How do I choose the right Harley Exhaust?

If you aren’t satisfied with your Harley’s stock exhaust, you require a Harley aftermarket exhaust system that offers you the sound you’re looking for. An aftermarket Harley Davidson exhaust, allows you to choose how your bike sounds while making sure you are getting highest performance out of your ride. It is high time that your motorcycle starts sounding like a real Harley!

Is a stock exhaust better than a aftermarket harley exhaust?
Harley Davidson motorcycles have had a unique sound made the heads turn for decades! Unfortunately, due to riders running modified exhausts we have been facing a backlash over sound levels. This is why Harley changed their stock exhaust. The results are underwhelming! Many Harley owners are now turning to a Harley aftermarket exhaust to bring back the rumble of ‘Harley’s glory days’.

What Harley exhaust do I choose?
It is a perfect time to be a Harley owner, because there are more exhaust options now than ever before! Companies like Vance & Hines and Bassani have risen to the challenge of making aftermarket exhausts that sound like the good old days while offering you modern performance. Now, anyone can go to the top online performance motorcycle parts and accessories retailer and get a huge selection of exhaust systems for any bike and budget. A few of the top Harley aftermarket exhaust options are as follows:

Slip-Ons – A few of the most popular aftermarket Harley Davidson exhaust options are popular due to their ease of installation and slip-on mufflers among both new and experienced riders. In the time of a few minutes, you can have your longstanding, stock mufflers on and a new set of slip-ons installed on your head pipes and brackets.
2-Into-1 – The Harley aftermarket exhaust is a bit more complicated since the head pipes are also replaced on your bike. This system brings the gasses from both of the exhaust ports of your bike’s motor, into a single pipe that is then run through a large muffler.
2-Into-2 – Just as it may suggest, this is a similar exhaust to the 2-into-1, except that it retains both pipes all the way to your mufflers from the headers. Most stock exhaust you’ll come across on Harley Davidson and other larger motorcycles are built on this design.
Harley aftermarket exhaust systems offer you a wide range of different manufacturers, coatings, and tips available to dress up your new custom exhaust. With so many exhausts available, it can be quite confusing to narrow it down to the Harley Davidson aftermarket exhaust that is perfect for you.

What sound do you like for your Harley exhaust?
Before you seriously start looking at exhausts, you must know what you’re looking for and what a retailer is selling. There is no single best Harley exhaust, as the bike sound is highly subjective to the listener and you won’t be able to find a glossary that defines all the different muffler sounds!
There are, however, a few generally accepted terms that can help you understand product descriptions or relate to a salesperson the sounds you like or dislike.

Raspy – This belligerent sound is often sought after. It is the bad-boy of bike sounds. It iss harsh sounding, ominous growl, reminiscent of a low.
Tinny – Mostly avoided, this offers an advanced, flimsier tone. Its like rattling a few pebbles in a tin coffee cup.
Deep – Frequently used to describe lower tonal ranges. Deep tones are often well rounded, heavy and you can feel them in your chest while riding.
Hollow – It is often paired with tinny as qualities to avoid because they’re found together very frequently. Hollow sounding Harley aftermarket exhaust kits are mostly poorly-made and sound mushy and weak.
These are usually good at getting across what you’re looking for, however, there can still be confusion. People use a load of adjectives to describe the same sound. If you are able to listen to a set of pipes before buying, it’s always a good idea.

Now it’s time to buy that unique harley sound!

You’re choosing the exhaust for your bike to fit your preference. Only you know your criteria, so don’t get caught up in what anybody else thinks. Be clear with yourself about what you require out of your Harley aftermarket exhaust, as every one of these criterias is completely subjective, and help you get a Harley Davidson aftermarket exhaust that you will absolutely love! Here are a few checklists you can consider.

1. Have a Budget
   It would be wonderful if we did not have to worry about money. But, that’s a fantasy for many. Before you start looking and scrutinizing exhausts, decide how much you want to spend. It doesn’t do any good to carefully compare $900 exhaust systems if you have the option to drop $400 on a Harley aftermarket exhaust for your bike.

There’s nothing wrong with having a budget. A few riders feel no expense should be spared. Other riders like electricity in their home and eating food on a regular basis. A) Decide what you’re comfortable with. B) Decide your maximum limit “but…it’s only $40 more”. Then stick to it!! And it will make you happy and satisfied in the long term!

2. Time and Energy
   Along with the budgeting, it is also important to decide how much time and effort you can put into a new Harley aftermarket exhaust installation. If you want to change head pipe configuration, that’s great, but that’s also more work. If you want an outfit you can ride around on without having to think much, slip-ons might be the way to go!
3. Looks!
   The Harley exhausts may look stunning and then there are the absolute trash ones. Only you can decide what looks great for your taste. Imagine how your setup will look on your bike. Do you want a chromed-out shine, raw stainless steel, murdered-out black or do you want to add a few rocking tips to your Harley aftermarket exhaust?
   You would also want to decide how much importance looks hold for you. Let’s take for example, if you fall in love with the sound of a muffler that really doesn’t fit your ride, you will have to make a choice: great sound or great looks? Everything depends on whether you are satisfied with the results or not.
4. How will it impact the Performance?
   Most aftermarket Harley exhaust changes will impact the back-pressure put on your ride’s motor, especially if you’re going as far as the head pipes. A faster flowing Harley Davidson aftermarket exhaust leans out your motor, running more air through it, making it run hotter. A slower flowing exhaust can do the opposite. If you’re making a larger change, you may want to add a new fuel module, like a DynoJet, to auto-tune your bike’s performance for the new set up.
5. What Brand Name to Choose?
   There are certain brand names, like Vance & Hines, Bassani, Cobra, that are famous and trusted in the riding community, so look them up in our shop. Although, there’s nothing wrong with smaller and newer Harley aftermarket exhaust manufacturers, most people will only go with a name they trust. Moreover, a company’s mufflers generally share a similar profile across mufflers, so if you loved a set of Vance & Hines slip-ons on some other bike model, chances are you’ll love them on this bike too.
6. Legal Considerations
   Remember how we talked about Harley Davidson getting wimpy with their stock mufflers? That’s not without a reason. Loud bikes catch so much heat that, towns, cities, and states started passing noise ordinance laws; specifically targeting motorcycles. Tickets and court summons make an illegal exhaust even more expensive. You must know the laws of your region and make sure your Harley aftermarket exhaust is legal.
7. SOUND!
   Attention Bikers! If another rider has a few pipes you’re considering, ask them to fire it up. If you’re a hermit in the middle of nowhere, you can totally look up the models online. Some YouTube channels have a few engaging videos, just remember that while videos and recordings are representative. They’re reaching you through a speaker that may not be completely true to life.

If All Else Fails, Talk to the Experts. We are here to help, mail us at info@biker66.eu and we are glad to help