set up I found not to mention that i thing straight pipes look the best on a bike especially a Sporty.

I went from stock to SEIIs with baffles to no baffles and back to baffles. After losing a baffle I went back to stock. It's all good.

I still have the stock pipes and breather and I feel like my bike runs pretty darn good. I will do the pipes and breather when I get back to full employment. However, I want to stick with fairly quite pipes. I don't need to blast the neighbors to feel I am on a Harley or to have fun.

I have the SEII slip-ons, and like them. Sometimes I wish they were a tad louder, until I leave for work at 6:15am... :wonderlan

Around my area, its easier to find a Sporty with aftermarket pipes than it is to find one with stock pipes...

Hell, even a lot of guys on metric bikes have aftermarket pipes on them...

Thanks all for your replies.... yep it seems to have a Harley it's got to sound loud. I'll get my pipes back on soon. Attached is a pic with the straight thru's.

Thanks again all a really top web site. Dave.

I have the Vance and Hines Straitshots on my 04 1200r and they sound and perform great! I was told that V&H do the most testing on their exhaust for the best performance.

Like they say ... "Loud Pipes Save Lives"

The person that pulls out in front of a motorcycle always seems to tell the police after the accident - "But officer, I just didn't see that motorcycle" .... Well, maybe they can hear it next time!

I AM RUNNING DOLBLE D'S "BAFFLES OUT" ON MY 200 1200XLH AND I LOVE THEM. THE PIPES ARE LONG ENOUGH (ALTHOUGH NO ONE LIKES TO FOLLOW TOO CLOSE) MOST OF THE SOUND IS BEHIND ME.

Vance and Hines has worked with Harley for years now and their pipes are designed to work well with the sporty. Of course so do the scream'in eagles. I have a pair and I agree that they didn't sound right to me. I have a '97 and the cross over pipe was an esthetic problem for me as well as the sound.

I don't think straight pipes are a good idea without the power cones installed. The straight pipes alone will kill your bottom end torque. The power cones restore the backpressure needed for a torqeuy bottom end.

The stock pipes work fine with the stock set up but don't forget the stock arrangement wasn't done because it provides good performance but so that the environmental guys in the government can be satisfied. The Sportster motor is ment to breath much more than it can from the factory. If you put better breathing pipes and airbox on the bike you will ABSOLUTELY have to rejet and readjust the carb to make it richer. The stock machine is leaned out to the MAX in order to lower emmissions if you allow more air through the engine without carb mods you will be running way too lean and you will do serious damage to your engine.

I don't recommend messing with pipes or new breathers if your not prepared to spend the money to rejet the carb.

I have SEIIs; had no choice as the dealer won't sell HDs with OEM pipes. After a couple thousand miles the sound is sweet and mellow. :chop

Screamin' Eagle IIs. Not too loud. Not too quiet. Noticable performance gain.

After riding fellow XL forum member mikeli 77's scoot with the V&H straight shots, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go that route. Awesome sounding pipes, IMHO. :clap :D


Bart

Go with a good 2 into 1 like the Thunderheader, download the CV jetting video and jet it yourself for chump change.

Your best performance gains will be with a two into one system. I personally don't like the look so I won't go there. I haven't found one that sounds good yet. If you remove the baffles than you loose the advantage of horsepower.
But Maddog has it right. The two into one is the best performance gain you'll buy in pipes. Anything else in a dual set up just won't measure up to a good two into one.

Skooter... I believe that pulling the baffles on a 2 into 1 will lose you torque (your mid-range power) and not horsepower (your peak power).

Sorry Maddog, that's what I should have said. It is just like running my straight pipes without the power cones. You loose the advantage of running a two into one if you remove the baffles. It screws up the tuning. They are the best for out and out performance but you got to keep the baffles intacted or tuned right if they are adjustable but no way can you remove them entirely or you loose all your advantage of having a two into one. We are saying the same thing. I know guys that run them and they really make a difference in power when combined with carb, intake and other motor work. They just don't appeal to me asthetically. That's why I don't have them. They are great performance boosters!

You're dead on skooter.

stock 2-1 on my 883R.
will most likely stick with stock.

Not going to tell you what kind of pipes to get...but yes, if you want your bike to run and sound right....change your pipes. I have Cycle Shack Turnouts on mine. A great addition to performance and sound.

Another vote for Screaming Eagles II slip ons. Definitly the Harley sound!

I had the V&H straightshots on my bike. I liked them, but I liked foward controls even better so the pipes had to go. I traded them for a set of SE II mufflers. I had to get rid of the V&H because they were hitting the foward controls. I really want to go back to drag pipes but a lack of funds is preventing that right now.

I've got the milwauki twins? drag pipes and they work very well with Kuryakin Forward controls. Tough to see in the picture Mines a 97

Just installed a set of Screaming Eagle II slip ons on my 1200C and love the sound. Next step is the SE air intake and re-jetting the carb. Engine runs a lot better with just the new pipes installed and has a nice (but not too loud) sound!

I had the V&H straightshots on my bike. I liked them, but I liked foward controls even better so the pipes had to go. I traded them for a set of SE II mufflers. I had to get rid of the V&H because they were hitting the foward controls. I really want to go back to drag pipes but a lack of funds is preventing that right now.

Do you have aftermarket fowards on your bike? Because with the
factory fowards the V&H work perfect, no hitting on controls at all.
I have fowards and V&H and they are a perfect fit. :yikes

Yes I do have after market foward controls on my bike. From what I understand there are two different models of V&H. One that works with forward controls and one that does not. They list a different part number for the one that works with forward controls. I may be wrong though. I do wish I had some that worked though.

I'm stoll hoping to find a. SE baffle to relace the one I lost. Then I can put 'em back on.

I still have stockers on my 04 883. I swear they've gotten louder since when they were new.

I still have stockers on my 04 883. I swear they've gotten louder since when they were new.
They have, as you put more miles on the baffles get louder ;)

willprevale

Go to a Stealer or a Indy!! They should have something that will fit!!