{"id":4998,"date":"2016-02-18T15:44:26","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T15:44:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hotbike.local\/basic_content\/power-pipes-speeds-spotlight\/"},"modified":"2022-01-02T18:01:54","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T18:01:54","slug":"power-pipes-speeds-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/power-pipes-speeds-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Pipes!: Speed’s Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Obviously there are a plenty of variables at play here, but for the average street-ridden V-twin, a bike with minor modifications like a free-flowing air filter and a performance tune-up, for instance, a carefully chosen upgrade exhaust will significantly boost horsepower and torque.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Words and Photos: Joe Kress<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A properly chosen exhaust<\/a>, SPP\u2019s Jason Hanson explained, is important. \u201cA motor\u2019s got to breathe,\u201d he says. And to a large degree the exhaust system can dictate the amount of torque made and the characteristics of that power, the length of time throughout the rpm range the engine will be producing its maximum torque. And as so dramatically shown on that 150 foot-pound bruiser the ultimate exhaust solution for horsepower and torque is a quality 2-into-1, a system with equal-length header pipes or as close to equal as you can get. Installing that power-building 2-into-1 on a bagger bike, like Jason did with that mega-motor CVO, it\u2019s no problem, either, visually speaking. A non-functional \u201cghost\u201d muffler and pipe mounted over on the left side balances the look.<\/p>\n

Does this mean anything less than a 2-into-1 is a step in the wrong direction? Absolutely not, the SPP techs say. Properly chosen Staggered Duals and True Duals can both be extremely efficient street systems, especially on more mildly tuned bikes. For best performance, though, the Speed\u2019s team highly recommends a dual system incorporating some sort of crossover connection between the head pipes, a design giving that dual-system some of the scavenging characteristics of a 2-into-1. Kuryakyn\u2019s Power Cell X-Pipe and the S&S Power Tune Duals are two good examples. And Harley\u2019s factory-connected dual exhausts can get a nice little performance boost, too, when set up with the right set slip-ons. The S&S decibel-compliant Performance Mufflers, for example, are a nice choice for anyone looking for a quiet-running bike with a bit of a performance boost. Even that system can become pretty efficient up to about 4,000 rpm or thereabouts.<\/p>\n

Obviously there are a plenty of variables at play here, but for the average street-ridden V-twin, a bike with minor modifications like a free-flowing air filter and a performance tune-up, for instance, a carefully chosen upgrade exhaust will significantly boost horsepower and torque. And as the guys at Speed\u2019s note, all other things being equal that 2-into-1 system with equal-length headers will perform best. Hands down. \u201cBut to tell the truth,\u201d Jason says, \u201con the dyno and out on the street we\u2019re getting darn near the same level of performance out of some of those connected true-duals. They won\u2019t match the power and torque of a 2-into-1 exactly, but they come pretty close. It\u2019s just one small step down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Increased power and crisper throttle response isn\u2019t the only benefit a performance exhaust has to offer. That free-flowing system can remove lots more heat from the engine, good for both it and for the comfort of the rider and passenger. Newer-model bikes, especially, tend to run hot, but with the switch to a more efficient exhaust system things can cool down significantly. That\u2019s something any rider, and passenger especially, will appreciate. Bagger passengers love it when that crossover pipe is running underneath the motorcycle, further removing the heat source. A welcome move on the factory\u2019s part, riders and passengers on the earlier model bikes, the 1999 \u20132006 FLs, can get that same under-the-bike exhaust too. There are connected true-dual pipes available that convert those early-style exhaust crossovers to the newer under-the-bike configuration, systems such as the S&S Power Tune Duals. \u201cAnd trust us,\u201d Jason says, \u201cthat swap alone makes things a lot more comfortable heat-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n

New pipes are tops on most riders\u2019 wish lists. They can look better, sound better, and, when they\u2019re chosen correctly, work better. It\u2019s that last bit, though, that can get tricky. An exhaust system is about more than shiny chrome and a deep rumble. It\u2019s about how a bike performs, about how and where it makes its power, and about how it responds to the throttle. And not insignificantly, it\u2019s also about how comfortable it is in the saddle, heat-wise, for both rider and passenger. Stop in and talk with the guys at Speed\u2019s Performance Plus next time they\u2019re at a local event. Take a look at all this for yourself; the full tour schedule is on the website.<\/p>\n

Speed\u2019s Performance Plus<\/a><\/p>\n

(605) 695-1401 \u2014 MN<\/p>\n

(605) 695-2272 \u2014 SD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Obviously there are a plenty of variables at play here, but for the average street-ridden V-twin, a bike with minor modifications like a free-flowing air filter and a performance tune-up, for instance, a carefully chosen upgrade exhaust will significantly boost horsepower and torque. Words and Photos: Joe Kress A properly chosen exhaust, SPP’s Jason Hanson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":47068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5041],"tags":[35,13,5,2994],"motorcycle_parts":[5054],"motorcycle_models":[],"motorcycle_builders":[],"motorcycle_gear":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4998"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_parts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_parts?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_models","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_models?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_builders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_builders?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"motorcycle_gear","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotbike.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motorcycle_gear?post=4998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}