When I got my 11 FLHTK I got the V&H Power Duals head pipes ( that got rid of the cat), and put on HD Screaming Eagle Street Performance mufflers. Also had V&H more open intake/air-cleaner and Fuel-pak. Good package for me. The mufflers had a nice deep rumble, not harsh and comfortable sound levels for me. I did wear ear plugs when riding and on the touring it mainly was for wind noise. Traded that bike in for a 15 model shown in the sig line and got a Fuel Moto setup including the jackpot ceramic pipes, their mufflers, etc. Didn't like the mufflers, too POOTY. Found a set of SE Street Performance mufflers from one of the online selling HD dealers, Lakeshore I think.

Dilemma is, I am considering a 2017 Heritage Softail that has V&H Big Shots staggered that by all reports are going to way too loud and harsh for me. Price for the bike will be good enough to budget in a new exhaust. As most here know, correct me if I am wrong, Softail have the cat in the mufflers as opposed to the touring (the ones I had) the cat was in the head pipe. With this V&H set-up it appears that the heat shields are one piece so the whole system will have to go. I liked the SE Street Performance but they are a touring muffler with different mounting. Is/was there a HD SE softail equivalent to those mufflers? Am I correct in saying that all HD branded Screaming Eagle parts will be EPA compliant meaning any mufflers for a Softail would have the cat in them?

One option is find a set of good take-off head pipes from an appropriate Softail and find good slip-ons. Replacing and experimenting with different mufflers is a PITA and gets expensive so perhaps users here have dealt with this and can help.

For any enviro-whackos, hold the "I should keep the cat to save the planet" gibberish. Start your own thread.

 

Bumping this to the top to try to get an answer. Main question is if HD has a Softail equivalent to the older touring Screaming Eagle Street Performance mufflers? Second is whether all SE mufflers for Softails have the cat in them. My main objection to the cat is heat. I live in a hot environment and don't want or need any extra heat collecting around me. When I decide which version of the Heritage to get, 17-19, I'll also talk to Fuelmoto about their suggestions and offerings. I kept the Power Vision fuel programmer I got when I had the 2015 FLHTKL but it'll meed an updated and appropriate map.

 

Yes sir, the new softails have the cat in the muffler, and all the SE versions will have an included cat. If you are looking to ditch the cat you will need either factory or and aftermarket headpipe, and aftermarket mufflers.

 

I have the Khrome Werks 3 in HP Plus Tapered with the quiet baffle installed. I ground down the front disk in the quiet baffle to get a little more sound.I also have the Screamin Eagles slipons which don't sound bad around town but at speeds over 45mph you can't hear them anymore. Grinding down the front disk of the Khrome werks quiet baffle I can still hear them at speeds over 45mph.

 

I've gotten different information about the Cat in the M8 softail engine from the dealers. Sadly sales personnel seem to know little technical information about the bikes they sell. My 11 and 15 touring had the Cat in the headpipe, the 13 Fatboy had the Cat in the mufflers. That's fact. I just got a 19 Heritage and at least for the time being am going to keep the exhaust/intake system stock. Sound levels are fine and with the oil cooler, 4 valves per head, etc., the engine runs cooler which is what necessitated the replacement of the headpipes on the touring.

One or more sales types said the Cat was in the headpipe but frankly I question that. There isn't a crossover which is where the Cat was in the touring. The dealer had some mufflers on display and those you could see straight through, no Cat, but they might be "display items only" for looks, not function

 

The dealers love to display the Touring slip-ons, as they do not have a cat, because it is in the head pipe. The cat less slip on looks more impressive than the softail catted version.

 

Yes they were touring versions.

 

Get a set of Rineharts, you can thank me later.