Zard - "Sound Is Not Just a Detail"
Italian exhaust manufacturer Zard is internationally respected for its craftsmanship, attention to detail and sound management - "sound is not a detail". The company's new range of Euro 5+ homologated M8 exhausts 2025-2026 Touring and Softail applications features 2-into1 performance systems and a line of Touring platform Slip-ons.
"Three product families, one artisanal philosophy," says CEO Giulia Gherlone. "Our 2-into-1 'Full Kit' for Grand American Touring and CVO models, and Softail specific 'Full Kit' 2-into-1 for all three (Classic, Custom and High Output) versions of the Softail 117 engine are complemented by Slip-Ons for all Harley M8 Touring and Softail applications.
"This is the most extensive collection Zard has ever dedicated to Harley-Davidson applications and is the result of a long-term R&D investment with the exhausts entirely designed and handcrafted at our Baldichieri d'Asti (AT), Italy headquarters factory.
"Long noted for Italian design excellence and artisanal production of premium motorcycle exhaust, this is the most ambitious and complete exhaust range ever created for the Harley-Davidson market - a new Euro 5+ homologated collection that, for the first time, embraces the entire Softail, Grand American Touring, and CVO lineup (2025-2026).
'a designed acoustic signature'
"Some motorcycles are not just ridden but also listened to and Zard's engineers have been listening since 1989 founded manufacturer GP Tecnica established its Zard brand in 2005. For Zard, sound is not just a detail, not a secondary effect. It is identity. It is culture."
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| Full Kit for Lowrider S |
The Euro 5+ regulation updates represented a Paradigm Shift that has required the exhaust aftermarket to embrace a radical change in approach. It is not simply a matter of stricter emission limits: it is a new way of measuring, analyzing, and certifying.
"More complex tests, dynamic controls, parameters that go beyond the laboratory with tighter limits on acceleration dB levels, cold-start emissions, and long-term behavior. The Zard team worked on every element: geometries, volumes, flows. The internal chambers are no longer simple tubes, but precision instruments. Back pressure is not a compromise, but a variable to be controlled and finessed."
The integration of more advanced catalysts brought additional challenges - temperature, efficiency, positioning. "Every choice influences the behavior of the engine. Especially on platform architectures like Harley's, where low-end torque is an integral part of the riding experience.
"We did not choose between performance and the law. We chose both."
Guilia says that the true revolution was not about lowering the volume. "It was about rethinking the sound." Making less noise is one thing she says, but maintaining character within strict limits is another.
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| Full kit for Street Glide |
"We worked on frequencies, not just decibels. On depth, not just intensity. The result is not a reduced sound, but a controlled, full, recognizable sound - a designed acoustic signature. In a market where aftermarket products often sacrifice quality for immediate impact, the difference lies in creating a sonic experience that is not flat but remains true to the original spirit. We learned to design silence without taking away the voice."
The offering is structured into three product families, each designed by the Zard Design Center and entirely handcrafted at the Baldichieri d'Asti facility. All available in Euro 5+ homologated version with TÜV certification and in racing version.
The 2-into1 'Full Kit' for Softails is compatible with the Low Rider ST, Low Rider S and Street Bob (2025-2026). Made entirely in AISI 304 stainless steel with heat shield, the complete exhaust system consisting of headers, short cone silencer, and CNC machined black anodized aluminum end cap with Zard logo tag. Available finishes include satin, mirror-polished and black Cerakote.
'we worked on frequencies, not just decibels'
Performance data (e.g. Street Bob): up to +3.9 HP in the racing version and +1.8 HP in the Euro 5+ version, with weight reduction of up to -1.1 kg compared to the stock system.
The 2-into1 'Full Kit' for Grand American Touring / CVO is compatible with Street Glide, Road Glide, Road King Special, CVO Street Glide, CVO Road Glide, CVO Road Glide ST, Road Glide Limited, Street Glide Limited, Street Glide Ultra, CVO Street Glide Limited, CVO Street Glide ST (2025-2026).
Also made entirely in AISI 304 stainless steel with heat shield, this kit also consists of short cone silencer, and CNC-machined black anodized aluminum end cap with satin, matte black Cerakote, and mirror-polished finishes.
Performance data: weight saving of up to -9.5 kg in the racing version compared to the stock exhaust, with a real engine performance increase of up to +4 HP.
The Grand American Touring / CVO Slip-ons are compatible with Street Glide, Road Glide, Road King Special, CVO Street Glide, CVO Road Glide, CVO Road Glide ST, Road Glide Limited, Street Glide Limited, Street Glide Ultra, CVO Street Glide Limited, CVO Street Glide ST (2025-2026).
"A bolt-on solution for immediate installation, with no need for ECU remapping, each pair of silencers is entirely handcrafted in AISI 304 stainless steel, with CNC machined black anodized aluminum end cap." Lighter than the stock system, with a significant increase in peak power and torque, we have engineered delivery of the same characteristically deep, full Zard sound into the Slip-ons.
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| Slip-on range for touring |
"Euro 5+ homologation is not a bureaucratic endpoint," says Guilia, "It is a technical achievement. It is proof that one can evolve without losing identity, that one can innovate without betraying what makes a motorcycle unique.
"For us, every exhaust homologated for Harley-Davidson represents a balance achieved between passion, engineering, and respect for the rules. It is not just compliance. It is competence. And above all, it is proof that even within limits, one can continue to make something that is recognizable at first listen."
ZARD S.R.L.
www.zardlab.com
