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plain and simple...RPW Slash vs Freedom Sharp curves for power?

11K views 34 replies 12 participants last post by  Judge Redd 
#1 ·
Ok, so you can do allot of research and Google all day on exhausts for our bikes. You'll find both of these exhausts mentioned regularly but never in a direct power comparison with one another.

Most of the time we will always read that a 2-1 is always the best for power. For some of us we just can't find that one that we like for our particular style. If you're like me the swept style pipes really appeal. Then we move into the two companies that seemingly build the best dual swepts available.

The freedom pipes are supposed to have a three stage stepped header which makes really good sense but RPW also has a good reputation. What I and many others that are trying to make a decision between these two pipes is which is the overall king of the swepts? From a power standpoint, who can prove which pipe makes the best power?
 
#2 ·
You may want to consider asking one of our premier tuners, based upon their experiences, which pipes generate the best power across the RPM band.
 
#3 ·
I was hoping that one of them would chime in on this thread man.
 
#5 ·
Thanks, Larry. That's still a good looking graph.. I think I could cruise town on 90+ ft-lbs below 3000, lol! Did you go back to .495 cams? I know you had the HP's for a while.
 
#12 ·
Did you go back to .495 cams? I know you had the HP's for a while.
As fate would have it, the bike already had the .495 cams in it... I was told they were swapped for the HPs, but I guess that wasn't exactly true. Took it apart for nothing...

What I DID do was put a timing wheel in it at -2 and re-tune it. Runs perfect on pump gas now, no octane booster, and makes 131.8/138.4 (dyno graph in my signature). Smoother and happier all over.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Jackpot, when I emailed Rylan about exhaust for my upcoming 116 build. Knowing that I have RPWs today, he suggested D&D, Honkers, or possibly Atom Bombs. I just emailed him to find out where RPWs fit in the mix, but I've had idea for some reason that he doesn't think too much of RPWs. By the way, phone calls to Rylan is what he posted as his preferred communications means, but he always answers my emails, usually that day. Boy, Rylans' a great resource, isn't he? - Mike
 
#10 ·
thanks Mike, I may give Rylan a call, I have a Jackpot so my exhaust options are a bit different than yours ya know.
 
#7 ·
My Freedom Performance dual slashs pull 100 ft/lb at 2250 rpm rise steadily to 108 and dont drop under 100 ft/lb till 4250
Thats with a good intake and 4 deg timing
And thats on a 100 cube Vegas.
And they sound really good and look good.
What more could I ask for?
My dyno graph is in the relevant section if you wanna see it.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Hmmmmmm ....interesting to look back in time to before I was 'converted' .......or should that be 'corrupted' to the .495 Cams and Big Bore:devil
I'm certainly corrupted now and hopelessly so:grin
The proof of the pudding is in the riding :ride:

When I first rode the Vegas home on the 1200 mile trip home up the east coast road, I revelled in the Power and Torque of the Victory V-Twin, 100 cube , stock save for Freedom Performance Slash, I.A.V. and a flash.
I loved those pipes, got scornful looks and comments on the many dealership runs I went on, got asked to 'tone it down' when leaving their premises! hehe!:devil

Well now it seems with my latest mods, re the extra cubes and cams, well I have it on good authority that my new combo will be stifled by my FP pipes:crying

At the moment its pulling like a freight train on heat and that's with a fat tune (rich) which @kevinx kindly sent methumb up
thanks mate!
So I'm now researching pipes, I'm booked in for a dynotune this coming Friday and I'm tempted to go ahead with it despite my FP pipes are gonna curtail power around 115hp.
Gonna run the quarter mile on March 10 'Friday Night Lights' regardless of pipes, should get in a good half dozen passes, hopefully more:angel to get a good average.
Had a few practice launches from stop areas on the freeway in the lower gears and she 'hauls arse' just the way she is!
A normal person would be content with the package...but..I'm not 'normal'

I'm still undecided between RPW Slash, Big Slash, and Thor...though kevinx assures me all of those will do the job at the top end, naturally the 2-1 systems would give a better midrange...but hey shes lacking nothing right now!

But from past experience and reading the above old comment, I can see times change, perception changes, situation changes....change is part of life.

My other option is a local guy Pipework Techniques Gold Coast Motorcycle Exhausts
who has very successfully modded a few mates bikes exhausts for better note and presumably power.
I have an appointment to have him look my bike over tomorrow, Monday arvo.
The way we are both thinking is that both the Freedom Perf. and the RPW Slash are similar in shape, the RPW Slash having a start size of 1 3/4" going up to 2 1/4"
whereas the FPs go from same 1 3/4" to 1 7/8" to 2 1/8"...the bends are almost the same, there's no getting around the rear S shape, pipework on a Vic is locked in to a degree at least in the primaries.

What I can see up my FP pipes is a spiral louvre baffle, but without cutting a set up, or getting an endoscope up there I have no idea how far up the baffle goes...OR what type and size baffle the RPW Slash have???
anyone here seen inside either or both???

See my third option, the local guy doing free up surgery on my existing FP pipes would most likely be a cheaper option as in AUSD the Slash is $1225 delivered, the Thor $1319 ....plus a wait of 2-3 weeks for them to arrive..

I'll know more on Monday arvo when I talk to Noel in person, plus I could run at the strip 'test n tune' this wednesday night on kevinx's fat tune with my pipes and bike just the way it is...tempted to..
That'll give be a 'before' for both the tune and the pipes in real world scenario of the 'Black Dyno'
plus it'll give me a 'feel' for how the bikes gonna behave on the strip, as Ive only had a couple of untimed passes when I rode up there with my car club for a session we had booked,.. but the rats had chewed the fibre optics for the xmas tree and timing... so we got flagged off and no times (still fun though)

I'm thinking aloud here and doing research, that's how I ended up back on my old post.
there's tons of sites on exhaust theory online , with pressure waves, reversion, pipe lengths etc but the bottom line is different systems perform differently at different revs...and sound different!
To most people it comes down to looks and sound...feel free to comment on my ravings...
Your opinions may be taken into account
 
#8 ·
The problem here is that OP has a 2010 Jackpot. What pipes work well on a 2010 Jackpot may not work well on a 2004 Touring Cruiser, and of course not on a Vision or Cross bike....because they are different bikes.

Also what works well on a STG1 bike may not work well on a 116 bike - or vice-versa.

So for this particular bike - a stg1 2010 Jackpot either pipe will be fine. I prefer the RPW, but only because I have only dyno'd one steel frame bike with the Freedom exhaust, and really don't have any long-term experience with it. The RPW Slash has been around since 2003 I think and has always been a decent pipe.

Don't get this confused with other RPW pipes for other bikes, and don't get this confused with other Freedom Performance pipes for other bikes. Those results (and my personal opinions) will vary from bike to bike.
 
#9 ·
The problem here is that OP has a 2010 Jackpot. What pipes work well on a 2010 Jackpot may not work well on a 2004 Touring Cruiser, and of course not on a Vision or Cross bike....because they are different bikes.

Also what works well on a STG1 bike may not work well on a 116 bike - or vice-versa.

So for this particular bike - a stg1 2010 Jackpot either pipe will be fine. I prefer the RPW, but only because I have only dyno'd one steel frame bike with the Freedom exhaust, and really don't have any long-term experience with it. The RPW Slash has been around since 2003 I think and has always been a decent pipe

Don't get this confused with other RPW pipes for other bikes, and don't get this confused with other Freedom Performance pipes for other bikes. Those results (and my personal opinions) will vary from bike to bike.

I dont see a problem at all, the OP. Got a Jackpot mines.
Vegas, hes got six more cubes, far as I'm concerned the Freedom Performance are the best, down low at least, only gotta look at my dyno chart to see that.
 
#13 ·
Badass Larry, makes me happy that I took your advice before and went ahead and ordered . 495 cams while I could still get em.
 
#15 ·
Hell yeah brother! Good price on those pipes too.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Yeah you get em under a K over there.
Sound really hot too!
Keep I mind green lines with Ness filter and red lines after fitting Torquetubes and tweaking the PCV on the dyno..
I'd reccomend an intake upgrade as well to fully release the potential of these motors they gotta breathe.
For me the FP Slashs exhale real fine
 
#25 ·
Gpz SOLD!....Zorst time

ok just checked my bank and the moneys in!:smile
took an offer of $2400 on my old historic Superbike, just waiting for transport to pick it up:|
now my finances are back in the black I can blow it all on expensive hookers and roulette or buy the pipes for my Vegas.
Seeing as how I don't gamble and my current lady looks after me quite well the RPW's win out....
Which ones though?.....Googles looking for dyno Big Slash vs Slash vs Thor...............:nerd
 
#27 ·
I like the big slash, they just look Awsome and Apperently 2-in-1 are better then all others (but I like the black ones)

I have the RPW slash but all scratched up coz of a minor accident , I got them for free coz I was the first here who bought a vic....

Andre using TaPaTaLk
 
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#29 ·
hey @half_crazy, my Gpz900r sold and Ive channeled some of the money back into a set of RPW Big Slash pipes!
That way Ive got the nice curve that follow the Vegas curves plus the 2-1 designs low and midrange plus great WOT performance.
Was just looking tryna find those dyno graphs you said were too small, they are so Ive taken the liberty of penning in some details.
It'll be interesting to see if the RPW Big Slash lift my performance past 4500, we will have a back to back comparison when I get it retuned.
Th dropoff in performance is clearer in the 4th gear pull (TOP) Steve made to got around the speed limiter which did cut it anyway
Well here are my amended dyno sheets.
 

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#31 ·
Just digging up the past here, and Yes I did go with RPW Slash and with a proper dynotune by Fred at ProCycle the pipes and tune pulled another 11 horses out of the corral!
Now a coupla years down the track shes still dynamite performance wise!

The Freedom Performance pipes I had before also hit the ground on RH bends and were wearing down but could cause the rear wheel to leave the ground and lose traction in an extreme situation.

So as well as extra Power and Torque I have bonus ground clearance.
The only negative in the RPW Slash is the burn on my right leg.
It had already burnt through my jeans so 2 weeks ago leaving the lights I felt a burn and its healing well...but gotta keep my leg out wider at the lights!
 

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#33 ·
I have 2 rainsuits with holes in them, and my scratched RPW pipes are now wraped in heat wrap, still burned the rainsuit ... Grrrrr Land vehicle Motorcycle Vehicle Automotive tire Car


Andre using TaPaTaLk
 
#34 ·
Yeah, when yr playing with fire ya sometimes get burnt!?
Im not about to go to such measures on my nice chrome pipes, I glued a sleeve off an old leather jacket to my kevlar jeans and if Im wearing anything else I just try to remember to keep my right leg wider....
Problem was exasperated by having the lady that shares my place ,on the back that night, still training her bikewise and had my feet in a bit close to steady the bike at the traffic light.
My kevlar jeans already had the burnt hole thats an RPW trademark , so it was skin on hot stainless pipe and skin came out second best.
Funny thing about a minor burn, by the time you feel it the damage is done!
Upside , Im spraying 70% DMSO solution on it and its healing rapidly?
DimethylSulphOxide...good ****?
 
#35 ·
My RPW Boom Sticks offer excellent performance- they do their part very well. My only minor disappointment is that they do seem awfully hot. I kind of expected them to be cooler after the upgrades & dyno tune.
 
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