Pull Baffles or New pipes???

[Hox]

Wanting a little more throat and concerned that pulling the baffles make it more straight pipe like... then there is the question of which after market pipes to get... thoughts... Hox 05 Nomad 50K miles...

[DragonLady58]

If you want nice and throaty and low budget, drill our your stock baffles. Next step, a little more throaty, go Vance and Hines dual baggers. Wanna sound kinda aggressive, pull the dual bagger baffles out, threw em on the shelf, and put in a set of Chucksters Ultimate Baffles. Wanna get gnarly, take the chucksters out.
Theres a few diff. pipe mfg'ers that make pipes for these bikes....some of the others like MAS, Tortuga, and others will jump in and help with your quest in finding the ultimate exhaust tones....

[alwhite00]

I really like how my V&H baggers sound.

[MAS Tequila]

You got the best advice from DL.

My Nomad went through many different variations of pipes before settling on V&H with the Ultimate's.

Then I picked up a set of V&H from a former member with the original baffles and turn downs, these are still on there.

I guess a little less noise and a little more music is more to my liking.

Now on the MeanStreak, the V&H StraightShots sound great but with wanting to turn it into a bagger I went with a set of V&H baggers with my old set of Ultimate's again.

The Ultimate's are basically 4" round and 2" deep aluminum inserts with a 2"(?) hole in the center.

Some have a screen and or a vertical screw to make them technically legal, and to break up the sound flow.

You WILL lose a small bit of bottom end with the Ultimate's, and a lot of bottom end with wide open pipes.

If all you're looking for is the sound...you can try pulling the center baffle from the stock pipes, but very few have been satisfied with that option.

Troll ebay for a used set of pipes, new V&H are $650 minimum and Cobra has a set without removable baffles for around $450, used V&H go for about $300 +.

MT

[Tortuga]

I bought my '06 used and it had been de-baffled. That gives a low, throaty rumble. Pleasantly slightly louder, not loud. Go on YouTube. There are various pipes recorded there and gives you an idea of what sound you get. As far as de-baffling, it's simple to do but you're not able to return muffles to stock. You're cutting out the rear baffle with a hole saw. As I said, mine was already done when I got the bike, but from the videos I would say it would take about 30-45 minutes, including a break for an adult beverage....you don't want to over exert yourself and get yourself worked up and interfere with your afternoon nap. If you do, then that screws up the timing of your after dinner snooze and who knows what'll happen to bedtime. So, in the immortal words of The Eagles, take it easy. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.

[Hox]

Thanks all... and LOVE the Eagles comment Tortuga! Listened to changes on line but getting input direct is the best!

[Tortuga]

I'd start with debaffling. It's just the cost of a hole saw for your drill. Then, if it isn't loud enough, move on to the expensive stuff.

Given the quality of telephone speakers it won't be great, but if you want to call me I'll start my bike so you can hear it: 520-237-5729.

[DragonLady58]

You could debaffle, if that didn't do, you could try some aftermarket mufflers or I've had folks like the sound of a set of used sportster mufflers....
Alot of diff. options....

[Tortuga]

Originally Posted by DragonLady58

You could debaffle, if that didn't do, you could try some aftermarket mufflers or I've had folks like the sound of a set of used sportster mufflers....
Alot of diff. options....

Is there anything besides debaffle that can be done to stock mufflers to get more sound.....good sound, not simply loud. Drill the rear? Ever experimented?

[DragonLady58]

Originally Posted by Tortuga

Is there anything besides debaffle that can be done to stock mufflers to get more sound.....good sound, not simply loud. Drill the rear? Ever experimented?

Yes, I've done a fair bit of experimenting in this dept. If someone wants it to sound good, what I do, and this is just me, I get some flex tubing and delete that damn goat bladder.
Now, at the end of the stock muffler, instead of just cutting around that little center spigot, I get a holesaw that fits to the very inside of the outter ring, where that lip is rolled over.
I get a large dowel from Lowes, go to my vert. belt sander, and sand a large taper on it.
I then cut it off, then make another one. Get my machinists center head and mark center. I then drill a 1/4" drill, drill a pilot hole.
I then get the tapered pieces, start one in the hole and drive it in with a flat piece of wood, and my 5lb. shop hammer. I drive it in.
Grab the holesaw, take the drill out, put a short piece of rod in it that fits the hole in the wooden taper. Make sure you have a bi-metal holesaw and run it slowly.
Dab a little dishwashing soap for lube on the rod, grab my 1/2" drill, go slowly. Between the rod for support and the outside lip of the muffler, its pretty sturdy.
Go slow, sitting down behind muffler, adding a little oil as you go..
When your almost thru, it'll start to hang on you slightly. Reverse your drill, and use a firm pressure and you'll finish out the hole.
Grab the hunk of wood, pull it out. The center piece you just cut out will start to wiggle pretty good. Then I use my big slide hammer to pull out the center piece.
Then I do the other side the same way. Now you have 2 big ole hollow chrome factory mufflers....
Next, I get a piece of muffler tubing the same size as the hole I just drilled, 3" long, (I used, almost forgot, I use a reducer, its a 4" to a 3" essentially) get my ballpeen hammer, and roll a small lip all the way around it....one end only (on the big end).
The other end, I tack weld some 1" expanded metal over the hole, then I trim off the expanded the same size as the muffler tubing. I make 2 pieces exactly like that. I then go to the belt sander, sand the OD smooth.
I spraypaint it a heat resistant black. VHT.
I put these metal pieces in the end of the muffler, expanded metal first. I then use a flat piece of 1/2 metal, lay it flat agianst the baffle, tap it in flush. The rolled lip will fit tight in the cut hole. Then I tack it in good with some SS wire in my MIG.

It sounds similar to the V&H Baggers, its between the V&H Baggers with stock baffles and Baggers with the Chucksters.
Its less volume than the baggers, but with the same low end rumble. Its a good bit of work, but its a alternative to the V&H's, not as throaty and loud as the Chuckster Ultimate Baffles, which is what I run....

[Tortuga]

Whew! That's a mouth full. What about for we the mechanically challenged? Would a few holes in the cone or end cap in the muffler work? I did this on my Venture and got a decent raspy sound on acceleration and cruising. Of course, being a V-4 it wasn't the HD sound, but I wasn't trying to imitate that.

Also, which Sporty model(s)?

[DragonLady58]

Originally Posted by Tortuga

Whew! That's a mouth full. What about for we the mechanically challenged? Would a few holes in the cone or end cap in the muffler work? I did this on my Venture and got a decent raspy sound on acceleration and cruising. Of course, being a V-4 it wasn't the HD sound, but I wasn't trying to imitate that.

Also, which Sporty model(s)?

Yea, its a bit much, pretty well a all day affair. Sounds pretty good but is very labor intensive.
The mid 70's sporty mufflers sound good, nice low end rumble, not super loud.
After the late 70's, they started quietening them down a good bit.
I even seen a friend of mine, hollow out his mufflers, like I did, instead of mounting baffles in it, he got a pr. of Thrush glass packs, cut about 1" off the input end of the muffler body, it slid in good and tight. Sounded really good, wasn't as loud as I thought it would be. Had a nice low throaty rumble....Never really got loud, but it was deep.
I like a motorcycle sound like a motorcycle.
I'd say if someone didn't want to spend the 6 bills for a new V&H system, go with sporty mufflers....they do sound good. Usually about $100 on fleabay....

Or these....


OR



Guys with the 1600s.....