Road King Mufflers

[D. P. Larmee]

I was given a pair of stock mufflers from a late '90s Road King and am planning to use them to replace the rusted out stockers on my 1980G. I was looking inside the mufflers and it looks like there were two baffle plates in the inner pipe that almost look like freeze plugs, one real close to the rear and one in the front, a bit farther in. It sure looks like someone ran a drill through these plates becuse there is a large hole through each one that is a bit off centered and kind of rough. Are these plates supposed to be solid, or do they have any holes in them from the factory? I really prefer a quieter bike, so I had given some thought to capping these holes so that all of the exhaust gases would switch back and forth between the inner pipe and the outer shell solely though the perforation in the inner pipe (as I assume it did in its stock configuration). Is this plenty of flow for the 11 or am I better off leaving them drilled?

Thanks guys,

Dan

[webbcraft2150]

Drilling out the baffles in stock HD pipes is pretty common for HD owners to try to make more noise. Usually dosen't work for them and they go to high $$ aftermarket stuff, which still dosen't do anything 'cept make em lounder but they feel better. I would try them as they are and see if you like the sounds and feel any lack/gain in power.

[D. P. Larmee]

Thanks,

So it sounds like those center plates should not have any holes in them at all. I think I'll try capping the holes. The plates are too far in there to get a welder in, so I was thinking of hitting the auto parts store and seeing if any automotive freeze plugs are the right size to wedge in on top of whats left of the existing baffle plates. I had originally thought about trying one of those expansion plugs that are basically a rubber disk that is sandwiched between two metal washers with a bolt through the middle that smooshes the rubber when tightened. I wasn't sure if the rubber could take the heat. I guess the side stand bumper sits on the hot exhaust pipe and doen't seem to melt

Maybe I'm getting old, but I just can't understand why anyone would go through such lengths to make a bike louder. I guess it does makes people turn and look, and that really is why a lot of people seem to be riding in the first place. I come and go at all hours and my neighbors would kill me if my bike sounded like some of the ones I hear around town. I have a buddy that has a harley something or another with straight pipes and it is so loud that he has to push it to the end of the street if he wants to take it out at night; and, it's slow as can be. I guess I might be able to deal with a little extra noise for improved performance, but it sounds like most of the time there is a actually a performance loss in the most used RPM ranges and this is an excepted by-product of making their bike sound like a "real bike." I just don't get it.

[planedick]

One of the good guys

I agree, no real reason to be loud unless you want to be an a**hole and hated by your neighbors....

[stoked]

I'm wondering how those mufflers in stock form would hurt flow over 6000 rpm. I mean if after markdet exhaust even show improvment on dynos with harleys, that is kinda scary how restrictive they must be in stock form. But you won't know till you try and the cost will prob be minimal. My mufflers came with plugs like that in them but they were perforated. You could try drilling small holes instead of one large one in whatever you put in there if it chokes it up to much.

[D. P. Larmee]

I ended up just going to home depot and picked up some 7/8" metal hole plugs like these that fit perfect. seemed like an easy solution, and relatively easy to remove should the need arise. We'll see if they last.

[D. P. Larmee]

I mean if after markdet exhaust even show improvment on dynos with harleys, that is kinda scary how restrictive they must be in stock form.

Yeah, we shall see. With these plugs it should be pretty easy to make any adjustments needed. But, if you think about it, aftermarket exhaust on our bikes along with the necessary adjustments to intake and jetting will kick up the top end as well, but I don't really consider the stock exhaust terribly restrictive. I also don't think that exhaust without the other goodies will do much for any harleys either. I have seen harleys that literally had glowing pipes because the bike was running so lean.

[Da-Bubble]

Re: One of the good guys

Originally posted by planedick
I agree, no real reason to be loud unless you want to be an a**hole and hated by your neighbors....

What's so wrong with loud pipes? So many people on here dog guys with loud mufflers but what if they just like the sound. I love riding my dad's roadstar with the drag pipes on it. It's not as much fun (for me) with the quiet factory pipes. I also love the sound of a nice dual exhaust on a small block V8. Just because something is loud doesn't mean you're an a$$hole. It means that to you, the experience is about sight, sound, smell.....the whole package.

I just think its funny that people rag on harleys for being loud but it's really up to personal taste as to what your bike sounds like. Not bitchin....just my point of view.

[D. P. Larmee]

If you are the only one who has to hear it, it's personal taste, but when the rest of the world is subjected to it, it is obnoxious. The main problem is that when you are riding the bike you are leaving all of the sound behind you for the rest of us to hear. I'm not really talking about a nice rumble here, I think most people like the sounds of that. I'm talking about the "look at me, loud for the sake of being loud" loud.

I think the idea is that powerful engines make a good amount of noise whether you want them to or not. People like the sound of powerful engines. It just seems that when you take an engine that is a dog to begin with and try to make it sound powerful, who are you really trying to fool? Like the civic with the big coffee can muffler. It just seems to me like all show no go. If you really have something between your legs, you don't really need to let the world know, they will find out soon enough.

[webbcraft2150]

I guess what sounds good is in the ear of the beholder. Age I would guess, does play a part in what sounds good and what dosen't. I to love the sound of a inline four howling thru a 4 to 1 as it reaches redline but reserve that for open roads at "decent hours". Ya hafta remember, the XS11 turned a 11 second 1/4 with factory exhaust. Hippie Daves pristine XS has a 4 to 1 and is quieter and much faster than my 80g with slightly modified 2 to 2 system. My prehistoric Dodge truck is a bit roudy with its built small block and I know the neighbors are not pleased when I fire it up at 5:30 in the morning (makes the car alarms "chirp" in displeasure) so I will try to make my exit from the neighborhood as "quietly" as possible. Now, if I could only figure out how to adapt the "Captains Choice" exhaust from my Mercruiser to the truck, I could really sneak out.

I can still remember coasting my Dunstall equipped Norton into the driveway at night to avoid the wrath of the neighbors, and my Dad!!

[stoked]

I to love the sound of a loud exhaust at the drag strip or screaming down an open road. But cutting through my neighborhood at 2 in the mornin???? NO. Just makes we want to get into a fight.

[skids]

Well just to make it clear to those who don't know, Putting Harley pipes (stock) will not make your bike loud and will not make it sound like a Harley.

[John]

They Won't?

Damn! Will they make you go slower, like a harley, too?

[GNEPIG]

Quote:
Damn! Will they make you go slower, like a harley, too?


And will they make your bike vibrate xsively, break down frequintly and leak oil?

[Dennyz]

There is load and there is health exhaust tone. Often what may sound nice to the rider is obnoxious to other riders.

I have never had a stock exhaust on any vehicle I owned. I have learned I can have more fun with the throttle if I don't broadcast across three counties that I am making horsepower.

I go for the stealth tunned exhaust sound.