Ok I got the 2020, very happy, thanks for the advice. :up: Question- will removing the cat make any difference in a stage 1? (2020 RG 107) I ask because I removed it in my 2015, was planning to put cams in it but never got past the stage 1. (runs great but maybe it'd be better left alone?) So the 2020, just going to do stage 1 for now. Will removing the cat do anything for stage 1 or am I better off leaving it in? Again thanks for advice.
Cats are in the mufflers. Change the mufflers and no more cats. The earlier TC was in the header.
Not the baffles sir, the catalytic converter
Rigidthumber has some dyno sheets in the Dyno Section showing that the factory header pipe and catalytic don't reduce the flow all that much.
He may see this post and weigh in as he has first hand experience testing on the dyno.
Quote from: Alienball on October 03, 2022, 05:23:06 PMNot the baffles sir, the catalytic converter
Correction:
It's the touring Screamin Eagle High Flow Exhaust System that has the clean header and cat mufflers.
While testing stage 1, I found the cat really only shows restriction above 4500 RPM. Not really noticeable, because the stock cam flattens there anyway. I actually lost a tiny bit of TQ 1800-2500 after I gut the cat. On a stage 2 (add a cam), TQ slightly better with the cat, from 1800-2500, even through 3K, decat better above 3K, converter really starts to show it's affect above 4K RPM- cost me 5 HP @ 4500 and 10 HP @ 5K. Current testing is advancing/retarding the cam 4° and evaluate.
I am of the thought process, catalytic converters are not mufflers and are not restricting. Sure there may be some numbers showing slightly different output levels, like previous post but over all, leave it on or take it off. If anything, you won't have the heat from what a catalytic converter does and it's not muffle.
My results are only seat of the pants, however... I recently replaced a 2013 Street Glide that had Andrews cams and a Thundermax with a 2016 Street Glide that only had Reinhart mufflers changed.
The new one felt noticeably slower (obviously). Very annoying. It had trouble reaching 100 mph passing cars on a 2 lane and I am used to seeing 115 or so. I replaced the head pipe with a Bassani 2x2 pipe (no cat) and added a Thundermax. These are first of the many changes planned. It is noticeably quicker to 100 mph now. This helps confirm what Rigidthumper says about hp above 4000 rpm and air flow. The other thing to consider is all the heat in a catalytic converter. The right side is noticeably cooler at slower speeds. Although, if HD has moved the cats to the mufflers on the newer bikes, it might not be as much of a problem as compared to bikes with the cat in the collector pipe.