Harsh-LOUD; very poor performance

Easy way to find out is to get up about 4 am Sunday, go down to the garage, remove the muffler and fire it up and take it for a spin around campus.  By the time anyone gets dressed and comes after you you can be parked and back in your room.  

Paladin. wrote on 12/03/08 at 19:41:01:

Used to fly r/c planes with a buddy of mine back in college.  My 'buddy' says he's got to get up in morning and go to work but wants to fly before he goes.  I protest 'to early' he says got to, oh alright.  Get it started takes off and cuised around.  Security pulls up, guy gets out with a big grin on his face, says all the kids with hang overs want me arrested.  He'll settle for landing it, I says have to run it out of gas, won't stop otherwise.  He says ok.  I throttle it back so a ten minute flight became 20.  He was real happy about it.  waited till I put everything away and drove away.  His parting shot was 'same time next week?'  

I run my Savage with a 7 inch chrome extension on the header pipe. Rejetted and "uncorked" with high-flow filter, it runs great and certainly has no less performance either on top end or acceleration. It was actually pretty good when just the stock filter and jets were in. The bike idles fairly quietly, but when I get on the accelerator it sounds awesome - just like the antique 1948 500 Norton Big Single that we sometimes meet up with at a local coffee shop. That's where I got the idea for mine.

I'm at 7,000 feet in altitude, so that may make some difference in performance from what others have reported. Backfires are controlled by a light hand on the throttle when slowing. I don't just crack it shut unless I really need to.

If you don't have any noise ordinances or smog requirements, why not give it a shot? If you don't like what you end up with, you can always change it back.

Mine went through a progression from the stock muffler to a Sportster muffler, to the extended header. I have found with each increase in noise there was an increased level of awareness from cagers in heavy traffic. "Loud Pipes Save Lives" seems to be true in my experience.

By the way, I could have paid $50 for a Vance and Hines extension, but chose instead to use a $6.95 one from Pep Boys. We have them on three bikes now. A 1983 Goldwing, a 1990 VX800, and my '98 Savage. All work great. Mine is the quietest of the bunch, and was the easiest to install. One cylinder has its advantages sometimes, LOL!

i bought a striaght fishtail pipe for mine, after putting it on and starting it up, i quickly took it back off. i have an se slash cut muff and it sounds really good. let me also say i like loud bikes, but the straight pipe would be unbearable.