taking off mufflers dangerous?
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 304
Likes: 1
From: Yuma az
taking off mufflers dangerous?
i was taking unnecessary parts off my bike and i got to the exhaust and decided to take off the mufflers... i had rinehart slipons installed.. my question is if I run my bike without mufflers would it cause a loss in performance or even engine damage? i talked to the local harley and they said it could... but then how are so many motorcycles running without mufflers.... and not to worry about the epa/tree hugger stuff... i live in arizona!!! thanks people!!!! the pipe is about a foot and a half
Account Deactivated
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,757
Likes: 8
From: Central Florida
No mufflers means no back pressure,,Ok for modified engines...
Stage one Is not Modified It just breathes better
Stock engines sound so much faster most people think they are.
Scavenging Is ruined and the back pressure wave Is gone,,
not good for performance
http://www.harley-performance.com/harley-exhaust.html
Stage one Is not Modified It just breathes better
Stock engines sound so much faster most people think they are.
Scavenging Is ruined and the back pressure wave Is gone,,
not good for performance
http://www.harley-performance.com/harley-exhaust.html
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Posts: n/a
Short answer: probably.
Longer answer: As has been said, you will run lean and lose performance. Will you run lean enough to damage the engine? Maybe. It depends on how you ride, where you ride, how long you ride, etc. There are too many variables to say that you will 100% damage your engine. However, if the odds are over 50% (they are, by a lot), then isn't the risk too high? I intend to keep my Sportster for years, so I won't run without a muffler (besides, my Rush slip-ons are louder than open headers, and don't weigh all that much). Will you lose enough performance to bother you? I don't know, what's your tolerance, what do you expect from the bike, etc.? Only you can determine that. So, take them off, ride for a while, and decide for yourself.
Longer answer: As has been said, you will run lean and lose performance. Will you run lean enough to damage the engine? Maybe. It depends on how you ride, where you ride, how long you ride, etc. There are too many variables to say that you will 100% damage your engine. However, if the odds are over 50% (they are, by a lot), then isn't the risk too high? I intend to keep my Sportster for years, so I won't run without a muffler (besides, my Rush slip-ons are louder than open headers, and don't weigh all that much). Will you lose enough performance to bother you? I don't know, what's your tolerance, what do you expect from the bike, etc.? Only you can determine that. So, take them off, ride for a while, and decide for yourself.
Account Deactivated
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,757
Likes: 8
From: Central Florida
And you will be one more reason for the EPA to clamp down harder
on the rest of us with It's 88 decible noise Limit.
Loud pipes save live's,,,Bullshit
Loud pipes says, "Look at me I'm SOooo Badazz",,,
A deep harley sound Is cool,,,loud as hell straight pipes are Inconsiderate of others.
Thats poser to me XD
on the rest of us with It's 88 decible noise Limit.
Loud pipes save live's,,,Bullshit
Loud pipes says, "Look at me I'm SOooo Badazz",,,
A deep harley sound Is cool,,,loud as hell straight pipes are Inconsiderate of others.
Thats poser to me XD
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Guest
Posts: n/a
And you will be one more reason for the EPA to clamp down harder
on the rest of us with It's 88 decible noise Limit.
Loud pipes save live's,,,Bullshit
Loud pipes says, "Look at me I'm SOooo Badazz",,,
A deep harley sound Is cool,,,loud as hell straight pipes are Inconsiderate of others.
Thats poser to me XD
on the rest of us with It's 88 decible noise Limit.
Loud pipes save live's,,,Bullshit
Loud pipes says, "Look at me I'm SOooo Badazz",,,
A deep harley sound Is cool,,,loud as hell straight pipes are Inconsiderate of others.
Thats poser to me XD
I like loud(er) pipes - a LOT. Obviously, I have Rush slip-ons. However, there comes a point where it is too much, and most of us just can't hear it, because we have so much wind noise, and we become accustomed to the exhaust noise (it's actually a frequency-specific deafness) over time, so that we think it isn't as loud as it is. Other people, on the other hand, do not have that issue, so our noise does nothing for us, but irritates them.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,508
Likes: 169
From: WPB, FL
"Generally" speaking - no mufflers is good for high performance, high RPM bursts of power in a correctly tuned engine. If you ever hung out around dragsters, this is evident. They have the "Harley" idle (rough uneven sounding) and smooth out when given the gas. A set of mufflers with some backpressure would actually give you better performance at the lower power output (bottom end). As with any mod to the intake/exhaust systems, the bike should be tuned for the setup. The more extreme the intake/output the more difficult it would be to set up thru the entire power band.
Stage I
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
I heard all of these issues, I found a good product out there from DK Customs they are thunder torque inserts. I have a 2015 softail slim. I dont have the money for the exhaust and intake set up that I want. I found the thunder torque inserts, started with removing my baffles and used the TTI in my mufflers. Love the sound, and the sound is adjustable to your liking. They also give you the back pressure needed may also increase your pressure. I ran that set up for a season then decided to pull my mufflers and run just headers with the TTI. Very happy with sound and performance thank you
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