Cat Removal Questions

Jul 17, 2013
443
56
Winfield, WV
Name
Recall
I have searched and can not find a thread on how to remove the Cats from the stock pipes on a 2015 Tri Glide. My previous ride Victory X-Country Tour, I just dropped the mufflers and pulled the Cats out of each pipe. I want to do the same thing with the Tri Glide, I just cannot find anything. I have searched to no avail!

If I just pull the cats out, will I need to install a tuner or will the ECM be able to handle this one change? I want to help with the heat issues, but hold off until fall before I change out the full exhaust system and install a tuner.

The big plan is to do exhaust and tuner this fall then add cams before the start of next riding season.

Any thoughts or help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
It's a little more entailed then just pulling the cat out. The area on the header where the pipes come together is where the cat is located. You have to cut that area open dig the cat out then re-weld that area back together. Yes a tune will have to be done, because you will have seriously changed the flow of the header pipe.

- - - Updated - - -

Also if you are going to add a cam wait and do it at the same time. You want a cam that is designed for lowend torque. The TTS-100 is one nice choice. If you read the postings on the forum there are a couple of other ones also recommended.
 
I left the cats in our: '09, 11, and 14 Tri-Glides, and '15 Freewheeler. Figured they were fast and powerful enough. Major pain to trade in a de-catted bike, trike, or car in California.
 
I left the cats in our: '09, 11, and 14 Tri-Glides, and '15 Freewheeler. Figured they were fast and powerful enough. Major pain to trade in a de-catted bike, trike, or car in California.

99% of the folks who remove the cats are doing so for cooling, removing the cat does very little for the power. It's not like 1974 when they 1st came out with catalytic converters on cars and they choked off the exhaust, and removing them gained you some decent power. These days the catalytic converters are quite free flowing, they may not look it, but they are.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. For the moment, I was wanting to get rid of some heat as the hottest part of summer is upon us. I was hoping there would be a simple solution for the CAT removal and not need a tune with just the one mod.

The end game is exhaust, A/C, cams and tuner. I am not looking to do a major build, just get the biggest bang for the buck and keep her reliable and ride able. I have not been able to locate a good Indy/tuner in my area, so this complicates things a bit.

I am still researching and deciding on what combination (exhaust, A/C, mufflers, cams, and tuner) I am going to go with. I really like what I have read about theTTS100 cams. I want to see what those who have them installed think at the end of the season. Fullsac seems to be the header of choice at the moment too. Time and knowledge from those who have made the mods will factor into the decision of the combination that works the best for both reliability and performance.

Thanks again for the insight. Any further thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
Fullsac headers is a very good choice but there are others out there. I went with the Fuelpac FP3 for a tuner. It has autotune and can use your smart phone to dial it in. A/C, I think stock is pretty good but I went with S&S as I like the looks. Good slip on mufflers of choice. I havent done the cam yet. I have enough power and happy with the way it runs now. You can do the extented floor boards to get your foot out away from the exhaust pipe. I still get a little heat from the exhaust even after putting on a Fullsac headers but you have to remember the pipes are close to your foot, cat or no cat. My foot starts feeling the heat after a fews hours of riding, hiway pegs.

Get your foot out in the wind.
 
Fullsac headers is a very good choice but there are others out there. I went with the Fuelpac FP3 for a tuner. It has autotune and can use your smart phone to dial it in. A/C, I think stock is pretty good but I went with S&S as I like the looks. Good slip on mufflers of choice. I havent done the cam yet. I have enough power and happy with the way it runs now. You can do the extented floor boards to get your foot out away from the exhaust pipe. I still get a little heat from the exhaust even after putting on a Fullsac headers but you have to remember the pipes are close to your foot, cat or no cat. My foot starts feeling the heat after a fews hours of riding, hiway pegs.

Get your foot out in the wind.

Did the heat move down from your thigh to your foot after the change? Just about ready to change out the headpipe as the heat on my right thigh is more than I like with the Summer heat.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. For the moment, I was wanting to get rid of some heat as the hottest part of summer is upon us. I was hoping there would be a simple solution for the CAT removal and not need a tune with just the one mod.

The end game is exhaust, A/C, cams and tuner. I am not looking to do a major build, just get the biggest bang for the buck and keep her reliable and ride able. I have not been able to locate a good Indy/tuner in my area, so this complicates things a bit.

I am still researching and deciding on what combination (exhaust, A/C, mufflers, cams, and tuner) I am going to go with. I really like what I have read about theTTS100 cams. I want to see what those who have them installed think at the end of the season. Fullsac seems to be the header of choice at the moment too. Time and knowledge from those who have made the mods will factor into the decision of the combination that works the best for both reliability and performance.

Thanks again for the insight. Any further thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Not sure how far your willing to travel, I also know nothing about this dealer except they have the DJ250ix which is the dyno needed to tune a trike.

They are about 160 miles from you.

Buckminn's Harley-Davidson

1213 Cincinnati Drive

Xenia, OH 45385

937-346-3344
 
Not sure how far your willing to travel, I also know nothing about this dealer except they have the DJ250ix which is the dyno needed to tune a trike. They are about 160 miles from you.

Buckminn's Harley-Davidson
1213 Cincinnati Drive
Xenia, OH 45385
937-346-3344

I am willing to travel for a good tuner. Took my X-Country to Gainesville, FL to one of the best tuners around. Just want to be sure it is worth the trip. Besides, it is a good excuse for a road trip.
 

I was just talking to a guy after I made my last post. he has a nephew with a welding business. He thinks that the nephew could cut a pocket in the pipe and remove the cat for me. I have to wait until Monday to find out for sure though. Might be the way for me to go and the cost will be much less than buying a cat less pipe from someone.
 
I was just talking to a guy after I made my last post. he has a nephew with a welding business. He thinks that the nephew could cut a pocket in the pipe and remove the cat for me. I have to wait until Monday to find out for sure though. Might be the way for me to go and the cost will be much less than buying a cat less pipe from someone.


WindyOne The factory header is a good configuration for up to mild tuning. So if you are just caming for low torque, a/c and mufflers the stock de catted header should do just fine. You will need a good tune to bring it all together. Good luck.
 
All I had planned on doing to this trike was the AC, headpipe, PV tuner, and maybe, not sure yet a different stock type muffler for quiet operation.
 
All I had planned on doing to this trike was the AC, headpipe, PV tuner, and maybe, not sure yet a different stock type muffler for quiet operation.

Try it with the stock mufflers after you decat the header but before you tune. There is a tone change that if you are not looking for load just deep you may like it. Also I have had some people just have the stock mufflers baffles opened up by removing the blocking plugs to allow straight thru flow. Makes a nice sound also.
 
Did the heat move down from your thigh to your foot after the change? Just about ready to change out the headpipe as the heat on my right thigh is more than I like with the Summer heat.

If I in am bumper bumper traffic, that rear cyclinder gets warm. I have my EITMS turned off. Maybe, might be better on for riding around in the city but I live on the Coast so the temps are milder. Plus I don't care for the wierd sound when it EITMS shuts off the read cyclinder. But back to your question, yes the heat is more around my boot. Now I don't wear shorts and I don't wear tennis shoes. I have been down a few times on my bikes in the past 40 years and the asplalt doesn't take too kindly to human flesh. So for me, it is old riding habits. Rode 800 miles last summer on a trip and rode pretty comfortable I think.
 
Thanks for the pics of the cat location and removal. Definitely didn't make it easy to get too.

Thats why most do the after market headers or buy them from some one who decats the headers. Either way, you need to get that heat down to make it a comfortable ride.
 
I guess I will just run it stock until this fall. Maybe I can hear some different slip-ons in SEP and just do the tuner, header, A/C, and slip-ons after the riding season is over. Still want to run it with that configuration then add the cam later. I just don't want to add something now to have to replace later. Rather do it once and right the first time.

Thanks for all the informative responses.

- - - Updated - - -

Thats why most do the after market headers or buy them from some one who decats the headers. Either way, you need to get that heat down to make it a comfortable ride.

Heat reduction is the primary issue for now. We were in Maggie Valley in the middle of June, when the temps were in the 90's. It wasn't bad while moving, but a little time in traffic, got uncomfortable quick.
 

Your little flow test did prove it flows pretty well. A while back I bumped into a thread on another site about dyno numbers with a cat on a big engine. A mechanic had tuned a 124" S&S engine with the cat in the head pipe, he found it didn't cost much torque, and the HP difference wasn't real huge either.

The moral of the story is the cat doesn't hurt performance, it just cooks the rider.

When you talk of reaction, that is what is happening. The more active the reaction, the hotter the cat will run. If a person puts a tuner on and richens the AFR, it will cause the cat to run warmer. Richen the AFR enough and you can cause the cat to run hot enough to fuse.
 
2014 w/10K+ miles - I'm going to de-cat an extra new takeoff head-pipe I have. You all talk about how well the cat flows. I really don't understand why I would need a change in tune if I am keeping the stock mufflers and air cleaner. The system is designed to be able to compensate for changes in altitude (air density). I know of many people, including myself, who have made changes to their auto exhaust with no tuning ... and no ill effects.

I am considering either the nightrider FL-AF-XIED-10 http://sales.nightrider.com/fl-af-xied-10.html
or the FL-VIED-10 http://sales.nightrider.com/fl-vied-10.html

As I see them the difference is that the more expensive unit has the ability to richen from 14.6 to 13.6 where the cheaper unit is 14.6 to 14.4 to 14.0

I seriously doubt I will ever do any major mods (we are very happy with the stock performance ... just want less foot heat for the wife) .... and if I was to do major mods I would do everything correctly including a full blown tuner.

My question is .... which of the 2 units would you recommend as I've read here that most only go to the 50% setting or less.

Thanks,

Bob :Dorag:
 
I was just talking to a guy after I made my last post. he has a nephew with a welding business. He thinks that the nephew could cut a pocket in the pipe and remove the cat for me. I have to wait until Monday to find out for sure though. Might be the way for me to go and the cost will be much less than buying a cat less pipe from someone.


I had an extra head pipe from a previous TG. I just cut a window in it and dug out the cat. Made sure I got it all out using a dremel grinder, flushed it out with a water hose and welded window back. Put it on my FW. Sounds a little deeper and runs cooler.
 
2014 w/10K+ miles - I'm going to de-cat an extra new takeoff head-pipe I have. You all talk about how well the cat flows. I really don't understand why I would need a change in tune if I am keeping the stock mufflers and air cleaner. The system is designed to be able to compensate for changes in altitude (air density). I know of many people, including myself, who have made changes to their auto exhaust with no tuning ... and no ill effects. I am considering either the nightrider FL-AF-XIED-10 http://sales.nightrider.com/fl-af-xied-10.html or the FL-VIED-10 http://sales.nightrider.com/fl-vied-10.html As I see them the difference is that the more expensive unit has the ability to richen from 14.6 to 13.6 where the cheaper unit is 14.6 to 14.4 to 14.0 I seriously doubt I will ever do any major mods (we are very happy with the stock performance ... just want less foot heat for the wife) .... and if I was to do major mods I would do everything correctly including a full blown tuner. My question is ....

which of the 2 units would you recommend as I've read here that most only go to the 50% setting or less. Thanks, Bob :Dorag:

Bob if thats all your doing then you do not have to tune. I did the de-cat on my neighbors trike only nothing else done and he is happy with it. Runs great and like all ready mentioned a little deeper muffler sound. Have fun Ted
 
Bob if thats all your doing then you do not have to tune. I did the de-cat on my neighbors trike only nothing else done and he is happy with it. Runs great and like all ready mentioned a little deeper muffler sound. Have fun Ted

So if I understand correctly, I can just decat the header with everything else being stock and not have to tune?
 

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