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I did the exact same thing. I only had 91 mi. on my 48 so I was kinda paranoid. It was super easy & sounds tons better. Not as loud as I'd like but PLENTY better for $20. I hear no whistles & it doesn't seem like any loss of power. Great, CHEAP mod!!!
I couldn't wait. Drilled out the baffle caps with a 1" holesaw. It went from too quiet to maybe too loud, more than I expected. It's a good sound though, deep.
There's a couple of little pops once in awhile on decel, not bad.
If anything, low end torque is improved. Which is good because I'll be using lower RPMs almost all of the time compared to stock.
I expect an increase in fuel mileage because I'm less likely to use more throttle than needed around town. I may even drive slower because cruising is more satisfying than before. It could happen
"Yeah man, i cannot see myself using this 1in hole bit again.. maybe i should just walk around parking lots with my drill removing baffles for people. like secret santa"
I got a chance to compare to a Road Monster at the dealer. The big twin was a little louder, but had the same type of sound as my stock mufflers w/ 1" holes.
The service guy said it should be OK without a remap as long as it runs right and doesn't spit.
It's nice and smooth on accel, a little popping on decel. Great sound.
I attempted this on my 2012 Iron. All I accomplished was ruining a brand new 8" extension and 1" hole saw bit... I don't see why mine were so difficult to drill. All I managed to do was get the pilot hole thru and begin carving away before the hole saw bit gave up on me.
Get some rush slip ons with the 1.5 or 1.75 baffle. They sound good but are pretty tame. Thats what I have in black. The wider your go the louder and more ear-piecing they get.
I didn't have a hole saw.. but I did have a sledge hammer. I pulled the mufflers off of the header pipes and beat that welded baffle out with a sledge hammer and a bar. Worked great, one took a few more whacks than I was comfortable with, but I got through it. Sounds great, I didn't notice any torque loss.
kevin883 make sure you use a bi-metal hole saw. A wood working hole wont hold up. I've also heard people using a piece of rebar and a hammer to knock them out.
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