I have what is, I guess a basic question on head pipes. I see many different makes out there in all price ranges. But what is the difference? I know true duals are going to route different than the 2-1-2 pipe but do different head pipes sound different? I thought most of the sound was dictated by the mufflers.
Why would I want to pay ~500 for Rush, etc. whan I can get a gutted stock for around $100? Is it looks, sound, performance??

Any enlightenment appreciated!

-Carl

 

People have different reasons for why they select a particular exhaust. I usually recommend to prioritize your exhaust gaols first. Put the follownig in order of importance to you then you can start looking for a system that suits you;
1. Perfomance
2. Apperarance
3. Sound
4. Cost

 

I bought an 09 head pipe(no cat)to replace the stock unit on my 2010 Limited. I will be going American Custom for muffler replacement if stock is too quiet. One of my riding friends put True duals on his 2010 Limited and the stock mufflers sound very good. My 01 RK has V&H true duals and V&H basic slip-ons and the sound is awesome, but my neighbors sure don't like it. Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

You will get different performance between true duals, 2-1-2 crossovers, or 2 into 1 head pipes. They will also sound different. Nothing wrong with a gutted stock pipe IMO, but I ended up using V&H power duals because I wanted the different heat shields that come with it. I had some quality issues with the stock heat shields, and replacements were expensive.

 

Rinehart head pipes are staggered from 1 3/4 1 7/8 to 2" thus increasing backpressure and performance. When i installed Rinehart true duals my bike came to life. They made all my other upgrades come together.