I'm just wondering what everyones' thoughts are on running pipes without baffles. Everything I've read says a bike will run best with baffles, but will it run like crap without them? Is it really that much louder?

Things I've contemplated since the crash....

 

BCT is the way you want to go.


Better sound and louder (is that possible with short shots?).



Mine were F'in LOUD in my slip ons...I mean, rattle the windows/set off car alarms loud. Good luck!

 

I've wondered about those.... Anyone else have any experience with them?

 

BCT or vance and hines "quiet baffles" with extra fibre glass wrap...

I did the latter and made a very good improvement.

I also drilled the heat shields so I can get at the retaining bolts with out having to remove or even loosen the heat shields to get the baffles out.

Also plenty of never seize on the retaining bolts and swaped them for cap heads rather than the std button heads which can round off way too easily

 

i am currently running no baffles... very loud! and mean as

thinking about looking into bct's though, cause the 5.0 keep giving me THE look. (I see you again, you better be legal)

 

The problem comes in with the air/fuel ratio...For example..

Stock bike with stock engine, stock carb (or fuel injection which is what you have I believe)and air filter and exhaust...it is set up for correct A/F mixture...All the parameters are set for the flow of air through the engine to match up with the correct amount of fuel to maintain it...if you drastically change the intake or exhaust it can affect it...Putting on different exhaust (with less restriction) can make the air flow through the engine higher and would cause a leaner A/F ratio...You do not wanna run the engine in too lean of a ratio. Lean mixture will run the combustion temps up. You can burn valves and warp heads...A rich conditon will run cooler but too rich and it will run like crap as a lot of unburned gas can just be wasted out the exhaust and can cause problems, fouling plugs, etc...

Chances are if it runs good with baffles and bad when removed then it is going too lean (baffles out makes it less restrictive)...it may run good with or without because it may still be in the ballpark of the right A/F ratio...The only way to truly know is to try it and see...If the bike runs like *** without baffles, it may need to be reprogrammed (F/I) or rejetted (carb) to allow more fuel to balance the ratio...if you are not sure if you are too lean or too rich, you can check the plugs...they will tell you by how they look...

*****

 

I thought on '06 and newer with closed loop EFI that the ECM self adjusts? I know I read something to that effect by Donny Petersen in AIM.

 

Took the baffles out of my V&H Longshots, and the bike sounded like ****. Put them back in at the bar before I headed back home.

 

+1 to that. The sound did get much better and the performance.

 

i run no baffles on my short shots and they are loud!!! i like the sound, no difference in power