According to most of the well known Engine builders / Dyno shops, the D&D Fatcat seems to be the torque and HP king for the softails, with the Supertrapp Supermeg as a very close second and exceeding slightly at the upper RPM.

I have also heard favorable mention of the new V&H bigshots with the power chamber. Does anybody have any first hand experience with the power chamber pipes for a 96 inch Stage 1

I prefer the look of the 2 into 2 but don't want to give uo alot either.

 

From everything I have read, the V&H Powerchamber doesn't add one single horsepower on the dyno. Total marketing BS, as in BSS.
I've never heard of the Fat Cat as the pipe of choice for building horsepower. Good yes, great, no. It hangs waaay too low for my taste or riding style.
The consensus from all of my research about the subject seems to point to the V&H Pro Pipe or the BR 2 into 1 as the best power maker.

Me? I don't care for the sound or looks of a 2 into 1.

 

I did not hear anybody mention V&H pro pipe or BR 2/1 as top performers. Again, I was not asking for peak HP on a dnyo. I asked for the best pipe for power and torque over the largest RPM span. Mainly 2500 -5000. It seems like the Fatcat and Supermeg can hold the torque the longest. I don't go the drag strip, and a fat torque curve make a fun bike of the street. I thought the BSS power chamber might do this too.

 

Well, then it's plainly obvious to me that you haven't researched it enough..
I can't tell you just what you want to hear, all I can do is offer what I have researched while building my bike.
If you like the BSS, buy it. It's not life and death differences, but the "Power Chamber" isn't going to gain you a thing over any other 2 into 2.
The reason for the effectiveness of a 2 into 1 is the elimination of reversion in the combustion chamber. This is done easily when mixing exhaust pulses of a 2 into 2 cancel out reversion waves. The "power" chamber is just a little itty bitty thing that doesn't handle enough volume to repel reversion waves. Actually, it's a total joke when they advertise it.
Here's a great site to visit if you want to read about Harley performance.
http://harleytechtalk.net/htt/index....6192&board=3.0

Another question, if you don't go to the drag strip and are looking for "fun on the street", why on earth are you concerned about the powerband up to 5K?
If you want useable torque, you are looking in the wrong place for your data.
I would target 2K to 3.5K.
Also, if you are trying to target a fun spot, pipes aren't going to do $hit for you. You'll need to install a set of street cams.

 

from what iv seen all those 2-1 pipes only show gains in the upper part of the power cruve.. so you really wont be giving up alot... i would look for a pipe that has the look that you want with some r/d behind it... my p3s that i run look like 2 sepret pipes but under the heat shilds the have mid port to boost port revertion... same concept as a 2-1 pipe

 

It's the other way around.
The 2 into 1 pipes will help with low end and mid range.
On the top end, straight, wide open drag pipes are all you would want.

Your Pythons are in the same catagory as the BSS, the port is just a sales ploy that doesn't do anything closley resembling a 2 into 1 reversion cancellation..
Pure BS, sorry.

 

How do they compare to other exhaust systems......hmmmm.....I had finally got to purchase my first NEW HD! I bought an 05 Nightrain. I installed pcIII, air cleaner and V&H Big Shots Staggered w/power chamber. The bike came alive!!!

Would I have gotten a little bit more power if I ran a true 2 into 1 race pipe? Obviously! But the BSS pipes do make more power than the stock pipes and their fit and finish is one of the best in the industry!

That 05 hauled *** and aquaintences and friends alike would ask what I had done to it and then wanted to talk smack that I was lying, saying I somehow modded the rev limit!
The PCIII, as I purchased it, did not alter the stock 5800 RPM limit but the bike would walk away from most bikes on the road! I did not change the cams or anything internal, for that matter.
One guy had a softail frame with a S&S Evo/carbed, belt drive primary and I spanked him with ease. He had the V&H Pro Pipe...Don't know what cam is in his.
Well, after 35000+ miles in almost exactly 2 years, a drunk Mexican plowed us and FOCKED EVERYTHING UP!!!


Fast Forward>>>>Can't quite walk yet but go to HD and buy a bike from Mr D.

Then I made a few key changes to the 07...and this thing is even faster!

Blacked out inverted front forks...Goodridge black coated braided stainless front brake line... front and rear floating rotors with LRB Z+ pads... aluminum front wheel... Stage 2 Big Sucker air cleaner with custom air cleaner cover by Dave.... TMax w/Autotune... and of course V&H BSS pipes!

I like em', others may not. I got what I wanted. That's all that matters!
I do like the badass Black Hole pipes from RB Racing, though!http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/lsr21blackhole.htm
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/lsr_gallery.htm
According to this one, the Super Trap 2 into 1, 20 disk made the most power all the time... but just a little bit more than even the worst pipes they tested. Of course, they didn't test the BSS or the Pro Pipe or the RB....Doh!
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/e...tm#dyno_charts
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/exhaust.htm
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/exhaust.htm

Lot's of good info out there....

 

George C: Tell me how you really feel about the power chamber I have the BSS mainly because at the time you may have had them on as well , plus they looked great in shape. I agree, the reversion is noticable at certain loads which complicates tuninig and the longer I run them I'm noticing what appears to be a flat spot in the throttle around 22-25 k. Since you've done some research into this and have obviously chosen a different pipe, what are you running now? This fall, I plan on doing a 113 build and the two things I'd like to do is quiet the exhaust some and lose the reversion and flat spot. Even with quiet baffles the noise is getting old fast.
Ron

 

+1
The 2 into 1 Fat Cat improves the performance, in the low to mid rpm range, where riders spend most of their time and can use the extra power.
I switched from drag pipes to a Fat Cat, several weeks ago. The drag pipes gave noticeably more power at the upper rpm range.
Tom

 

These guys tested a bunch of pipes....look at the numbers...note that the Python 3's were second only to the Super Trapp 20 Disk set-up...of all the exhausts they tested!
Samson Shorties, Samson 2-1, Rev Tech 1 3/4" Duals, Cycle Shack Duals, Screamin Eagle Pro 2-1, etc. the list goes on....
http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/exhaust_test_02.htm