Here's an idea for you. Go to the V&H web page and you can listen to their pipes on different bikes and see if you like how they sound.

 

This is another 'taste' issue. I'll opt for performanceover noiseany day.
I like the sound of my stock pipes...but it is my first Harley.
Funny thing though, lotta guys at work ride Harleys, and modify everything. A few of 'em have told me the bike sounds great, and asked what kinda pipes I went with. When I say 'stock', I just get a funny look.
But to be honest, I wouldn't mind a lower, beefier tone...while remaining smooth...I don't like the 'slap' some pipes deliver.
And like jmehal mentioned, on the bike, and behind the bike are 2 different sounds...ever driven behind someone who makes yer ears bleed? Personally, I don't wanna be that guy...although I'm sure he's enjoying himself.

 

go with a Vance & Hines dresser dual system with oval slip-ons. You get the Harley rumble without them being too lound. I have the SE pipes. I'm happy when I'm on the throttle but otherwise I don't like them anymore, especially after hearing my buddies Wild Pigs. His WPs are too lound for me but I know the V&H ovals will be perfect. I'm getting the Monster Ovals which are quieter than the regular ovals but have a deeper sound.

 

lived with loud pipes for 2 years traded up to ultra 11000 miles and still stock paid alot for that radio it kinda nice to hear it. had wid pigs on last bike baffles were cheep so its easy to change sizes to get the sound u want.

 

I have stock pipes on mine, like the sound. Added PC III to help with heat and SE AC and had the PCIII tuned for this combo of pipes and AC, very happy with it all

 

in 07 the stockers got a little louder

 

My 2008 Ultra has stock pipes and it sounds good to me. I did come off of a Goldwing for the last 7 years and it sounded like an electric motor. Maybe later I will want more noise.
Zapps

 

Stock gets my vote too. On my 02 I tried the usual combinations everyone talks about on these forums. For me, the sound was too loud. When I bought the 07, I really like the stock mufflers. They rumble nicely at idle without being unneighborly, bark a bit when you get on it, and hum real nice at higher rpms and road speeds. When a stock mufflered bike goes by on the street, they have the neat sound without the irritating noise levels. Love 'em.

 

Thanks for the sugestion, I just checked out the V&H site, nice feature...specially through headphones.
Really liked the 'ovals', and the 'classics', and the 'monsters'...man, I'm gonna hav'ta get more bikes to mount 'em all on!
Later, enjoy.

 

I thought the stock pipes on the Ultras sounds OK when they started one inside the dealership. Once I heard mine started outside - well I got V&H slip-ons the next week.