D&D 2-into-1 Exhaust Install | Fat Cats & Hogs
A 2-into-1 exhaust is great when it comes to performance enhancements amongst Harley Touring model riders. It’s just physics, people! With that said, D&D Performance in Fort Worth, Texas, has the formula for making stock exhaust pipes run away kicking and screaming thanks to its vast line of aftermarket exhaust pipes, most notably, the Harley Touring Fat Cat 2-into-1 exhaust.
Made for ’95–’14 Harley-Davidson Touring models (this specific P/N 502-32 fits ’07–’08 Touring models), the Fat Cat 2-1 is available in chrome or black and features a stepped header system, which starts at 1-5/8 inch at the heads, then to 1-3/4 inch, to 1-7/8 inch at the collector, until finally stepped at 2-1/2 inches where the header meets the muffler. Because of the intricacies in the stepped design, it’s what’s made the D&D Fat Cat 2-1 a mainstay for Harley baggers and cruisers. The mufflers come available in three different cuts: Straight Cut, Slant Cut, and Back Cut. D&D also knows the popularity of stretched saddlebags and offers longer mufflers for those of you who are into making mods to your bikes (basically, all of you!), and because of this, D&D offers its mufflers in a custom-fit-to-your-specs application if you so desire. You’ll need to do some measuring, but the boys at D&D are just a phone call away and really help make the process of custom ordering very easy.
For cosmetic effect, a lot of guys like the look of true duals but want the added performance of a 2-into-1 exhaust. Well, the folks at D&D offer a Ghost exhaust pipe, which basically acts like a dummy pipe that mounts to the back of the transmission, and bolts up to the left side just like a regular old muffler would. We opted for one of those, too, since our rider fits the aforementioned criteria of liking his cake and eating it, too.
The bike was already outfitted with a high-flow air cleaner so we opted for a TTS MasterTune fuel tuner to get all the performance ducks lined up in a row. We had our ace mechanic Josh Rundlett handle the installation duties while we snapped pics of his handiwork.
We opted for the Harley Touring Fat Cat 2-1 in chrome finish with the Ghost exhaust pipe.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
The 2008 Road King waiting for the new exhaust had already been outfitted with an Xtreme Machine high-performance air cleaner. Now the bike just needed to have the 2-1 performance with a true duals look that the Fat Cat and Ghost provide.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
We rolled the bike on the lift and Josh got started by removing the saddlebags from the King.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Next to come off were the side covers and chrome heat shields from the exhaust.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
A quick turn of the ratchet and the mufflers were taken off and sent to the Terminator reconstruction plant (Beware the T-1000! It’s liquid metal, dude!).
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
As for the stock headers, Josh quickly unbolted the exhaust stud nuts, removed the clips and flanges, and unscrewed the factory oxygen sensors from the ports to be used with the new Fat Cat ports.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Josh lubed the threads of the new Fat Cat bungs with anti-seize to prevent galling of the two metals and then tightened each oxygen sensor down.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Josh quickly attached the factory exhaust flanges and retaining clips and bolted up the Fat Cat head pipe to the cylinder head exhaust ports.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Josh then tightened down the head pipe at the rear, which mounts via supplied mounting bracket onto the transmission trap door. Next, the muffler was slipped onto the head pipe and…
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
…tightened down at the saddlebag mount and where it meets the header pipe.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Here’s a shot of the 2-1 Fat Cat installed before we moved on to installing the Ghost Pipe. Its girthy design definitely looks badass on the bike.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Here’s a shot of the 2-1 Fat Cat installed before we moved on to installing the Ghost Pipe. Its girthy design definitely looks badass on the bike.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Moving on to the left side of the bike, Josh installed the Ghost Pipe and tightened it down to the saddlebag support bracket.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
Here’s a couple shots of the Fat Cat 2-1 and Ghost Pipe installed on the King…
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
…fully equipped and ready for some road miles. But first, we had to see how the D&D pipe would fare on the dyno.
Photo: Jordan Mastagni
