[chucks sportster]

got an 08 1200c my ? is can i get away with just bolting up a set of drag pipes on it or will i have to have some tuning done to the fuel injection thanks

[whacker]

You might want to look for different pipes,drag pipes are for wide open throttle,not real good for mid range.

[skull2007]

as i understand efi, if you are to open both ends as in a high flow A/C and open exhaust you would need to add some fuel with an after market fuel management system. with only opening one end and not the other it should not effect your air flow much or your fuel requirments. i doubt you will note much of a change in performance either, but it will look and sound better

[HellBoy]

Look better, yes, sound better? I don't know. I got my Sporty with straight drag pipes, and they were ridiculously loud and were affecting performance negatively. I had V&H baffles put in and they are a little less obnoxious, but still obnoxious. I should have been there at the dealer's before they cut them down, perhaps they were perfect but the dealer misinterpreted my instructions and dialed them in a bit too loud. Performance has improved, but still isn't great. I'd take the original pipes with slip-ons any day. Not sure I want to invest any more cash now tweaking the ride, since I'm considering buying a newer bike.

[Art_NJr]

Originally Posted by chucks sportster

got an 08 1200c my ? is can i get away with just bolting up a set of drag pipes on it or will i have to have some tuning done to the fuel injection thanks

Unless the only thing you care about is obnoxious loud, drag pipes are the worst exhaust you can put on a Sportster. Yeah, they'll affect the tuning & a lot more if you change to a free-flowing air-cleaner too. You can spend a lot of $$$ on downloads & tuning devices & you'll never get the engine to run right, except @ WOT from 4500-5500 rpm & I rather doubt if you ride that way all the time. And with the advent of stepped pipe technology, drag pipes aren't even all that good for drag racing.

Have a look @ the torque & HP numbers below (higher numbers in red) - same 1200 Sportster run with stock pipes & SE I (Cycle Shack type) slip-ons & again with drag pipes. Notice with drag pipes the torque falls off right away, the bike falls flat on its face in the 3000-4000 rpm range, surges 4500-5500 & then power fades away. And that bike was tuned for each set of pipes tested - whole bunch of 'em too & stock pipes with crossover & the slip-ons beat 'em all in overall power & smoothest powerband.

[hotroadking]

If you have drag pipes and don't want to spend money to change them or just love the sound, look whatever (BTW I agree with Art they suck on the street)

Then you might want to do the lollypop trick

Take a washer weld it to a threaded rod that will screw through the baffle hold down nut, or, get a rod with a hook on the end, and double nut it.

Thread the rod though the baffle with the washer or hook inside the pipe through the baffle hole, one nut on inside and one on outside.

When tuning you can adjust the angle of the washer to get the proper curve

Typically it will bump that mid range power loss curve right out.

[SPORSTERBOY]

Did that one hotroadking makes the pipes sound just out right hidious I would just go with changing the pipes out all together. but back to the performence thing, which I have always had drags on my sportys, couldn't really tell you about much of a differnce from my old stock ones and the drags, the dyno might say differn't, but then I'm not on no moto street race either, I just cruz on the piglet and it seems to have power when I crack down on it or when I need it, don't like the tuneing in the carb bit, but I think I got it pretty dialld in now and it's even more responsive. I'm one of the ones, I'll admit, I like it loud, louder the better, I think the drags are not loud enough but all the talk I've heard about the drags, I plan on changing out my pipes soon, so I might give it a try as long as the pipes are loud actually I'm looking into finding a toob kit and just make them myself and mybe get some removable baffles.

[Art_NJr]

Originally Posted by SPORSTERBOY

... I have always had drags on my sportys, couldn't really tell you about much of a differnce from my old stock ones and the drags, the dyno might say differn't, but then I'm not on no moto street race either, I just cruz on the piglet and it seems to have power when I crack down on it or when I need it, don't like the tuneing in the carb bit, but I think I got it pretty dialld in now and it's even more responsive. ...

The "seat of the pants dyno" is notoriously inaccurate & I'll give you a good example. 3500 rpm is in the range most people ride in & in high gear equates to 71 mph on an 883 & 77 mph on a 1200 (different overall gear ratio). Look @ the charts I posted earlier - a 1200 w/ drag pipes is making 28.7 HP & 43 ft/lbs. torque. I checked the charts for a "tax paid" 883 - SE air-cleaner, SE slip-ons & carb re-jetted, but otherwise stock. At 3500 it's making 26.7 HP & 40.1 ft/lbs. So the 1200 is only making 2 HP & 2.9 ft/lbs more than the 883.

Now compare the 1200 with stock pipes & slip-ons - @ 3500 it's making 44.5 HP & 66.8 ft/lbs. - 12.3 HP & 26.7 ft/lbs. more than the 883. Whole different ballgame, 'eh? And one fella I know did some tweaking on his 883 just to see how fast he could get it to go street-legal - ran 125+ mph @ the track, then put a little "cafe racer" type fairing on & it ran 132+ (I was there). Feel pretty bad if an 883 zipped on by 'cause you gave away performance for loud, 'eh?

[HellBoy]

Yep Art. I baffled my drag pipes, but still don't feel enough guts in 1st and 2nd. 3rd's OK and 4th is nice, 5th, not much difference. I just got some good news, NYC Harley's found an ignition module for me and I should have my bike back Friday or Saturday. Then I can think further about performance remedies. I wish the guy who sold me the bike had never put the drag pipes on. They look cool but that's about it. I could look into getting the original pipes back. He left them with an "ex" in Pennsylvania and I might be able to get them sent here for shipping charges. Still, it may not be worth it, since I'd have to buy slip ons anyway, perhaps I should just pick the best pipes for my Sporty and then look for a good deal on them.

I'll start another thread about that soon, but anyone have a quick recommendation as to which pipes look good, sound good and perform well on a 2003 883XLH Sporty?

[Art_NJr]

Originally Posted by HellBoy

I wish the guy who sold me the bike had never put the drag pipes on. They look cool but that's about it. I could look into getting the original pipes back. He left them with an "ex" in Pennsylvania and I might be able to get them sent here for shipping charges. Still, it may not be worth it, since I'd have to buy slip ons anyway, perhaps I should just pick the best pipes for my Sporty and then look for a good deal on them.

Look around for some take-offs - dealers, indy shops, individuals, e-Bay, etc. Pipes don't have to be for an '03 either as earlier years will fit too. The mounting was changed somewhere along the line, but @ least '00-'03 pipes for an 883 or a 1200 are the same as those on '03 models ('04-up will not fit). Lots of sets gathering dust you can get cheap - sometimes even for free if enough sets are laying around a shop from putting aftermarket systems on.

I'll start another thread about that soon, but anyone have a quick recommendation as to which pipes look good, sound good and perform well on a 2003 883XLH Sporty?[/

Looks & sound is purely subjective, but here's another inexpensive way to go - most drag pipes are the same shape as stock pipes & the stock heat shields will even fit. Get a quality set of slip-ons, line those up with the mounts & measure well. Then cut the drags back so the slip-ons will fit in the stock location, add the heat shields so the pipe blueing doesn't show & you've got a new exhaust.

[SPORSTERBOY]

Feel pretty bad if an 883 zipped on by 'cause you gave away performance for loud, 'eh?

couldn't do nothing but laugh, because I would only see them, not hear them, worst of all I do most of my ride'n in the lo range, don't go on the free way often, barely get to break 35mph, so a good bicycle rider could prob. zip on by me, or one of those 49cc mini choppers

[hotroadking]

Khrome werks HP+ slip ons sound good and work extremely well, same for Cycle shack. Not expensive and occasionally you'll find returns to the manuf (seconds) that you can get cheap from Khrome Werks

Jim is top notch guy

I would see if you could get the stockers for a couple of reasons,

one, you can use them with slip ons if you don't want to cut down the drags,
two you can sell the complete drags on ebay
three if the law ever mandates stock or stock only replacement type mufflers in your area you can slip them back on, get the inspection and ride it home and change back to the hotter pipes.

[08XModel]

Originally Posted by chucks sportster

got an 08 1200c my ? is can i get away with just bolting up a set of drag pipes on it or will i have to have some tuning done to the fuel injection thanks

You loose your mid range torque with drag pipes. I had an 05 883 and removed baffles from V&H pipes to see what would happen. When I shifted gears that bike would fall on its face cause the normal torque wasn't there. Hope this helps.

[08XModel]

Originally Posted by HellBoy

Look better, yes, sound better? I don't know. I got my Sporty with straight drag pipes, and they were ridiculously loud and were affecting performance negatively. I had V&H baffles put in and they are a little less obnoxious, but still obnoxious. I should have been there at the dealer's before they cut them down, perhaps they were perfect but the dealer misinterpreted my instructions and dialed them in a bit too loud. Performance has improved, but still isn't great. I'd take the original pipes with slip-ons any day. Not sure I want to invest any more cash now tweaking the ride, since I'm considering buying a newer bike.

I have a set of 2005 sporty stock mufflers with drilled baffles. Don't know if 03 and 05 will work together.

[SPORSTERBOY]

I'll tape a box of ear plugs to the bars and throw them out like a martie gras parade, as loud as I can get is where I want to be, slow and low. Fast is what get's us tickets and higher insurence rates, thank you my rice burning friend.

[Art_NJr]

Originally Posted by 08XModel

I have a set of 2005 sporty stock mufflers with drilled baffles. Don't know if 03 and 05 will work together.

They won't because of the change in crossover pipe placement. '04-up are interchangeable with each other, but not with '03-back.