I took a brand new 2011 Sportster Superlow 883 on a test run, but it's very quiet to what I have heard from other Harley's. Yet on their website they claim it has the classic HD "rumble" sound.
What are my options? Is there anything I can do to make it louder if I buy one? Apparently they have to quieten them down to be allowed to sell them.
FatTony2012 - I just bought a 2012 Sportster Custom 1200 and added a set of Rush slip-on baffles and they sound amazing....gives it that distinctive HD sound. While still a bit of money...they only cost $350 and that was to have them installed as well - you may be able to do this yourself to save money. I highly recommend my Rush slip-on baffles - you will not be disappointed.
So, how many miles have you put on it since the change? What has your longest trip been?
What I did, indtead of putting all of that money into those kinds of upgrades is....I put that money into the gas tank. The exhaust got loder and louder with the miles.
My bike has the "harley sound" and my bike is all stock.
Bikers have a bad enough image, making the bike loud just because...isint helping anything, there is no performance to be gained ( unless you also re jet or re program the FI and add an open air cleaner), no fuel economy increase either. I have aftermarket pipes on all my bikes, they are a little louder than the stock pipes, but well within any legal limits....well all except one.
Factory exhaust gets louder after you put some miles on them. I don;t know why but I noticed it, my wife noticed it and my neighbors noticed it.
You can always tell who doesn't ride long distances...they have LOUD exhaust. They think they ride long distance, but when you think about it 5 miles is a long way to ride with loud pipes!:hystria:
I find it funny when people say...If you really want that Harley sound, you have to buy (insert aftermarket name)slipons...yeah right. Harley is Harley without basani, V&H, and all of those other louder pipes.
Just ride the thing and the factory pipes get better with age and miles.
Obviously you're mistaken since I ride 60 miles a day back and forth to work plus even more in my free time with my loud pipes. As for the stock pipes ever sounding loud you're mistaken again. I have NEVER heard a Harley with stock pipes that sounded any good even with 100,000 miles on it. :hystria:
I watched e-bay for a couple of months until a couple of screaming eagle II slip ons (take offs from a wrecked bike couple scratches)went unnoticed by most bidders and snagged them for under $70.00. They came with a factory exhaust and heat shields which i turned around and sold on craigslist for $30.00.
I just bought a new 48 and I put a Bassini Road Rage on and love it. The stock one's sounded like a Honda. They were so bad that my test ride was only a mile long. " T "
You will probably want to juice the sporty up anyway. You could hole saw the baffles out for the time being and save up your cash to buy the stage one upgrade.
I've been very happy with the Big City Thunder baffles with my stock pipes/slip on's. Great sound & excellent power improvement. Left the stock air intake and went with a K&N air cleaner to fit. I like the sound of my 1200R Sporty better than my 88 or 96 big twins. Also, it'll blow the doors off the both of them too!
If you like the look and sound of a particular exhaust but its too loud, you can also check out a company called SmartPartz. They make Hard Kore Quiet Baffles for all sorts of exhaust systems. I run V&H Staggered Short Shots with the Hard Kore baffles and the pipes still growl but I am not upsetting any neighbors and can ride for hours!
this may rank up there with the most retarded thread ever......you want loud...take out the baffles...get different pipes......are you Fn kidding me?????? now...lets get back to some serious discussion like polishing the headlight brow!!!! bwahahahahahahahahahaha
Seriously, buy a hole saw slightly smaller than the exhaust outlet. The numbers are worn off mine but I think its 1 3/4". Drill thru the weld ring inside the outlet and pull the guts out.
My local HD shop did this for years for $20. You do need a good drill, preferable air-powered. The resulting sound is great. Not as loud as an aftermarket system, but throatier.
fattony buy you some cycle shack tapered slipons from dennis kirk for $179 best money I spent! they sound totally awesome and turned heads at the local bike night! of course mine is carbed so I can lower the idle and really get them cranking some Harley lope! jmo
if your bike has work done to it patriot pipe is the best choice its a 2-1 and sounds great its what I run on my 1250 as for being a girls bike your right they love coming home on it as for power got that covered 108hp 87ft of tq not to bad for a little girls bike lol .