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D&D Fat Cat 2-1 Initial impressions
I put a new exhaust on my 2009 FXD Dyna Super Glide yesterday. After two hundred miles with the new pipes, this is my initial review.
Removing the stock exhaust was straightforward. It took about thirty minutes to take everything apart and sort the parts our for storage. Using a little WD-40 on the joint between the mufflers and the exhaust pipes makes the separating these two pieces a lot easier.
The FAT Cat comes packed like it is going to be air dropped out of a cargo plane in a combat zone. Everything is bubble wrapped, taped, and then packed in styro-peanuts that are very nicely packaged in plastic bags. I can't remember the last time that anything that I ordered was so well protected. Bravo D&D.
The instructions are a little less exciting. Since this exhaust fits several different years of Dyna's there are subtle difference in how it goes on the various model years. That isn't a big deal, but it leaves a little to the imagination. There are no graphics. Other than some basic instructions, some questions remain. Does the exhaust pipe assembly attach to the top of the bottom of bikes forward pipe bracket? The answer is under, but I found that out by doing some research on the web, not at D&D's web site.
Tech support helped when I couldn't figure out exactly what to do with two rings that turned out to be crush washers. These pipes use crush rings rather than the much larger exhaust washers that came with the stock exhaust.
Once that was sorted out it was just a case of bolt everything together, working from the back to the front, and I was out the door with the bike. The pipes come tapped and ready for oxygen sensors and they include threaded plugs if you go a different route.
A problem developed during the end of the ride yesterday that was resolved today. One of the nuts on the exhaust flange at the back head had to be torqued down again this morning. Yesterday the exhaust started popping during deceleration when the clutch was not disengaged. There are several things that can cause this, including a lose connection at the head. I torqued it down and it improved by about 98%.
I suspect that this had to do with the fact that the nuts used have a built in washer with a friction face to keep them from coming lose. That combined with the very low torque specs for these nuts probably didn't let the header/gasket/head seal correctly yesterday.
It still makes an occasional burbling sound when decelerating with the clutch engaged, but it is a normal exhaust sound. The popping is gone except for an occasional very quite pop/burble sound. Yesterday it was loud and happened every time that I closed the throttle with the clutch engaged. The popping that I am describing is not a backfire. It was never anywhere near that loud.
So much for resolved problems. The Fat Cat is a two-into-1 exhaust system. It is a beautifully chromed system with ample heat shields. It comes with an option of four baffles. Two of them are for bikes with larger displacement, something over 103 CI. The other two are for stock displacement engines. One is the performance baffle, the other is called a quiet baffle. I bought the quiet baffle.
Let me be honest, this is the best sounding exhaust that I have ever heard on any motorcycle. Granted, sound appreciation is a very subjective thing. The Fat Cat has a deep rich sound. There is nothing tinny or blap, blap, blap about this exhaust. It has a deep rumble reminds you of why you bought a Harley every time you start the engine. It is sweet.
How loud is it you ask? Since we all perceive sound differently, I'll do my best. It is definitely louder than the stock exhaust, but it idles quietly but with more presence. It is almost as if you feel it as much as you hear it. When you get on the throttle, it barks. When you back off the throttle it quiets down a lot. In sixth gear, at cruising speed it becomes a nice rumble in the background. I could listen to it all day long.
If I could draw a comparison to another bike, it is louder than the Screaming Eagle 50 State legal pipes on my 2008 XL883, but not by much. Because it has a lower tone frequency than the SE pipes, the Fat Cat is a much nicer pipe to listen to at cruising speed. One of the factors is that the Fat Cats single muffler dumps out behind the rear axle, not just below my right ear, as the SE pipes do.
When you get on the gas is where the Fat Cat sings. The sound is, for want of another word, elegant. You feel it and you hear it, so does anyone near you. What about the sound police? Well, this is not a stock exhaust. The good news is that if you are not blipping the throttle through town or accelerating hard, you should have no issues with the police with the Fat Cat. All it takes is a little judicious use of the throttle and transmission to keep the pipe in a quiet rpm band. Just drop the bike into second gear and you can get through Blowing Rock without ruffling any feathers. Just keep the RPM's up a little. Don't load up the engine. Compared to other 2-into-1 exhaust systems that I have heard, such as the V&H Pro Pipe, the Fat Cat much quieter.
How about performance? 2-into-1 exhausts have a bad reputation of sacrificing low and mid range torque and HP for a narrower power band at higher RPM's. That is why racing bikes have this sort of exhaust. D&D has overcome this problem. The Fat Cat produces more torque and HP across the entire power band. There was no reduction in low end or mid range torque. What was most noticeable was that the engine didn't feel like it was lugging at the factory specified shift points - 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, whereas it did before the new pipe. This was particularly noticeable when shifting into 6th gear at 55 mph. I have been told that only the quiet baffle will produce this sort of result. The performance baffle is tuned for higher RPM riders, not cruisers.
At the moment, this is the only engine mod that has been made to the bike. It has both a stock intake and stock EFI map. There is no fuel management module either.
Conclusion - The Fat Cat 2-into-1 is a great looking, great performing exhaust that sounds like you dreamed a Harley should sound. Installation is simple with only a few tools and tech support actually answers the telephone when you call and they give good advice. The sound of the Fat Cat is the equivalent Pink Floyd. It stands apart from a long list of garage band wanna-be's whose only claim to fame is making noise.
It delivers the looks, the power and the sound. What else could you ask for from an exhaust system? When you fire up your big-twin with a Fat Cat no one will think that you are riding a Honda or a Yamaha. The sound is quintessential Harley Davidson.
Pete
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Herd Member #60.
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