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LSR 2-1 Customs
No Stupid 1950's megaphones, No Aluminum Butt Plugs
00-1306 Titan 140" FXR Rubber Mount
Customer writes: "It is a 2001 Titan that I made new again with a new 140ci Ultima motor and everything else new. The pipe sounds great and hopefully when motor breaks in it will all come together. Thank you RB"
00-1306
Customer writes: "Damn I wish I would have bought these years ago.They sound good as a MF!!! the whole bike seems to ride better. I had to relocate mount to tranny. They look better than my others I sent pic of old pipes pls don't laugh. Thanks Lynn for all your help!!"
00-1308RSD
Big Dog 03 Pro Sport
Customer writes: "Hello All, The header is on the Big Dog ('03 ProSport) and it looks spectacular and performs and sounds great. Like everyone else has said...it took a while but it was worth the wait. Great build quality, perfect fit, great sound and performance. Good value! Now it's a matter of ordering one for my Confederate America GT. Thanks again. Kenneth"
00-1183 LSR 2-1 Slash Cut 2".
2001 Big Dog Pro Sport
Customer writes:
"Hello- I meant to do this some time ago, send you pictures of my
restored 2001 Big Dog Pro Sport FXR-style chopper with built 107 motor
(120hp/130tq). Your LSR 2-1 pipes were a big part of the tuning
success. And they look great, sound even better! Regards, Kurt".
More than a decade later
after the custom manufacturers folded we still make pipes for many of
these bikes. This one is a bit different as it's an FXR Style. Very
clean looking. A lot of money, time and effort went into getting bikes
like this to market. S&S was pumping out engines, then the market
collapsed. Harley remains, and we now have $40,000.00+ CVO Road Glides.
Go figure.
RSD
Customer writes:" Realized I never sent you a picture of my bike with the exhaust system I got from you folks. I am very impressed with it. The sound is incredible. Fit & finish are outstanding…..Doug."
Flyrite Highnoon
Iron Horse Slammer
Right side drive LSR 2-1 exhausts are most often made without us having the bike here. For the most part we get it right but there are all sorts of variations out there with different billet parts and transmissions. Here is an Iron Horse Slammer from Alabama. Loaded with premium components, it's meant to go and stop as well as look good. There is no end to the complexity of all of this. We try our best. 00-1308 Slash Cut with 2" primaries and heat shields.
It does get tight with all the specialized drive gear and big tires. In this case the customer makes his own bracket as we've never seen the bike. We may provide something that can be modified but exact fit is up to the customer. After all, this is the custom bike market. Very clean and purposeful bike. Low seating position gets lower and lower as your wallet shrinks.
Don't leave it alone or it will be somebody's ass on the seat and not yours. Make sure you have all the receipts. This is Porsche territory.
Big Dog
Bog Dog is one of the larger custom manufacturers. Here is a 00-1308 Right Side drive exhaust with 2" primaries on a 2007 Big Dog K9. Maybe the K9 means it bites.
Things
get tight on RSD applications as the transmission gets pushed way, way
out to the right. We don't always have the particular bike here so we
guess a lot. Customer made his own bracket as we don't keep up with
every manufacturer and frame combination out there. With some tires out
to 330 or larger it gets sort of wide in the aft portion. We're fixtured up to the 300 series with most swingarms.
Another Big Dog
This one wandered into our shop as we were helping a friend swap the engine out. Here we put on one of our 00-1308 2" Slash Cut Right Side Drive pipes on the bike. Big Dog bit the dust when Chopper Mania crested and the economy tanked. The future was all so rosy for the TV-inspired crowd. It does seem nicely made...better than other makes we've seen.
Women caught on quickly to
the 300 tire ruse however, and have moved on the Hedge Fund Managers
who drive Turbo Carreras. This bike got switched over to a high output
96" engine for a better bore/stroke combination and fueled with a
SE 51mm CV Harley carburetor, replacing the 117" Emissions engine.
00-1308 RSD 2" LSR 2-1 Chrome Slash Cut with three heat shields.
Customs..Down Under
Customer writes: "G'day here is a pic of my bike fitted with the rb race pipe you sent me the pipe fitted like a glove and as you can see suites the bike. Thank you for your excellent service one very happy customer I have no problem if you want to use this photo for your website once again thank you. Andrew".
Walz Hardcore Frame
We get a few of these in our shop...Usually they are really long term projects i.e. the people buy the frame and wheels then shuttle from shop to shop trying to get things to fit and the bike never seems to get to completion. We made up a 2" LSR 2-1 Pro Stock Spyder for this one that is headed for Black Ceramic coating. As there were no frame mounts we had to machine, weld and fabricate one made out of 1/4" steel plate that hangs from the 19mm swingarm pivot bolt.
Customer writes: "I
installed the pipe the day I brought the bike home. That had to be the
easiest pipe to install. Took no time at all. Fit like a glove. Your
wife asked for pictures of the bike. Thanks again for the pipe. I took
the bike out for its first ride in many years and sounded as good as it
ran. Tons of power, I'm sure it doesn't hurt having the correct pipe on
it to make all that power. John"
12 Years Later
Customer writes" I have one
of your LSR 2-1 pipes on a custom that I built in 1999-2000 and the
quality and performance of this pipe 12 years later is still Perfect.
Last year I picked up a 2009 Roadglide 96" twin cam and I would like to
purchase another LSR 2-1 for it. I'm not going crazy performance wise
with this bike I will do cam & heads so I believe this would be the
right fit ...It seems like I want part # 00-1145 and thats a 1 3/4
slash cut LSR 2-1, 5 inch's longer for a 2009 96 inch twin cam FLTR and
the price was $575.00 in chrome , is that right ?
I ordered the pipe through
Bob's Custom cycles in Malden back in 99 and I want to say thanks for a
great product & I look forward to doing Business with you again.
Thanks Tom"
LSR 2-1's Down Under
We ship LSR 2-1 exhausts
direct to customers in Australia. Middlemen always seem to want to sell
things but not actually buy things...and when they do, the price goes
sky high and often they order the wrong parts for the customer who has
to wait forever... Too many layers.
Custom Made for Your Application
Every
LSR Exhaust is custom made for your particular application. Pictured is
an LSR 2-1, 2" Style "C", for FXRs with forward controls part number
00-1182. The bike belongs to Dewey Jelen of Deweys Custom Pegs.
It is a special construction 120" Merch motor dynoed at 140hp
(Superflow CycleDyn) in a Kenny Boyce Frame that has the engine 3/8"
offset to left and has a thicker billet nose cone from Jim's...RB
Racing builds LSR Exhausts for every damn combination you can think of!
We can handle offsets for wider frames and even build "taller" pipes
for those applications that have cylinders that may be 3/4" or more
taller. When you order an LSR 2-1 from RB Racing we build it custom for
your application to insure perfect fit...just be sure to fill us in on
all the weird stuff you've concocted.
No wire feed bubble gum welds! All LSR Exhausts are fully heliarced for the cleanest possible appearance. It takes five times longer and is much more expensive but it is the best way to do it. All motors are not the same size, so we offer all our exhausts in both 1 3/4" and 2" sizes...We are the only manufacturer to do this! Your new 100+ inch motor shouldn't be choked off with too small a pipe!
Screaming Eagle Super Tuner...SEST (discontinued)
"SEST" or Greek for the worst written instruction manual we've ever seen. We defy you to figure out how to get various charts and graphs to open and how to get to the advanced versus basic tuning options. We suggest you look around the internet as the manual is of little help.
A few years ago we bought one of these to see what was involved. If you can figure out the software navigation issues and install a map that somewhat matches your bike, you simply ride around, observe the RSR Air Fuel Ratio Meter display and make edits. The tuning is fairly straight forward. Without the Dual Gauge we don't know how you would do it. We just ride.
Harley had to recall these after being fined. They are no longer available.
System Approach to Tuning
1. LSR 2-1 Exhaust... Proven performance gains.
2. RSR Air Fuel Ratio Gauge...Observe in the real world. Dynos are great but we don't ride them.
3. TTS MasterTune Software... Make adjustments based on observations
Steve Cole's TTS MasterTune
Before the Screaming Eagle Super Tuner (SEST)
there was the SERT or Screaming Eagle Race Tuner. Acronyms, what would
we do without them? Steve Cole
was the guy behind the SERT until Harley decided to go with another
contractor. Money. It's always about the money. Since Steve designed
the original stuff, this new stuff i.e. TTS MasterTune is easier
to use and has one benefit that the "SEST" does not have...You have the
ability to save and restore your original calibration. In addition with
the Green Analog Interface Model you can log up to four analog channels
like Wideband Sensors.
We prefer software solutions to tuning late model efi Harleys and not use any add-on boxes or to replace the entire system with some "self-tuning", throttle-angle based, wide band controller. There are simply too many problems technical-wise with wide band sensors...Stuff they do not tell you about like pressure and temperature compensation issues and sensor latency. You are better off with the OEM O2 sensors. You won't believe this but that's your problem.
One point no one is going to tell you is that Harley has hidden tables that will richen up your injectors if you hold the bike under load, like on a dyno or wide open throttle for any amount of time beyond "x". They don't want you to fool with this. Guess what happens to those people who tune under full load.
We've used
both the SEST and the TTS Master Tune. Both work about the same with both based on VE Tables. The
TTS MasterTune is a more friendly system and has more features.
USB
Tuning cables must be purchased separately. Three versions are
available: Specify Cable Number when ordering.
(1) Part # 2000014: 4 Pin J1850 (older bikes). $42.50 list price.
(2)
Part # 2000011: CAN 6 Pin Cable Kit (newest bikes). $42.50 list price.
(3)
Part # 2000014A: 2014 Touring models Only. CAN 6 Pin (have different pin allocations). $42.50 list price.
The Total Cost for a single bike TTS Master Tune (Blue) is $445.00 (tuner no cable). The Total Cost for a TTS Master Tune (Blue) Two Bike Programmer is $645.00 (Tuner no cable).
The Total Cost for a single bike TTS Master Tune (Green) is $595.00 (tuner no cable).
A PDF Tuner Guide explains the operation of the TTS software.
In
the late 70's, all through the 1980's and into the mid 1990's we used
to spend about 5 months out of every year tuning things. No time for
that anymore. It's best that you tune your own bike...add up the hours
and write yourself a hot check. Or just pay somebody. We use a Supeflow CycleDyn Dyno and we ride in the real world.
Soot
Whenever you look at an exhaust and see it caked in black soot you know the bike is not running or tuned correctly. Back in the mid 1980's we did a carburetor development program for Keihin Corporation for their 41mm CR Race carbs on both Shovelheads and the new Evolution motors. When we were finished the bikes got 56 mpg cruising and 46 mpg if you ran them harder...and after 500 mile tests the pipes were perfectly clean inside and the exhaust ports were dead clean.
If you take the exhaust
system off a modern Closed Loop BMW, as we have, you will find them
dead clean or whitish inside. Harleys should be the same.
We always ask what mileage
people get from their "tuned" or modified Harleys after "Dyno
tuning"....The universal answer is 37 mpg or less. If they don't know,
we ask them if they have to gas at 100 miles. Most do.
Once a customer bought an exhaust from us and took his bike to two different dynos in search of the "117 Hp" he was looking for for his 103...He got 110Hp. After pissing and moaning we told the guy to give us our exhaust back and we found it caked in soot. So much for tuners and their tail pipe sniffers that see lean reversions...They just kept adding fuel. You tell the customer to put on our RSR Air Fuel Gauge to monitor the mixtures F/R in the real world...No, they want a "Dyno Tune". We have dynos...we know what they do and can't do.
Pictured above is the exhaust port from a 2017 Dyna Low Rider S with about 100 miles on it. No soot. Delphi engineers seem to have done a very good job. Looks like the port you would see on a BMW. Now, when your "Tuner" gets finished with it, it will most likely be full of soot. Logic plays no part in people and their toys. EFI is complex...put in different cams, change air cleaners, port the heads and all this goes out the window. Brave new world.
No soot.
Fuel Injection..A Reality Check
OEM Harley Delphi Injectors
come in various ratings: 3.91 grams/second; 4.35 grams/second; 4.89
grams per second (CVO); and 6.00 grams per second. These ratings are
static i.e. shorted open. Pulsed static is about 90% of this i.e. what
you could expect if you maxed them out in your ecu calibration
software. If you hold them to an 85% duty cycle they, respectively,
offer the following horsepower potentials: 105 hp; 117 hp; 131 hp and
161 hp. Now, you can squeeze more out of them by going past 85%, but
this is the point where they are still controllable.
We get calls from people
building wazoo big engines and they are still running the stock
injectors. We suggest you get the right injectors for your engine
building projects. We offer a several calculators for those messing
with efi systems. Fuel Injector Calculator Professional Injector Pulse width Calculator.
Band-Aid...Not Needed
If you have a late model Harley with a Fly-By-Wire throttle you do not need an add-on gizmo. We suggest you get Steve Cole's TTS Master Tune software described above. When purchased with RB Racing exhausts and turbocharger systems we offer a $50.00 discount i.e. $375.00 v $425.00 list. TTS MasterTune allows you to adjust your electronic throttle without the expense of additional add-on devices as well as your fueling and everything else in the Delphi ECU.
RSR Air Fuel Ratio Gauges...Real World Tuning
The Mother of all gauges! Not a gauge, but a precision tool that will tell you exactly what your engine is doing in real-time. Gives you instantaneous read-outs of air/fuel ratios from 17:1 to 10.5:1 and indicates maximum power ratios. Four color display is easily read in direct sunlight and automatically dims at night. Waterproof, billet aluminum construction. Your significant other will cheat on you but this gauge will never lie! It won't keep you warm at night, but a perfectly running engine will look and sound the same when you wake up next to it the morning after.
Single RSR O2 Gauge: Reads the front cylinder in non-efi models. It is simply the best way to evaluate the tune of your motorcycle and saves expensive and often inaccurate dyno time. Real world tuning while you ride...Observe and then make adjustments. Mounted permanently. Waterproof.
Mounts....Roll Your Own or Buy One
The gauges have a center back mount 5/16" x 18 x 1/2" Stainless Socket Head Cap Screw and stainless lock washer. You can fab your own bracket for this or use the 06-1025 hard anodized Billet Mount System for either 1.00" or 1.25" handlebars $49.95. Optional is the 06-1024 two piece laser cut 304 Stainless Steel mounting tabs for either near handlebar clamp or up the handlebar mounting: $9.95.
Since we have been doing closed loop fuel injection systems
for Harleys for more than 30 years and have been putting O-Sensor Ports
in our exhausts for the same amount of time, we have both single and dual O2 ports for our full range of exhausts. Our RSR Air Fuel Ratio Gauge is the best investment you can make for monitoring and optimizing your engine tune.
All
LSR 2-1 exhausts come standard with one or two O2 ports (Sequential EFI models)...18mm or 12.5mm. O2
or Lambda sensors
are a necessity for either carbureted or non closed loop efi
(Weber Marelli and Early Delphi) Harleys. We should know, as we have a
lot of experience
with them and have been doing Closed Loop EFI systems since 1989.
The Single and Dual gauges ship with six feet of MIL-W-22759/32 wire. The first 24" is Raychem DR-25 sealed on both ends. If you wish to have a connector at the 24" point there is a $50.00 charge to install either six position (single gauge) or eight position male/female Deutsch DTM connectors with Raychem DR-25 sleeving.
The gauge is housed in a hard anodized round enclosure in a standard 2" format with a 2.250" bezel, center back mount, with a 5/16" x 18 stainless socket head cap screw. The gauge will show fuel ratios from 17:1 to 12.0:1 (or richer). The gauge is visible in daylight and automatically dims for nighttime operation. Only a single L.E.D. illuminates.
Very easy to interpret at a glance.
Scale is, left to right, lean to rich: three greens, three yellows, two
orange and two red l.e.d.s. You simply cannot "read" spooling digital
numbers.
The white arrow indicates the maximum power mixture, the second orange light, which is 13.2:1. Transitory enrichments should not, if the engine is warm (>200F Oil temp), go past the first red light. Readings at the far right side of the scale, the second red light, are simply too rich. Proper closed loop operation will cycle back and forth from green to orange around the center of the display.
It is simply the best way to evaluate the tune of your motorcycle and saves valuable dyno time. Mounted permanently. Waterproof.
Whether your bike is carb
or efi this is the best way to tune...By riding and observing, not on a
static dyno. Dynos are not exactly real world in terms of loads,
airflow, or transitionals, and even if you had a million dollar AC
Transient dyno room, you would still have to do real world testing. The
gauges are dead accurate and are millisecond fast responding which
makes it very simple to
interpret or remember, even at a glance, while you are dodging cars
watching for cops. We have a Superflow CycleDyn which gives a better real world correlation than other dynamometers but we still evaluate air fuel ratios when riding.
Anyone who tells you
optimizing tuning is easy is full of shit. Engineers at Ford say they
spend two years just perfecting tip-in or initial throttle openings.
Ride, observe,..then change or edit. Real world.
Pretty soon Harleys will all be watercooled then you really won't be able to tell the difference between Milwaukee and Hammatsu. "The Man" will be sniffing your butt and planting microchips and gps modules up your ass so they can mail you a speeding ticket and keep track of your movements. They already have data recorders on your car so they know what you were doing when the biggie happened. Brave new world. Monitor your engine to get the most out of it before the NSA monitors your tail pipe.
Customer Comments
Customer writes: "When the gauge arrived I knew it would be of a very high quality, it has far surpassed my expectations. I was very eager to get this installed and take a look at my tune. Amazing to see how little adjustments on the carb effect the AFR. As a result of this gauge, I have dropped one size on the low speed jet, raised the clip on notch and confirmed the main jet on my Mik48. Thank you, I really like this gauge. Ed"
"Just wanted to follow up with you. This AFR gauge is a game changer. I think the tune on this bike is just about perfect, or as perfect as a one can get with a carb. I have every needle, main and idle jet available for the Mik48 and think I used everyone of them chasing the tune. Now with everything dialed in, warm idle will flicker between the orange and red light, cruise is at the left orange light and hard acceleration toggles between last orange and first red. Plugs look terrific, bike starts first thing in the morning without any choke, while riding around town the lights are relatively stable, some moving around but not much. Again, I couldn’t be happier with how this gauge works.
I am building a 124” TC to put into another FXR that I am building. This gauge is already on the build list, can’t imagine not having this gauge on any of my bikes. Thanks, Ed"
Digital Gear Indicator and Dual Air Fuel Ratio Gauges
Our RSR Bonneville Digital Gear Indicator and our Dual Air Fuel Ratio monitor provide useful, easy to read, information. Knowing what gear you are in and what your engine is actually doing in front and rear cylinders is important information to get the best performance out of your bike. No wasted shifts and no wasted fuel.
Do Not Use OEM Gaskets
LSR 2-1 Exhaust Systems must use our CNC Machined Billet Gaskets (part number 00-1000) and our close tolerance aircraft exhaust nuts (part number 00-1001). The above OEM woven gasket will not work with our machined Turbo Venturis. Four special aircraft exhaust nuts come with the system but you must order four extra ones for $3.00 as they are easily dropped and the OEM 5/16" x 24 hex nuts will not "turn" on our machined Turbo Venturis.
We also offer machined from billet exhaust flanges. Early style OEM Evo chrome die cast flanges and clips or our billet parts are called for. Our Chromed Billet Steel Flanges and clips are $29.95 per set and are stronger than any oem part.
We have had several instances where people encounter "difficulties". Invariably, it is traced to someone not using our billet gaskets. The billet gaskets insure proper fit of the LSR 2-1 system and are designed to work with our Turbo Venturis to increase exhaust flow.
Rigids
Old School: Rigid, ape hangers. It's more comfortable than you would think. Customer writes: "Pipes work well, sound great, and look good. Thanks". Enough said. B Style LSR 2-1 Turn Out 1 3/4". Boo-dah!!! Shift!!!
Non Standard Frames
Mais oui mon petit Bourget fabrique en Arizona, tuyeaux partout! When you start building your dream bike things often take an ugly turn when you find out that the only exhaust that will fit your exotic scooter is some serpentine drag / show pipe that is choked down with a couple of 1 1/4" i.d. performance strangling"torque cones"...Then you start looking for a performance pipe and find that every time you spend your money the new pipe runs smack dab into your extra wide swingarm or master cylinder that your frame maker has conveniently stuck right where the exhaust is normally routed! RB Racing makes LSR 2-1 pipes for Confederates, Bourgets, Kenny Boyce and other frames including choppers so you don't have to get stuck with a set of non-performing pipes that will keep you parked where it's safe instead of at the head of the pack where your dream should be. Keep the paint up and the rubber down and let the mortals hear that motor sing! Pictured is a LSR 2-1 style C Slash Cut w / 2" primaries part number 00-1197 for a Bourget Softail.
RSD and Fat Tires
Whether you are running a custom frame designed for Right Side Drive (RSD), or simply have a kit that converts your swingarm and frame to RSD, we have "C" Style 2" pipes for these. Part numbers 00-1307 Turn Out and 00-1308 Slash Cut.
S&S Twin Cam Oil Pump
If you are running one of these and want a "C" Style Exhaust for your Twin Cam engine let us know as we have a different type "C" Style exhaust that fits these pumps. If you are running a normal cone then there are no fitment issues. Our regular "C" pipe goes up close to the original cone. In the case of the S&S pump pictured above we have to route the rear pipe differently due to the "block" shape.
"B" Style pipes are unaffected by the S&S Oil Pump design.
Atlas With a Baker Six Speed
00-1167 LSR 2-1, TC88, 1 3/4" Turn Out, Chrome on a custom Atlas Chassis and a Baker Six Speed transmission. All the way from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Customer writes: " The pipes sound better, look better, and fit better than anything else I've ever run and I've had quite a few".
Rubber Duckie
No matter if we have 300 part numbers...Everyone has something else, in this case a rubber-mounted Daytec Softail frame with an FXR style transmission with a Baker 6-Speed and a 113" S&S engine. We sent out the pieces and the customer sent back a prototype for a small production run at RB Racing. The customer shortened the 2" front and rear primaries to tuck the pipe up higher and rotated the slash cut tail section away from the vertical. We assigned this customer a custom part number of 00-1273 which is not listed on our part numbers page. We're building the customer both Ceramic Black and Ceramic Silver systems.
Freedom of expression...do it while you can before someone decides to stick their nose in your business. Picture above is a Sportster based Redneck Mutant with a custom 00-1022 exhaust in Silver Ceramic.
Titans
113" TITAN with a 00-1200 2" Style B, Plus 5" Slash Cut, Black Ceramic LSR 2-1 with chrome heat shields. Mikuni carb. This one's low and radical with some trick upside down sliders. This is the way we like it..style and performance....Who says show can't go!
Pictured above is a 1998 TITAN Roadrunner SX (Softail) with an LSR 2-1 part number 00-1056: Style B, Slash Cut, 1 3/4" with full coverage heat shields. The customer requested we ship the exhaust directly to TITAN for his full-on custom. Show and "Go" is the norm these days. The heat shields on the 1 3/4" pipe give protection and a full 2" diameter appearance. This bike met it's maker and the owner moved on to one of our 113" ORCA motors.
Titans get a bit tricky with essentially rubber mounted (FXR Style) engines but Softail type transmissions. We mount a special version of our Softail design, 00-1063, 2" Silver Ceramic Turn Out and a special mount system. This bike was stolen 4-21-05 at Laughlin, Nevada.
Customer writes "Here are the pictures of my bike that you had asked me to send to you I really loved the pipe very much and I got a lot of complements on it I wish I could have enjoyed it more but when I when to Laughlin river run 4/21 my bike was stolen. Eventually I will be putting something together again and I'm sure I will be ordering another one or your great pipes. Thank You Very much, Tim Leveille"
Big Motor Applications
120 or 131 inch Merch or 145 inch S&S or other big bore motors going into aftermarket chassis can cause all sorts of headaches when it comes to the exhaust department. Some of these motors aren't exact replicas of the Harley V-Twin with different fin structure, fat ass billet oil filters and chunky cam covers and nose cones that are thicker than stock. All these things run into exhaust systems and often the only pipe you can fit is someone's wet dream custom weird cut drag pipes that wouldn't blow the feathers off a duck's ass. Rejoice all you sinners who have joined the "You Can't Beat Cubic Inches" parade to big jugs nirvana...RB Racing makes a wide range of B and C Style LSR 2-1 pipes to fit all these applications. You might not be reaching for 8000 rpm with the Sportsters but you'll be able to shred your 240 or 300 series donut just fine by 5500rpm and absolutely turn the earth's axis a degree or two right off idle. Just let us know the specifics as to how you've set up your scooter and we'll do the rest. Pictured above is a Titan Gecko with a 107" S&S motor from the Blue Sky state of Montana.
Indians
There are S&S Indians and Indian Indians. The Indian Indians are the round fin Powerplus 100" motors pictured above. We make pipes for both versions.
This is an S&S Engine version.
"Harley Harley made of tin...Ride them out...Push them in" or so the ancient ditty went in the eternal rivalry between Indian and Harley riders. Maybe some rivalry still exists, but the days of badges and crushed hats are not even a memory for most riders. We are taking it easy in this market, trying to figure out what the customer needs.
Comparisons
People call us up all the time and want to know how how our pipes compare to the "competition"...We usually respond "Fuck if we know!"...Some people get pretty incensed at this response and demand to know why we don't go out and buy other people's designs and "test them". We realize people are impatient in their desire for someone to make a decision for them...we just aren't going to play that game. The magazines are full of adds with pipes that claim to be king of this and that and are otherwise oozing with superlatives. Some manufacturers go so far as to publish dyno charts showing their pipe to be better than Brand "X"...Did you think they were going to otherwise? Comparisons and dyno sheets we would publish would be self serving bullshit. It's a tuner's game and it always has been. We just build parts that don't limit you in this area.
Most of the time the customers do the "comparison" because the average caller already has had somebody else's pipe or pipes and is looking for something better. It's bad science, besides being expensive, to try a bunch of pipes without trying to optimize the tuning each time, and we tell people this. We will tell you, however, that shops that have spent a lot of time trying to wring out a few extra horsepower generally will find our pipes to give them some extra horsepower right off the bat and more once they learn the combinations that work with them. The real answer is that we have well proven designs that don't represent a limit in your quest for horsepower. The pipe is but one element of the equation. Pictured above is an LSR 2-1, C style, part number 00-1060.
LSR 2-1 Sizing For Your Motor - Click on photo to enlarge
RB Racing LSR 2-1's use large 3" diameter collectors which are perfectly mated to our 1 3/4" or 2" primary tube diameters. Both our 1 3/4" and 2" designs feature our CNC machined Turbo Venturis for maximum flow. We often are asked which is better, the 2" or 1 3/4" design...The answer is how big or how modified is your motor. If you are planning to go over 100 cubic inches then go to a 2"primary tube design. We have customers with high output 96" S&S motors that routinely pump out 112hp with 2" Style "B" 2-1 LSR systems. Normally we say a 96" S&S motor is better off with one of our 1 3/4" designs as there is generally more torque available at lower engine speeds in the 2000 to 4000 rpm range. If your motor is a 113 c.i. or 124 c.i. S&S motor or a 120/131 c.i. Merch engine then not using one of our 2" designs will lose you 12 to 15hp or more!
Potato, Potato, Potato
The sound our 2-1's make is so "right" that customers want them for their sound alone. They have a much more powerful sound because the engine is working easier and the power is much smoother. LSR 2-1s wound out to the max get everyone's attention because they sing the song that only a power junkie would love. Everyday we talk to customers who have tried every pipe on the market and can't believe how much faster the LSR 2-1 is throughout the RPM range. You can expect horsepower gains from 6 to 18 hp over any other design.
On the sound issue, we keep getting asked what a particular pipe sounds like, to which our answer is "It still sounds like a Harley." For those of you who can't remember what your bike sounds like we suggest you buy a small tape recorder ... record your bike and listen to it...you will hear the siren call of the open road and a faint "Potato, Potato, Potato". If this sound doesn't please you or tickle your fancy record a Honda, a Ferrari or your old lady snoring and hook it up to your headphones while you're riding...that is what your RB Racing LSR 2-1 will sound like. One final time, LSR pipes sound like a Harley!...We will tell you they aren't as noisy as a tinny, cheap-ass megaphone! Harley tried to patent the sound "Potato, Potato, Potato" but finally gave up after 5 years of legal hassle.
LSR Baffles are welded into the tail section, have tapered entries and exits to smooth the flow, and never require any maintenance! We aren't stupid enough to weld in some flat plates that belong in sardine cans not on a high performance big twin! LSR 2-1 baffles are designed to achieve the same performance as would an "open" pipe, but provide a small amount of back-pressure to to increase low speed torque by preventing cylinder "blow-down" on camshaft overlap. Actual drag strip testing shows no differences in E.T. or mph with the baffles either in or out.
Pictured above is our LSR 2-1, 1 3/4", C Style, turnout part number 00-1167. Twin Cam 88, 95 cubic inch.
The "B's" and "C's". Click on photo to enlarge
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A pipe has to look as good as it works and every angle has been considered with the LSR 2-1. The pipe is designed to follow the motor's lines and to provide the necessary ground clearance while still allowing access to oil fillers, ignitions, and push rods. The 3" diameter tail section is available in Turn Out or Slash Cut styles.
LSR 2-1's Bonneville,Dyno &Track Proven
If you want to make power on a multi-cylinder engine you have to use a collector system. Whether it's a V-Twin or a V-8 it's the same, and no less an authority than the famed engine builder Smokey Yunick will tell you that. Not using free exhaust energy to help your engine breathe is downright criminal. No matter what the conventional wisdom is, staggered duals on a Harley will not make more power. You simply cannot escape the fact that a properly designed 2-1 will give you more usable torque where you need it, in the 2000 to 4000 rpm range, which means less downshifts and less rpm to get the job done.
A set of short staggered duals at peak rpm can be made to produce good power but they will be dead on their ass until they get there, whereas an engine developed around an LSR 2-1 exhaust can be made to perform from the bottom up with no dips in the torque band! If you don't believe this then why is it always that the top Pro Stock bikes, cars etc. end up running collectors systems? Damn right they work! If you don't think torque between shifts or when you roll the throttle on, then buy those long sewer pipes or some short curly drag pipes you saw on the Discovery Channel.
Check out our new Exhaust Technology Section for information on how all this works.
Crystal Balls and Astrology
You win some, you lose some. Mostly we win. Like we always say it always depends on the tuner. This is not a parts changing business and we all know it's easiest to just change pipes and see what happens, but that's not science. The LSR 2-1 pipes, themselves, do not represent a "limit" as long as you choose the right pipe for your application. The rest of the equation is getting the parts and tuning to work together.
Just put the damn thing on the road, open her up, and see what she'll do. Let the metal scream.
Torque and Ruby Slippers
People get pissed at us when they ask for "numbers". We always tell them we "don't know" because after nearly 33 years of tuning and racing and designing we have seen too much and done too much to give any placebo answer. In fact it always depends on the bike and the tuner. No two bikes are alike. Maybe your bike was built on a Monday and they left a coke bottle in the gas tank (old Detroit wives's tale)...Some bikes are faster than others. Everyone believes their bike is "faster". It depends on the tuner and, these days, the bikes are more complicated. People change from chain to gear drives. They put on different cylinder heads. They switch cams. They add on tuning twiddle boxes. They tune, or the "shop" tunes. They "dyno" the bike...maybe even somebody rides the bike with instrumentation like our RSR Air Fuel Ratio Gauge.
People call us up then hang up when we tell them we don't know what their "gains" will be. We don't publish self-serving charts. We just take all the experience we have and build the best parts we can. People end up happy who buy the parts because they are well made and are designed to perform. We make different tube diameters and offer a wide range of systems for any particular bike so you will maximize your potential. There is no "One Size Fits All" at RB Racing.
People who don't buy the parts because we won't coddle them with assurances go elsewhere where Aunt Em will tuck them in and tell them what they want to hear.
14.7 / 13.2 = 1.11
People take their perfectly good Delphi electronics and swap them for a self-tuning "Wide-Band" system. The "Wide Band" manufacturers tell you to run their systems at an air/fuel target of 13.2:1. This simply puts 11% more fuel through the engine, i.e. if you were getting 40 mpg @ 14.7:1, you are now going to get 35.6 mpg. You might as well go get a carburetor.
The objective of closed loop and narrow band sensors is to get the most efficiency out of your engine by targeting 14.7:1 except in warm-up, sudden transitions, and wide open throttle, as well as hard deceleration and or fuel cut-off. Ratios as lean as 17.0:1 can be run under deceleration and certain no load situations.
FYI maximum constant torque occurs around 13.2:1, whereas sudden transitions can be anywhere from 12.5:1 to 10.0:1 depending on temperature conditions. It isn't simple. EFI isn't Linkerts, Bendix or S&S simplicity. The closest carb you can get to efi fuel control is a CV Carburetor.
Phone Sex and Remote Tuning
In some sort of logical disconnect a few customers call us up wanting us to tune their bike over the phone and then become increasingly indignant when we tell them it just doesn't work that way. Now, we spent the better part of 14 years, starting in 1976 working on carburetors, jetting, needle design, and even designed and marketed a flat slide carb for the Harley market. Thousands of man hours representing about 5 months out of every year were devoted to jetting issues. It got to be a real issue i.e. it was an interesting experience to define what the correct air fuel ratios should be, experimentally figure out how to measure them, and then deal with tuning die cast critters, often modifying them with extra circuits etc. but, in the end, it was temporal and an endless loop that did not exactly pay the bills.
We did learn how to make things run well, not that anyone appreciated it. It was fun to watch people try to beat you when they couldn't. Knowledge. Hard work.
For the last 18 years we've been working on and manufacturing closed loop fuel injections systems for Harley Davidsons and have set numerous Bonneville, El Mirage and Maxton speed records and won drag racing championships with them. We spent over 3000 man hours writing and perfecting Autocal.V6 prediction and analysis software for our RSR Fuel Injection systems. Why did we spend 3000 man hours? Well, we didn't plan on it, and it's a good way to flirt with insanity, but we saw no other option as digital efi requires hundreds of decisions, all of which are intertwined. No more brass jets. Exponential combinations. Changing points, one at a time is sheer insanity. Progress comes with increased complexity.
These days all Harleys are closed loop fuel injected with a single throat throttle body and are speed density Delphi systems, all very complex. It's the same formula we decided on 18 years ago. The only thing we suggest is that you use O2 signals to monitor and tune the system as the sensors are millisecond accurate and must be monitored at the exhaust port where temperatures are high and as far away from the outside oxygen rich air as possible. We suggest you use software, not hardware, to adjust your system using our RSR Air Fuel Ratio Gauges and keep your bike off of the dyno until the lights in these displays tell you your mixture is correct. Engines operate in a very narrow realm of air fuel ratios. If you want to go to the dyno after this...fine.
Just don't call us breathlessly demanding we tune your bike over the phone.
New Cloisonne Tags
Like in the adage "The relentless search for perfection" we have upgraded the logos we put on our LSR Exhaust Systems. Previous tags were stamped and formed aluminum with silk screened details. The new cloisonne tags are a precision die struck brass, nickel plated, with powdered glass fired in an oven then polished to a jewelry finish. These are direct replacements for our older tags and are available for US $25.00 postpaid via US Global Express (foreign) or Priority Mail (domestic US). They come with black headed rivets and are riveted in place with a light coat of high temperature silicone (Permatex 598B) behind the tag.
Baffling Alien Discs and Aluminum Butt Plugs
Our testing has shown that the Harley V-Twin is extremely sensitive to back pressure which is why 2-1's that use small or restrictive collectors don't breathe well, and why restrictive baffles shut the motor down. Disc type baffles are good for spark arrestors on dirt bikes but they have no place on a big inch V-Twin. You don't make power by adding restrictions to your exhaust system whether it's a bunch of stainless discs or some damn piece of aluminum billet machined into a Harley butt plug! Ever wonder why they had to put a hole up the center of the discs? Well, one reason was the discs are so damn restrictive you have to have several pounds of them to get enough flow through their waffle shaped passages. Good mufflers, but they have nothing to do with performance and they sure as hell do not create vacuum as has been claimed. When you get confused by all the bullshit simply ask the following question.." Do they run them in NASCAR or in Formula One?". Nope, they run straight pipe collector systems without any stupid discs or aluminum butt plugs.It's always funny how when the money is on the line, all the little things like discs, billet caps, anti-reversion flaps, reverse megaphones and other such nonsense somehow don't make the field.
Turbo Venturis
All RB Racing LSR Exhaust Systems feature our "new" (we've been quietly doing it since 1985!) CNC machined Turbo Venturis that actually "scavenge" to help your motor breathe. Machined from billet, these allow full 2" flow and eliminate the phony restrictions that other 1 3/4" to 2 1/4" pipes have at your exhaust port. We supply special close tolerance aircraft nuts for your exhaust studs because our machined venturis are too wide for a standard hex nut.
Our CNC machined Turbo Venturis are not compatible with the "bowl-shaped" late model OEM exhaust port gaskets or early style "flat" gaskets for the LSR Exhaust Systems to both fit and seal properly. The narrow machined flat face of the Turbo Venturi must seat against a flat surface, not the bowl-shaped late model gaskets. Using the LSR Exhausts in combination with the wrong gasket will cause misalignment, inability to tighten the provided close tolerance aircraft nuts, and will force the bowl-shaped gasket into the exhaust port.
Mandatory for a nominal charge of $9.95 are a pair of our LSR CNC machined gaskets which mate perfectly with our Turbo Venturis. These are proven in over 16 years of use on our race and turbo applications...the only gaskets that will stay in a turbo bike for 25,000 miles! These gaskets prevent any gasket "creep" into the exhaust flow and are one more thing that will give you "an edge" on the competition. We always wondered why people would port their heads, put in bigger valves and then squish the gaskets into their exhaust ports. We bet you never paid attention to what was going inside your exhaust ports for one very simple reason...you can't see what's going on in there once the pipe is tightened! The LSR CNC machined gaskets also insure perfect alignment of the exhaust system. Most fitment and alignment problems are traced to using either the wrong type of gasket or using old gaskets that have taken a "set". We've always used these on our race applications and it's time everyone who's concerned about performance should do the same.
Nuts
All LSR 2 into 1 exhausts require special close tolerance aircraft nuts to bolt the LSR Turbo Venturis to the exhaust port. Standard 5/16" x 24 hex nuts will not fit. Each exhaust comes with the required four nuts. It is recommended that you order an extra set (4) of these nuts, part number 00-1001, when you order your exhaust.
STD Cylinder Heads
We make special flanges for STD heads that match the rectangular bolt pattern that STD machines. If you order a RB Racing LSR 2-1 Exhaust you can order these flanges which have been designed to fit our standard turbo venturis. RB Racing Part Number 00-1003. Sold per pair $29.95. When you order a RB Racing LSR 2-1 Exhaust system we either polish and chrome these or bead blast and ceramic coat them.
Goo
RB Racing LSR 2-1 exhaust systems use either one or two slip joints depending on the model. We suggest you put a coating of Permatex 598B ULTRA BLACK in the slip joint. None of our slip joints use any clamps because then they wouldn't be slip joints anymore. The inner pipe gets hotter that the outer pipe and they grow into each other and form a tight seal. The 598B is a non hardening gasket material and will prevent any leakage from condensation that forms in the pipe and, with the usual carbon particles, will actually seal better over time. It also makes the pipes easy to take apart later on. Get a tube before you install your RB racing exhaust system.
All RB Racing LSR exhaust systems come standard with a machined and heliarced 18mm oxygen sensor boss just below your front exhaust port for carbureted models. This port is designed to accept and oxygen sensor (18mm x 1.5mm) which will allow you to use our RSR Air/Fuel Ratio Meter to tune and monitor in real-time your air/fuel ratio. If fuel injected then use our Dual Gauge.
06' Dual O2 Sensor Systems / RSR Air Fuel Gauges
Since we have been doing closed loop fuel injection systems for Harleys for more than 15 years and have been putting O-Sensor Ports in our exhausts for the same amount of time, we have dual O2 ports for the 06 models for our full range of exhausts. Our RSR Air Fuel Ratio Gauge is the best investment you can make for these.
All LSR 2-1 exhausts can be ordered with two O2 ports. Actually O2 sensors are a really neat item. We should know, as we have a lot of experience with them. Tuning strategies are different and there are a lot of things that can go awry if you forget about temperatures, pressures etc.
Pretty soon Harleys will all be watercooled then you really won't be able to tell the difference between Milwaukee and Hammatsu. "The Man" will be sniffing your butt and planting microchips and gps modules up your ass so they can mail you a speeding ticket and keep track of your movements. They already have data recorders on your car so they know what you were doing when the biggie happened. Brave new world.
Flanges
The Harley part numbers for these flanges and clips are: 65328-83 (exhaust ring clamp) and 65325-83A (retaining ring). RB Racing has these flanges in stock, per pair with spring clips Part Number 00-1002, $29.95. 2006 models need to order these flanges or their equivalent at your Harley shop as the oem flanges may be too thick for our Turbo Venturis.
Ease of Installation: LSR 2-1 Mounting Brackets
As they say. So simple a.....
Rubber or rigid we have a complete mounting solution for your bike. We see lots of combinations, from stock to offset customs and can provide mounting solutions for most applications. For some pipes like the Shovelheads we give you a piece of steel strap and tell you to fake it. On the Shovels there is a slotted bracket heliarced to the back of the pipe that is just outboard of mounting points on the frame...two quick bends and two holes and you're done.
FLH/T/Road King: We supply a laser cut 1/4" steel plate with dowels that bolts to your transmission. The rear of this bracket is slotted and has two bolts that attach the bracket directly to the back side of the pipe. Any oem mounts front and rear have to be removed.
FXR: There are FXRs and then there are aftermarket FXRs like Kenny Boyce frames and a variety of "Rubber Mounted" pro street and quasi-Softail designs. For all of these we provide a 1/4" steel plate that bolts to your transmission. The bracket is slotted to allow for variations in engine mounting and has a selection of dowels that take into account the different transmissions available. The bracket attaches directly to the back of the LSR 2-1 pipe, which has a slotted bracket heliarced to the pipe. The bracket does not interfere with billet aluminum swingarm pivot mounts like those on Kenny Boyce frames or other aftermarket pivot mounts. Pictured above is an LSR 2-1, 1 3/4", C Style, Turn Out on a 1990 FXRS that has made three trips to Sturgis from California.
Softails have a heavy steel bracket that goes from the frame to the back of the exhaust. There is nothing to fracture or break. Pictured above is a 00-1167 LSR 2-1 C Style 1 3/4" Turn Out on a TC88.
Early FXR(P) police models (see above picture with 00-1141 +5" pipe) with floorboards don't fit many pipes. The ex Police bike shown above uses FXR brackets as the rear master cylinder is just outboard of the transmission. Best bet is to install forward controls or mid pegs on this particular model...then regular part numbers apply. To fit LSR 2-1s to these ex Police models with floorboards it will be necessary to cut and modify the rear floorboard support (splined peg mount to floorboard bracket) for clearance on the pipes. FXRT models had mid pegs and pose no problems.
Note: All LSR exhausts require the use of the OEM flanges and circlips. The Harley part numbers for these flanges and clips are: 65328-83 (exhaust ring clamp) and 65325-83A (retaining ring). S&S Cycle SA or B2 (145" Tribute) cylinder heads require four bolt flanges which we provide and are part of the pipe assembly captured by or Special Application Venturis. 00-1180 pictured above.
FXR: Transmission mounted using a laser cut 1/4" steel plate and dowels. 00-1181 (FXR Forward Controls) Pictured above. Customer writes " I am very happy with it. It was easy to install and fit very well. Thank you for a great product."
FLH/FLT/Road King: Transmission mounted. 1/4" laser cut steel plate dowel mounted. No oem mounts are used. Remove oem mounts.
DYNA (Evo): Transmission mounted. 1/4" laser cut steel plate dowel mounted. No oem mounts are used. Remove oem mounts.
DYNA (TC88): Transmission mounted. 1/4" laser cut steel plate dowel mounted. No oem mounts are used. Remove oem mounts.
Softail (All): Pipe bolts directly to frame via 3" wide heavy steel "Z" bracket. No oem mounts are used. Remove oem mounts.
Evo Sportster: Tubular steel bracket replaces oem bracket (all rigid mount models). On 2004 models we supply a transmission bracket that attaches to the steel stamping that supported the mid part of the rear pipe. On 2004 models remove the large oem bracket which requires the removal of the rear final drive cover aft of the transmission. #30 Torx required to unhook rear brake rod.
Shovelheads (All): You get to fake your own bracket. We used to make about a dozen variations on these but so much time has passed we trashed all but three of our fixtures and now offer "B" and "C" style parts in Turn Out, Slash Cut and Slash Cut +5" as well as Pro Stock for all models including the FL Dressers. We saved a bunch of parts for about 12 years and almost threw them out three or four times, but with increasing values in the Hog futures market we sold out the last items and made a completely new run of parts with new improvements.
Mounting Torques
For flanges and mounts we recommend 15 foot pounds of torque. On exhaust flanges you do not use any locking compound as our nuts are self-clinching. On bolts for frame and engine-mounted brackets we recommend that the threads be clean and that a low grade (Blue) thread locking compound be used with 15 foot pounds of torque. Bolts and nuts on our slotted brackets do not require a locking compound but can also be tightened to 15 foot pounds.
In lieu of torque wrenches do not over tighten exhaust flanges to the point where they bend. In the case of bolts going into transmissions and into frames also do not attempt to see how strong you are as aluminum threads and bolts are weaker than you and your wrench are. Simply tighten things till the bolt stops and give another partial turn to firmly snug it. The last bit of tightening actually stretches things a bit and the tension holds things tight. Tightening should always be done in a sequence. Never finally tighten one part then go to the next...Always loosely tighten things in sequence and then finally tighten things in sequence.
The exhaust should never be installed with any of its elements in tension. It has to rest in place without strain and be tightened without strain.
We employ split lock washers on most fasteners to prevent counter-rotation. This works surprisingly well if the bolt is properly torqued or tightened.
In any case, you have a responsibility to tighten things or at least check periodically as part of your normal maintenance. Harleys do shake and try to kill anything attached to, or even near them. If things get loose the additional shaking moment can break bolts and destroy threads.
General LSR 2-1 Installation Sequence
1. Remove the OEM exhaust and exhaust bracketry. If the bike has floorboards remove the right floorboard.
2. Pry the OEM exhaust gaskets out of the exhaust ports. We use billet gaskets instead.
3. Install the frame or transmission bracket provided. Use Blue Loctite on the mounting bolt threads into the transmission. Lockwashers under the bolt heads on the transmission mount. If through-bolt like on early rigid Sportsters or Shovels use lockwashers under the hex nuts.
4. Front and Rear primary
tubes: Install billet flanges and clips. Install front pipe loosely
with billet gasket and nuts provided. Loosely affix the front heat
shield to the pipe as you might not be able to install the shield later
with the rear pipe in place. We use 1/4 drive ratchet plus extensions
and 3/8" socket and a 3/8" wobble for the exhaust stud nuts.
5. If the rear pipe has a
slip joint (rubber mounted C Style) slip the rear pipe into the tail
section. You may use Permatex ULTRA BLACK.
6. Begin slip of tail section/rear pipe into the front exhaust slip joint (You may use Permatex ULTRA BLACK) and work the rear exhaust and billet gasket into the exhaust port. Loosely affix exhaust stud nuts provided. We use 1/4 drive ratchet plus extensions and 3/8" socket.
7. Slide 5/16" x 18 bolt(s) into slotted bracket on back of exhaust and thread these through the mounting braket. Loosely affix with lock washer(s) and hex nuts provided. Some exhausts may require a spacer (provided) between the exhast slotted bracket and frame/transmission bracket.
8. Gently tighted up all fasteners and nuts. Nothing can be in tension. You may use a rubber mallet to seat the slip joint(s).
9. Install remaining heat
shields and tighten front heat shield (5/16" Nut driver). Completely
wipe the pipe and shields down with a clean cloth to prevent grease and
oil stains from being baked on.
10. Run bike briefly in place. Let it cool down and retighten fasteners. Reinstall the right floorboard with hardware provided.
11. If ceramic finishes it is wise to go through several heat cycles. On modern efi closed loop systems they go into closed loop within minutes. Let bike idle for a few minutes then shut it down to let it cool. Several sessions of this will cure the resins as they are only oven-fired to 400F. Exhaust temperatures are >1000F.
12. Double check all
fasteners and ride the bike. Check your work afterwards. You bought a
Harley so you are already showing signs of dementia.
Custom Made for Your Application
Freedom of expression...do it while you can before someone decides to stick their nose in your business. Pictured above is a 2" primary LSR 2-1 C Style, Slash Cut, part number 00-1170, destined for a big inch stroked TC88 Softail.
New Ceramic "Turbo" Black Finish....."I'm the Man in Black..."
00-1163 Black Ceramic
"Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that every thing's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black. ".....
We have a lot more people looking for durable black finishes and we think we have the best finishes on the market. In the late 70's and early 80's we tried all sorts of coatings and paints and even used porcelain on some of our products in the late 1980's. The newer ceramic finishes are tougher and we use both polished silver and semi-gloss black to complement our usual chrome offerings. The newest black finish is a dual coat process that gives additional protection against scratches and nicks, providing two barriers against corrosion.
Newer Dual Coat Black Ceramic Finishes
We have a lot more people looking for durable ceramic finishes and we think we have the best finishes on the market. In the late 70's and early 80's we tried all sorts of coatings and paints and even used porcelain on some of our products in the late 1980's. The newer ceramic finishes are tougher and we use both Polished Silver, and Semi-Gloss Black, to complement our usual chrome offerings. The newest "Turbo" Black finishes are a dual coat process that gives additional protection against scratches and nicks, providing two barriers against corrosion.
In more than 3 decades we have tried all sorts of black finishes: Kal Gard, VHT, Techline, and others. We also in the mid 1980's we even tried porcelain for awhile. It chipped and the heat distorted the parts. Most finishes will not survive over a long period unless they have a base coat to cushion rock strikes and scratches. The surface has to be perfectly prepared and most applications can fail if run too soon at elevated temperatures as they are typically baked at 450 to 500 deg F whereas the cure takes place at around 750 deg F. Lower temperatures will not cure the resins and they will fail once the bike is run. To get around this dilemma we have found the best solution is a 2500 Deg F Silver Ceramic cushion base coat and a secondary Black Semi-Gloss finish on top of this.
Dual Coat Black Ceramic finishes are
therefore the most expensive
as they involve a triple process. First the parts are polished to
remove any tooling marks.Then the parts are zirconia media blasted to
prepare the surface. Then parts are cleaned. The parts are base coated
with a 2500 Deg F Silver ceramic and baked. The next day they are sprayed with Black Ceramic and baked for a third time.
800 Horsepower LSR 2-1 Slash Cut
We're not really sure what a 2-1 has to do with Top Fuel Nitro motors but when Carl Pelletier asked us to make a collector for his top fuel 175c.i. PRP motor we whipped up a 4" diameter collector and sent him the tooling. Take a Tour of what it takes to run a top fuel bike. Doug Vancil's hard running Top Fuel Harley sponsored by Vance and Hines has a 2-1 that looks like one of their Pro Pipes so when Carl asked us to build one we made sure the collector area wouldn't restrict each of the 400hp explosions that were coming from each cylinder. Carl qualified 8th out of 32 bikes at the final Las Vegas meet and ran in the sixes at over 200 mph so the 2-1 probably didn't hurt anything. His best speed is 214mph with the 2-1 so it didn't seen to hurt anything. Top Fuel is pure insanity and is addictive as Heroin for those involved. Like they say " Gasoline is for washing parts...Nitro is for Racing!".
What does this have to do with Softails?...Absolutely nothing! We are however in the game 24/7 and you do try to help out where you can.
New 145" S&S Tribute Systems
We have been asked by customers to provide LSR 2-1 systems for the new 145" S&S Tribute engines. We have tooled up to produce three versions for the Dyna style transmissions: LSR 2-1, LSR 2-1 Pro Stock, and LSR 2-1 Black Hole. Pictured above are our laser cut flanges and cnc machined venturis that we heliarc to the 145' S&S Tribute exhaust systems.
Risk
These days people have all sorts of expectations. They want to be loved. They want to be admired. They don't want their chrome to turn colors. They want "numbers". They want assurances. They want guarantees, warranties, trial periods, and return policies. They don't want the part, they just want everything that goes with their household baggage. It's all part of keeping everything nice and tidy and "best". Fear of rejection. Fear of making any decision.
We just come in and make the best parts we can and that's all there is to it. The rest of the equation is too complicated. There are plenty of people who will assure you till hell freezes over. We don't have time for this.
For those of you who do not understand that 1450 Deg F of exhaust flame front will discolor chrome, don't order the parts, or just leave the bike on the trailer..or order the heat shields to cover up the underlying discoloration. Ceramic or chrome the pipes get really hot and heat shields provide an air gap to protect and hide things.... Melted tennis shoes, burned pants. Air is the perfect insulator.
It isn't the old days anymore. People with $35,000.00 toys roll up in the screaming fetal position. Joy used to be a basket case that you could get running. Brave new world.
Angst
The agony of decision making can drive a poor consumer insane..."What is the best?"...".."How does it compare?"..."What will I get, what will I gain?"..."When can I get it?"..."Should I get a Turn Out or a Slash Cut" pipe".."Will the chrome blue?"..."Can I talk to someone who has one?"..."How long have you been in business"...""I've never heard of you"... "How black is the black?"..."Why haven't I seen these before?"..."My bike is at the builder and he has to have the pipe by Friday or I lose my slot!"..."Is the silver as shiny as chrome?"..."I have a wazoo998 cam and billet rocker boxes and a 280 rear tire...will your pipe work?"
Right brain, left brain. Fear of rejection. Fear of being different. Social standing. It's all too much for most people to deal with.
Look at the pictures, take the Red Pill, and start your journey. It's that simple.
Remove the Angst
If you wish avoid any decision and stay right where you are, just take the Blue Pill. If the journey for truth and power excites your spirit, take the Red Pill.
