The Loudest Harley Davidson Fishtail Exhausts in 2023

This is our buying guide on the loudest Harley Davidson Fishtail Exhausts in 2023. Below is a quick summary of our top recommendations. Scroll further down to read in depth, hands on reviews for each exhaust.

BUDGET LOUDEST

Harley Motorcycle Fishtail Exhaust

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• Iron construction
• Chrome finish
• Loudest sounding fishtail exhaust for Harleys
• Throaty, high pitched exhaust note
• Long enough to stick out behind saddlebags
• Budget-friendly price
• Classic styling
• Universal compatibility
• Easy to install
• Fishtails are aggressive

Overall LOUDEST

Vance & Hines 3” Fishtail Exhaust

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• Sturdy metal design
• Best in class build quality
• Chrome finish
• Almost 34 inches in length
• Stepped up muffler bodies
• Louvered core baffles
• Loud and high pitched sound
• Compatible with all V&H header pipes
• 220-degree coverage heat shields
• Anti-blue surface coating

WORTHY CONSIDERATION

SHARKROAD Chrome Fishtail

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• Stainless steel build
• Chrome finish
• Precise welding
• No leaks
• 36-inch length
• Fishtails extend further behind the bike
• Fishtails are part of the pipe and not separate endcaps
• Budget-friendly
• One of the loudest Harley fishtail exhausts
• High pitched sound that can be heard for miles around

This article delves into the world of the loudest fishtail exhausts for Harley Davidson motorcycles.

We love Harley fishtail exhausts for their crackly, throaty sound. Not to mention, they add a unique, retro look to your bike that looks effortlessly cool. We tested a wide variety of the loudest fishtail exhausts for Harleys to see how they perform, sound, and look. 

Vance & Hines’ 3” Fishtail Slip-on for Harleys packs all the retro style you could ask for. Moreover, it has that loud, high-pitched fishtail sound with a classic V&H spin. And like any Vance & Hines pipe, it is built to last beyond the life of the bike. 

In our 20-year motorcycle riding career, we have tested some of the loudest Harley fishtail exhausts. Now, we want to help you make the best use of your money and get a fishtail exhaust that looks and performs best. 

Keep reading for more information on the loudest Harley fishtail exhausts.

IMPORTANT! – Make sure you have the correct sizing and fitment so you don’t waste your money.

Vance & Hines might as well be the default exhaust for Harleys, and their loud fishtail offering is no different. If you want a loud, high-pitched sound and superb styling, V&H’s 3” slip-on is the one to have.

If there’s one thing Vance & Hines excel at, it is their exhaust systems’ build quality and durability. This loud fishtail style slip-on for Harleys comes with an all-metal build finished in beautiful chrome. The steel is designed to hold up to the highest temperatures and exhaust pressure.

In fact, these Harley fishtail slip-ons have a unique ‘anti-bluing’ surface. This ensures your shiny new exhaust does not discolor or become dull over the course of thousands of heat cycles. Another ‘cool’ addition is the integrated heat shield that provides 220-degree coverage, so you don’t get excess exhaust heat on your legs while riding.

The entire slip-on comes in at just a hair shy of 34 inches in length. We tested the exhausts with a couple of different Harley models and found them to work really well with most. The slip-ons don’t stick out as far behind the bike as we would have liked, but they definitely improve over stock.

Moving on to the fishtails themselves, you have an aggressive fin design. It has a nice curve that really accentuates the fishtail look. That same design also helps the exhaust deliver higher volume and a more crackly exhaust note.

Speaking of the exhaust note, we are absolutely in love with the loud and raucous sound. It isn’t technically the loudest Harley fishtail exhaust, but boy, is it a close second! The exhaust design uses stepped-up muffler bodies and a louvered core baffle to give a throatier, louder sounding exhaust note. If you want deeper sounding exhaust, maybe skip this. But if you want a loud, high-pitched Harley fishtail exhaust, the Vance & Hines are the go-to.

As for performance, these slip-ons won’t give you the most noticeable bump in power. However, pair these bad boys with some V&H header pipes, and you’ve got a nice performance cruiser or bagger. In fact, we tried this pairing and are happy to report that the full system works insanely well.

So that’s Vance & Hines’ Fishtail slip-on for Harleys. It isn’t the loudest Harley fishtail on this list but still holds its own. The design is timeless and looks right at home on cruisers and touring bikes alike. Really, the biggest advantage of this fishtail Harley exhaust is that it’s a Vance & Hines, so the build quality is unbeatable.

Sharkroad’s Harley Fishtail exhaust provides loud acoustics, a sleek design, and a well-made slip-on style muffler for the budget-conscious. You won’t get the same build quality as the V&H, but the price tag is also more palatable.

We were surprised to find one of the loudest fishtail exhausts for Harleys at this price point. But before we get into the sound, let’s talk about the design. Unlike the V&H, these budget fishtails measure about 36 inches across. Those extra few inches are precisely what you need to complete the extended fishtail look.

These loud fishtail exhausts are also long enough to be visible on baggers and bikes with saddlebags. In fact, the fishtails extend a good 2-3 inches behind the bike. And unlike the V&H, the Sharkroad forgoes fishtail end caps in favor of an unbroken line from one end to the other.

As for the build of this budget fishtail slip-on, it is insanely well put together. We did not notice any leaks or creaking in the stainless steel construction. The welds are precise and do not look at all out of place. We are also fans of the brilliant chrome finish. Expect to get some bluing over time, but with our handy guide, nothing you can’t remove.

Moving on to the sound, we have to say we are pretty impressed. These are definitely some of the loudest fishtail exhausts for Harleys and have a unique, high-pitched exhaust note that you can easily hear from a couple miles away. It is a thunderous sound that verges on being unbearable close up. These are easily the loudest Harley Fishtail exhausts on the market right now.

In fact, we would recommend getting a dB killer or other accessories to help quiet down the exhaust. With the stock exhaust configuration, you will definitely be breaking a couple noise regulations! And if you are planning on putting these pipes on your Touring bike, the loud fishtail exhaust note may become annoying after a couple hundred miles.

Lastly, Harley’s loud slip-on style fishtail exhaust will not result in any noticeable power-ups. That is pretty much par for the course with slip-ons. If you want to get some more’ oomph!’ out of your Harley, pair these fishtails with some aftermarket headers. Another drawback is that these slip-ons only fit Harley models 2017 and up, so keep that in mind.

So that’s the Sharkroad Fishtail slip-on for Harleys. It is a budget-friendly option and one of the loudest fishtails for Harleys. It has a loud, ear-splitting exhaust note. The build is pretty good for the price, and the styling is undeniably retro. All around, a fantastic pair of loud Harley fishtail exhausts.

This universal option is worth a second look if you’re looking for the loudest Harley fishtail exhaust. The biggest advantage of this slip-on is that it will fit most any Harley. Oh, and it has a rowdy exhaust note that is loud enough to wake the dead!

First things first, how does this loud Harley fishtail exhaust sound? Well, suffice to say, it is one of the loudest Harley fishtail exhausts we have tested. The exhaust note is aggressive and grunty, as you would expect. It makes a high-pitched whine with every crack of the throttle. But at the same time, it has a deep and gurgly sound at idle.

Overall, we were pretty impressed by how loud this Harley fishtail exhaust is. In fact, it is the loudest Harley fishtail exhaust that is also universally compatible with the vast majority of bikes in their lineup.

It does have its drawbacks, though. For one, the build quality isn’t the best. It uses iron instead of high-quality stainless steel or aluminum. Iron is more susceptible to rust and corrosion. Furthermore, while we didn’t have any issues during testing, iron just doesn’t hold up as well to high exhaust temperatures and pressure.

We are confident that the exhaust won’t give you any issues as it held up really well to all the abuse we threw its way.

Moving on to the design, we are happy to report that this is a fishtail exhaust through and through. The styling is clean and simple, without any extra frills to ruin the look. The end caps have a sleek fin design that looks effortlessly cool.

The pipe is also long enough to stick out further behind the bike, even if you have saddlebags installed. In fact, we ended up scraping the pipes on some large bumps in the road, but that’s the price you pay for style.

Finally, if you are looking for a performance boost, you’ll have to look elsewhere. This slip-on does little to boost power in any meaningful way. You might be able to extract some extra power by pairing this slip-on with some aftermarket headers and a nice tune, but that’s pretty much the size of it.

Really, the biggest advantage of this slip-on is the fact that it is universally compatible and will even fit non-Harley models. It is also one of the loudest fishtails exhausts for Harleys, and the price tag is pretty reasonable for what you’re getting.

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