New Harley toy

[Bikeboy]

Will I did it. Went and spent alot of money and got another Harley,( 2005 )Still got my XS11. I needed another bike to ride while i'am thinking about what to do with my XS11, sell it, or chop it. Still runs good, just bored with it I guess. Anyway, I hate the sound of a new Harley. The first thing most people do when they get a new Harley is to put on new pipes. And that's what i'am going to do when I get $650 together. Just don't have it right now. I was just wondering, can I punch a hole in the baffle's to make it sound better. I have been told that it would not only sound better, but would also run better, by releasing back pressure. If this will work, I wonder what size hole should I put in the baffle's. Or should I just drill it out completely. Anyone out there done this before? HELP............:

[ratbyk]

If you want a better sound get back on the XS!
Ken/Sooke

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Bikeboy,

My 4-1 pipes with a large megaphone style muffler sounded rather tinny. The end of the baffle chamber was nice and flat, and the baffles could come out after removing a side locking nut/bolt. So...I took a 1/4" drill bit and put 4 holes in the end plate of the baffle, and it mellowed the tone, but didn't make it that much louder! And in case it didn't work, I could put some bolt/nut combos back in the baffle to plug the holes!!
T.C.

[Bikeboy]

Not good

Originally posted by ratbyk
If you want a better sound get back on the XS!
Ken/Sooke

I thought this was the forum we used to have constructive conversation. Ratbyk, slamming my Harley by telling me if I want a better sound I should get back on my XS11 was not called for. I've had 23 motorcycles in my 49 years, and I've liked everyone of them in one way or the other. You can rest assured that if anyone on this forum ever needs advice from me about a problem their having with their motorcycle, if I can I will help, without slamming their bike. Thanks TopCat for your reply. As always you came through. But what you did'nt say was if it affected the way it ran. Like I said earlier, i had heard if you take out the baffle or punch holes in it to relieve the back pressure, that the bike would run better.

[Don Hughes]

I wasn't going to jump in here but decided that I should.
Bikeboy if you paid any attention to who posts on this site you would KNOW that Ratbyk intended his response as a joke.
Ken helps more people on this site with their problems than most do.
He also rides more than an XS so he was NOT slamming you but making joke.

[Czekus21]

A common practice amongst a few Harley riders I know that can't afford, or refuse to pay the price for Screamin Eagle stuff, Is to "core" the mufflers. Basically, Remove the baffles, remove the fibreglass wrap, replace baffles, Kinda gives a distinct sound, increases breathing out ability without having to rejet. You may need to tweek a little tough. Also, doing this WILL void your warentee.

[ratbyk]

Harley Exhaust

Don, thanks for the words of support. I did say it as a joke but will admit that I had my tongue shoved a long way into my left cheek.
Chris, I have owned a couple of Harley's. I paid my dues on them and speak from experience. In 1947 at 14 years of age I learned to ride M/C on a Matchless 500 single with full suspension. At 16 I got my drivers license and bought a 1940 Harley 80 flat head, hard tail. (all Harley's were hard tails then) It was bright red, massive (about 680 lbs) and I had the pride of ownership that you likely feel now with your new Harley.
Well about 2 weeks later it spit me off. I wasn't doing anything stupid (like speeding or hustling through corners) I was just riding down the street, in a straight line at about 30mph and wump! I was flying through the air and tumbling down the road.
I did not have enough M/C experience to have any idea what had happened or why.
I healed the summer went by and again I got spit off. Similar circumstances, straight line normal speeds doing nothing stupid. BUT! now I had enough experience to figure out why. If I hit a bump or pot hole in the road just the right way AND was making a shift (hand shift-suicide clutch) so only one hand on the bars the massive saddle with big springs in the rear compressed just like a trampoline and spit all 125lbs of me off. It was not long after that it got sold and I bought an Ariel Square 4. Same HP, more than 200lbs lighter, suspension front and rear with foot shift. It was head and shoulders better than the Harley.
Later in life (22 years old) friend had an almost new Harley. I believe it was called a DuoGlide. Front rear and rear suspension, foot shift, well he lost his job. I made a deal with him. Traded him my Ariel and took over the payments. Again that Harley pride of ownership took over and blinded me.
Rode all that summer and fall. About every 200-300 miles I had to go over the whole bike and tighten everything up that was falling off from vibration. (mirrors, foot boards, exhaust hangers etc.)
In June of the next summer I was tooting down the road 65-70mph felling like I was on top of the world. Ah, the pride of Harley ownership. All of sudden I could smell gas really strong. Pulled over, stopped, got off and whummmp! the whole bike burst into flames. I could do nothing, I could not even get close to it. (I had gas all down my right leg and boot) I stood there and watched my pride and joy turn itself into a pile of junk.
The cops and the fire dept finally arrived but too late. A fireman found where the gas line that ran from the right rear corner of the tank down to to the carb had fractured of (vibration)f at it's coupling flare and gasoline simply poured out.
I had liability insurance but no comprehensive. It was a real financial hit. Total loss, kissed good bye to a lot of $ and swore off Harley's for ever.
When financially able I bought another used Ariel Square 4. Time passed, moved up to new Goldwing Wing (76) then Honda CBX'S 79 & 81. Also owned a new Suzuki 1100 Katana. More time passed and started playing with XS11's. The favorite ride in my stable at the moment is a 92 ZX11 Kawasaki Ninja. Will blow off any street Harley in the world. Sounds really sweet and cost a fraction of any Harley.
In my opinion (and I'm entitled to have one) Harley Davidson is a grossly over priced pile of HYPE! The first thing a new owner does is go out and buy an after market exhaust system. ($600-700-800 plus) Just like you, they want to change the exhaust noise from their brand new over priced M/C. They then want to "create" their own personal "ride" So they go out and buy all the chrome clip on, bolt on do dads that they can find-afford. Do you know what? They then have a "ride" like every other Harley around. Have dropped thousands and thousands $. They all look basically the same. They all sound basically the same.
Sorry to rain on your parade Paul but if you want a sweet, strong, pleasant exhaust note get an inline 4 cylinder M/C. As the revs rise under full power up through 5-6-7-8-9000 RPM you get an exhaust note that no Harley can produce when it can barely rev to 6000!
Ken/Sooke
Ow, by the way, this is a Yamaha site!

[chevy45412001]

well put Ken

ya what he said.

[Bikeboy]

Dont sound like a joke to me

Originally posted by Don Hughes
I wasn't going to jump in here but decided that I should.
Bikeboy if you paid any attention to who posts on this site you would KNOW that Ratbyk intended his response as a joke.
Ken helps more people on this site with their problems than most do.
He also rides more than an XS so he was NOT slamming you but making joke.

Well Don read it for your self. It dont sound like a joke to me. When I made my post about changing the sound of my exhaust, i was not expecting someone to tell me about all their bad expience's with Harley,s they have owned. Or That their 92 ZX11 will blow off any street Harley in the world. And that in his opinion Harley Davidson is a grossly over priced pile of HYPE. Well thats his opinion, and I agree he has that right. I just find it strange that if one was to ask a question about changing the sound of their exhaust, it would go into all of this. Ratbyk, you wrote,sorry to rain on your parade but if you want a sweet, strong, pleasant exhaust note get an inline 4 cylinder M/C. Sorry to rain on your parade, but I already have one.

[ratbyk]

Harley Exhaust

A,ahhha, good you followed my advice and got the XS back out. Now, doesn't that sound a lot better!?
Both great looking bikes by the way. You can go vroooommm or potato, potato, potato.
Ken/Sooke

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Bikeboy,

Sorry for the lapsed day of response(was helping friend install and setup DSL, cleaning out computer viruses, etc.), and look at what I missed!

My pipes are a 4-1 set, and essentially just a folded bent slotted metal baffle, no fiberglass pack at all, so there wasn't much resistance to it anyways, and so the 4 extra holes didn't really affect it's performance good or bad. When the entire baffle fell out once....boy was that loud , it did loose it's performance, but I didn't try to drive it or push it very far or fast that way, just went back and picked up the baffle and drove at low rpms back home to reinstall it!!!

So...as someone else posted, pulling the baffles and removing the glasspack and then putting the baffles back in probably obtains the same effect, and if it doesn't really affect the jetting, then it shouldn't affect the performance, or at least not make it run any worse, but not sure if would make it better!?

I respect Ken/Ratbyk's knowledge, and I, too, thought it was a tongue in cheek comment, no malice intended!!

Back in 83 when I was stationed in Japan, was looking at getting a Harley, FXSR or something like that....Sportster style, but the $7K+ price tag gave me severe sticker shock....a few hundred dollars more would have gotten me a Jeep CJ7! Then I came across a slightly used (15miles) 81 SH for $3K, and I got it instead...still riding it! I personally like the potato HD sound, that nice low rumble, I like the feel of "some" vibration of the engine beneath me. I had been driving an XS850 triple for 1.5 years prior to getting the XS11, and was very surprised and somewhat disappointed at the extreme smoothness of the XS11! But now after my Big Bore kit, it has a bit more of a power shake that I've grown accustomed to......guess I should vacuum synch my carbs! And I like the large power band range of the XS11, and that's one of the main reasons why I haven't gotten into any kind of V-twin...I mean they don't even put Tachs on most of them Yours is a nice looking ride, and glad you have the $$ and space to be able to have BOTH!! Sorry for the book!! Good Luck with your exhaust mod!
T.C.

[sksxs1100]

my dad took a 7/8" hole saw on an extension and drilled out the baffles... louder and diffrent sound

[GNEPIG]

i didnt notice what kind of 05 harley you said you bought but if it is not carburated than you should not alter the exhaust at all, this will cause it to run lean in some spots....not good for power
you will want the open air cleaner kit ...about $100...and an expensive computer down load to make things right again and they won't do this unless you buy one of their expensive exhaust.

if yours is carburated than you could cut the whole baffle out of both muffs using a hole saw ..like the ones used to cut the hole for your door knob.. there is a weld just inside the muffler get a hole saw the size just on the inside of the weld... if you cut the weld out than the whole muff will come apart . after cutting the inner baffle should pull strait out. this makes a real nice deep sound not like other loud pipes. the $100 air cleaner kit will net you 7 more hp and you will want to get the $27 jet kit to solve your new lean condition and add a little more power

like all them other guys keep saying you are going to need all you can get
good luck

[ratbyk]

Bikeboy, are you not familiar with the trash talk that goes on back and forth between Harley lovers and the rest of the bike population? It has been going on for decades. I can remember back in the late 50's early 60's it was Harley bad mouthing the Brit bikes., In the mid 60's the Harley crowd switched their scorn to Japanese M/C. Of course it is reciprocal. No real hurt meant, it is just the nature of the beasts and their owners.
WELL, just noticed a post in another thread on this Forum. I cut and pasted it below. Tee Hee


lsippell
XSive

Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Mayflower, Arkansas
Posts: 52
Ironic
My son and me have both been rebuilding our bikes and email each other with what we are doing. Mine is an XJ, his is a Harley sportster

I got this from him the other day.

'Well, I've wanted a Harley all my life and isn't it a kind ironic destiny that when I get to the point in my life where I can finally afford one I'm also mature enough to realize how big of piece's of S**t they
are??!! '

Louis

Sorry, could not resist!
Ken/Sooke

[Bikeboy]

No harm

I get your point Ratbyk. Kind of like Ford VS Chevy. I know trash talk like that has been going on for years. And I think it's fine if you know the person. But if you don't know them they might think your slamming their bike/ truck/car. And you know as well as I do, if you think that someone that you don't know was trashing our XS11, you would rise too the occasion. Even if what they were saying was true. But if you do know them, you would just rib them back, thats all in fun and no harm would be intended. I have been a member of this site for a little over two years, and you have been a member longer than that. I have seen your post many times, but have not personally had any contact with you. I'am sure your a nice fellow. And I now know where you were coming from. Just know I like all types of bikes, Brit, Jap, American, it don't matter. I find something in all of them that I like. Just like my face in the wind.