Stock Pipes ?

[Guest bman]

bman: I have the same problem with my bike concerning mileage. Our

cma group is meeting in the Fremont,Ohio area at around 0830 or so

friday on the way to rolling thunder. I was raised in the Bay City area

of Michigan in a small town called Fairgrove. All my family still lives up

there. So I know the area of your ministry fairly well. Maybe we can get

together sometime when I come up to visit. Maybe in Frankenmuth or

somewhere else inbetween. Godbless, ohiojack

 

Anytime you come up my way just give me a call... I may just ride with ya or we can at least have dinner or something.

 

My brother Mark pastors a church in Grover Hill, Oh, I may be down to speak at his church sometime this spring. He wants me to introduce his congregation to biker ministries.

 

Thanks for the feed back on my mileage problem... I guess I either pay at the pump or put my stock pipes back on.

 

HEHE

 

YBIC (Your Brother in Christ),

[Jethroish]

I did something similar to my 650. Rather than removing the cone or using a hole saw to take the center pipe out, I just drilled 6 holes thru the cone and rear baffle (http://www.650ccnd.com/drillout.htm). Anyone else done this on the RSV?

I would think that drilling like this would accomplish the same removing the last center pipe, although I think it looks better using the hole saw rather than drilling.

I have been thinking about doing this to mine, but have not yet.

 

[concours]

I did something similar to my 650. Rather than removing the cone or using a hole saw to take the center pipe out, I just drilled 6 holes thru the cone and rear baffle (http://www.650ccnd.com/drillout.htm). Anyone else done this on the RSV?

I would think that drilling like this would accomplish the same removing the last center pipe, although I think it looks better using the hole saw rather than drilling.

I have been thinking about doing this to mine, but have not yet.

 

 

The problem with that method is it sounds like a gurgling, partially clogged bathtub drain at idle/low power. The Suzuki "L" series bikes had these in the early eighties and they all sounded that way. I used to laugh at them back then, amazed the OEM would be so lame. JFWIW

 

Notice the bend in the baffle pipe... that thwarts any attempts at punching or drilling the baffle plate up inside. I have drill bits I've welded 24" extensions on, wouldn't happen in this instance.....

[Double D]

OK, I do not want to remove the baffles completely (too loud) I just want a mellow tone at take off and not loud at cruising. If I drill 2 ea 1/2" holes in the intake end of the pipes will I get the results that I am looking for? Or will I need to drill more?

[FreezyRider]

OK, I do not want to remove the baffles completely (too loud) I just want a mellow tone at take off and not loud at cruising. If I drill 2 ea 1/2" holes in the intake end of the pipes will I get the results that I am looking for? Or will I need to drill more?

 

For the sound that you are looking for, your best bet IMO would be the RK muffs. You can get them pretty cheap on ebay.

[Double D]

For the sound that you are looking for, your best bet IMO would be the RK muffs. You can get them pretty cheap on ebay.

I guess I did not make myself clear, I have the RK mufflers and what I wanted to know is if I drill a couple of 1/2" holes in the intake park of the muffler will it give it the sound that I want.

[Denden]

OK, I do not want to remove the baffles completely (too loud) I just want a mellow tone at take off and not loud at cruising. If I drill 2 ea 1/2" holes in the intake end of the pipes will I get the results that I am looking for? Or will I need to drill more?

drilling a couple half inch holes, you probably not even notice the difference. A lot of the guys have drilled 4 half inch holes in the doughnut shaped plate that holds the perforated tube. It makes it just slightly louder, but a lot who have done this have ended up with a "chuffy" sound that they didn't like. For slightly more rumble, slightly more of a deep sound, very little change in volume... Just drill out the front baffle with a 1 1/8 inch hole saw. That's what I did first, and ran it that way for about a month. You won't get the big increase in sound that you get if you drill out both baffles. Just a nice, low pitched rumble that is by no means loud. A nice mellow burble at cruise. My wife didn't even notice the difference between stock RK's, and when I drilled out just the front baffle. After a month, I took them off and drilled out the rear baffle too. Then, with both baffles drilled out, I was really surprised the first time I nailed the throttle. At normal throttle and cruising, it wasn't any different. But when you hit the throttle hard, it really starts to bark. But if you remove just one baffle, it doesn't do that.

[Guest Tom E]

drilling a couple half inch holes, you probably not even notice the difference. A lot of the guys have drilled 4 half inch holes in the doughnut shaped plate that holds the perforated tube. It makes it just slightly louder, but a lot who have done this have ended up with a "chuffy" sound that they didn't like. For slightly more rumble, slightly more of a deep sound, very little change in volume... Just drill out the front baffle with a 1 1/8 inch hole saw. That's what I did first, and ran it that way for about a month. You won't get the big increase in sound that you get if you drill out both baffles. Just a nice, low pitched rumble that is by no means loud. A nice mellow burble at cruise. My wife didn't even notice the difference between stock RK's, and when I drilled out just the front baffle. After a month, I took them off and drilled out the rear baffle too. Then, with both baffles drilled out, I was really surprised the first time I nailed the throttle. At normal throttle and cruising, it wasn't any different. But when you hit the throttle hard, it really starts to bark. But if you remove just one baffle, it doesn't do that.

 

I didn't get that. You drilled out the front baffel? (does that mean the front of the exhaust, as in intake side, or the front of the end as you are looking into it?). Did you removed the inner pipe, or just sawed around the pipe. Did you remove the "Cone" (if you are talking about that end)?

[Denden]

I didn't get that. You drilled out the front baffel? (does that mean the front of the exhaust, as in intake side, or the front of the end as you are looking into it?). Did you removed the inner pipe, or just sawed around the pipe. Did you remove the "Cone" (if you are talking about that end)?

NOTE...this is about the Road King mufflers, and more specifically, the Road King mufflers that don't have the metal honeycomb catalytic converter in the left side muffler.

Tom E...this thread started about drilling out the stock Yamaha RSV mufflers. Double D asked a question about how to get more sound out of Harley Road King mufflers.

OK, I hope we are on the same page now?

If you look in the front end of the RK mufflers, the end you attach to the header pipe, the end the exhaust goes into first. There is an open chamber, and then about 6 inches into it, there is a doughnut shaped plate that holds the front of a perforated tube. If you look into the perforated tube, you will see that the end of the tube is blocked at end, forcing all the exhuast gases to go thru the perforations. What I was telling Double D...the inside diameter of the perforated tube is 1 1/8 inch. If you put a 1 1/8 inch holesaw onto a 14 inch long 1/4 inch drill bit, you can reach the end of the perforated tube and remove the silver dollar sized plate that is blocking the end of the tube. This will give you a slightly louder, slightly deeper rumble. I think that's what Double D was trying to do.

I did this without telling my wife, and she didn't notice the slight increase in noise, but it has a nice mellow burble.

Then a couple weeks later, I went one step farther. Looking in the end of the muffler that the exhuast gases come out, there is another perforated tube ablout 6 inches long. It is capped off at the end, too. Just like the one at the entrance. I drilled this one out, too. Used the 1 1/8 inch holesaw. With both the front and the rear plate removed, you can see all the way thru the muffler. It isn't really LOUD like this, just a nice low rumble...until you crack the throttle. THEN you start to hear it bark. Not obnoxious loud, but a nice sound. You can control how loud with the throttle. But even at the loudest, it isn't as loud as most Harley guys seem to like it.

If you just drill out just the front plate and leave the rear plate in, you don't get the full throttle bark, just a nice mellow deep sounding muffler. The exhaust gases are still forced to go thru the perforations at the outlet of the muffler. A little louder and a little deeper than a stock Road King muffler.

[heatonmt]

If a guy was to put on the road king pipes would he need to jet the curbs. or reset them.

[Tartan Terror]

If a guy was to put on the road king pipes would he need to jet the curbs. or reset them.

Nope. No jetting required. you will need the adapter bracket if you have a set of RK muff take offs already. Squidley sells them and you can find them in the Classifieds in this site. If you want the whole set up muffs and all he has them too and if you like he will drill them to your liking too. Contact the Squid.

[Double D]

drilling a couple half inch holes, you probably not even notice the difference. A lot of the guys have drilled 4 half inch holes in the doughnut shaped plate that holds the perforated tube. It makes it just slightly louder, but a lot who have done this have ended up with a "chuffy" sound that they didn't like. For slightly more rumble, slightly more of a deep sound, very little change in volume... Just drill out the front baffle with a 1 1/8 inch hole saw. That's what I did first, and ran it that way for about a month. You won't get the big increase in sound that you get if you drill out both baffles. Just a nice, low pitched rumble that is by no means loud. A nice mellow burble at cruise. My wife didn't even notice the difference between stock RK's, and when I drilled out just the front baffle. After a month, I took them off and drilled out the rear baffle too. Then, with both baffles drilled out, I was really surprised the first time I nailed the throttle. At normal throttle and cruising, it wasn't any different. But when you hit the throttle hard, it really starts to bark. But if you remove just one baffle, it doesn't do that.

Thanks Denden, I just put the stock RK pipes on my bike tonight and as most of you know there is not a really big difference for the stock pipes. I think there is a more of a fine rumble at idle. I will take your advise and take them off and drill a 1 1/8" hole in the intake side just to get the low rumble with no increase in noice.

[Denden]

Just one thing...you might want to re-check your carb sync after you drill them out. Mine needed re-adjustment. The RK mufflers changed the 1-2 sync to the 3-4 sync for some reason.

[Double D]

If you put a 1 1/8 inch holesaw onto a 14 inch long 1/4 inch drill bit, you can reach the end of the perforated tube and remove the silver dollar sized plate that is blocking the end of the tube. This will give you a slightly louder, slightly deeper rumble.

OK Where in the world do I find a 14"drill bit that I can attach a 1 1/18" hole saw to? I have several hole saws but not that long.

[Squidley]

OK Where in the world do I find a 14"drill bit that I can attach a 1 1/18" hole saw to? I have several hole saws but not that long.

 

Dave,

Shoot me your address and I'll ship off my holesaw so you can drill out the baffles. When your done you can just send it back...hows that sound??

[Double D]

Dave,

 

Shoot me your address and I'll ship off my holesaw so you can drill out the baffles. When your done you can just send it back...hows that sound??

 

You have a PM.

[Denden]

OK Where in the world do I find a 14"drill bit that I can attach a 1 1/18" hole saw to? I have several hole saws but not that long.

Sounds like Squidley has ya covered. But what I did was go to Sears and bought the type of holesaw that uses a 1/4 inch bit for the pilot, and the holesaw attaches to the pilot with a set-screw. Sears also has 1/4 inch bits that are extra long...get the one that is 14 inches long. Then you just put the holesaw on the 14 inch long bit and tighten the set screw. 14 inches just barely makes it to the end of the inlet perforated tube, but it's enough to remove the thin metal plate that blocks the end of the tube.

[Double D]

Squidley hope you haven't mailed the hole cutter yet, went to Lowe's today and picked one up. Already drilled out the baffles in the intake side of the mufflers. Sounds OK, I get a good deep mellow tone at idle and not too loud cruising. I may give it a few days and then decide if I will drill out the back baffles also. Thanks for everyone help.