Hi everyone!!!!
This is my very first post as a member of this website. I have a Vivid Black 1200c that I bought new this past June. I was just wondering about something the local HD shop told me. I was asking about the taxes and I want to (for now) add the screamin eagle ac kit and rejet the low while drilling the baffles out. The local dealership said that instead of drilling them out, I could ride the bike for a while and then as soon as I get home, spray water from a hose inside the pipes. They said just make sure not to do it directly, duh-hu, in the pipes, but rather towards the fiberglass packings. He said this would allow for the sound I was going for without the loss of back pressure. He advised that drilling out the baffles would allow the FG to fall out and after a while it would sound like $@#!. My brother drilled his out and after 3 years they sound fine. I also found out that the pressue loss wasnt that gr8 anyway. I was wondering if anybody had done this or knows more about it?

I'm REALLY curious about this notion.....can't wait for the replies.....

How many miles does your brother ride per year? Average ride length? Is he a cruiser or does he like to "get on it"? Is your brother also in GA? How does his bike compare to yours (is it identical? you don't indicate..) How close do you believe your riding patterns and style will mimic his?

I figure if I spend this kind of money (bike, taxes, conversion, accessories, etc), I'm not going to do something that ultimately could cost me more money....

Don't take out the baffles....that's just my 2 cents.....

I for one think that the removal of the center of the baffle is a waste of time. It only gives a minute amount of sound and the power benefit is probably not noticeable. Try finding a cheap set of slip ons on ebay and solve your problem on a more permanent basis. I knocked my baffles out eons ago and then changed pipes soon there after. If you want the sound the only way you are going to get it is by replacing the very restrictive pipe. The nice thing about not damaging your pipe is you can put it back on when you get tired of loud pipes. Just a thought.

I agree with rottenralph. Drilling out the baffles aren't going to give you the gains you want. You may get some sound improvement, but with all the good aftermarket stuff out there, you will probably do better to get something with documented performance.:usaflag

The stock pipes are rumoured to be 300% more restrictive than free-flowing after-market pipes. A set should not cost that much and if you were ever to be pulled over for not being legal you could put the originals back on for a while. Here in England we have a Road Worthiness test (MOT) every 3 years and the originals have to be on then (unmodified), so it is usefull to keep them as they are.

As to the water trick. It might pack the fiberglass down for a bit but as the pipes get hot it would dry it out and you would be back to the same ol stuff.

Buy a set of cycle shack slip ons (approx $100) and you'll be much better off.

interesting I have a report some where on my machine that tested stock drilled pipes against aftermarket and they found that drilled pipes (cant remember the size of drill hole) are 98% as affective as most of the aftermarket pipes!!

If you have the baffles drilled in the uk you will still pass the mot as the pipes themselves are legal . As long as the mufflers are legal it dont matter what they sound like

gordy

If you can find that report, I'd be interested to see it.

Shortly after I got my 1200C, I went on a local HOG MDF ride. One of the guys I rode with was on Super Glide, bought from the same dealer I got mine from. His bike sounded great, but the muffs looked stock. I asked him about it and he said, " Take it back to John, and tell him to make it sound like a Harley."
At my 1K service, I did just that. John said "OK Core and rejet, no problem." What they did was remove the entire center portion of the baffles, leaving only the internal expanded metal surrounded by the fiberglass packing, and changed my slow jet to a 45. I looked up the pipe with a flashlight, nothing there up to the header. Doesn't get any freer than that.
Sounds and runs great, quiet off the throttle, roars on it. The best part is, John did it at no additional cost to the 1K service, which was $170.
My best to all, WT

gordy

If you can find that report, I'd be interested to see it.


I'll try and find

The cops in our town have just bought themselves a decibel meter........so you can guess the rest

Core and rejet,

Core??? At the risk of sounding really ignorant, would someone care to explain just what that entails?

The mufflers have a plug in them that looks like a core/welsh plug that goes in a car engine block.

SO drill the core plug out and re-jet...would be a de-core and re-jet

Thanks gordy. The aftermarket guys are always talking up the superiority of their stuff. It'd really be great to know what else is just as good.

stevo

The accepted sound level is 95 decibles, higher than that, you're open game. Town cops around here will try sometimes to ticket ya based on ear, but the ticket can usually be beaten. My ride has SE IIs and my Yukon has magnaflows. Both sound sweet and test at just 95. I've not had any problems.

I used a 3/4 pipe to core mine out. Sharpen it up nice and whack it with a big hammer. Still don't think it makes a lot of dif. To the sound but I have had the thunderheader so long I don't remember how quiet it used to be. Sold my cored set on ebay for 50 bucks and would not want them back.