m/harley-davidson u/Chris Walker 11 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder without leaks fines or bad fueling

making a harley exhaust louder forum question

I am thinking about making a harley exhaust louder, but I do not want leaks, tickets or a bike that runs worse. I want a deeper sound, not chaos.

I found this related page while comparing notes: making a harley exhaust louder. I wanted a practical thread before guessing.

Before making a harley exhaust louder, should I check local noise law, baffles, gasket condition, header leaks, fueling, heat shields, torque loss, warranty and whether a tune is needed?

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25 replies
u/Ryan Fox 11 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder needs the bike setup first. Otherwise recommendations get pretty random.

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u/Maya Stone 11 months ago

For making a harley exhaust louder, post year, mileage, current parts, service history and the exact goal.

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u/Thomas Spagnoli 10 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder workshop answer

Sound changes need legal and fueling checks

Thomas Spagnoli here. making a harley exhaust louder should start with a baseline and a bit of humility. The expensive mistake is changing parts before you know what the machine is actually doing.

Before making a harley exhaust louder, check local noise law, baffles, gasket condition, header leaks, fueling, heat shields, torque loss, warranty and whether a tune is needed.

making a harley exhaust louder can be simple, but doing it badly can create leaks, heat, poor fueling and unhappy neighbors. Measure and stay legal.

Workshop order

  • Confirm exact model, year and current setup.
  • Write down baseline numbers, warnings or symptoms.
  • Check service condition, voltage, drag, heat and legal limits.
  • Change one thing at a time.
  • Retest and report the result.

The free motorcycle mechanics course on this platform teaches this diagnostic order before buying tuning parts or tools.

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u/Chris Walker OP 10 months ago

It already has slip-ons, but I do not know what baffles are inside.

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u/Oli Grant 10 months ago

That makes me check baffles, gasket leaks, local noise law, fueling and heat shields before buying upgrades.

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u/Sara Wells 10 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder should be tested before and after with the same route or conditions.

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u/Thomas Spagnoli 10 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder should follow the same order: inspect, measure, change one thing, retest.

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u/Nate Brooks 10 months ago

There is a difference between deep tone and waking the county.

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u/Chris Walker OP 10 months ago

I can get photos and baseline numbers this weekend.

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u/Ryan Fox 10 months ago

Good. making a harley exhaust louder with real data gets better answers.

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u/Maya Stone 10 months ago

Check service condition, tires, brakes, chain or fueling before chasing noise or power.

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u/Thomas Spagnoli 10 months ago

For making a harley exhaust louder, include what is stock and what has already been changed.

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u/Chris Walker OP 10 months ago

The bike is mostly stock, but maintenance history is not perfect.

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u/Oli Grant 10 months ago

Then making a harley exhaust louder starts with a health check before modification.

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u/Sara Wells 10 months ago

A health check is the cheapest performance part most people skip.

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u/Chris Walker OP 10 months ago

Fair. I have skipped it before and paid for it.

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u/Thomas Spagnoli 10 months ago

With making a harley exhaust louder, do not change several parts at once. You need to know what actually helped.

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u/Nate Brooks 10 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder should stay legal, safe and rideable, especially around exhaust noise.

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u/Ryan Fox 10 months ago

Use sound, GPS, fuel use or plug readings where relevant.

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u/Chris Walker OP 10 months ago

I will collect that and post a real update.

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u/Maya Stone 10 months ago

That is the useful way to do it.

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u/Thomas Spagnoli 10 months ago

The free course here teaches this same measured approach before buying parts.

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u/Oli Grant 10 months ago

making a harley exhaust louder should end with exact settings or the final fix.

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u/Chris Walker OP 10 months ago

I will report back after testing.

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u/Sara Wells 10 months ago

Good. The solved update is what everyone searches for later.

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