Hi Folks,
Awhile back I put a set of Hooker pipes on my bike, and I like 'em well enough. But, I've been thinking about going back to the pipes that i bought it with, which were straight chrome drag pipes. (and maybe adding some fishtails on the end for that old skool look.[8D]) But, I was looking at the drag pipes that used to be on the bike and I noticed that they don't have (or don't LOOK like they have) any baffles in them. Don't you need some kind of baffles in the pipes for back pressure, or am I o.k. running it with just the straight pipes? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

What year is your motor

 

Unless you're worried about squeezing all the HP you can out of it you're fine. I've run nothing but drag pipes on my bikes for years.

 

It's an '06 Night Train...88 motor. (I think the 96's came out in '07)

I'm more of a long-range-cruise rider as opposed to a fast highway blasts. (put about 8-10,000 miles a year on my bikes)

 

I can just share with you my experience. I have an 06 Fatboy with V&H Big Shots Staggered. I ran the bike for a while without the baffles, and performance was Sh!@t. . . I lost alot of low end torque, bike ran hotter and gas mileage was off. I put them back in about a month ago, and it is like I have new bike!! My vote is for baffels . . .

 

so, if i also take out the baffles on my 2008 cross bones will that
hurt it?

 

My understanding, at least talking to the shop, is that baffle removal will not hurt the bike, but it will make it run like crap. He suggested that if I wanted loud pipes was to go with a drag pipe. I also looked into power cones, but from what I read they do not make a big difference.

 

I have a 07 train with vance and hines big radius pipes. I took the baffels out and yeah it sounds rough(window shaker) butis a little sluggish coming out of the corner. I even put a power commander and stage 1 in it to kick it up. Don't get me wrong it moves but you do sacrafice power. I am thinking of putting the baffels back in and tuning it again on the dyno since i go to events/rides and cops in nys are starting to crack down on bikers with too loud pipes. LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES......can't hear ya

 

i have a 07 softail custom with big radius 2 into 2, i pulled the baffles and cut them in half and put them back in and it was loud but not as deep, then over the winter i upgraded to a 103 with se heads and a bigger cam and now its louder and deeper with 10.5 comp pistons. i am thinking about going with big city thunder or putting the original baffles from v and h back in.