I've never had a problem before, but now I'm not so sure. I don't see how, but could my baffles not being in be the cause of my recent oil leak? I know the bike isn't jetting right now that I have the baffles out. So I have no back pressure, my fuel mileage sucks, and I get whooped off the line. I'm fine with all that, but am I causing permanent damage here?
I like to think I know enough about bikes in general, but this I'm not so sure of.

 

I'm no expert on Harley engines, but experience with other engines has shown me that you have to be careful when messing around with jetting and exhaust systems. My Triumph TR6R, for example, hated megaphones with the baffles out for the kind of driving I was doing at the time. The motor just likes back pressure in order to run properly. It screamed at high RPM but I lost all low-end torque and the motor tended to get very hot after about half an hour -- to the point that it simply shut down a couple of times when the pistons got too hot. When I put a set of stock glass packs on it, it purred like a kitten again. I'd say that anything you're doing that would cause your motor to become extremely hot could lead to oil or head gasket leaks. High temps could cause breakdown in oil composition and head warpage and in extreme cases seized pistons or cracked jugs.

 

NO baffles can drop your low/mid power and result in a hot motor, not COOL!

 

By all means be very careful when messing around with your exhaust. I mod mufflers for Harleys. And have done ALOT of testing there a fine line you can cross with a stock bike. As jbjones said it would be possible for your engine to get hot enough to cause a oil leak. I would think they are probley different problems but if it is caused by a lean condition PLEASE put you baffles back in or have you bike tuned to your exhaust, If that is your problem you will have a much bigger one soon. Best of luck.

 

I am not an expert either. Hell, I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night BUT the way I see it- If we change from stock pipes to "free flowing" exhaust and have to make adjustments because the bike is running lean (leaner) isn't that the same thing as taking out your baffles? Wouldn't that cause the A/F ratio to be lean? If the bike is running lean it is running HOT.[:@] How are your plugs?

 

My plugs are fine.
The louder the better. And this beast is loud. Car alarms go off, windows rattle. I love it, but not enough compromise my bikes health. If your run to lean for too long I could see the motor getting so hot that it could damage the heads, or even the jugs. When we go on extended road trips, I put them back in. But on "bar hop night", where your doing 50-100 miles at most in a night. Or just riding to work (20 min.), I can't see it being a problem. You have to run very hot for very long to do that much damage.
Sounds like it's a good idea to put them back in for good, though. [&o]

 

I wish I knew for sure man. I can just tell you that I would be concerned about it. my .02 cents.[]

 

I use samson torque cones to give some back pressure that you lose from removing the baffle. 25 bucks and it works. Does not change the sound but does give some back pressure.

An engine is an airpump, more air in, more air out, more fuel, more spark basic Hot Rodding...

 

A little back pressure might surprise you in performance.

 

I know my Dyna would use a little more oil when it got overly warm. Especially when taking off the line, like in trying to beat someone else........