Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Baffle-ing Question.....

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 16, 2018 | 10:46 PM
  #1  
MotoJockey's Avatar
MotoJockey
Thread Starter
|
Grand HDF Member
Veteran: Navy
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 4,667
Likes: 3,965
From: Near Yosemite
Default Baffle-ing Question.....

So, I recently bought a set of used Rinehart 3.5" Slip-ons to replace the set I had on my '03 FLHRIC, (95" BB, S&S Cam, and SERT), because the left one had gotten worn paper thin where it slips over the Header. Anyhow, the baffles in the new set had been changed out to 2.5" from the normal 2.25" that are in mine. They sound just a bit softer and deeper then my old ones, and I'm kinda waffling back and forth as to whether or not to keep them or pull my old baffles out and put them in the new cans. Now to the question......... am I correct in understanding that changing out the baffles, even with as little as .25" difference, might/could/should cause re-tune? Part of me thinks that .25" shouldn't do squat but what the hell do I know? I do know if this new baffle set needs a tune, I will no longer be waffling about what to do......... the old baffles are going into the new cans.

Any thoughts?


 
Reply
Old May 16, 2018 | 11:48 PM
  #2  
soulpatch's Avatar
soulpatch
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 368
Likes: 37
From: Montgomery, Alabama
Default

Yes, there will be some difference given the overall volume that will pass through the pipes now, but honestly I don't think there will be enough for a complete re-tune. If you notice anything, ie. decel pop, or something like that, probably need a little tweak. You will be moving a bit more air and it will slightly change backpressure as well. Honestly, go for a ride and see if you feel any real difference in the performance of the engine, sound under load, coughing or anything else.
 
Reply
Old May 18, 2018 | 07:20 AM
  #3  
Big Block 17's Avatar
Big Block 17
Intermediate
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 32
Likes: 4
From: So. Carolina
Default

Change them out. You got nothing to lose but a little time & effort. Highly unlikely that the state of tune will need to be changed.
 
Reply
Old May 18, 2018 | 07:26 AM
  #4  
MotoJockey's Avatar
MotoJockey
Thread Starter
|
Grand HDF Member
Veteran: Navy
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 4,667
Likes: 3,965
From: Near Yosemite
Default

Originally Posted by soulpatch
Yes, there will be some difference given the overall volume that will pass through the pipes now, but honestly I don't think there will be enough for a complete re-tune. If you notice anything, ie. decel pop, or something like that, probably need a little tweak. You will be moving a bit more air and it will slightly change backpressure as well. Honestly, go for a ride and see if you feel any real difference in the performance of the engine, sound under load, coughing or anything else.
I've put a few hundred miles on them and to be honest, I didn't really notice too much of a difference in power/performance between the two, mostly just the sound. If anything, the 2.5's may seem to have a little less torque....... maybe? It doesn't take long to swap them around so I'll probably go back and forth another time changing out the whole slip-on before I make a decision on the baffles. I was just concerned if anyone thought that the extra .25" was really all that much of a difference. I know a few years back I swapped out my Rinehart 3.5's for a set of Rinehart 4's and that difference was huge! Had to do another dyno for them. Ended up putting the 3.5's back on because I didn't like the softer lower note of the 4's and had to do another dyno again. Lost some money on that experiment, lol.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Road Star
Exhaust System Topics
5
Feb 18, 2013 01:27 PM
Lincolnhog
Exhaust System Topics
1
Jul 1, 2008 09:08 PM
FYRDOC
Touring Models
4
Jan 10, 2008 11:26 AM
Marsh
General Harley Davidson Chat
14
Aug 1, 2007 09:33 PM
ptoemmes
Exhaust System Topics
1
Mar 21, 2006 12:59 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:58 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE