Hey Memphis, sorry to hear about your accident.  Sounds like you are recovering well.

 

The headers used to have a ceramic coating applied to reduce heat.  I think it ended around 2016-17.  If you peak behind the heat shield, you can see grey on the headers.  Instead, if you see blue pipe, no coating.  Being a 2018 model, I suspect you will not have that coating.  The cat removal can assist with the heat, depending on the tune.

 

If you fit the Freedom pipes on your cat-free headers, as long as you get the Indian Stage 1 tune (pipes and air cleaner version), it should be more or less within the tuning range—I am guessing here. I would definitely be hesitant to run on the factory OEM tune.

 

Otherwise, as you have stated, fit the original header pipes from your recovery bike.

 

As a general rule of thumb, the factory stock OEM tune can cope with the free-flowing cat-back exhaust OR high-flowing performance air cleaner, but NOT BOTH.  Think of this in terms of airflow.  So, your Freedom pipes plus no Cat would necessitate a tune that is better suited to your situation.

Did your original bike have a tune? I seem to recall that it had cams done? If so then it would have had a modified tune. It may be possible to swap your ECU's ( have done it with my Triumph) but best to ask your dealer's mechanic as the Indians are more complex with their electronics..

Yer i believe mine had stage ones.. so I'm going to just slip on the  back bits and see how it goes.. thanks