V&h True Duals On '09 Softail Deluxe...burn Saddlebags??

[razzell2]

Hey people, and good afternoon.

I have a decision to make, and I am not getting much help from my dealer, nor am I getting much help from Vance & Hines' website or phone help, so I figured I would ask some people who know....

Surely someone out there can help me with this.

I have a new '09 softail deluxe, and its got the stock pipes on it.
Of course, I can hear everyone of my partners' bikes over my own, and with my windshield, it seems like I can hear every ping at rattle my engine makes.
My ride sounds like a washing machine.

I need some pipes! I need to be heard. Right? Louder is indeed safer.

My bike has a very vintage look...white walls and spokes, low, big vintage fenders...I even had a vintage style engine guard put on yesterday.

So, I want some vintage looking pipes and exhaust, and what I want is the new, V&H, true duals, made to fit the '07-'09 softail deluxe. With the fishtail tips, of course.

Im ready to buy em and have them installed, but now Im hearing that they wont fit with aftermarket saddle bags...that the bags will burn out at the bottom.

I'm also not convinced that there is room between my back cylinder, and my oil tank, and the support bar that runs up the middle, to fit the backside pipe thru there, and around and under the tranny and out the back.

So, before I link you to webpages and attach pics, I am hoping that someone out there has installed the true duals on their softail, and that they run below their saddlebags, and that they havent had, or maybe they have had, problems.

By the way, my saddle bags are those smaller, black tear drop shaped, rigid bags that are not really that deep.

Look here...http://www.latus-harley-davidson.com...05_L_1cb26.jpg

Those are the bags I have, and that pipe is the top pipe of the stock side exhaust pipes that come on the softail.

The dual pipes run pretty low, if you go by the images vance and hines' true dual pipes for the 09 softail.

Well, go here: Vance & Hines: Performance Exhaust Systems

You can judge, pretty much, how low the pipes will go below my bags.

So, do you think they will be alright..my saddlebags?
Also, has anyone actually seen how they fit the off side header thru and between the cylinder, and out the other side?

I appreciate the help and advice of anyone who can help me decide if I should go ahead and get these very cool pipes.

Thanks
Russell

[Blackdog 15]

How much room do you think there will be between the bags & pipes ? in inches...

[Dave63]

Anyone fitting pipes needs to look at bag clearence. If the pipes are too close, washers can be added to the mounting hardware to lower the pipes, creating more clearence. There's room for "error" in fitment of any pipes.

Fitment is in the eyes of the installer.

Anyone adding aftermarket parts, can either throw them on, or do a proper job installing them, giving you clearence throughout.

If you want a custom look, with parts that may not have been made to be installed, then take it to someone that can make it work. I've seen the "impossible" installed on the "Improper application" and look "stock" because the installer knew what they were doing.

My Dyna has running boards. Only Police Dynas had running boards. Mine look OEM, but are the old Oval boards, that were never on Dyna.

Creativity.

Welder.

Ability.

With those 3 things, anything is possible.

Hubless wheel. Nuff said.

[Blackdog 15]

Hummmmmmm......I know a welder......

[Dave63]

Me too.... He lives in Cali. Yours?

[Blackdog 15]

Originally Posted by Dave63

Me too.... He lives in Cali. Yours?

Might be...

[Driften]

If you have bags with stock pipes they are going to be way above true duels. Lots of pictures around with people with Samson and V&H duals. My only worry would be heat off the left side pipe as it comes over the oil tank on that side. Many people say its not an issues about a couple of people have commented.

[razzell2]

Originally Posted by Blackdog 15

How much room do you think there will be between the bags & pipes ? in inches...

well, i havent had my dealer give me a proper answer to that yet, but if you look at the pics, it appears im gonna have a good 2-3 inches between the bottom of my bag and the top of the pipe.

if thats the case, it should be enough.

the duals should sit somewhere between, right in the middle, of where my two stock pipes sit, right now.

thats a guess, i guess.

[razzell2]

dave63

yeah, a proper welder with the right state of mind, wanting to MAKE THEM FIT, would be superb.
i can only hope that the boys in the maint. dept, at the dealer, work that way.

if i judge by the work they did on my tweaked swingarm, i think they can make them fit.

thanks for the pep talk. im becomming convinced.

[razzell2]

Originally Posted by Driften

If you have bags with stock pipes they are going to be way above true duels. Lots of pictures around with people with Samson and V&H duals. My only worry would be heat off the left side pipe as it comes over the oil tank on that side. Many people say its not an issues about a couple of people have commented.

hey driften..
yeah, thats the side im most worried about. because of all the pics ive seen of these pipes installed on a bike, its always the opposite side they show in the pic.
now, both pipes should be at the same heighth to, or from the ground...should be the same on both sides, right?

if thats the case, and looking at photos, the duals sit much lower than the top, fat, stock pipe, which is relatively close to the bag.

the duals are 2 1/2 inches in diameter...half the size of the stockers.
thats gonna add an inch or more, and then include the normal installation depth of these duals, and, you know, im thinking (hoping) there is plenty of clearance.

im still not sure how theyre gonna get that backside header thru, and between my back head and my oil tank. thats gonna be a tight tight squeeze.

still trying to find a photograph, online, of my bike and my bags, with duals....any duals. then i would know.

i go to the dealer tomorrow and were gonna sit down and talk about it. i want the installer to show me how their gonna fit, if their gonna fit. but i wanted some opinions first.

thanks driften.

russ