Not being one to leave well enough alone, or at least not to let a good running stock bike alone, I started looking for a new exhaust system. My criteria were that it had to be louder than stock, but not loud enough for me to wallpaper the office with noise violation tickets. I wanted a rich, throaty tone, not the drag pipe "blap, blap, blap" noise or the hissing, tinny sound that a lot of pipes and mufflers make.
Everyone had an opinion that pretty much was opposed to what the guy before him had told me and would be different from what the next guy would have to say. What I found out is that most folks really don't know squat about what makes an exhaust system work or why some sound good and other just make a lot of noise. Believe it or not, there is some science behind a good exhaust system. While at the same time, exhaust manufacturers have to build exhausts that meet the aesthetic and cultural demands of their market.
Some buyers just want a loud exhaust that looks cool and are willing to sacrifice low end power in the process. Touring riders want pipes and mufflers that provide good power over a wide band and are quit enough so that they can listen to their stereos. The remaining riders want mufflers that are louder than stock pipes, but not so loud as to deafen the wife or piss off the neighbors or collect noise violation tickets.
Most agree that they don't want big diameter mufflers and a lot of riders want mufflers that are small in diameter, mimicking drag pipes that don't have mufflers. The most effective way of making a muffler that delivers both good power and a quieter sound is to use a larger diameter muffler. As far at the cruiser crowd goes, that is a non-starter. The only option left is to try to build smaller diameter mufflers with baffles that reduce the noise. In that regard, most mufflers fail to achieve either goal - good power or a quieter exhaust.
After visiting several dealers and friends, then listening to their bikes and their perspective on exhaust systems, I came to the conclusion that most of the mufflers sounded either too tinny or too loud. The sound quality was not what I was looking for.
Then a guy rolled in on a 2007 Dyna with a D&D Fat Cat 2-into-1 exhaust. The sound was sweet, not too loud or too quiet. He had the D&D stock quiet baffle installed, but he said that several other baffles were available. He had been on the same quest for an exhaust system for several years. After going through three systems, he bought the Fat Cat on a recommendation from a friend.
I was impressed. The Fat Cat was a lot quieter than the Vance and Hines Pro Pipe that I was thinking about ordering and it had a better overall sound. The guy on the Dyna said that he had a Pro Pipe on the bike before ordering the Fat Cat and that it was a real ear drum buster.
D&D is not one of the least expensive systems available. But for around $100 more than the Pro Pipe you can get great looking and great sounding exhaust system that increases power across the entire power band. D&H has the dyno reports to prove it.
Pete
Take a peek!
D&D Exhaust | Harley Davidson | 2006~2010 - Harley Dyna - 496-32B - 2:1 Fat Cat Full system
Linear Mode
