Hello all... I have read and read some more on topics about whether or not to gut the 2008 headers. I have some vacation time this weekend and want to take care of some projects (ie. pull flies, plug pair) and figured I might as well take care of some other things while I'm at it.

I just wanted to get some more up to date feedback on whether or not gutting the header of my 2008 will be worth while. Based on my understanding so far I am not expected to gain much if any performance, but will lose some heat (although I have read mixed reviews about the performance piece).

I am aware a full system is the way to go and that will be my a gift to my self next year, but in the mean time any and all opinions would be appreciated.

I currently have Coffman's shorty exhaust, PC3, and K&N Filter.

Thank You.

Here are a few steps down the road to be concerned about:

PAIR Removal:

1. Causes more carbon buildup from the exhaust valve to port to pipe to cat honeycombs.
2. Carbon will now build on the honeycombs, the carbon holds in heat, cause the cat to cool down and close down the holes.
3. The cat comes out to stop the carbon buildup.

Pipe Cutting:

A. Knoway hosesay could you reengineer the muffler gutting and make an improvement? I'm all ears.
B. The gutting will cause a louder sound, less bottom end torque.
C. To quiet the pipe, install, literally, a roller bearing with said I/D choice of the center hole of the bearing. This will quiet down the pipe. You'll never reinstall the cloth material used, nor keep it from blowing out.
D. I have a gutted 2008 pipe for the 14. You can have it for the cost of shipping. See for yourself so you save all that trouble wasting a pipe.

How do you like the Coffman shorty's? I'm thinking of getting them. How much louder are they over stock?

Pick up an '06-'07 header and some appropriate slip-ons. It's already clear of a clogging cat.

What are you gutting? Unless they put a cat in the 08 US spec header?? My 07 and my 12 did not have anything. No cat, free flowing.

I believe the 08-09 models have a third cat in the header. At least that's what I've read from my research on the topic so far. It seems as though it's best to leave it be for now until I can get a full system. I may look into the 06-07 header idea though.

Would anyone happen to know where I can find the gasket for 08 exhaust on an 06-07 header?

As for the Coffman's, I love them. Very well made, very nice sound. They are MUCH louder than stock with no baffles (that's how I run them). However, they do come with a baffle and a "suppressor" which will quiet them down a pretty well if you're not into the loud shorty sound (still louder than stock though).

Oh yes, and I'm officially flies out guy. The task was the easiest I've done so far actually. Went for a nice ride before hand and they came right out (no heating of the screw driver needed).

Thanks once again to all those who take time to post the How - Tos it is greatly appreciated.

Here is the trivia before I forget.

2006 - 2007 Header

1. No cat
2. Small diameter pipes
3. Uses a thicker mid-gasket. Why? Because the muffler end is the same diameter for any year 2006 to 2011, so a slip will be good for any year up to 2011. However, the I/D of the gasket first 2 years is different. So, yes, you can fit an '06-'07 header on any year 2008 to 2011.

2008 - 2011 Header

1. Has cat
2. Larger diameter header for the cat insert so things are even up as when mother tea said we will add 1 more hp to the bike, we think that you think the pipe is not going to flow? Hello?
3. Takes a thinner diameter gasket. Why? because the header tip is larger is its I/D. So that means, you cannot swap an '06 gasket to an '08 header.

If you are looking for an '06 header: $50.00 plus shipping. You want the gutted muffler, just pay for shipping, it's yours. If you want a 4-in-1, close the other header end with plumbing parts, run the gutted pipe alone.

Hey, how to I best go about gutting the cats out of my stock cannons?

nasty, you'd have to saw at the pipe side, not the tip side. That means you'd have to weld the circumference of the muffler back up like you took the first slice of a hard peperoni sausage, weld that end piece back up. Unless you rather hammer out what you can get at via the open end pipe.

IMO, it's not worth it. If you just want to take a long bar, bust a hole thru whatever you can get, that will be most of what you can punch out, but you now collapse more of the honeycomb and sort of defeat the propose of clogging up more flow due to the neighboring collapses. Get it?

That's what I was thinking. Fuck trying to weld it back together that way it was.

Just save $$ and get a race exhaust.