Okay so I decided to take a ride to my indy shop because I want to go back to a 160 jet from 170. They had put a 170 in because it looked like the plugs could handle it but I felt the bike act more sluggishly with it. Anyway, we got to talking about my pipes.

They don't have any baffles in them (or anything else to restrict air flow as far as we know). I bought the bike with the exhaust work already done on it. The guy at the shop said they can do two things to create back pressure without using baffles (to help keep the sound). He said they have things called torx valves (spelling) that are inserted at the junction between the heads and exhaust that create a restriction to airflow and create the backpressure right there. He said a while ago he was working on an Ironhead and the bike just didn't run right after putting a new carb in. He called up S&S and they told him to put a single bolt about 4 inches in from the back end of the pipe. This would create just enough turbulance in the air flow. As I was and as you guys probably are (if you haven't heard of this) he was pretty skeptical and thought the guy was crazy for recommending that. Low and behold he said that was exactly what the bike needed.

I do not want to go the bolt route right now even though he says it will be barely noticable since it is done from the underside of the pipes. Tomorrow 9am I'm dropping the bike off for 160 jet and I might go with the torx valves, he said they cost about $30 and will take less than an hour to install.

Any comments on these options?

 

Actually, it's "torque cones", not valves. I've seen both the bolt trick and torque cones work. You would not notice either of the setups, and yes, both setups will get some of the back pressure back.

 

Ahhh yeah that was it cones, not valves. Hmm okay I might go ahead with the torque cone setup then and see how it runs.

 

nothing can replace a well built and tuned exhuast system, your losing power whether you use cones or a bolt, but they do help with drag pipes, you will notice it right away

 

I bought my 1200 with straight pipes on it and it ran like crap. I just put a set of stock pipes with Screamin Eagle mufflers on it and now it runs great. I didn't really see any benefit to loud drag pipes, since I ride mine to work and such.

 

From what little I understand about torque cones, you may well get an increase in horsepower as well. It has something to do with keeping exhaust gases from going back into the engine on the suck stroke. I met a guy who put these on his airplane engine and he said that alone gave him something like 13% more horsepower.

 

Brenn, yeah basically my pipes are straight pipes (I didn't know anything about exhaust when I bought the bike, all I know is that it sounded really good). It would probably be more beneficial to get a new exhaust setup if I was looking for max power, but I'm not looking to spend a few hundred to lose the sound I have (not saying thats what you were implying, just mentioning it).

Now if only my bike could have the same horsepower as that airplane, lol. But I'm hoping for at least SOME results as seeing that I'm going from 0 backpressure to some.

 

out of curiosity, how much are you paying for a simple jet change? that's like a 20 minute job at best...

 

The first time I brought it in, the bill said jet kit $50. The second time I brought it in to swap to 170 I wasn't charged.

 

K just got the bike back. $90 for parts and labor for power cones, no charge for rejet to 160.

Bike still feels like the pos it originally was. Starting to not care anymore.