That's funny 'cause my mom had SC pipes installed on her 98' Heritage way back when and had to have them replaced relatively immediately due to bluing and other troubles; she ended up (of course) having V & H installed. Which, by the way, are great! I definitely believe that riding a bike stock is of great value to the rider because once you do get it altered you appreciate the changes all the better!
Only 300 miles on the bike, so it's too early to tell if the pipes will blue or rust. I haven't even ridden through the rain yet, which is surprising with my usual weather related luck. I like the sound, a bit louder and deeper than stock but not really loud unless I crank up the throttle. Neighbors have commented on it being louder than my '98 Road Glide, but at least so far nobody has complained about it.
I rode a demo '07 Street Glide with V & H pipes and it hurt my ears. There was no way to communicate with a passenger, or to hear the radio except at idle. Perhaps the pipes had their baffles removed, or is that the way V & H pipes are? It's hard to pick pipes because you don't know what they will sound like on your bike until you put them on (unless you know someone with the same pipes and a similar bike).
I had heard these SE pipes on an Ultra Classic (not CVO) and they sounded nice and deep and not much louder than stock, except during acceleration. On my CVO bike they are definitely louder and deeper, but not annoyingly so. If I stand behind the bike they are fairly loud, but riding the bike I can still listen to the radio or use the intercom.