Question 1

Does straight pipe exhaust add horsepower to motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you are starting with and what your motor setup is. For most typical street setups where you are running a modified engine made to be run on the street, your best performance option is usually going to be a 2 into 1 exhaust system. These systems help balance out the pressure on V-Twin applications producing the right amount of back pressure your engine needs to perform. If you are running a heavily modified engine made for racing, then a straight pipe exhaust system may be a good option. Typically, a straight pipe exhaust system will add horsepower over your average stock exhaust system.

Question 2

Does exhaust pipe length affect sound?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Shorter exhaust pipes are usually much louder than longer pipes. As the sound waves travel through an exhaust pipe, the sound waves bounce off the inside of the pipe. This means the sound waves become less powerful when they run into an obstacle. The more deflection there is, the quieter the sound waves will get. The longer exhaust pipes will make the exhaust quieter and typically lower the tone of the exhaust note.

Question 3

If I have problems during installation, what is the best way to get technical help?

Accepted Answer

There are few ways you can obtain help with an installation. First option is to check out the motorcycle how-to videos on our blog. We spend a lot of time and effort to create how to videos that will walk you through many of the installation procedures step-by-step. We also offer free motorcycle technical support for our customers. If you are installing a part you purchased from Lowbrow Customs, send us a message or just call us at 1-800-935-5050. We will be happy to help you through your installation process! Finally, for those of us who are a little on the non-social side, you can also text us at 1-800-935-5050. Just be sure to include all the details needed for us to help you with your issue.

Question 4

What diameter exhaust piping should I use? Is bigger tubing always better?

Accepted Answer

Bigger tubing is not always better. First it will change the sound of your exhaust, wider motorcycle exhaust tubing tends to be louder but with a lower tone. If you don’t modify your bank so you can bring more air in, you don’t really get a benefit for adding more air going out. Typically, it is the best practice to stick with the same size tubing your motorcycle came with unless you are planning to are a considerable amount of displacement to your cylinders. Your engine was developed to run with the stock diameter exhaust. It’s usually best to use that diameter exhaust even if you are doing some street modifications to your bike.

Question 5

What’s Lowbrow Customs' best performing pipe? Loudest?

Accepted Answer

The best performing pipe we sell depends on the bike that the pipe is being installed on. Typically, a 2 into 1 pipe will provide the best performance for most applications. If your bike has a multitude of significant engine modifications such as a big bore kit, high compression pistons or a performance Harley cam, then a straight pipe exhaust system may have a slight performance advantage. A shorter pipe will be louder than a long pipe. It is important to remember that a loud pipe does not necessarily mean better performance.