Hi Im a new guy here and need some expert oppinions and advise.I had a 71 Shovelhead hardtail yrs ago and it was pretty easy to work with..Ride 1 day ,tighten loose bolts next day ride again.
Now I went and bought an 08 Fatboy FI.. Alot of things have changed lol. I have almost 1000 miles on it and want to add a set of VH Big Radious 2 into 1 pipes. Tuner not sure witch one?
I have a bud that has a set of big radious on a train and they sound good and he seems to get down the road very well. He is running the harley race tuner and the big sucker intake. I notice a pop once in while from his bike when we have rode.He had a harley shop dyno his bike
not sure of the #S..
I have another bud that has an 07 fatboy with the VH big rad 2 into 1 with the VH fuel pak. He installed the pipes fuel pak and the bike sounds like I want mine 2.He is running the SE upgrade for the intake.
I have read threads here about tuners and such and I cant seem to figure out what will be best for me.
My concerns= louder bike more hp and tq and capatability for future upgrades.
My pipe question is what I want a good pipe?
Tuner question which one for me? Harleys race tuner,PC, TMax or VH Fuel pak?
I want to be able to upgrade without a double cost for the future. Can I do that?

Thanks for for your help
evil V aka Vin

 

well choosing a pipe is a very personal thing. some guys want loud some want quiet and some want power.
if your willing to compromise on a pipe the options are many.
The area you live in will also determin what kind of tuneing device to use.as certin tuners are not available for or shall i say fewer tuners are available for certin tuneing aids.

 

Hey George....whatz up!!

 

Doc ..my buddy all is well here

 

Hi George. I live in Portland Oregon and ride from sea level to maybe 5000 feet.
I want my skoot to be loud and perform. Im not concerned with speeds over 100 mph.
Ive talked to a couple of the larger Harley shops in my local and they say the vh fuel pak would be just fine up to a 103 upgrade.
Ive talked to a couple of the smaller shops and they said the vh fuel pak just adds more fuel which they say is good for an upgrade. But that isnt as good as a dyno.
So I can eliminate the vh fuel pak with this info.
I dont mind spending the money for the dyno work as long as it is my best bang for the buck.
One shop says they like the harley race tuner and that is the way to go.
Mid Valley a smaller shop says they dont want to work with harleys tuner but prefer the Power commander or a tuner that learns from the dyno job. I cant remember the name he said but I hope you understand what I mean.
This is why I posted this thread alot of different answers.. I want to know what is tried and true from other people.
I want loud to very loud pipes>>> but Ive heard that short pipes are hard to tune. I just need some help here. I have bought parts in the past to replace them with something different= too much money..
Thanks for your help Vince aka evil v

 

Heres the two that i would recomend im sure DOC will also chime in on this
SERT or T-MAX
The sert in the proper hands is a great tuning device
Thunder Max is a great option. know a lot of guys running it and most are happy.
as far as pipes go do you wear ear plugs????
i used to run V&H BSS on a stock bike alright sound but when i started building the motor and adding compression the sound got louder and deeper. too much for my ears. now i run the fat cat and its perfect altho with DOC having so much input on my new build im sure its going to be loud also.
like i mentioned pipes area decision you have to make i prefer a 2 into 1 over any pipe now a days because i want my bike to run at its peak performance because thats what i paid for.
you have rhineharts , V&H , Bub . also dont ever forget about the Thunder header or cycle shack slipons loud and the power can be had with some of these options.

Good luck on what ever you choose these are just my opinion the final decision comes down to you

 

Do I wear ear plugs? lol nope. Im 48 and im deaf in the lower decibel range. I operated heavy equipment andshot too much without protection for too long. So loud to real loud pipes is just fine with me.
Sert Ill have to research that one.
So Doc chime in im interested in what ya have to say..
Thanks Vince

 

I also like the 2 into 1 pipes and I'm leaning toward the V&H. I have the same basic questions evil_V has but I'm in FL and almost never leave sea level. What do you recommend in my case? How loud will these pipes be? I don't want earplugs and I don't want the old lady hurting either...

 

the fatcat with the quiet baffle is probably the best all-around exhaust on the market...even with the quiet baffle it's not quiet...the v&h big radius 2 into 1 is kinda new and getting mixed reviews...the v&h pro pipe hs is a good medium noise pipe as well...supertrapp supermeg 2 into 1 is a good quiet exhaust...I agree with sedeluxe about tuners

 

HD if you are from FL give DOC a call he is from FL also he can answer all your questions. DOCis coordinating a build for me right now..He is talking to a builder/Tuner he trained and that gentlemen is doing a 120 for me.