Ok, lots to say about the company, pipes, and EFI controller (AMS). Lets start from the beginning.
I had been looking for a set of pipes for my 2009 Victory Jackpot. I liked the older, longer, swept pipe look Victory produced a few years back. They have since stopped making them, so I had to look elsewhere. I finally found the Hacker Custom Exhaust company, and liked the look of their "Hacker Ripper pipes." After reading reviews about the pipes being great, but the service being bad, I decided to go with them anyway. Here is my experience so far.
THE BAD:
The worst thing about this company is the woman who answers the phones (I would assume owner/manager). Very quirt, condescending, and doesn't care if she has been accommodating or not.
My first issue came when I asked about the military discount I had seen and heard about all over the internet (25% off). She said they didn't offer that anymore and that it was only 10% now. I had thought fine, any discount is a good discount. But, the discount only applies to individual items. If you plan on buying a set of pipes and their EFI controller (AMS), they give a bundle discount and you get the AMS for $140 instead of $240 on its own. So, that washes the military discount down the drain.
My second issue was the time line from when I ordered them to when they were supposed to be delivered. They were coming from California and going to New York. I was told 2-3 weeks. I called every Monday after the date I ordered, and was told "about two more weeks" all the way up to the 4th week. I finally received them 6 weeks after I placed the order. I was also told my credit card wouldn't be charged until the day they shipped them out to me. It was charged two weeks prior to that. At that time, they supposedly hadn't even been sent to the chromer yet. On the 4th week, the woman told me if I wanted them so bad I should just fly to CA and pick them up. When I told her I was in LA and I could be there within the hour, she quickly changed her smart-a$$ tone.
When I received the pipes, there was a tiny nik on the back tip of one of the pipes. Right on the nice angle slice. It isn't very noticeable, but for what they cost, it should be non-existent.
I had also been considering the "quiet option" they offer, since they seemed to be a very loud set of pipes. The quiet option baffles are an extra $20 option on their site. When I asked to have them sent separately (not installed) they went up to $60 dollars. When I asked why, the woman told me it was because the baffles that come in the pipes cost $40 and the quiet option baffles cost $60. So, if I wanted them separate I'd have to pay the $60. I held off and figured if they really were too loud, I could always get them later. This was total BS, as the pipes came with no baffles.
When I installed them the next day along with the AMS, I was having a programming issue. I called Hacker and they couldn't diagnose it, so they gave me the manufacturer's (Dobeck Performance) number. I spoke with a technician, sent a video of the problem, he diagnosed it saying the controller was malfunctioning. He sent me a new unit in two days, I cut the old one off, wired the new one to the initial wiring harness, and had the same problem. He then realized it was a just a setting input problem, and there was nothing wrong with the initial unit in the first place. Could have saved me a few days and some extra work, but at least it's working.
THE GOOD:
The pipes themselves are made very well. The chrome job is great quality. They fit the bike perfectly, and bolt on easily. Very nice, sleek looking pipes.
The electronic fuel injection unit they sell is called the Anger Management System (AMS). The unit itself is small and easily hide able. The wiring harnesses are made well, and provide enough length and play to run the wiring where you need to. The instillation is moderately difficult and a bit tricky. I would definitely recommend two people for the job.
After getting the AMS working correctly, the bike is running well. I get a single pop every now and then on de-acceleration in-between gears, but that's a bout all. From what I understand, it is pretty difficult to get these bikes to run 100% perfect with a non-stock exhaust set up, and these seem to be running pretty well in comparison to some others I have read about. The system comes with recommended AMS settings for your specific bike and pipes, but you can fine tune the settings to your needs.
Lots of people were complimenting the sound of these pipes online, and they were right. They sound great! They have a very nice, deep, throaty sound, that definitely turns heads. They are on the loud side, so if you aren't looking to set off some car alarms, I would consider the quiet option. I happen to like the sound/volume so I'm gonna stick with it for now J
CONCLUSION:
The customer service department at this company is very unprofessional and leaves a lot to be desired. But, the quality of the pipes themselves is great. So, if you really like the look and sound of the pipes, it may be worth your while to stick it out get yourself some Hacker Rippers.
I had been looking for a set of pipes for my 2009 Victory Jackpot. I liked the older, longer, swept pipe look Victory produced a few years back. They have since stopped making them, so I had to look elsewhere. I finally found the Hacker Custom Exhaust company, and liked the look of their "Hacker Ripper pipes." After reading reviews about the pipes being great, but the service being bad, I decided to go with them anyway. Here is my experience so far.
THE BAD:
The worst thing about this company is the woman who answers the phones (I would assume owner/manager). Very quirt, condescending, and doesn't care if she has been accommodating or not.
My first issue came when I asked about the military discount I had seen and heard about all over the internet (25% off). She said they didn't offer that anymore and that it was only 10% now. I had thought fine, any discount is a good discount. But, the discount only applies to individual items. If you plan on buying a set of pipes and their EFI controller (AMS), they give a bundle discount and you get the AMS for $140 instead of $240 on its own. So, that washes the military discount down the drain.
My second issue was the time line from when I ordered them to when they were supposed to be delivered. They were coming from California and going to New York. I was told 2-3 weeks. I called every Monday after the date I ordered, and was told "about two more weeks" all the way up to the 4th week. I finally received them 6 weeks after I placed the order. I was also told my credit card wouldn't be charged until the day they shipped them out to me. It was charged two weeks prior to that. At that time, they supposedly hadn't even been sent to the chromer yet. On the 4th week, the woman told me if I wanted them so bad I should just fly to CA and pick them up. When I told her I was in LA and I could be there within the hour, she quickly changed her smart-a$$ tone.
When I received the pipes, there was a tiny nik on the back tip of one of the pipes. Right on the nice angle slice. It isn't very noticeable, but for what they cost, it should be non-existent.
I had also been considering the "quiet option" they offer, since they seemed to be a very loud set of pipes. The quiet option baffles are an extra $20 option on their site. When I asked to have them sent separately (not installed) they went up to $60 dollars. When I asked why, the woman told me it was because the baffles that come in the pipes cost $40 and the quiet option baffles cost $60. So, if I wanted them separate I'd have to pay the $60. I held off and figured if they really were too loud, I could always get them later. This was total BS, as the pipes came with no baffles.
When I installed them the next day along with the AMS, I was having a programming issue. I called Hacker and they couldn't diagnose it, so they gave me the manufacturer's (Dobeck Performance) number. I spoke with a technician, sent a video of the problem, he diagnosed it saying the controller was malfunctioning. He sent me a new unit in two days, I cut the old one off, wired the new one to the initial wiring harness, and had the same problem. He then realized it was a just a setting input problem, and there was nothing wrong with the initial unit in the first place. Could have saved me a few days and some extra work, but at least it's working.
THE GOOD:
The pipes themselves are made very well. The chrome job is great quality. They fit the bike perfectly, and bolt on easily. Very nice, sleek looking pipes.
The electronic fuel injection unit they sell is called the Anger Management System (AMS). The unit itself is small and easily hide able. The wiring harnesses are made well, and provide enough length and play to run the wiring where you need to. The instillation is moderately difficult and a bit tricky. I would definitely recommend two people for the job.
After getting the AMS working correctly, the bike is running well. I get a single pop every now and then on de-acceleration in-between gears, but that's a bout all. From what I understand, it is pretty difficult to get these bikes to run 100% perfect with a non-stock exhaust set up, and these seem to be running pretty well in comparison to some others I have read about. The system comes with recommended AMS settings for your specific bike and pipes, but you can fine tune the settings to your needs.
Lots of people were complimenting the sound of these pipes online, and they were right. They sound great! They have a very nice, deep, throaty sound, that definitely turns heads. They are on the loud side, so if you aren't looking to set off some car alarms, I would consider the quiet option. I happen to like the sound/volume so I'm gonna stick with it for now J
CONCLUSION:
The customer service department at this company is very unprofessional and leaves a lot to be desired. But, the quality of the pipes themselves is great. So, if you really like the look and sound of the pipes, it may be worth your while to stick it out get yourself some Hacker Rippers.
