Exhaust Questions

Hello all! Looking to get educated on pipes. I've got a 2004 EFI Wide Glide, and got the Screamin Eagle 2's when I first got it, but want to step up to something louder and better. Also, I'm planning on getting the Stage II/1550 cc kit hopefully at the same time. SIDE NOTE - Harley is running a promotion through January where you get $100 off the dealer install of the Stage II kit.

I've got a few tech questions, though, and was hoping someone(s) can answer them.

Baffles - I've heard some people say to remove them, and others to leave them in. What are the pros and cons of both? By the way, I hear the word back pressure mentioned, but don't know what that really does for the engine and performance.

2 into 1 pipes/"power chamber" - Does the whole 2 into 1 concept actually make a performance difference, or is it just another look? I've read on V&H that the power chamber is what makes traditional drag pipes perform like 2 into 1's, but I'm still not sure what the point of 2 into 1 is anyway.

Performance - Can two sets of pipes REALLY perform much differently than each other? Also, I'm not looking to race or anything, I just want to get the extra power from the kit. I guess if I had to choose between the perfect sound and loosing a little bit of power, I'd probably choose to keep the sound and ditch the performance, but again I welcome opinions on that...

What pipes I'm looking at - So far, there are three pipes I've been thinking about based on looks and sound clips from web sites. V&H long shots, Rineharts and Bub Big Willys. If anyone has any opinions and or personal experience with any of these, please feel free to share. And if anyone else has any pipes they recommend for a 2004 EFI Wide Glide, throw 'em at me!

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer any help.

And happy turkey day to all!

Exhausts

I've done a lot of reading on exhausts and have spent hours watching all kinds of combinations dyno'd. Seems to me that the best I've seen so far has been the Thunderheader. Just bolt it on and dial in your carb and you're done. I had one on my '98 Dyna and liked it so much I got one for my '03 Fatboy. I do have to add that I also used a Mikuni for both bikes. They run strong all the way up to 6000 rpm and even had my Dyna making power to 6400. Yepper -- not the stock ignition either.

One of the things I really like about the T'Header is it's simplicity and the fact that I can ease into my neighborhood at 3AM and do it quietly. On the road, when I crack the throttle you definitely know I'm coming. Love the throaty rumble all the way up to the high RPM roar.

The other thing is it's a one piece pipe. Nothing to rattle loose.

Can anyone attest to the Bub Rinehart pipes. I can see the like in the THeaders and Vance and Hines, but has anyone used the Bub's on a newer bagger? I heard that the 2 true duals are good, but loose some power in the midrange on a semi modified bike. Looking to do the race tuner/commander with the SE aircleaner. Definitely a 95 kit later with or without heads?

exhausts

I have a buddy that used the Bassani 's' (I think that's what it's called) pipe to make his exhaust into a true dual. Makes gobs of power with the Thunderheader slip ons. That same Bassani pipe would probably work well with the Rineharts.

The Rinehart has reversion issues on engines with higher flow numbers. A basic Stage 1 and probably a 95" with mild cam will be okay. After that, there us substantial reversion. You might want to also consider the fact that with the Rineharts's you cannot change mufflers as they are 2" inlets vice 1 3/4" for stock diameters. We have tested the Vance and Hines true dual headers with the Hooker slip on mufflers, Vance and Hines Ovals on a 95" RK with TW37 cams and there is no reversion curve on any Dyno run. Bassani's are supposed to be very similar but we have not tested them.

If you are running a Stage 1 or mild cam and do not plan to go further, the Rinehart's are fine. If you intend to get into a larger cam, free flow heads etc, seriously consider a 2-1 like the Pro pipe. The Thunderheader was long the king of the hill but time and technology has caught up and it shares the crown with several others. The White Brothers E-series was a great choice and you could actually tune it in to near perfect for your bike. But they are no longer offered as the entire e-series line is gone.

Bottom line is to choose the right pipe for what your end goal is.

V&H Pro Pipes 2 in 1

Just a personal comment on Stage 1 setups...
I am running the V&H Pro Pipes 2 in 1 with the Arlene Ness Big Sucker air cleaner on a fuel injected Fatboy. The only other modification was the Stage 1 remap (flash) of the ECM by the Harley dealer. This set up for me runs very good with a crisp throttle response from a stand still with no flat spots until the rev limiter kicks in. A big difference (a big plus) with the Stage 1 remap is the rev limit increase of about 500 or 600 rpms over the stock setting to around 6200 rpms (This may not be accurate but is close). The pipes have a great sound. I definitely would not choose the Screamim Eagle pipes. In my opinion you will not like the sound. They have a nice deep sound but don't have the sound to match the louder pipes that we all want. The Pro Pipes have the louder sound if you don't mind the single muffler look. The techs at the Harley dealership told me that the Pro Pipes and the Big Sucker was one of the better Stage 1 set ups. I think this has also been echoed by several on this board.

Ron