View Full Version : what's your favorite exhaust style for these bikes?
barleywilkerson
05-16-2007, 07:42 PM
howdy... new guy!
alright... so i'm fabricating a new custom exhaust for my bike, and i might have some clever tricks up my sleeves.. maybe not... we'll see after it's tagged and on the road...
anyway, i was wondering about exhausts on the early shadows... i've been hanging around some forums for awhile and looking at other peoples' bikes and just mulling over some styling ideas...
i'm going for a sort of chopped/bobbed look with some 'rat' influence mixed in, and am not sure exactly what i want to do to my exhaust yet... i like lang's bike and i like that pipe geometry, but i also like the idea of drag pipes and header wrap... and i guy i work with planted an idea in my head today, as well... a 2 into 1 style exhaust with wrap, and i thought about even putting a crossover pipe in the mix to keep from having to rejet(if i can work the pipe/baffle sizes right) and to keep the flow balanced like stock... and/or, i may try to keep the pipes an equal(ish) length, too, but STILL have them both exit on the right...
and finally, i welded something together the other day for a tentative look at style... i haven't really seen ANY slash-cut square pipes on any bikes, so i might do that!
so, what type of pipes do you guys like most?? :bomb:
Big Horn
05-17-2007, 02:48 AM
i like the style of the o.e.m. pipes, kind of staggard but am having a hard time deciding on where to get staggard straight pipes that are balogna cut. i have found only cobra to carry them. i do like the ground pounders too, but may be a bit loud for my neighbors though. there is a thread on here about someone who cut out the baffles on their oem pipes. not sure about jetting though. i met a kid tonight at hooters who put on vance an hinds straight shot with baffles removed. he had to put back in the oem jets for best results. not sure why?
PatsAce
05-17-2007, 09:11 AM
I like the Samson 2.5 shorties. Clean fat and short. I have the Cobra drags slash cuts that came with my bike and they sound great I just hate slash.. If I could cleanly cut them off without messing up the finish I would..
Right now I'm into a true-dual style (despite the Cobra cross-overs I have on right now). When I get a bored moment, I'm going to cut down my headers and put on turn down tips, something like in the pic. I feel like the cross-overs are a little too harley, especially on bikes like these whos' engines were built to have a pipe on both sides. The cross over on mine makes the left hand pipe crazy too long.
I also think a look like this fits a bob well.
barleywilkerson
05-17-2007, 05:27 PM
ya know... those turn downs look interesting...
i've been researching baffle design, as well, and i was wondering what would be closest to stock baffles in a 1.5 inch pipe... the PO did the rebar mod to my stock mufflers, and cut the crossover pipe off... don't know if there was any rejetting done, so, my project now is to redesign my exhaust to get a deeper sound, but not have to rejet, and to change the looks enough to keep me happy... i'm figuring that i can do all this as long as i use the right size pipe, and come up with a good baffle design...
i wish i knew the internal volume of the stock mufflers(with baffles) so i could match that with the new pipes...
what if i had both pipes exit on the LEFT??? that would bring the lengths closer to the same, and you almost never see pipes on the left, so it would be VERY different... i like that idea alot...
more input!!!
later
mcvierh
05-17-2007, 08:53 PM
I like the ones that look like a fuckin pretzel, all twisted and looped back into themselves, you know the ones where your exhaust just keeps goin round in circles....fuck-off,NOOB, how 'bout 2 into four just for the fuck of it....
i've been researching baffle design, as well, and i was wondering what would be closest to stock baffles in a 1.5 inch pipe... i wish i knew the internal volume of the stock mufflers(with baffles) so i could match that with the new pipes...
what if i had both pipes exit on the LEFT??? that would bring the lengths closer to the same, and you almost never see pipes on the left, so it would be VERY different... i like that idea alot...
fuck if i know. I do know I didn't need to rejet with my cobras and they aren't connected to one another (ie not connected by the cross-pipe) and are much deeper sounding than the stockers.
left side exit could be interesting - it could cover up the shaft. I still vote for true dual though.
barleywilkerson
05-18-2007, 05:06 PM
well... i think it is going to be left exit...
hey lang. what do the cobra baffles look like? and what diameter are your pipes?
PatsAce
05-18-2007, 05:12 PM
The Cobra baffles that came in my bike are 1 7/8 and about 12 inches long
barleywilkerson
05-18-2007, 08:22 PM
pat: what do they look like? it would be awesome if somebody had a good pic...
PatsAce
05-18-2007, 09:49 PM
I can take a pic for you tomorrow..
barleywilkerson
05-19-2007, 06:23 AM
awesome dude... that should help me quite a bit...
also, as soon as i get the inspection and tags taken care of i should be able to start posting pics!
my pipes are about 1.75" O.D. (the headers are stock) and the the part that houses the baffle is about 2.75" The baffles are welded in, so I don't know what they look like.
barleywilkerson
05-19-2007, 05:12 PM
1.75" is the stock size for your headers? do you know if that's the same for an 83 vt750?
i still need to know the (fluid)volume of the stock mufflers... that will give me a pretty good idea how beefy the baffles should be...
right now, i'm thinking i will make 1.75" straight pipes with a 3/4" inch(hole) washer welded into one end, and possibly a second washer at the other end, after testing the sound and performance... will need to experiment to figure out if i NEED removable baffles to be inserted...
these pipes may or may not be covered by external "mufflers" or just one big pipe a la 2 into 1... the trick is that i will still be using two pipes from head to exit like true duals, but they WILL come out on the left, which means i can keep my center stand until i decide i don't like it...
i picked up the bike today, and will probably be taking it in for inspection tuesday... IF ALL GOES WELL, I WILL BE RIDING BY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that means pictures soon, and then i will start bugging you guys for more mods! i plan on forward controls, new handlebars, new rear fender and solo seat, new blinkers and tail lights, and a side mount plate on the RIGHT SIDE... :stunned:
1.75" is the stock size for your headers? do you know if that's the same for an 83 vt750?
the headers proper are actually more like 1 7/8" It's the smaller portion of the cobras that are 1 3/4" I don't know whether the 83-85's are the same, but I'd bet they are.
I"m not a big fan of the washers as baffles. I've never done it, but I've always been told by folks I trust that they suck as far as power is concerned.
Good luck with the bike - and keep us posted with pics!
barleywilkerson
05-19-2007, 08:37 PM
well, that's just it... i am kind of limited to what i have laying around for what to work with... if i can spend about $25 in exhaust pipe per muffler, and get the rest of it for free, i'm kinda gonna go that route first...
i was looking around on the inside of the stock mufflers and all that's there is a "mesh" tube and a series of "washer" type pieces that obstruct flow, so going by that, i figure i can knock up a cheap equivalent that looks a little better and performs as well, or better and still gives me a deeper sound... hopefully next week some time i'll be able to test my theories...
anybody know if $42 is a good price for 50 feet of 2" header wrap? the local advance auto has it, so no shipping costs...
and man am i getting anxious! my bike is in the back of my truck right outside and i can't do a damned thing with it yet! :furious2:
barleywilkerson
05-22-2007, 06:10 AM
well... i'm taking the bike in for inspection after work today, so wish me some luck...
was looking at pictures yesterday, and have decided that the exhaust will NOT be left exit... oh well! will probably go with a 2-1 system, though...
i just hope it goes through inspection without too much hassle...
later
barleywilkerson
05-24-2007, 05:43 PM
tried the pipes with washers and they sound like shit, so back to the board...
i started making the muffler body out of 2 1/2" pipe that has been 'flattened' to an oval... i think it will end up being about 20" long when finished so it should end right near the end of the swingarm... gonna take 1 1/4" pipe from the stock headers to about a third of the way down the inside of the muffler body... exhaust will exit on the right...
should i try to make the header pipes close to an equal length?
i will post pics of some stuff SUNDAY if the weather is good!
later
tried the pipes with washers and they sound like shit, so back to the board...
i started making the muffler body out of 2 1/2" pipe that has been 'flattened' to an oval... i think it will end up being about 20" long when finished so it should end right near the end of the swingarm... gonna take 1 1/4" pipe from the stock headers to about a third of the way down the inside of the muffler body... exhaust will exit on the right...
should i try to make the header pipes close to an equal length?
i will post pics of some stuff SUNDAY if the weather is good!
later
have you considered just using $4 drag pipe baffles? You might have to rejet, but it seems a whole lot easier than trying to duplicate the stock mufflers. If I were you I'd try to make the 2 pipes the same length to help keep the cylinders at the same tempature. That said, with my cobras, the left pipe is way longer than the right.
barleywilkerson
05-25-2007, 06:17 PM
hit me with a link to $4 baffles!!!
and yeah, the pipes are gonna be as close to equal lengths as possible... i just have to go buy some elbows and stuff and hit the welder monday morning... i should have a few hours to play around with the whole setup, so i can put em on the bike and see what happens, and do a little tweaking too...
I'll be interested to see how it comes out! There's a couple guys on the board working with these 83-85's - I think they make great bobs.
I was thinking something like this:
http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup.aspx?GID=8601026F-E9F0-49F7-BA91-DEE007B674EB
http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup.aspx?GID=4CD224B3-3271-4B05-A9AA-9CB7EAA647BE
barleywilkerson
05-27-2007, 02:51 PM
well... i decided to mess with stuff today... figured out why my carbs wouldn't sync... the throttle return spring washer on carb #2 was half a turn too loose!! apparently this was an ongoing problem for the PO, as he said he couldn't ever get it to run right... wish i had figured that out a month ago!
so i took my mufflers off today to start mocking up my pipes... looks like i have everything i need and can start welding things together tomorrow morning... SWEET!
also, i took the bike out for a ride with no pipes and managed to lose my license plate... i think my mother's neighbor might have loosened the bolts while i was inside, that SON OF A BITCH... hehehe... i found it, though... it was bent in half and flattened on the side of the road...
i took some pictures of the bike in stock form minus mufflers and will post them later... tomorrow i will post pics of the new exhaust experiment... pretty sure it's gonna end up without baffles... my ma says it isn't as loud as her boyfriend's harley, and my neighbors don't seem to care either, so whoopee...
now i just need to find a piece of steel for a seat pan
barleywilkerson
05-29-2007, 05:42 PM
well... no pics of the exhaust... the pipe i was using wasn't really working out with the welder i was using... would have been much better if we had a MIG... oh well...
so now, the pipes are true duals, straight out the back... they exit just at the axle now, and are supported by the centerstand brackets... seems to be a fairly sturdy setup... NOW I JUST NEED BAFFLES!!!
found a street sign at work today that should give me two seat pans, too... will be working on that soon.
barleywilkerson
06-01-2007, 08:16 PM
well i got the baffles today and now they're in... tore the carbs apart and fixed the sticking slide... made a few adjustments and now the bike runs pretty good...
made the template for my seat pan and should be cutting it out this weekend... gonna try a couple different shapes/sizes to see what looks best and rides nicest... woohoo!
as i continue to make changes, i will keep posting pics in the other thread: http://www.shadowriders.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6817
watcha end up doing for baffles?
barleywilkerson
06-04-2007, 06:28 AM
i ended up buying them from j&p... the 12" ones, and they seem to help... thanks for the link, by the way.
barleywilkerson
06-07-2007, 09:46 PM
made my seat yesterday and put it on today... not entirely happy with it, though... i need to devise a cleaner mounting method, and the front end is a tad wide so i can't put my legs down comfortably, but i sit about four inches lower now, and much farther back, so that's good...
it looks fairly decent though i need to get a new fender and rip all the crap off the back... i hate the 4072 inch gap between the tire and the fender!!!!!! i figure i can build a new fender that sits a little lower in the frame and not have to lower the whole rear end... i guess the next biggest project will be forward controls, even though the stock position isn't so bad(i'm not too tall...)
i will post pics in the other thread sunday, probably
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