Choice of pipes

[nomadtom]

Whatever you do, PLEASE do a lot of homework before you buy! I jumped into the Cobra's (slashcuts) about 3.5 years ago and I've regretted that decision ever since. They're the older versions, no removable baffles, I'm contemplating having some small baffles tacked in at the backside of the muffler to cut the rap down. I don't know what it is, but even with really good earplugs beyond a certain RPM the rap goes right into my head and bounces around, I'm not sure if I can do anything about it. I told my wife I'd like a little head and she handed me $100 and told me to go for it.
NomadTom
'01 Nomad
Portland OR

[rcashell]

I have the Roadhouse Dooly pipes. Great rumble. With the baffles removed they are truly impressive, but those riding with you won't like them. I have had several shake and bake riders admiring the sound. J&P cycles has a description on their website

[tomk]

I have the V&H's and they were loud to me but not annoying. After several newspaper articles about bikers being ticketed with loud exhausts by certain cities in my area (they're looking at the pipe serial numbers if the pipes are under the legal 80db limit!), I decided to tone them down.

After studying the fixes on Gadget's page, it dawned on me that they're just putting a restriction in the pipe baffles, I thought of a cheap, quick, reversable test fix.

My fix was to tack weld Home Depot $9.00, 3" dia. stainless steel sheetmetal drain covers with a bunch of 1/4" holes in them over the inlet side of the baffle (tacked so, just in case, I could get them off in a hurry). Perfect. Very little power loss from the restriction (if any) and a deeper, throaty sound. Some of the blah when letting off the throttle is there but a lot quieter.