does the exhaust from horseapple ranch have the drone?

[justooneez]

Hi yall,

I know that exhaust is always discussed with mixed reviews, but I have two very specific questions

Thinking about buying the exhaust offered from horseapple ranch, heard he is good to work with and good to the vrcc, and is offering a special on the exhaust, my question is whether they drone like the traditional glass pack mod exhaust, and if so, if the drone goes away with the silencers installed.

I love my valkyrie, it purchased it from a relative while it was broken and finally have it running good, would like a bit more sound, but not at the expense of having the helmet drone, I always wear a helmet

Appreciate all opinions, but mostly asking those who have the pipes and especially those with the pipes and the silencers

Thanks and ride safe

Justin

[SCain]

Give Mark a call, I am sure he will answer all your questions. I personally don't have his pipes but have heard them with and without the silencers, they sound awesome. I am sure others will chime in.

[Chattanooga Mark]

The 5" Organ Pipe set he has on his website look awesome. I sent Mark an email last week and he replied to it very quickly and with complete answers to my questions. Now I just have to find a way to actually do it.
     
I searched YouTube and such for sound files but nearly everything I found had a horrible sound recording. I found it nearly impossible to actually hear how many of the systems sounded.

All the best,

Mark

[Gear Jammer]

I've got them.  I have the silencers, but no Trombones.  No drone that I can detect, unlike the OEM's that were cut and drilled     Mark's a good guy

[MP]

I have a set of Mark T's on my 97.  For short runs, I put the Bones in, to "compete" with my Harley friends!  LOL  For long distance, I take them out, and install the silencers.  Still a little louder than stock, but no drone to me.  I also have the crossover pipe.  I LOVE my Mark T's!

MP

[MarkT]

Thanks for the kudos, all.

Dragon Slayer -

I'm not sure who you are, but you don't have my exhaust.  Attached is a link to another of your posts you put up in a thread a month ago on Feb 9 of the same bike, where you explain your glasspacks have notches for a removal tool, ala Lamont's "Easy Glasspack Mod".  I have never built an exhaust using threaded pipe fittings, and thus no notches, no removal tool, no use of anti-seize compound.  NO "EASY GLASSPACK MODS" FROM HORSEAPPLE. ALL of my exhausts have been built using REAL exhaust system components - NO WATER PIPE.  Even with the "Easy Glasspack Mod" - you could have also got rid of the drone with my silencers.

Maybe your confusion came from buying Big Al's bike, and the exhaust was already done before you got it?

FYI - "drone" is as much a function of your helmet as your pipes.  Certain helmets have the size cavities around the ears that harmonize at the same frequency as certain exhaust mods.  All pipes for Valkyries produce sound at the same frequencies; whether they drone depends on the sound volume at your head location, together with the helmet you have.  All droning helmets are full, not 3/4 or half helmets, to my knowledge.  Interstates produce the problem more than standards or Tourers - I suspect that has to do with the air management - lower pods and fairing which tend to deflect air but also reflect sound.  Some of the helmets with the problem are the Shoei RF 800 & 900, and some Nolans, that I know of.  My HJC helmets (convertibles) don't drone, and neither does my Bell.  You can un-drone your helmet by changing the size of the ear cavities.  I'd fill them in by gluing in foam fill.

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,38013.msg356412.html#msg356412

[dragon_slayer_129]

I removed my whole post just so I don't offend anyone.....sorry Mark-T

[Farther]

I have to agree with the helmet comment.  I have a Standard with piggies cut and my Nolan open face with full shield is uncomfortable at highway speeds where my half helmets are not.  The faceshield seems to reflect the noise directly into my ears. 

[R J]

I think maybe MarkT will agree with me on this.

I've seen some of MarkT pipes, that have turn down extensions, and they will pretty much drone with any helmet, more so with full face.  The exhaust hits the pavement and bounces bacck up.    I had a set of his pipes with the replacement muffler option, that I added these turn downs to.   To clarify, this is before he started turning the innards down on the lathe to make the stacks go on easier.   These were some of his very 1st ones.    I gave them away to someone in Michigan, and ended up with a set of Viking pipes.   Wife said clean out the garage and I did.

I loved his pipes as long as I had them but I was doing the head work and wanted the Viking pipes to go with it.  Also, I was pondering the Blower kit from LaMont  and I wanted to be ready when I pulled the trigger on the Blower.

I put a lot of miles on his exhaust system with no failure.  Glass pak was pretty well burnt out when I took the off however.   

Would I buy another set of pipes from Mark?   In a heart beat I would.    

[MarkT]

I can agree with caveats: Haven't tested turndowns with all helmets, but my experience, and the experiences reported to me, indicate that drone happens with full coverage helmets.  I wouldn't be surprised if turndowns aggravate the problem.  I can agree that sound bouncing off the pavement is often related to, or causes drone. I stand by my statement that I have never heard of drone happening with 1/2 or 3/4 helmets other than this comment here, and have not experienced it myself.  I know it's prevalent with certain full coverage helmets, with louder than stock pipes, on an Interstate, and with shorter stacks.  (Explained again - harmonic frequency of the helmet ear cavities, together with the inherent quietness of full helmets; Pipes that make enough volume to bounce sound waves around inside your helmet; on an Interstate that reflects the sound off the pavement, air dams and fairing; shorter stacks that allow the sound to reflect forward off the pavement.)  That combination is practically guaranteed to deliver drone.  Might be the turndowns makes it worse.  I also stand by my statement, that a normally aspirated Valkyrie won't burn out Cherry Bombs.  I have built well over a thousand Cherry Bomb glasspack mod pipe sets, over a period of 13 years, which have been soaking out there for many years, for me to believe otherwise.  If that was a problem, I would have been asked to replace lots of them by now, but that hasn't happened.  I would expect that a Valk with Nitrous or a blower, might burn the packs out; it's making more power and heat.  Now it's possible that there are exceptions that are just coming out now.  Like Valkyries with my pipes and huge mileage - e.g. 200,000+ - If Cherry Bombs burn out with that kind of mileage on a Valk, that might be just now happening.  Most folks don't ride that much, or keep their bikes that long.

[BF]

First, let me say that if I had the bucks, I'd buy a set of pipes from MarkT in a heartbeat.  I have however, bought a couple items from him in the past and IMHO, he's a top notch guy and answers any questions that you might have......he's answered all of mine very factually before. 

I agree with the helmet statements also. 

My pipes are gutted and have had the Ragnar cut done on them.  With straight exhast tips, they drone something terrible. 

I ride mostly with a half and it doesn't drone......but I believe that it's becuase nothing is covering my ears.  I've had a 3/4 HJC helmet before and it droned.  I've also had a 200 full face HJC helmet that was totally unwearable becuase of the drone.  I sold that helmet and bought a 500 plus dollar Arai Profile helmet that fits me like a glove and is much tighter to my head.  I can get some drone with it, but it's no where near like that HJC was......but it still drones.

I bought a set of Grumpy's tips to put in my Airflow exhaust tips (pipes still are gutted) and that has reduced the drone considerably.....not gone mind you, but it has reduced it.  I don't know for sure, but the Grumpys in the end of the exhaust pipes may have produced somekind of turbulance of some sort that has broken up the exhaust flow enough to have reduced that drone.  It does seem better with the Grumpys.....better.....but not gone. 

I did buy a set of silencers from MarkT that I've tried in my exhaust (with the Grumpys), and it's like riding a stock bike again. 

I like some rumble and a little growl to my exhaust too so the silencers I'll save for road trips and longer rides.  As I said, I ride mostly with a half helmet and don't normally hear a drone with it, so my pipes as is with the Grumpys are great. 

[Mr Steve]

I have two sets of MartT pipes.  One with crossover, trombones, and silencers and one with just silencers.  Both stash down cut.  Have not heard any droning from either. 

[Steve K (IA)]

I've had a set of Mark's pipes on my I/S for many years.  Love them.     But when I wear my 3/4 Nolan, I have to wear earplugs...no exceptions.  Silencers or not.  It may be an Interstate thing.

[Chattanooga Mark]

I always wear my full face Arai Quantum II on my Interstate and I nearly always listen to the radio or my iPod through my EdSets helmet speakers. I also almost never close the visor on my helmet. I only close the visor if I get caught in the rain or if it's really cold out.

I have never heard my pipes drone. I have an oem exhaust with the piggies cut but no holes drilled in the mufflers. I REALLY love the look of the 5" MarkT Organ Pipes as shown on this thread on Gear Jammer's Valk. They'd look great on my Interstate as well.

Mark

[rmrc51]

I have a set of Mark T's with silencers and wear a 3/4 Scorpion helmet. No drone at all.