That is one great looking bike... I'm interested in your pipes, since seeing them I have been to the RB site, impressive to say the least. Could you give some insight as to your opinion of the sound and performance? What size are yours, and which model specifically?
Thanks
David
First I apologize for the lengthy post, I have a habit of providing too much info. I've had the RB Racing LSR 2-1s since July 2004. I was six weeks in getting my pipes from them - they make the pipes and send them out to be ceramic coated. My experience with them was positive. Others have a different tale to tell about customer service - some might say they are like the "Soup Nazi" of the Friends episode?.
Mine are silver ceramic coated with a 45 degree turn down. The only discoloration I have is up near the heads - the ceramic coating brightness has dulled from the heat. I have the chrome heat shields. The heat shields and the clamps will scratch the ceramic coating when when pressing them on and tightening the clamps.
They are not as loud as a Thunderheader, or as loud as the Rineharts while cruising, but sound more aggressive than a V&H Pro Pipe when you get on the throttle. I especially like how the LSRs don't make my ears ring after riding six hours like the Rinehart True Duals I had did. With the Rineharts I could have parked in the "Disabled Parking" spot cause I couldn't hear after a long ride.
Ceramic finishes hold the heat in the exhaust better than does chrome. Chrome has the hardest surface finish. Ceramics do not change color. Ceramics can scuff or mar if hard, sharp objects scratch them. Heat shields for the primary tubes and collector area are recommended for all applications to prevent any contact with the pipe's surface - resists scuffing. Only chrome heat sheilds are available for the black, silver or chrome exhaust.
RB Racing told me there is no sound or peformance difference between the turn down and turn out.
There's certainly no value in it for me to say they are the best looking or best sounding. Each to their own exhaust preferences as far as looks, sound and performance. For me, the LSR suits my style ideally - sort of an old hot rod looking exhaust. And I prefer a 2-1 cause it's half the exhaust weight, it's easier to work on left side and right side of bike (like removing rear wheel, making belt adjustments, removing outer primary cover, etc. And depending on the placement of the rear header by the manufacturer, a 2-1 eliminates the heat directly under the right leg and no pipe on left side means no heat on left side. A 2-1 provides better performance than true duals. However, the LSR 2-1 on 95" bikes does not produce high TQ numbers under 3000 rpms as compared to what the Fat Cat 2-1 consistently shows on dynos - may be different on the performance CVO bikes. More compression in my own case has improved low-end TQ with these pipes. And, IMHO, the exhaust accelerates very quickly through the rpms - the bike feels very fast with them on, excellent mid-high range rpm exhausts.
These are the pipes in the order I've tried them on my 02 RK.
1st - Bub True Duals with Bub Dresser Dog slipons.
2nd - Rinehart True Duals
3rd - WB E-Series 2-1
4th - LSR 2-1
Here's are threads on other forums discussing the RB Racing LSRs - they'll provide varous opinions for you to come to your own conclusion.
http://forums.about.com/Live2Ride/messages?msg=11854.1http://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93721&highlight=RACINGhttp://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96903&highlight=RACINGhttp://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96298&highlight=RACINGhttp://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101553&highlight=RACINGhttp://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76536&highlight=RACINGRB Racing:
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/lsr21/flhtsleds.htmlhttp://www.rbracing-rsr.com/exhausttech.htmhttp://www.rbracing-rsr.com/lsr21.htmhttp://www.rbracing-rsr.com/lsr21blackhole.htmLSR does stand for Land Speed Record - so what's that tell you. I chose the LSR 2-1 to try because RB Racing talks alot about TQ on their web page - most maker's web page's just discuss high end HP numbers.
From the RB Racing web page: "You simply cannot escape the fact that a properly designed 2-1 will give you more useable torque where you need it, in the 2000 to 4000 rpm range, which means less downshifts and less rpm to get the job done." "LSR 2-1 baffles are designed to achieve the same performance as would an "open" pipe, but provide a small amount of back-pressure to to increase low speed torque by preventing cylinder "blow-down" on camshaft overlap." "whereas an engine developed around an LSR 2-1 exhaust can be made to perform from the bottom up with no dips in the torque band!"
I like RBs attitude and information, but I'm very cautious of the power claims, I learned my lesson from experience with the Rinehart True Duals. I bought into all the early sales hype for the Rineharts and ordered them December 2002. During spring of 03 even after a couple of custom dyno tunings, the low rpm TQ performance was just average on my bike.
The RB sales pitch says: The sound our LSR 2-1's make is so "right" that customers want them for their sound alone. They have a much more powerful sound because the engine is working easier and the power is much smoother. Our regular LSR 2-1s wound out to the max get everyone's attention because they sing the song that only a power junkie would love...Well, maybe not everybody!" We periodically, over the last 25 years, would hear from a particular customer that with his motor combination the LSR 2-1 was "loud" when he "got it on!"....This is to be expected..
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