Custom Pipes, Sportster 883C

I am thinking about doing some sort of custom pipe myself. My friends has all the tools but I just have a few questions.
I believe my 2000 Sportster 883 has been re-jetted, new air filter and pipes. I don't know for sure though. Is there anyway to find out? The air filter is a K&N. I would think that if the pipes were changed, they would say Screaming Eagle or some vendor on the heat shields. I looked for the baffles inside but I don't see any. If they had some, I should be able to see right? I also took the heat shields off but I didnt' see any screws that would remove a baffle.
I am trying to save money and want the old school look with upsweep pipes. It looks like the pipes that are on it are about 1 7'8" in dia. I was going o maybe cut the pipes in half then weld on a 2 or 2 1/2" pipe then bend to upsweep to my top of the rear vendor.
Any suggestions? Thanks.

Sure. Get the factory service manual, drop the float bowl on the carb & look inside. Stock jetting on that bike was 42 slow, 160 main & you should change the main to a 165 - leave the slow jet alone. If the carb's been messed with before it's probably got a 45 slow in it - replace that with the stock 42. You also want to spend $8 on the infamous N65C needle, H-D part # 27094-88. The bigger slow is a Band-Aid for a "carb farts" problem the needle will fix. And while you're @ it, get stainless steel cap screws (Allen head) to replace the soft screws that come in the carb & are real easy to strip.

Baffles might have been drilled out. Pipes, heat shields, mufflers may or may not have a manufacturer marking on them.

Got a mandrel bender available capable of handling 16 gauge pipe? That's what you'll need unless you want to buy some pre-bent sections then cut & weld to the shape/length you want. It's not like grabbing a section of pipe @ a muffler shop for cars & bending up what you want on the typical pipe-bender - that pipe is a lot thinner & easier to work with. But that thin pipe won't last on a bike, especially not on a Harley, which is why a much heavier gauge is used.

I don't have any company info handy, but you can buy sections of heavy gauge pipe already smoothly bent to 45 degrees, 60*, 90* & also in a horseshoe shape, then cut what you need & butt-weld pieces together to make whatever shape you want. Then smooth the welds & have chromed if you want. Ain't the easiest thing in the world to do if you haven't done it before (I have), but it sure can be done & a shop right down the road from me makes headers for race cars that way.

One more thing is you'll want to check the aftermarket for some slip-in baffles for whatever diameter pipe you choose. Open & especially large diameter pipes will kill your low-end power & make tuning difficult.

thanks

Thanks everyone for the tips. We will see what happens and hope I don't jack it up! I am trying to save money and do things easy and by myself and friends.
Now I am just wondering what type of pipes are on this bike. I can't see baffles and no writing on the pipes with a vendors name. I would think the pipes would be a lot louder if there weren't any baffles. Its loud but not that loud. I had another spotster with Vance & Hines straighshots and those pipes blew these away!

if your pipes have the cross over still, then there stock, if you can't see baffles then they have been removed or the slipons have been changed, more than likely removed, you can run straight pipes and it will run fine if you adjust the carb right, but will run better with baffles, there are many venders who sell various sizes and lenths of baffles, demon's cycle has some 8" 2 1/4 for 13 bucks a pair.

Torque cones put the pep back in my 883