I'm in a situation right now where I think I know what I have and what I want, but have no idea what questions to ask about how to get there without sounding like an idiot. There isn't a FAQ sticky thread on this subforum, so here goes:

I have a 2013 FLHX with a stage 2, installed/tuned/dyno'd by the previous owner at the dealer where I bought the bike. The head pipes are Power Duals, and the mufflers are Oversized 450 slip-ons. What I want to do is quiet this down a bit, both for my neighbors and for myself. Aside from being noisy around the neighborhood even at 2k rpm, it's tiring after about a half hour or so on the highway. Even with a full-face helmet and earplugs, it gets really old fast. So, that's what I have, and what I want.

What I don't know is how to get there. VH customer service says they don't make quiet baffles for the Oversized 450s any more, and I've looked for the part number online but haven't found any in stock anywhere. I'm also not 100% convinced that quiet baffles will make the difference I'm looking for, based on what some people are reporting, and to top it off, I couldn't swear on a bible that I don't already have them installed. If I look down the bore of the pipe, there's clearly some packing material poking through. Are these standard baffles? Quiet baffles? Are they just an ordinary part of the muffler? No idea.

If I choose to replace the Oversized 450s with some other slip-ons, am I limited to V&H brand slip-ons because I have the Power Duals head pipes? If I can swap different brands of slip-ons, what fitting measurement am I looking for to make sure they'll fit? I'm not set up to do any cutting or welding work. For that matter, if I stick with V&H, Is there a generally-accepted list of "these are on the quieter end of the spectrum, these are on the louder end"?

My main question is "how do I make this bike quieter", but I don't really know the right questions to ask, so I really should be asking "Is there a couple page FAQ around somewhere that I can read, and come back when I know what I'm talking about?"




VH Power Duals

VH Oversized 450

Tip (not bore) diameter

Bore of muffler

 

Easiest thing to do is to swap the Slip-ones. Most headpipes have standard inlet sizes, you just have to pick ones that sound good to you.

 

Yep, you can put on any standard inlet muffler on those headpipes.