Baffle Removal

[tjdudeman]

Just curious if anyone else has removed their baffle from their exhaust? I have a 4 to 1 exhaust and the baffle fell out one day when I was riding and got run over by a car. Upon further investigation on how this happened I learned that the previous owner didn't have the screw thats supposed to keep the baffle in place.

Anyway I have noticed since then that 1) Obviously my bike is stupid loud, which I've grown accustom to and find it fun, especially when I'm on my college's campus 2) My top is a ton better! 3) My low end is slightly worse.

I know that these are all typical things that happen when the baffle is taken out because of the backflow that the baffle created is now not there anymore. I am curious if anyone else has this on their bikes and if they have had any problems since then because of it.

My neighbors hate me, but I can beat a lot of the stupid GSXR type bikes.

[natemoen]

Well, the engines need some backpressure to run well. You are quite possibly running lean now without the baffle in place. People have not had great success with open pipes. Even professionals say they are absolutly worthless for anything others than wide open throttle.

Not only the worthlessness of open pipes, you are probably violatine noise ordinance laws with them. Get some baffles, there are replacements.

[TADracer]

You should have someting in there. I know some companies (look on the WWW) make generic baffles that can be used in a multitude of exhaust and I know that SuperTrapp makes a tuneable plate baffle that can be fitted to the tail end.

If you managed to pick up the back plate from the street then perhaps you can make your own baffle from that. I did one (sorrry I dont have any pics) where I took a 12" long piece of simple chain link fence top rail which is about 1 1/2" id (about the same as your header pipe), drilled about 100 5/16" holes through it in a staggered pattern and then brazed it onto the rear end cap. Then I covered the baffle in muffler packing and slit it in. It is a straight through design but works very well and I get good response through all RPM ranges. If you do care to tune it then any type of adjustable blockage on the front of the baffle (forcing gasses through the packing and holes) will work. Mine just happens to be tuned right as is.

[James England]

My neighbors hate me

Well, IMO, that's a good enough reason to get a baffle back in, since you are obviously aware that they don't like it. They probably have children or babies which they've lulled off to sleep with difficulty and then you turn up sounding like a Sherman tank and wake everyone up. It's anti-social and it's pointless, as the bike really isn't meant to run like that anyway. One day you may need a jump start, or a push, or some tools. Friendly neighbours are usually very helpful.........

[skids]

The range where your bike suffers can cause real problems with the combustion cycle. It can cause some heat in the "downstream" sides of the carbs and can glaze the plugs. In short, if it doesn't run right, you can do some damage to the engine. I had some crappy muffs that caused a loss of power at about 2800 rpms and the above symptoms happed to my carbs and plugs before I rescued her!!!

[Cuda 69]

WHAT?????? I can't HEAR you.

[Yard Dogg]

I may be wrong, but I don't remember stock mufflers having a removable baffle. I dissected a set one time (stupid) and they were welded or held together with rivets. Post a pic of what mufflers you have.

[natemoen]

Correct, stock pipes do not have removeable baffles.

[mharrington]

I bet like my XS you have slip on Jardine mufflers. Quite common in the day- cut off oem rusted mufflers and attach Jardine set to the OEM pipes. I met an old feller with a ear shattering loud 1970s KZ900. He had the Jardines but drilled the rivets and removed the innards. Then he rivited back in a large washer for a cap.

[mharrington]

I bet like my XS you have slip on Jardine mufflers. Quite common in the day- cut off oem rusted mufflers and attach Jardine set to the OEM pipes. I met an old feller with a ear shattering loud 1970s KZ900. He had the Jardines but drilled the rivets and removed the innards. Then he rivited back in a large washer for a cap.

These are the Jardines. The KZ I mentioned had Jardines and the mufflers looked identical.

[Rasputin]

Being as the OP posted that he had a 4 into 1 I highly doubt any of the info about stock pipes is applicable. As someone said earlier if a pic is posted it may be easier to help out.

[tjdudeman]

Sorry about the delay of response time. But here is a pic of my exhaust. I am up in Wisconsin now for winter break since I am a college student in Florida and my family is in Wisconsin.

So, this is the only picture of my exhaust that I have at the moment. Hope this helps at all.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey TJ,

Your pipes do look like the MAC black 4-1 type pipes like I have. You didn't say whether you collected/rescued the baffle end that got run over or not?
That end plate is pressed/formed with a prominent lip to fit inside the cone and should have been bolted in position! If you still have the end plate, then as has been stated, you can get another replacement baffle piece to put back into the end of it.. find a muffler shop that would be willing to weld the baffle back into place in the end plate.

Otherwise, you'll need to get some decent thick metal gauge plate material and fashion a replacement end plate for it.

T.C.

[tjdudeman]

Thank you T.C.

The baffle was recovered but is in bad shape. They are 4-1 to exhaust but oringinaly chrome but I painted them black. I can still use the dimensions of the baffle to create a new one though. I know how to weld and my campus has a nice tig welder that I can use to put in a new end piece.

Thanks for the help that makes sense.

[mmaddix]

I have a very similar if not the same exhaust. And my baffle blew out one day to. I was using the exhaust without a baffle and i couldn't get it to run good, it wasn't running good with the baffle in either. Eventually i ended up changing my engine for other reasons and now the bike ruins great without the baffle and even without a muffler at all. It is not as strong on the low end bit it is better than spending $400 that i don't have on an exhaust.

If you want to run without a baffle then do it. The carbs can be synced to run good without baffles. I've done it.