Debaffle

My bike had the operation today! First I got out the double bi-metal hole saw I still have from when I used it on my old bike a few years back. 

 
Next I had a slight problem. Put the saw in my knackered corded drill and it finally died with the strain of metal on metal. Bugger!! So I got out my cordless which has torque settings to protect the motor, so that should be better....only trouble was the chuck is only 10mm whereas the hole saw spindle requires a 13mm chuck. So I dismantled the now defunct corded drill and removed the chuck with the help of my vice and a bit of banging. I filed the round spindle to a hexagon and hey presto it fitted in my cordless chuck. Put the hole saw in the second chuck jaws and fingers crossed got to work on the back plates. I took it slowly and give the cheapo cordless its due, the torque just backed it off when necessary but the metal gradually flew off and after about 5 minutes the central hole was through and after another 5, the outer. Out fell the ring from the top pipe. I wiggled a stick in the baffle tube and yesss, just like last time, the baffle came clean out. I had already bashed a spike down the middle so the weld was quite easily broken. An other hour later after more battery recharging and the lower pipe was done too! Here's what the inside looks like for those who have not seen it:


Will see how this goes when the rain stops. Still will be too quiet I'm sure but with a bit more bashing through to the cat, it should sound ok. Watch this space!

You're a brave man!  Took me 2 weeks to pluck up the courage to ask someone else (Sim) to drill my baffles then another week to pop 4 holes in the back plates myself.

It's begun!     Nothing worse than a quiet cruiser though, good job 

johnboss wrote:

You're a brave man!  Took me 2 weeks to pluck up the courage to ask someone else (Sim) to drill my baffles then another week to pop 4 holes in the back plates myself.

Yes I was much the same when I nervously drilled into the back of my shiny new 2010! Then within a short time I thought 'what the hell' and was bashing seven bells out of the pipes. I eventually went on to aftermarkets but to be honest they did not sound a lot different. I'm one of the odd people who actually like the look of the stock pipes a lot. When I get the sound I want, I will stop. It helps having done it before. Will post a video when this bloody weather settles 

Bluesman wrote:

 I eventually went on to aftermarkets but to be honest they did not sound a lot different. I'm one of the odd people who actually like the look of the stock pipes a lot. 

  I'm "odd" too 

simbo wrote:

  I'm "odd" too 

An understatement  if ever I heard one

Smoothest job of doing that I have seen. very good job. Usually that inner mickie looks like a car wreck. Drilling it first really helped that I think.

Proudtexson wrote:

Smoothest job of doing that I have seen. very good job. Usually that inner mickie looks like a car wreck. Drilling it first really helped that I think.

Thanks Tex. But not for long cos today I got to work with some long bars and a club hammer and now it goes through to the cat (the honeycomb you can see behind the second plate). Sound is now pretty loud. Video to follow shortly. I might open it up even more - lots of noisy bikes round where I live to compete with! Here's the close up:

Sounds better!    you rode off and forgot you're video though 

Vance and Hines without the cost,

you have the sound of my m1800r Highway Hawk extreme slashcut on the 800 but -£150 i got them 2nd hand
got them as i like the stock look but was after the side slashcut look

Well done John sounds good.

nice sound

Now I have run the 'cleaned out' pipes for a  couple of hundred miles and the bike seems happy, I wonder if a liile more grunt could be achieved by piercing the cat which can clearly be seen through the large hole I have recently made in the second plate. Can't see that this will be much different from an aftermarket which has no cat at all, just a bit louder.
 Can anyone think of any problem piercing the cat? It just looks like wire mesh to me.

You'll need to put a lollipop in again to create some back pressure John, or you'll lose low end torque, the cat can be got at better from the other end if you remove the silencer, then use a drill or hammer and chisel to smash the cat up before shaking the bits out, gaskets on that end are pretty sturdy too.

Yes I've had the top muffler off and looked in from that end but put it back on. As for back pressure I've still got about 1/3 of both plates intact so maybe enough there. Not sure as it's running/ sounding well at the moment. Knowing when to stop is the question!

Drilled out the cats today with a very long 3/4" masonry bit. Bit louder and deeper. Torque seems OK. I've still got about 1/2 the plate area in so back pressure is still there. Main reason I did it was parked next to a Harley yesterday - he started up first, me next. I could hardly hear mine so I thought...right! 

Bluesman wrote:

Main reason I did it was parked next to a Harley yesterday - he started up first, me next. I could hardly hear mine so I thought...right! 

Good enough reason    does it seem to rev free'er? they always look very 'restrictive' those cats in the exhaust .

Nice sound John .... PS - I'm odd too !