Question on cutting Piggys

[BIG--T]

I am thinking of quieting down my 99 I/S by taking off the Cobras and putting on the stock exhaust from my 98 Standard. The tips on my Standard are vertical and won't fit under the bags.

My question is if I cut the piggys at the bend so I can rotate the tip horizontally, will that make it loud or sound like crap?

[hubcapsc]

Did someone tell you they won't fit? Tourer tips are just like standard tips. Your standard
mufflers should fit great under saddlebags.

-Mike

[BIG--T]

Did someone tell you they won't fit? Tourer tips are just like standard tips. Your standard
mufflers should fit great under saddlebags.

-Mike

Mike I don't believe I've seen you since I bought my Interstate. Yes, what you're saying is correct but I want to put them on my Interstate which the chrome tips have to be horizontal. The only way I know to do that it cut the piggies at the bend (they are vertical) so I can rotate the tips horizontally. 

[hubcapsc]

Did someone tell you they won't fit? Tourer tips are just like standard tips. Your standard
mufflers should fit great under saddlebags.

-Mike

Mike I don't believe I've seen you since I bought my Interstate. Yes, what you're saying is correct but I want to put them on my Interstate which the chrome tips have to be horizontal. The only way I know to do that it cut the piggies at the bend (they are vertical) so I can rotate the tips horizontally. 

That's what I'm asking you: why do you think the Interstate tips need to be horizontal? Standard/Tourer pipes should fit right onto an
Interstate. I had Interstate pipes on my Tourer for a long time. Interstate pipes are quieter than Standard/Tourer pipes, but Standard/Tourer
pipes fit great on a Valkyrie with OEM saddlebags.

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Add Air Flow flat cut 18" stacks in place of the cheapo Honda tips, and you can do anything you want.  Just remember, one of the piggies has a mount hole in it, and if you leave enough piggie on all three, they can be returned to stock if you (or the guy you sell to) want.

They were only $40 per when I got mine.

http://store.airflo.com/af40-418hs.html


I cannot be sure what exhaust changes this guy did, sounds like maybe only a piggie cut (but maybe a glasspac), but you can see the stacks fit nicely with the OE bags, and extend (just) past the end of the bags nicely as well. I have just nicked mine at the 6 O'clock on the ends departing aprons in a turn, but invisible unless you lay under the pipes.

Valkyrie Startup and Exhaust Note	powered by Aeva

  

[Red Diamond]

You can't get the I/S tips onto the Standard/Tourer pipes unless you bend them into a horizontal position. Be careful you don't break the welds at the baffle. Stick the handle from a break over bar or something that will fit into the piggies and just bend so that the I/S tips will slide over them.

[Patrick]

Cutting the pigs is a common practice which adds just a bit more noise, not a lot.

[BF]

Cutting the pigs is a common practice which adds just a bit more noise, not a lot.

Cutting the piggies will begin to introduce drone.  They won't be any louder.....they won't be any noisier.

What they will do is to make the exhaust note a little deeper/mellower.  Not louder. 

But again, you're starting down the road of having drone resonating in your exhaust. 

I've been down that road before. 

What I sugguest is that you listen to Jess and simply buy a set of Air Flow 18" extensions and then add a set of Grumpy's tips to dress them up.

DON'T CUT ANYTHING. 

Air Flow's and Grumpy's tips on oem exhaust is what is on my bike.  I think they look nice.   

[BIG--T]

Add Air Flow flat cut 18" stacks in place of the cheapo Honda tips, and you can do anything you want.  Just remember, one of the piggies has a mount hole in it, and if you leave enough piggie on all three, they can be returned to stock if you (or the guy you sell to) want.

They were only $40 per when I got mine.

http://store.airflo.com/af40-418hs.html


I cannot be sure what exhaust changes this guy did, sounds like maybe only a piggie cut (but maybe a glasspac), but you can see the stacks fit nicely with the OE bags, and extend (just) past the end of the bags nicely as well. I have just nicked mine at the 6 O'clock on the ends departing aprons in a turn, but invisible unless you lay under the pipes.

Valkyrie Startup and Exhaust Note

  

Thanks Jess, GR8 idea and she sounded good too!

[BIG--T]

Thanks guys for all the help! 

[Jess from VA]

Bruce, I disagree.  Yes at idle the volume is about the same, though cut pigs are a deeper resonance.  But underway, and under throttle, cut pigs are definitely louder than stock.  I have pure stock on one IS, and cut (entirely removed) pigs on the other (both with 18" Air Flows).  I do not hear any drone (unless riding in a crowd of Valks with various pipes... which becomes pretty bothersome after an hour or two).  I also do not hear much more volume riding the cut pig bike, but those behind me have said they are definitely louder.  Mike (Hubcap) rode behind me and confirmed it some years back.

Remember, with the 18" stacks, the exhaust is a couple inches behind the bike and bags... a bit longer than OE tips.  Keeps the noise behind you.

And for me, I never want anything louder than cut pigs with truck stacks.

[Jess from VA]

Big T, in looking at the video again, I think that guy may have full length stacks, not just 18" tips.  The tips only stick out past the OE bags 1 3/4-2", but in the video it looks closer to 3"+.

The 18" tips come with no holes and must be drilled.  Use cardboard templates in place of OE tips and push a pencil thru the three bolt holes, then transfer to the truck stacks.  Use a center punch to dimple the stack (or your drill bit will travel and bugger up the chrome), then a sharp 1/8" bit for a pilot hole, then to the final 1/4" hole (I think).  

Now here's the deal, even after cleaning all the carbon off your pipes without tips, the Air flows fit so tight, they must be tapped on with a piece of soft pine two by four and a rubber mallet.  So in truth you really only need one or two bolts to hold them on... I'd do two.  But three is overkill.  Obviously, the one to skip is the one that will show the most from the side of the bike.  A really good fit, and the seam between the stock cans and tips will almost disappear.  If you are a hair short, the seam will show more, but not to worry, all you do is auger out the hole a tiny bit fore and aft, and the tip will fit tight and flush with the can.

Also, if it was me, I'd cut no more than half the pigs off on the first go round, fit the tips and have a listen and ride.  If you want more, fine.  But you can't add back what was already cut off, without extra work.  My bike came with the pigs gone.  And I would never drill the baffles under any circumstances.... if you want that much noise, go back to the Cobras (which sound better than drilled baffles anyway).

Again, one of the pigs (on the inside) is tapped for one of the three bolts that hold the tips on.

  

[BIG--T]

Big T, in looking at the video again, I think that guy may have full length stacks, not just 18" tips.  The tips only stick out past the OE bags 1 3/4-2", but in the video it looks closer to 3"+.

The 18" tips come with no holes and must be drilled.  Use cardboard templates in place of OE tips and push a pencil thru the three bolt holes, then transfer to the truck stacks.  Use a center punch to dimple the stack (or your drill bit will travel and bugger up the chrome), then a sharp 1/8" bit for a pilot hole, then to the final 1/4" hole (I think).  

Now here's the deal, even after cleaning all the carbon off your pipes without tips, the Air flows fit so tight, they must be tapped on with a piece of soft pine two by four and a rubber mallet.  So in truth you really only need one or two bolts to hold them on... I'd do two.  But three is overkill.  Obviously, the one to skip is the one that will show the most from the side of the bike.  A really good fit, and the seam between the stock cans and tips will almost disappear.  If you are a hair short, the seam will show more, but not to worry, all you do is auger out the hole a tiny bit fore and aft, and the tip will fit tight and flush with the can.

Also, if it was me, I'd cut no more than half the pigs off on the first go round, fit the tips and have a listen and ride.  If you want more, fine.  But you can't add back what was already cut off, without extra work.  My bike came with the pigs gone.  And I would never drill the baffles under any circumstances.... if you want that much noise, go back to the Cobras (which sound better than drilled baffles anyway).

Again, one of the pigs (on the inside) is tapped for one of the three bolts that hold the tips on.

  

Thanks for all the helpful info and tips, it makes perfect sense to me and a great idea about going easy on the pigs!! 

[BF]

Bruce, I disagree.  Yes at idle the volume is about the same, though cut pigs are a deeper resonance.  But underway, and under throttle, cut pigs are definitely louder than stock.  I have pure stock on one IS, and cut (entirely removed) pigs on the other (both with 18" Air Flows).  I do not hear any drone (unless riding in a crowd of Valks with various pipes... which becomes pretty bothersome after an hour or two).  I also do not hear much more volume riding the cut pig bike, but those behind me have said they are definitely louder.  Mike (Hubcap) rode behind me and confirmed it some years back.

Remember, with the 18" stacks, the exhaust is a couple inches behind the bike and bags... a bit longer than OE tips.  Keeps the noise behind you.

And for me, I never want anything louder than cut pigs with truck stacks.

I gotta go against ya on this one Jess.  

I believe that mother Honda put those pigs on the exhaust to extend the exhaust out to the end of the can/tips....because they knew that without them the exhaust note resonates inside the can....ie....drone.  

I experienced drone when I cut mine....albeit....I cut mine flush and didn't leave anything there to rebulit them (bad mistake).  

After I cut them, I had 24" extensions on the bike....thinking that would take the noise out behind the bike.....it didn't....it just made the drone worse.  More exhaust can for the resononse to take place.

Maybe I'm sensitive to the drone because I have tinnitus and some hearing loss....don't know....but it did affect me.  

I'd strongly suggest to NOT cut the pigs....at all.  Instead, just buy a set of the Air Flows and finish them off with a set of Grumpys.  


Besides.....the pipes are stock only once.  

[Jess from VA]

Well Bruce, my hearing is about normal, and I have intermittent tinnitus (inside in quiet mostly).  I don't have a drone that I'm aware of, maybe it's the half helmet and wind (no plugs, almost always stock music).  I do hear the exhaust and it is louder than stock (but the same basic sound) running down the road.

I have heard the resonating waaaawoooo, waaawooo, waawoo, wawoo, slowing and speeding up, over and over, riding in a Valk crowd of mixed exhaust.  First time, I thought something was wrong with my bike.

I completely believe your experience.  Mine is different.

I've grown to like my cut pigs' note, but the bike came that way.  My other (1st) bike came pure stock, and except for 18" airflows, it's staying that way. 

But I do suppose, all or partially cut pigs are still quieter than Cobras (even with baffles?), which Big T is taking off. 

[Bagger John - #3785]

I cut the piggies on my '00 Tourer exhaust when I first got it and that system ended up on my custom '01 I/S. It wears a set of 18" slash-cut Airflows. There is no drone at speed but it does sound throatier around town. Not louder,  however - sound characteristic was changed, not volume.

[gregk]

 Drone? 36'' stacks believe cut the pigges to 2 " cut off about 8". noise is to loud I want to hear the sterio. I'm going to add 4-5 '' to the Pigges.