Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" and V&H Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers & 07 FXDC
#1
04-16-2009, 06:09 PM
Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" and V&H Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers & 07 FXDC
All,
Last night I installed my Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" (P/N 2001) in my Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. I installed them 6" inboard from the outlet end of the V&H mufflers as recommended by Big City Thunder with the "gunsight" /"lollipop" towards the rear of the motorcycle.
Here's my setup:
1) 2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDC Super Glide Custom (14,500 miles. Manufacture Date: February 2007)
2) Vance & Hines FuelPak - P/N 61005A, Using FuelPak Map: FP-0604
3) Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers - P/N 16823
4) Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle Stage 1 Air Cleaner Kit - P/N 29773-02C
5) Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" - P/N 2001 ($79.95 + shipping - comes with printed instructions, baffles and mounting bolts)
Results:
Motorcycle runs perfect. I ran it over 75 miles today in both highway and stop & go traffic. I also, on 2 occasions, redlined gears 1, 2, 3 and 4 all the way from 0mph up to 80mph. Top end torque remained strong - I had good torque in 6th gear going up a 5 degree grade - but the improvement contributed by the BCT Monster Baffles was the elimination of a torque flat-spot in first gear.
There was no "popping" on deceleration or at the top of a gear while abruptly rolling off to shift to a higher gear (see 0mph - 80mph in previous sentence). Occasionally there'd be a "pop" upon deceleration - but I don't think there were more than 5 "pops" total in my 75 miles of testing. ( I also never really had much "popping" with my stock V&H baffles either)
Sound is louder, but is also deeper in pitch with more of that "motorboat" blat-blat-blat sound. It now sounds like an old Shovel except that it idles much faster than a shovel. If you like quiet, this is not for you. When you roll on the throttle hard, it sounds like the 1960s.
My conclusion:
- Vance & Hines makes excellent products
- Big City Thunder makes excellent products
Notes on Install:
1. I had over 10,000 miles on my V&H Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. However, with some Liquid Wrench on the baffle mounting screw at the outlet end of the muffler, the baffles came out easily. I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger to pull on the screw mounting hole and both baffles came right out.
Note: before you do anything, put a 6" strip of blue painter's tape across the joint of the front heat shield on the headpipe and the rear heat shield on the muffler. Then, use a utility knife to slice between the joint. This way, you will have the perfect alignment mechanism when you put the heatshields back on.
2. I oriented the "gunsight" (some call it a "lollipop") in the baffles so that the round piece is in the "12:00 position."
2. For the rear muffler, all you have to do is take off the heat shield in order to drill the hole. Set the bike up so that it is vertical. Measure in 6" from the end of the V&H muffler, and drill the hole in the top of the muffler. I used a center punch and then a 1/4" drill bit. The 1/4" hole was too small so I enlarged it with the 1/4" drill bit. I think that a 5/16" drill bit would be perfect. The hold needs to be big enough for the BCT baffle mounting bolt to go in without binding but smaller than the head on the BCT baffle mounting bolt.
Also, you will need to remove the rear, muffler mounting bracket (it's held on with 2 bolts/nuts). Why? Because if you don't, you will not be able to slide off the rear of the front muffler's heat shield unless you undo the hose clamp completely. And who wants to undo and rethread the hose clamp if you don't have to? That particular spot on the bike is for tiny-fingered people only.
3. For the front muffler, in addition to taking off the heat shield, you must loosen the muffler clamp that holds the muffler to the headpipe. Then, you need to rotate the muffler towards you so that you can drill the hole. You have to rotate the muffler towards you because the rear muffler is in the way of drilling straight down. Impossible to do. I called BCT and you can mount the "gunsight" / "lollipop" at 12:00 in one muffler and 6:00 in the other, so I considered that. However, that is impossible as the muffler mounting bracket is in the way. After you loosen the muffer clamp on the front muffler, you are on your own. I squirted WD-40 and silicone where the front muffler goes into the headpipe and it was a back-and-forth effort including side to side wiggling to get the thing loose enough to rotate. I found that even my Large Sears Strap Wrench didn't do squat. It had to be done by hand. Once the hole is drilled in the front muffler, then it is time to install the baffles.
4. The BCT Baffles P/N 2001 are the exact same inside diameter and outside diameter as the stock V&H baffles. So the baffles slid in very easy. Make sure that you have no rough edges on the inside of the muffler from the drilled hole - if you do, the muffler won't slide in.
I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger on the BCT Monster Baffle mounting hole (ie. the hole in the baffle) to push the baffle in and to rotate it to orient the baffle's threaded hole to the hole that I'd drilled in the baffles. This took only about 5-10 minutes. Use a trouble light to see the holes line up.
5. I reused my front muffler clamp. I the Harley-Davidson torque specification is 45-60 foot pounds. I used 55 foot pounds of torque on the front muffler clamp and upon startup, there were no exhaust leaks.
When you are done, reinstall the heatshields, and check all bolts/nuts/heat shield clamps, rear muffler bracket, etc. to make sure that everything is tight. I used blue Loctite on everything except the muffler clamp. Start up the motorcycle and check for leaks. Then take it out for a test ride and enjoy the performance and sound.
Richard
Last night I installed my Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" (P/N 2001) in my Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. I installed them 6" inboard from the outlet end of the V&H mufflers as recommended by Big City Thunder with the "gunsight" /"lollipop" towards the rear of the motorcycle.
Here's my setup:
1) 2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDC Super Glide Custom (14,500 miles. Manufacture Date: February 2007)
2) Vance & Hines FuelPak - P/N 61005A, Using FuelPak Map: FP-0604
3) Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers - P/N 16823
4) Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle Stage 1 Air Cleaner Kit - P/N 29773-02C
5) Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" - P/N 2001 ($79.95 + shipping - comes with printed instructions, baffles and mounting bolts)
Results:
Motorcycle runs perfect. I ran it over 75 miles today in both highway and stop & go traffic. I also, on 2 occasions, redlined gears 1, 2, 3 and 4 all the way from 0mph up to 80mph. Top end torque remained strong - I had good torque in 6th gear going up a 5 degree grade - but the improvement contributed by the BCT Monster Baffles was the elimination of a torque flat-spot in first gear.
There was no "popping" on deceleration or at the top of a gear while abruptly rolling off to shift to a higher gear (see 0mph - 80mph in previous sentence). Occasionally there'd be a "pop" upon deceleration - but I don't think there were more than 5 "pops" total in my 75 miles of testing. ( I also never really had much "popping" with my stock V&H baffles either)
Sound is louder, but is also deeper in pitch with more of that "motorboat" blat-blat-blat sound. It now sounds like an old Shovel except that it idles much faster than a shovel. If you like quiet, this is not for you. When you roll on the throttle hard, it sounds like the 1960s.
My conclusion:
- Vance & Hines makes excellent products
- Big City Thunder makes excellent products
Notes on Install:
1. I had over 10,000 miles on my V&H Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. However, with some Liquid Wrench on the baffle mounting screw at the outlet end of the muffler, the baffles came out easily. I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger to pull on the screw mounting hole and both baffles came right out.
Note: before you do anything, put a 6" strip of blue painter's tape across the joint of the front heat shield on the headpipe and the rear heat shield on the muffler. Then, use a utility knife to slice between the joint. This way, you will have the perfect alignment mechanism when you put the heatshields back on.
2. I oriented the "gunsight" (some call it a "lollipop") in the baffles so that the round piece is in the "12:00 position."
2. For the rear muffler, all you have to do is take off the heat shield in order to drill the hole. Set the bike up so that it is vertical. Measure in 6" from the end of the V&H muffler, and drill the hole in the top of the muffler. I used a center punch and then a 1/4" drill bit. The 1/4" hole was too small so I enlarged it with the 1/4" drill bit. I think that a 5/16" drill bit would be perfect. The hold needs to be big enough for the BCT baffle mounting bolt to go in without binding but smaller than the head on the BCT baffle mounting bolt.
Also, you will need to remove the rear, muffler mounting bracket (it's held on with 2 bolts/nuts). Why? Because if you don't, you will not be able to slide off the rear of the front muffler's heat shield unless you undo the hose clamp completely. And who wants to undo and rethread the hose clamp if you don't have to? That particular spot on the bike is for tiny-fingered people only.
3. For the front muffler, in addition to taking off the heat shield, you must loosen the muffler clamp that holds the muffler to the headpipe. Then, you need to rotate the muffler towards you so that you can drill the hole. You have to rotate the muffler towards you because the rear muffler is in the way of drilling straight down. Impossible to do. I called BCT and you can mount the "gunsight" / "lollipop" at 12:00 in one muffler and 6:00 in the other, so I considered that. However, that is impossible as the muffler mounting bracket is in the way. After you loosen the muffer clamp on the front muffler, you are on your own. I squirted WD-40 and silicone where the front muffler goes into the headpipe and it was a back-and-forth effort including side to side wiggling to get the thing loose enough to rotate. I found that even my Large Sears Strap Wrench didn't do squat. It had to be done by hand. Once the hole is drilled in the front muffler, then it is time to install the baffles.
4. The BCT Baffles P/N 2001 are the exact same inside diameter and outside diameter as the stock V&H baffles. So the baffles slid in very easy. Make sure that you have no rough edges on the inside of the muffler from the drilled hole - if you do, the muffler won't slide in.
I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger on the BCT Monster Baffle mounting hole (ie. the hole in the baffle) to push the baffle in and to rotate it to orient the baffle's threaded hole to the hole that I'd drilled in the baffles. This took only about 5-10 minutes. Use a trouble light to see the holes line up.
5. I reused my front muffler clamp. I the Harley-Davidson torque specification is 45-60 foot pounds. I used 55 foot pounds of torque on the front muffler clamp and upon startup, there were no exhaust leaks.
When you are done, reinstall the heatshields, and check all bolts/nuts/heat shield clamps, rear muffler bracket, etc. to make sure that everything is tight. I used blue Loctite on everything except the muffler clamp. Start up the motorcycle and check for leaks. Then take it out for a test ride and enjoy the performance and sound.
Richard
#2
04-16-2009, 07:34 PM
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#5
04-16-2009, 08:17 PM
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All,
Last night I installed my Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" (P/N 2001) in my Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. I installed them 6" inboard from the outlet end of the V&H mufflers as recommended by Big City Thunder with the "gunsight" /"lollipop" towards the rear of the motorcycle.
Here's my setup:
1) 2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDC Super Glide Custom (14,500 miles. Manufacture Date: February 2007)
2) Vance & Hines FuelPak - P/N 61005A, Using FuelPak Map: FP-0604
3) Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers - P/N 16823
4) Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle Stage 1 Air Cleaner Kit - P/N 29773-02C
5) Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" - P/N 2001 ($79.95 + shipping - comes with printed instructions, baffles and mounting bolts)
Results:
Motorcycle runs perfect. I ran it over 75 miles today in both highway and stop & go traffic. I also, on 2 occasions, redlined gears 1, 2, 3 and 4 all the way from 0mph up to 80mph. Top end torque remained strong - I had good torque in 6th gear going up a 5 degree grade - but the improvement contributed by the BCT Monster Baffles was the elimination of a torque flat-spot in first gear.
There was no "popping" on deceleration or at the top of a gear while abruptly rolling off to shift to a higher gear (see 0mph - 80mph in previous sentence). Occasionally there'd be a "pop" upon deceleration - but I don't think there were more than 5 "pops" total in my 75 miles of testing. ( I also never really had much "popping" with my stock V&H baffles either)
Sound is louder, but is also deeper in pitch with more of that "motorboat" blat-blat-blat sound. It now sounds like an old Shovel except that it idles much faster than a shovel. If you like quiet, this is not for you. When you roll on the throttle hard, it sounds like the 1960s.
My conclusion:
- Vance & Hines makes excellent products
- Big City Thunder makes excellent products
Notes on Install:
1. I had over 10,000 miles on my V&H Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. However, with some Liquid Wrench on the baffle mounting screw at the outlet end of the muffler, the baffles came out easily. I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger to pull on the screw mounting hole and both baffles came right out.
Note: before you do anything, put a 6" strip of blue painter's tape across the joint of the front heat shield on the headpipe and the rear heat shield on the muffler. Then, use a utility knife to slice between the joint. This way, you will have the perfect alignment mechanism when you put the heatshields back on.
2. I oriented the "gunsight" (some call it a "lollipop") in the baffles so that the round piece is in the "12:00 position."
2. For the rear muffler, all you have to do is take off the heat shield in order to drill the hole. Set the bike up so that it is vertical. Measure in 6" from the end of the V&H muffler, and drill the hole in the top of the muffler. I used a center punch and then a 1/4" drill bit. The 1/4" hole was too small so I enlarged it with the 1/4" drill bit. I think that a 5/16" drill bit would be perfect. The hold needs to be big enough for the BCT baffle mounting bolt to go in without binding but smaller than the head on the BCT baffle mounting bolt.
Also, you will need to remove the rear, muffler mounting bracket (it's held on with 2 bolts/nuts). Why? Because if you don't, you will not be able to slide off the rear of the front muffler's heat shield unless you undo the hose clamp completely. And who wants to undo and rethread the hose clamp if you don't have to? That particular spot on the bike is for tiny-fingered people only.
3. For the front muffler, in addition to taking off the heat shield, you must loosen the muffler clamp that holds the muffler to the headpipe. Then, you need to rotate the muffler towards you so that you can drill the hole. You have to rotate the muffler towards you because the rear muffler is in the way of drilling straight down. Impossible to do. I called BCT and you can mount the "gunsight" / "lollipop" at 12:00 in one muffler and 6:00 in the other, so I considered that. However, that is impossible as the muffler mounting bracket is in the way. After you loosen the muffer clamp on the front muffler, you are on your own. I squirted WD-40 and silicone where the front muffler goes into the headpipe and it was a back-and-forth effort including side to side wiggling to get the thing loose enough to rotate. I found that even my Large Sears Strap Wrench didn't do squat. It had to be done by hand. Once the hole is drilled in the front muffler, then it is time to install the baffles.
4. The BCT Baffles P/N 2001 are the exact same inside diameter and outside diameter as the stock V&H baffles. So the baffles slid in very easy. Make sure that you have no rough edges on the inside of the muffler from the drilled hole - if you do, the muffler won't slide in.
I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger on the BCT Monster Baffle mounting hole (ie. the hole in the baffle) to push the baffle in and to rotate it to orient the baffle's threaded hole to the hole that I'd drilled in the baffles. This took only about 5-10 minutes. Use a trouble light to see the holes line up.
5. I reused my front muffler clamp. I the Harley-Davidson torque specification is 45-60 foot pounds. I used 55 foot pounds of torque on the front muffler clamp and upon startup, there were no exhaust leaks.
When you are done, reinstall the heatshields, and check all bolts/nuts/heat shield clamps, rear muffler bracket, etc. to make sure that everything is tight. I used blue Loctite on everything except the muffler clamp. Start up the motorcycle and check for leaks. Then take it out for a test ride and enjoy the performance and sound.
Richard
Last night I installed my Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" (P/N 2001) in my Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. I installed them 6" inboard from the outlet end of the V&H mufflers as recommended by Big City Thunder with the "gunsight" /"lollipop" towards the rear of the motorcycle.
Here's my setup:
1) 2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna FXDC Super Glide Custom (14,500 miles. Manufacture Date: February 2007)
2) Vance & Hines FuelPak - P/N 61005A, Using FuelPak Map: FP-0604
3) Vance & Hines Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers - P/N 16823
4) Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle Stage 1 Air Cleaner Kit - P/N 29773-02C
5) Big City Thunder "Monster Baffles" - P/N 2001 ($79.95 + shipping - comes with printed instructions, baffles and mounting bolts)
Results:
Motorcycle runs perfect. I ran it over 75 miles today in both highway and stop & go traffic. I also, on 2 occasions, redlined gears 1, 2, 3 and 4 all the way from 0mph up to 80mph. Top end torque remained strong - I had good torque in 6th gear going up a 5 degree grade - but the improvement contributed by the BCT Monster Baffles was the elimination of a torque flat-spot in first gear.
There was no "popping" on deceleration or at the top of a gear while abruptly rolling off to shift to a higher gear (see 0mph - 80mph in previous sentence). Occasionally there'd be a "pop" upon deceleration - but I don't think there were more than 5 "pops" total in my 75 miles of testing. ( I also never really had much "popping" with my stock V&H baffles either)
Sound is louder, but is also deeper in pitch with more of that "motorboat" blat-blat-blat sound. It now sounds like an old Shovel except that it idles much faster than a shovel. If you like quiet, this is not for you. When you roll on the throttle hard, it sounds like the 1960s.
My conclusion:
- Vance & Hines makes excellent products
- Big City Thunder makes excellent products
Notes on Install:
1. I had over 10,000 miles on my V&H Straightshot HS Slip-On Mufflers. However, with some Liquid Wrench on the baffle mounting screw at the outlet end of the muffler, the baffles came out easily. I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger to pull on the screw mounting hole and both baffles came right out.
Note: before you do anything, put a 6" strip of blue painter's tape across the joint of the front heat shield on the headpipe and the rear heat shield on the muffler. Then, use a utility knife to slice between the joint. This way, you will have the perfect alignment mechanism when you put the heatshields back on.
2. I oriented the "gunsight" (some call it a "lollipop") in the baffles so that the round piece is in the "12:00 position."
2. For the rear muffler, all you have to do is take off the heat shield in order to drill the hole. Set the bike up so that it is vertical. Measure in 6" from the end of the V&H muffler, and drill the hole in the top of the muffler. I used a center punch and then a 1/4" drill bit. The 1/4" hole was too small so I enlarged it with the 1/4" drill bit. I think that a 5/16" drill bit would be perfect. The hold needs to be big enough for the BCT baffle mounting bolt to go in without binding but smaller than the head on the BCT baffle mounting bolt.
Also, you will need to remove the rear, muffler mounting bracket (it's held on with 2 bolts/nuts). Why? Because if you don't, you will not be able to slide off the rear of the front muffler's heat shield unless you undo the hose clamp completely. And who wants to undo and rethread the hose clamp if you don't have to? That particular spot on the bike is for tiny-fingered people only.
3. For the front muffler, in addition to taking off the heat shield, you must loosen the muffler clamp that holds the muffler to the headpipe. Then, you need to rotate the muffler towards you so that you can drill the hole. You have to rotate the muffler towards you because the rear muffler is in the way of drilling straight down. Impossible to do. I called BCT and you can mount the "gunsight" / "lollipop" at 12:00 in one muffler and 6:00 in the other, so I considered that. However, that is impossible as the muffler mounting bracket is in the way. After you loosen the muffer clamp on the front muffler, you are on your own. I squirted WD-40 and silicone where the front muffler goes into the headpipe and it was a back-and-forth effort including side to side wiggling to get the thing loose enough to rotate. I found that even my Large Sears Strap Wrench didn't do squat. It had to be done by hand. Once the hole is drilled in the front muffler, then it is time to install the baffles.
4. The BCT Baffles P/N 2001 are the exact same inside diameter and outside diameter as the stock V&H baffles. So the baffles slid in very easy. Make sure that you have no rough edges on the inside of the muffler from the drilled hole - if you do, the muffler won't slide in.
I used a 90 degree bend in a coat hanger on the BCT Monster Baffle mounting hole (ie. the hole in the baffle) to push the baffle in and to rotate it to orient the baffle's threaded hole to the hole that I'd drilled in the baffles. This took only about 5-10 minutes. Use a trouble light to see the holes line up.
5. I reused my front muffler clamp. I the Harley-Davidson torque specification is 45-60 foot pounds. I used 55 foot pounds of torque on the front muffler clamp and upon startup, there were no exhaust leaks.
When you are done, reinstall the heatshields, and check all bolts/nuts/heat shield clamps, rear muffler bracket, etc. to make sure that everything is tight. I used blue Loctite on everything except the muffler clamp. Start up the motorcycle and check for leaks. Then take it out for a test ride and enjoy the performance and sound.
Richard
#6
04-16-2009, 09:17 PM
#7
04-16-2009, 09:55 PM
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#8
04-17-2009, 11:14 AM
My last test of the baffles was last night. I went between Exit 8A and 9 of the New Jersey Turnpike (11 miles) at 9pm going between 75mph - 90mph - all in 6th gear. Purpose being to test 6th gear response. Bike ran very well and I have now thoroughly tested my setup. I don't have any money for real engine mods, so my 100hp/100 lb. ft. torque dream will have to wait. But for now, I am satisfied.
