All,

I have just added a set of Samson 33" fishtails without the baffle. They are bolted up to some vance and hines true dual heads with torque tubes in them. They are way too loud for my liking.

I have a set of baffles in the garage out of my vance and hines longshots. Can I put them in the open side of my fishtails and ride with them? Any adverse effects if I do this?

The bike is still tuned like it has the longshots and headers on it.

 

If they fit in the pipes you should be good to go, baffles are pretty universal.

EDIT: Also I do not feel I'm smarter than anyone, I've just messed with a lot of baffles over the years. :-)

 

Sweet!

 

Along these lines... I know nothing about exhaust systems. How can I tell if I have baffles in my exhaust? What do they look like? I wonder if the previous owner of my new bike put them in or took them out.

 

Get down on your hands and look into the pipe from the rear with a good flashlight.

Baffles come in many flavors, but most look like this:




The other style is a "washer" baffle which looks like this:




If you have exhaust tips that curve or restrict your view, pull them off before you look.

Factory motorcycle baffles are even more restrictive and have a plate that prevents direct airflow...those are SUPER obvious.

 

Sweet! Thanks. If someone doesn't have baffles, what kind of sound change should they expect by adding them?

 

They take away the harsh "slap" sound of your exhaust and make it a lot less sharp. The first style I posted usually lower the volume a bit too, the washer style will add backpressure but won't really change your sound much at all.

Basically, start your bike in your garage, and put a pillow over each ear, and that is almost exactly what your bike will sound like with baffles (first style I posted). Just don't let your old lady see you do this, or she may question your sanity.

(or she may wonder why her pillows smell like exhaust....).

 

Great, thanks. I'll check out my pipes later when I get home and see if the baffles are inside. I took a quick peek inside before without a flashlight and I could see "something" in there but couldn't make it out without a flashlight. These pipes are loud... if they have baffles in them I would hate to hear it with out them!

 

If you have baffles, but want a bit more sound reduction you can wrap them.

A wrapped baffle will look like this:



You order baffle wrap (fiberglass), and secure it with steel wire.

Here is a link: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/378/31007/ITEM/Vance---Hines-Sport-Cruiser-Exhaust-Wrap.aspx?SiteID=SLI|Baffle%20Wrap&WT.MC_ID=10010

 

To get the sound you like you really have to experiment. And asking what your bike will sound like with a certain baffle won't work as it depends on your ear and how your bike is set up.

I tried longer and shorter baffles, various versions of the washer trick, and even built my own baffles without really finding the sound and sound level I wanted. J&P Cycle sells inexpensive baffles so it's not a real spendy process to try out various sizes. Then I started trying different types of wrap as well.

What worked best for me was stove rope. It's that rope that lines the door of your kitchen oven. It's thick enough to seal up around the baffle and the inside diameter of the pipe and it can take the high temps. It's how I got the closest to the sound I was looking for.

The only problem now is my old lady is wondering why our stove doesn't hold its temperature like it used to . . .