Best Harley Exhaust system?
Hey....wondering if you can help me, I have a 2002 Harley Dyna Wide Glyde that was recently in an accident. I have about $600 bucks to replace the exhaust system and I cant make up my mind what is the best Harley exhaust to buy.
My question is what is the best sounding Harley exhaust that is the loudest and the deepest sound? I like loud pipes but I want a good set of Harley pipes too, I don't want to buy crap.
What is the best Harley exhaust that I can buy that will fit my needs and be around $600 dollars? Thanks in advance for your answer.
Our Answer:
Chad I am glad you asked this question because we get this ALL of the time. It's such a common question but it's sad to say that there is no correct answer. If you surveyed 100 Harley owners about what the best sounding Harley Exhaust is, you would get 10 different answers.
What "sounds" good to one, sounds terrible to another and so on and so on. You did give a couple of clues as to what kind of exhaust that you like and what you think sounds good and that was "loudest and deepest" but the problem that I have is these two aren't the same.
A loud exhaust is easy....rip the baffles out of any set of straight pipes and brother you are loud....instantly....but it sounds like crap...at least to me. If loud is your thing then Vance and Hines are a good tradeoff that walks the ragged edge between being too loud and just loud enough. They are definitely on the loud side but whether they are too loud for your taste is your call.
Now if you want "deep" like an exhaust with a lot of "bass" to it then I personally would direct you towards a 2 into 1 exhaust setup. They are known for being more bassy, especially at idle and part throttle but then when you crack it open it starts to WAIL in the sweet way that only an uncorked Harley can do.
So I don't know if I helped clarify the issue or confused you even further but if you lean towards loud then Vance and Hines pipes would fit the bill nicely but if you are looking at a deep sound then not much can beat a 2 into 1 pipe for that role.
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January 8th, 2009 at 9:17 am
I like the Screaming Eagle exhaust.
I know someone who has this on a 1200 Sportster. Sounds very nice. Not so loud that it is obnoxious, but still has a nice rumble.
January 10th, 2009 at 7:21 am
quieter is better…
you don’t want to sound like a wet fart from a mile away…
January 10th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
To get the loudest pipe’s that would be straight drag pipe’s. But you will lose performance, if you want a really nice exhaust system with all around looks sound & performance you can’t beat a thunder header.
But do yourself & the world a favor don’t be driving around blasting your LOUD pipe’s. Because while you think you are being cool the rest of us know you’re not.
You may need to replace or re-code your ecm after installing new pipe’s.But maybe not, drive it & see if you have performance issue’s stuttering, back fire’s ect then after a few hundred miles check the color of your spark plug’s
January 10th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Putting an open exhaust on a V-Twin, like your Harley, is an oxymoron. Why?
V-Twins make high torque, low horsepower.
An exhaust system that isn’t restrictive, like open, loud, big pipes kill your torque. They boost top-end performance. Everyone knows that the top end is where horsepower lies.
So you should be looking at a more restrictive exhaust, keeping that torque there. Besides, no one cares what your bike sounds like besides you.
When I see Harleys with super loud pipes I laugh, knowing that while they lose their hearing and wake people up at midnight when they’re flying by they are actually losing performance.
As far as tuning your bike- do it anyways, your altitude could play a part.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Axel..no offense but you obviously don’t know much about what you are talking about. I know of several V-Twins, my own included, that make as much power as some of these little crotch rockets flying around like bumble bees.
Don’t get me wrong, a Harley will never be confused with a Hayabusa but your answer is misleading at best and flat out wrong at worst.
As for nobody caring what the exhaust sounds like but the owner, well no kidding. I am sure he isn’t buying a Harley exhaust for your benefit.
January 14th, 2009 at 6:35 am
hooker makes great dual wall pipes that won’t blue and they sound sweet, or else the big radius pipes from v&h (but they’re single wall, so they can blue)… either sound schweet
January 15th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Why the loudest pipes? Over compensating maybe? Hardlys already make alot of noise, about the only thing they are good at if you ask me. In WI, where I live and HDs are assembled from foreign parts, people can just call in a license plate and the rider will be given a ticket and 30 days to fix the loud exhaust. I have yet to do it but many times I would love to get the plate of the a$$ who needs to rev their hardly at 3 am. Some of the guys I know have already been called in on this one, one had a stock exhaust (nothing do fix there). I wish some of you guys would take a second and think about why people are trying to pass more and more laws like this one. I bet it has to do with the few of the jerks ruining it all for everyone else because they have to be the loudest. I guess being good at something is a good thing but can’t you be good at something worth while. Next thing you know all aftermarket exhausts will be illegal and then there goes the most common hop up part. Sure I guess it really doesn’t mean to much to a hardly guy with what the 100 or less horse they make but 5-10% on a 190 hp motor is alot of fun. Nice riding by the way, maybe your best option with your small budget would be to take a class on riding and going with a stock exhaust.