Stage 1 with Harley-Davidson approved exhaust

There is an ever-increasing demand for Harley-Davidson approved exhausts that also have a system to enhance or modify the sound and are not excessively restrictive with respect to power.
It seems that American manufacturers are finally realizing that there is a market in this segment, and some of the most important, such as Vance and Hines, Supertrapp, and S&S, already have "Euro-compatible" versions approved for the old continent.

The challenge
It is clear that a certified exhaust will not produce a satisfactory sound for most users and at the same time power will be reduced, especially in large displacement engines (remember that engine power depends on the air that is able to enter and exit it), so manufacturers have to sharpen their ingenuity to offer "legal" solutions that at the same time allow an increase in sound if the user requires it.

The system
In this case, we're going to install Vance & Hines exhausts approved for Europe with a removable internal baffle system that allows for sound variation.

We will perform this operation on one of the Rushmore models, specifically on a Street Glide.
It should be noted that in these models the catalytic converter is located inside the manifold, so if we want to observe a significant increase in torque and power this element must be replaced by the same component but for the American market, completely free .

The operation
We start as always by removing the original tails, loosening the 3 screws that hold them.

Next, we remove the manifold, first disconnecting the Lambda probes and the active exhaust system; the latter will not be reused.

Now we can install the probes in the new collector,

mount it in its location

and fix it to the rest of the system.

We continue sliding the new silencers into place, for their placement we will use the brackets provided in the kit

and always with new clamps , to obtain an optimal gas seal.

With the exhaust fully assembled we can see how it looks with and without the “dB killer”.

As always, it is important to remember that the entire disassembly-assembly process must be carried out in strict accordance with the workshop manual, respecting the tightening torques.

Completing Stage 1
Installing a less restrictive exhaust is never complete without an air filter that allows for greater intake flow than the stock air filter, both in terms of construction and size.

The replacement is direct, remaining “camouflaged” under the original cover.

It's absolutely essential to reprogram the ECU to provide the new air intake and output values, adjust the ignition to the new conditions, and inform the system that the exhaust is no longer active. In our case, we did this using TTS Mastertune software, one of the most versatile on the market.

This phase will involve several road tests, so we can enjoy the new look and sound of our brand-new exhausts right from the start.

Frank Burguera

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