Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Quint]

Hey folks

Forget about the standard pipes. Forget about V&H slip-ons. Forget about even a set of slip-ons with a canned download. I've bitten the bullet and I'm getting a set of Rinehart TDs, a SERT and a dyno tune this coming Friday. The sound of the standard bike leaves a lot to be desired. Here's this awesome looking, brand new FLHRSE4, and when you start it, it sounds like mouse farts. When you gas it, it sounds like cat farts, and when its full throttle, it sounds like dog farts (sorry for the gross analogy). But it sure as hell doesn't sound like a Harley should.

I'll make sure I get two things: the dyno print-out, and a soft copy of the map. If anyone wants the map, let me know. I live in Las Vegas. The elevation here is about 2,000 ft, so it's not going to be optimized for sea level or any mountain zones. But the offer still stands. I'll let you know how it all goes.

[GC_Super]

Do you have enough ( 1,000 K ) miles on the bike to do a dyno tune ? If not, the RT usually has a map that wil be pretty close for break-in purposes.

[jackyass]

hey quint,  makes me feal better about my decision.  I studied v&h, rinehart td's, slip ons etc. and came to the same conclusion as you.  TD's installed on my new ultra se this friday.  about the sert and the dyno, is that something the HD dealer has?  what does it do, and how much will it help?
  jackie

[Talon]

If you making you decision based of power, then it depends where you want the power, if it's a looks thing, then you probably made the a good decision. V&H will get you more low end, RHTD come on about 4K.

[SE08RK]

Man you sure move fast! Let's see, you picked up the bike on the 13th, (you have 1000 miles on it already?) and have decided that it isn't what you wanted - so off to have it modified. That's 6 days, -  then you must rest! (Yea right!!!)

[kojak]

Good move. I have the same setup as yours on a 2005 glide with a big bore build and a 2007 SERK. I had the serk dyno tuned at about 600 miles. Got about 5k miles on it now. No engine problems of any kind. Sounds great, runs better. Running standard baffles on both Harleys and the 110" barks with a lot more authority than the 95" glide.

[Quint]

This was my thinking: I spoke to the dyno tuner at my HD shop and also spoke to a knowledgeable friend. This is what the dealer said:

"You've got a thirty-five grand bike. You could fit some V&H slip-ons and get a re-map for about 850 bucks. Or you get the Rineharts, race tuner and get it properly tuned on the dyno for about $2,300. If someone had bought a second hand bike for $15,000 and just wanted the sound, I'd say go for the slip-ons. But if you spend the extra $1,400 you'll gain about an extra 10 horsepower. That's pretty good value for money. Plus the bike will run cooler in summer (a real issue in Las Vegas)."

I then spoke to a buddy, and he said, "If I could afford your new bike, it would be a bike that I would intend on keeping for a very long time. And I would want to personalize it to make it more comfortable, more functional for my wife, and make it run & sound better. After you've spent $34,000, I wouldn't want to skimp on getting the exhaust upgrade."

Honestly, if I thought that the V&H slip-ons with a remap would sound great and run as good as it runs stock, I would be very happy with option. But I have feeling that I'll get the real gains in smooth running and rich sound from the whole hog approach.

I hope I'm right, because my better half loves the quiet rumble of the stock pipes. I hope I don't piss her off!!!

[deucedog]

The other side of the argument is that we all just spent north of 35K for the bikes and they should have manufactured it to run properly bone stock.  I like the stock pipes, at least on the CVO Ultra, but that's just me.  If I can ride the bike the way it came from Moco, I'd be happy.  Oh well. 

I'll probably hate it this summer in the heat and bite the bullet to somehow get it to run cooler, we'll wait and see...

[Quint]

Deucedog

The other side of the argument is that we all just spent north of 35K for the bikes and they should have manufactured it to run properly bone stock.

And I agree, as I'm sure would the Motor Company if they weren't hogtied by the arbitrary and ridiculous requirements of the EPA. I bought an '03 Road King with SE pipes on it, and they were much luder than the pipes on this FLHRSE4. When I first bought it, I thought the pipes were too loud. Then I quickly got pipe envy! After that I had an '05 Ultra with Fatcats, and while I am not a huge fan of the looks of 2-into-1 pipes on a dresser, I loved the constant companion of their sound. A slight rise in the grade, and the pipes would deepen in sound as the throttle was wound on to compensate. Changes in speed and the pipes would harden up or soften. Deceleration and a different set of sounds would chime in. It's amazing how a long and otherwise boring road could end up being an entertainment, purely from the perspective of mechanical sound appreciation.

Sorry for waxing on, but someone once said that if you prefer the sound of a biplane over a jet, or the sight of a steam train over a diesel train, then you're a Harley kind of person. Once at the airshow, a WWI-vintage SE5 did a fly by at about 80 mph, and it for all the world sounded like my Ultra at 80 mph. And as kid, I went to the movie "Battle of Britain" with my father, and the thing I remember most is the opening scene where a Hurricane or Spitfire screams overhead, the sound of its enormous 1,650 ci Merlin V12 blasting away. It's the combination of the engine exhaust and the propeller that makes such a distinctive sound. Anyway, that's what a richly sounding Harley sounds like to me. Maybe I'm regressing... 

[Quint]

Good move. I have the same setup as yours on a 2005 glide with a big bore build and a 2007 SERK. I had the serk dyno tuned at about 600 miles. Got about 5k miles on it now. No engine problems of any kind. Sounds great, runs better. Running standard baffles on both Harleys and the 110" barks with a lot more authority than the 95" glide.

Kojak

100+ hp and 120+ lb ft are very impressive numbers in any anyone's language!

[SE08RK]

Quint, I used to work at an airport in GA when I was in the Navy. That airport stored two old TWA Super Constellation weather planes with four twin row 18 cylinder radial engines, P&W I believe... But they would start them once a month for a test run. People knew when they were going to be tested and a crowd would gather and cheer when those engines began to spin up. Reminded me of about a thousand Harley Davidson's coming at you! I don't care who heard those engines start, if you looked carefully, you could see a tear in their eye! That's Harley people! I catch air shows very often and I usually bee line right to those old aircraft with radial engines and when you strike up a conversation with others there, you will be talking to other Harley Davidson fans, its amazing! We love that sound...

[iski]

Quint - that's how my 07 SEUTRA is set up and your description of the stock pipes is spot on.   Bike is VERY lean from the MoCo - the dyno tune w/SEERT will fix that.  Figure you are adding a Stage 1 as well as the RH's.

I like the look of the RH true duals, but if it was about performance only, I would have gone with a 2 in 1 system.  True duals sound better and look better.  You'll be lots happier and with the Vegas heat, much more confident riding in the 'dry heat'. 

[Quint]

Quint, I used to work at an airport in GA when I was in the Navy. That airport stored two old TWA Super Constellation weather planes with four twin row 18 cylinder radial engines, P&W I believe... But they would start them once a month for a test run. People knew when they were going to be tested and a crowd would gather and cheer when those engines began to spin up. Reminded me of about a thousand Harley Davidson's coming at you! I don't care who heard those engines start, if you looked carefully, you could see a tear in their eye! That's Harley people! I catch air shows very often and I usually bee line right to those old aircraft with radial engines and when you strike up a conversation with others there, you will be talking to other Harley Davidson fans, its amazing! We love that sound...

SE08RK

This may not be as impressive as a Constellation, but its sure as hell nice anyway: a Grumman Bearcat. Enjoy the start-up and fly-by...



It smokes almost as much as my BMW K1200GT on start-up (that's an inside BMW joke!!) Yep, I must admit I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. 

[kojak]

Kojak

100+ hp and 120+ lb ft are very impressive numbers in any anyone's language!

Quint, you can get another 10-15 lb torque with a good tuner and just bolt-on mods. Thats plenty for me. I grew up riding 160 hp crotch rockets that would do the 1/4 mile in the 9's. Thats not what I want from my touring bike. As long as it pulls reasonably good, sounds great and looks good, I'm a happy Harley owner. 

[Black Diamond]

Love my RH TD! Good choice if your not looking for a 2 in 1 system, IMO. A/C and tuner. Made my scooter a whole new girl. Now, for the winter motor build..........