Disappointing Muffler Swap...

[OldGazer]

Well, I finally had the time, and after talking to a local muffler guy I had him replace the stock mufflers with a set of H-D Road Couch mufflers.

 

The guy did some great work, but the sound is really a let down.

 

Two winters ago I had the bike torn down to parade rest so I could rebuild the front struts and do so other much need work. One night a buddy came over, and just for grins I fired her up. With no mufflers the sound was deafening, so I figured a set of Road Couch mufflers would be just the ticket.

 

Wrong... Even with holes in the baffle plugs (I can see straight through the muffler), the bike is just a touch louder that it was with the stock mufflers.

 

What gives? I have an '03 EVO Sportster with stock mufflers that have the baffles cut out, and its loud, but in a '57 Chevy w/glass packs sorta way, so its not obnoxious. I was really expecting a nice sweet rumble and now I feel like I wasted money....

[dacheedah]

you need to get to the packing somehow to pull some out, will they pull apart or are they welded??

[bostonlawman2003]

I had the same feeling after putting my H-D pipes on that had been drilled out.

 

I solved the problem by buying a set of used Barons Nasty Boys from a fellow member on here and man am I happy. Glass Packs was the first thing that came to mind when I heard it running after the install.

[dacheedah]

some are made to be repacked, I do know some people who have cut the baffle out with a hole saw and repacked, then tig'd it back together. Personally I would try some RK's, plenty of takeoffs just avoid the cat's

[reddevilmedic]

single pin cranks are noisy, 4 cyls not. I put some Thrush cherry bombs on mine, deeper, slighty louder rumble. http://sa750.net/vtwin/vtwin.htm.

[mralex714]

single pin cranks are noisy, 4 cyls not. I put some Thrush cherry bombs on mine, deeper, slighty louder rumble. http://sa750.net/vtwin/vtwin.htm.

 

Good info, thanks

[OldGazer]

single pin cranks are noisy, 4 cyls not. I put some Thrush cherry bombs on mine, deeper, slighty louder rumble. http://sa750.net/vtwin/vtwin.htm.

 

I know better than to expect my Yamaha to sound like a Harley. If I want to hear that sound I fire up my Sportster.

 

I was expecting a little more VOLUME than what I heard initially.

 

After I put the Voyager kit back on, we noticed the bike does sound better than it did with the stock mufflers.

[OldGazer]

you need to get to the packing somehow to pull some out, will they pull apart or are they welded??

 

By knocking a hole in the baffle end plugs the mufflers should behave like a glass pack.

 

However, when you look at the baffle tube you will see it has a smaller ID than the inlet pipe. This means that the exhaust pulses are being forced to slow down and shed acoustic energy.

 

Conversely, the stock mufflers on my Sportster have the baffle plugs cut out, and the baffle tube is very close to, if not the same ID as the inlet pipe. These mufflers perform exactly like classic glass packs...