Screaming Eagle Slip ons and the interconnect pipe.

Hi
I am looking at changing the exhaust on my 2004 883 Sportster and this morning went to se a chap that had two sets of pipes.

Before I went up I took one of my pipes off the bike to compare it with the pipes he had.

What surprised me is the interconnect pipe. I saw it and originally assumed it was a support bracket for the exhaust, I had not realised it connects both pipes together.

Now the pipes I went to see, although he said they came from a Sportster, did not have the balance pipe, and just had a single bracket which he said did not fit any brackets on the bike and I should just cut them off.
The pipe he had were a set of Screaming Eagle pipes, and some others that were Harley original 'Intermediate' pipes..at least that is what he called them.
I did not buy either of them till I asked you guys what you thought.

What is this interconnect pipe for? do I need it?
If the SE pipes were correct for my Sportster, would they not have the correct mounting bracket to match up with the mounting bracket on the bike? Or are these slip ons just self suporting, hanging off the down pipes? I do not like the sound of that, I would imagine it would put a load of stress on the header pipes.

Also what about these Harley Intermediate pipes. Is that a know type of pipe or just the name he was using for them/

Cheers

Neil

Neil,
As I understand exhaust systems, the interconnect/balance pipe is exactly that and serves to balance out the exhaust pressures and helps to ballance the cylinder effort and probably helps on the midrange & upper end torquet so I would want to keep it. It seems to mee that the mufflers should have some sort of support system that they attached to other than the head pipes. Hope this helps.
Danny

Ok, so it would seem that the crossover pipe is not that critical then, if it can be run ok without it.

I can easily make up a bracket out of stainless to fit to the old mounting points for the original mufflers, and take a vertical tab up to connect with the SE slip on mufflers, and the old inteconnect pipe will just stay in place on the bike, maybe will plug the holes up to keep crap out in case I need to use the originals again....Maybe the interconnect unit will just easily un-bolt, did not look that closely

Get a shop manual and it will show you how it all hooks up. It will be the best money you spend on your ride.

Would like one, but a bit pricey. Best I spend that £70 ($120 USD) on bits for the bike. Would not really help me in this case, anyhow.
Would like to know how critical this balance pipe is and find out from people who have taken them off what difference they notice...if any, some bikes seem to have them, some do not.

Ah well, and that is what counts

Just checking out some Sporty exhaust on Ebay and by the descriptions there, they have mufflers that mount from '96-'03 and they musta changed mounts a bit 'cause they also list others that fit '04-'06, the '04 -'06 will fit from '04-'10 if you eliminate the Ox sensor on '07-'10 models.

Thanks, I'll have another look, maybe change my e-bay setting to show international sellers.

But from what has been said and other threads I have seen on other sites, it looks like it ( the balance pipe) is not critical. Various ideas from emmission control to better scavangeing, exhaust pulses etc as to why they are there, but the engines seem to perform Ok without them.

Looks like if you just do away with the balance pipe and use the standard exhausts you will end up with a more restrictive exhaust system, but if you are doing away with it and putting free flowing exhausts in their place there does not seem to be much of a problem.

Another plus (apparently) is the better more distinct sound with two totally separate pipes for each cylinder....and if i do not like it...can always go back.

What with the Big Sucker air filter, CVP carrb tuning kit and the 1200 big bore kit...It wont be less powerful than stock. Some say that you loose mid and top end torque when taking the balance pipe off...but when the other mods are taken into condiseration it will still be better than stock...even if not realising the full potential that the mods could offer.

SO I will be getting rid ( non destructively) of the balance pipe.

But not for a few weeks/months yet....away from home for 2 weeks, than back home then 2 more weeks away again..plus the New Year celebrations...then I have to pay for all this. so hopefully by the summer it may be done

Cheers for the input

Neil

Well I have got one of Kens' CVP carb tuner kits on order, and he is sending me the 1200cc jets/needle.

I have seen some original SE slip-on mufflers here, second hand, they do not have the balance pipe fittings and the brackets are wrong, but I can easily make brackets to fit them to the original Sportster brackets.

I will probably leave the balance pipe in place, and blocked up, unless it is easily removable.
Have to order the Big Sucker air filter yet, but the CVP kit from Ken is on its way down, along with the V-Ductor, a Hiflow Inlet.
So I can get these mufflers second hand from this mate, and all should be OK. Just waiting now to find time and money to buy the Filter and pipes.

Can't remember what mine is like.
May have to make a bigger bracket than I first thought, but I have a load of stainless kicking around so should be able to knock something up.
Can't look again till I get home for a day or so next week

Umm. wonder if the cross over pipe is in a different place on your daughters bike than on mine, maybe a different design. Mine is a black tube low down at the same height as the mufflers, black pipe maybe 1 inch diameter. At first I thought it was part of the frame built up and out to support the exhaust. I had a suprise when I took the muffler off to see that black pipe was actually part of the exhaust system.
I am away from home for this week. I am here:

Google Maps

A small island, about 3 miles by 1 mile. Here for a week with work. Back home for two days Sunday and Monday, then back here again for another week. Cold and windy here at the moment. 28 mph gusting 46mph...and we just landed in that on a small wet runway....Fun day