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CVO Technical => EVO => Topic started by: 110tHunDer on July 31, 2008, 10:28:23 PM
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My FXR3 had a set of Vance & Hines Straightshot pipes on it when I got it. The years had taken some toll on the chrome, so I started looking for another set to replace them with. Was able to score a brand new, still in the box set of these pipes, now discontinued, on eBay for $120, delivered. :2vrolijk_21:
Anyway, I go to swap everything out tonight and am looking at the new muffs and notice a screw inside what I thought were some moisture drain holes. Turns out, it's the screw holding the baffles in and close inspection of the "mufflers" I just took off reveals there are NO BAFFLES inside! :o (D@mn, I guess that explains why the bike was soooo loud! ;D :2vrolijk_21:)
I want to get some stainless washers and bolts to use before I can complete the job tomorrow, but now I'm wondering what to expect with the way the bike will run. :nixweiss: Ran great before, with the only complaint that it did seem to be lacking some top-end.
Any ideas how the performance might be affected with the baffles in place? (Still can see straight through the pipe.)
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The stock baffles supplied by V&H were the "cheese grater" variety--they're not going to do much about sound, and IMO not much either way about power, either.
Each muffler body should have two holes toward the end. One is for the baffle (innermost) and the outer one is for the optional billet "hot tips" available from V&H in several designs.
If I were you, I'd not bother with the stock baffles.
I've run three baffles in mine over time. The stock ones from V&H, Khrome Werks HP-Plus drag pipe baffles (2 1/4"), and now V&H "quiet" baffles. The Khrome werks baffles worked well, didn't seem to negatively affect power at all but did give a boost in mid-range RPM's. They also provided a pleasing cat's purr inhale rumble between gears. They have an interesting design of a sleeve with a welded-in core of linked spheres made of steel mesh. I could hear the difference in less and different noise and feel an increase in mid-range throttle response.
The V&H quiet baffles are quieter and provided a definite boost in low end torque over the KW. Not the same mid range and the sound is a bit different. The cat's purr is gone between gears, but I like the low end torque. I can't tell that I've lost much if anything elsewhere in the RPM range but I don't dyno these things so who knows? Seat of the pants is what I'm talking about. I have the V&H baffles in now, but Ikept the Krome Werks'.
V&H told me via e-mail that their quiet baffles (V21869) would not fit original StraightShots exhaust but I did some detective measuring and they fit just fine. Just a hair loose, if anything, but if that bothers you then have a muffler shop expand the rear opening a bit with their spreader. Me, I just bolted them in. I would recommend wrapping the fiberglass packing with wire before installation to keep the packing from blowing out so soon.
Understand, when I talk about quieter, I'm not talking about huge differences. The stock V&H cheese graters were loudest, a slight reduction came with the KW, and another slight reduction came with the V&H Quiet Baffle. It still sounds like a Harley.
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Cycle Shack Slash Cut Duals! You'll love em on a Evo street bike! And they make the best numbers! Cheap too! ;)
Hoist! 8)
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Cycle Shack Slash Cut Duals! You'll love em on a Evo street bike! And they make the best numbers! Cheap too! ;)
Hoist! 8)
Funny you mention those because that's exactly what I put on mine when I first got it. But I have to tell you, they got old after a short while. The exited right under my ear and I was having a ringing in my right ear for a while after even a short ride. Plus, they didn't fit very well--the rear pipe had a sag to it that I couldn't get out no matter how much I fiddled with it. Something wasn't quite right interms of bends or bracket location--something. Didn't know how poorly they fit until I got others that did fit well.
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Funny you mention those because that's exactly what I put on mine when I first got it. But I have to tell you, they got old after a short while. The exited right under my ear and I was having a ringing in my right ear for a while after even a short ride. Plus, they didn't fit very well--the rear pipe had a sag to it that I couldn't get out no matter how much I fiddled with it. Something wasn't quite right interms of bends or bracket location--something. Didn't know how poorly they fit until I got others that did fit well.
I've got em on my WG. All my friends run em on their FXR's. Never heard of these type problems. Are you sure you had the right set? I'm assuming you did, but I haven't seen these issues. Been using them for years! ;)
Hoist! 8)
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Are you sure you had the right set? I'm assuming you did, but I haven't seen these issues. Been using them for years! ;)
Hoist! 8)
Who knows--I know they're popular. I ordered through a shop and picked them up when they called. I suppose it's possible that I always had a wrong set of pipes. But they weren't blatantly, obviously wrong, just wrong enough to not fit right.
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Thanks for the replies, guys! I really like the looks of the V&H Straightshots, so that's why I decided to try and hunt down a replacement set. I loved the way the bike sounded baffle-less, so glad to hear most of that will still be there, but was hoping to maybe pick up some mid-high range TQ. I may have to get the ol' hot rod re-jetted and see if that helps the power curve . . . the insides of the pipes and the exhaust ports are filthy BLACK, so it may be running rich. Just gotta find someone around that still knows about carbs. :nixweiss:
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Got everything buttoned up and:
- Surprisingly, it is significantly more quiet. Won't be setting any more car alarms off idling through the parking lot at work, now. Neighbors should notice a difference, too.
- Powerband seems like it might be a teeny better, but need more seat time to really tell.
- Chrome is much, much, much better than the other set!
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I have the V&H straight shots on my fxr4, they had the baffles in when I bought it but soon took them out (if its too loud you're too old, LOL). I didn't really notice any power difference, but fuel milage dropped just a bit. It did pick up a hell of a cackle when I let off the throttle tho. I put 2 inch by 1/4 bolts in the holes where the baffle bolts went, for a bit of back pressure, and lost the cackle for the most part. Other than that I havn't noticed much difference in how it runs.
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I have basically the same on my '98 Fat Boy (long shots), and there is a low and mid-range difference over stock. Where I could stay in a high gear two-up in the hills before I found myself down-shifting a gear after. It kind of fell on it's face. The dyno showed the same thing - a dip from about two to thirty-five hundred and a slight increase near the top. I made up for it with a cam, pistons and tune. Other than the described crackle when I rolled off the throttle there wasn't a lit of difference with the baffles out. I'm actually thinking of ways to quiet them down a little as I leave at 0530 and like my neighbors.
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I had good results using the quiet baffles in the longshots on my 02 Ultra. Quiet is relative. It is still quite loud when you snatch the throttle. The added backpressure with the power chamber provided that extra torque too.