Exhaust Options - Suggestions

[davit]

I just finished my stack/tip upgrade.  I used an idea I saw on here where a rider wanted to make his piggies smaller to get rid of drone, I did mine because I used 3/4'" copper and they just looked too small and didn't end up very symmetrical sticking out of the stacks.  This is 3/4" wrapped in 1 1/4" copper, very snug fit in the grumpy's and sticking outside of the stacks resulting in no drone.





This setup is quieter than stock, I plan on painting them black next time I'm working on her.

Looks good!  and this is definitely NOT quieter than stock.  Maybe I'll throw some couplers on mine and give it a listen.

[Houdini]

This setup is quieter than stock, I plan on painting them black next time I'm working on her.

Looks good!  and this is definitely NOT quieter than stock.  Maybe I'll throw some couplers on mine and give it a listen.

My setup is a little different than yours, mine started out as 3/4" copper added to the end of cut piggies and extended out past the Grumpy's.  Not sure about yours but my baffles are intact.  This alone made her real quiet, the 1-1/4" was added for aesthetics as I couldn't get the piggies to stay symmetrical in the Grumpy's, they were sticking out all willy-nilly.  I used 3/4"X1" bell reducers at the back and front of the pipes, brazed onto the 3/4", to hold everything where I wanted it.  I considered wrapping the inner pipe with muffler wrap but I don't think it would make much difference, easily added if I change my mind as the outer pipes are held on with hose clamps. 

[Tfrank59]

Very nice and clean!    Looks like time to renew your tabs 

[Relax]

My stacks hs arrived!

Question:
They are very good looking, but one end is smoother than the other.
Not sure you can see it on the pic.  Is it risk for chrome problems or uneven joint to the exhaust?
Should the most smooth end turn backwards or forwards against the exhaust .
Is it anything smart to seal the end that meet the exhaust to avoid  rust or whatever?

[DarkSideR]

My stacks hs arrived!

Question:
They are very good looking, but one end is smoother than the other.
Not sure you can see it on the pic.  Is it risk for chrome problems or uneven joint to the exhaust?
Should the most smooth end turn backwards or forwards against the exhaust .
Is it anything smart to seal the end that meet the exhaust to avoid  rust or whatever?

Hmm, that does look faulty. Might want to consider returning that one. However if the uneven flaw is on the end that meets the middle part of the exhaust then it might not matter whereas that seam isn't too visible.

If the uneven flaw is at the outlet end of the exhaust and you are not going to install tips it might not matter either. However, if you are going to install tips, test fit the tips before you do anything to the exhaust to see if it's acceptable.

I'm long winded. In short. Test fit, test fit, test fit before you drill. If not happy return.

[Jess from VA]

Not a perfect finish, but I suppose chroming the skinny flat-cut edges is not easy.

I have been running mine (on two bikes for 10+ years, with no tips), and the outside edges are a bit the worse for wear, with hot exhaust and carbon, and the bottom underneath edges have rubbed concrete departing aprons (business driveways to the roads).  I suppose it's possible if the less than perfect edge was mated to the pipes, that joint could rust a little over time (maybe a lot of time, or maybe never), with no good way to clean inside that joint short of yanking them off (they are a very snug fit, I put a soft board over mine and rapped them on with a rubber mallet, with a little bar soap lube).  Unless you are seeking perfection (and do a return), I think I would put the rough edge out, with the worst part to the bottom (which can/will get rubbed over time).  At least on the outside, you can keep after the edges and clean them up from time to time.

On the other hand, maybe I'm wrong on the rust thing, and the imperfect edge could be nicely hidden mated to the pipes.  Maybe the imperfect edge doesn't look great, but the protection is still enough to keep out any corrosion over time. My pipes have never shown any corrosion at all at the exhaust joint. 

By the way, whenever parking, and backing down on curbs, you always need to watch that the curb isn't so tall, you will smack or drag your exhaust tip on one.  And I've cleared the curb with mine backing in, only to put the bike over on the kickstand, and then the left tip was laying on top the curb.  Of course, it is not necessary to have the rear tire ON the curb, but the bike is always more stable that way.  

[Relax]

Thanks, guys!
I shall check fits . It is only a  part of one of them that loook  a bit faulty. I am pretty sure I can  turn that part "away" so it doesn't show much. Maybe I can find a clear paint to add to that area to protect it a bit more for rust etc.

Thanks again 

[davit]

My stacks hs arrived!

Question:
They are very good looking, but one end is smoother than the other.
Not sure you can see it on the pic.  Is it risk for chrome problems or uneven joint to the exhaust?
Should the most smooth end turn backwards or forwards against the exhaust .
Is it anything smart to seal the end that meet the exhaust to avoid  rust or whatever?

I had a similar problem with my Airflow stacks, called them and they sent a replacement which was worse.  One pipe hade a beveled and heavily chromed end, the other a straight cut with less than perfect chrome.  In order to get the tip install to look even I had to space the tip on that pipe, while the tip on the beveled pip was fit tight.  I just sucked it up and kept them but on hindsight should have insisted on a better product or returned them.  That said, Grumpy's tips were perfect.   

[Motodad71]

I'll be quite honest, not sure if the 97 standard has a different exhaust or not, but mine sounds AMAZING!!! I am talking like pretty much everyone turns around to look and see what beautiful beast is emitting that tone. 

[Relax]

I am installing my new 4x18 stacks tonight, or more correctly, trying to install;)
They really are a tight fit !!!! I have grinded for hours now, by hand.
I just made some measurement, and it seems like outer diameter on thse stacks are like my original tips, but the wall thickness on the stacks is 2 mm, while the thickness on the original tips are 1,5 mm.
Sooo,,, looks like I have to grind down 0,5 mm all around

I could use a kinda grider machine, but I hate it if I touch the chrome with it.
Guess I am about to answere my question myself before I raise it. The solution will probably be to take the whole exhaust plant off and do it more controlled grindind with a grinding machine while the chrome is covered with rubber or someting...

Grindind down 0,5 mm  by hand sound like a challenge...or isn't it?

[Jess from VA]

All I had to do was really scrub up the existing exhaust, wire brush going at old cooked on carbon.  Then rub bar soap on them for lube, then put a soft 2X4 of pine over the new stacks, and whack them on.  This did make it a bit difficult to line up my pre-drilled screw holes correctly, but I managed (twisting them with a soft strap wrench).

There was no dry fitting with this method.  They only got pounded on once.

[Relax]

All I had to do was really scrub up the existing exhaust, wire brush going at old cooked on carbon.  Then rub bar soap on them for lube, then put a soft 2X4 of pine over the new stacks, and whack them on.  This did make it a bit difficult to line up my pre-drilled screw holes correctly, but I managed (twisting them with a soft strap wrench).

There was no dry fitting with this method.  They only got pounded on once.

The supplier said they had a new manufacturer on these stack now.
I am wondering if the new one has this mention small difference from the one you have. ( Thicker walls)

[Jess from VA]

All I had to do was really scrub up the existing exhaust, wire brush going at old cooked on carbon.  Then rub bar soap on them for lube, then put a soft 2X4 of pine over the new stacks, and whack them on.  This did make it a bit difficult to line up my pre-drilled screw holes correctly, but I managed (twisting them with a soft strap wrench).

There was no dry fitting with this method.  They only got pounded on once.

The supplier said they had a new manufacturer on these stack now.
I am wondering if the new one has this mention small difference from the one you have. ( Thicker walls)

Well mine are 10 years old or older, and they definitely have thicker walls than the originals.  They look exactly like the close up I can get of the picture you posted, but mine do not have the embossed mfgr stamp on them that yours do.  I didn't have to do any grinding, but it may be that when I pounded them on, the back end of the OE pipes did a little shrinking.  Now I pounded pretty smartly, but it's not like I had to really hammer them on hard.

[DarkSideR]

I did not experience any of this with the stacks I ordered last month. No issues with the finish of the pipes, and no pounding. 

Mine are stamped but they are not thick.

Things that make you go, "hmmmm?"

[Relax]

I did not experience any of this with the stacks I ordered last month. No issues with the finish of the pipes, and no pounding. 

Mine are stamped but they are not thick.

Things that make you go, "hmmmm?"

What are they stamped?  Dynaflex?

[DarkSideR]

I did not experience any of this with the stacks I ordered last month. No issues with the finish of the pipes, and no pounding. 

Mine are stamped but they are not thick.

Things that make you go, "hmmmm?"

What are they stamped?  Dynaflex?

The stamp is a "dp".

[Relax]

I did not experience any of this with the stacks I ordered last month. No issues with the finish of the pipes, and no pounding. 

Mine are stamped but they are not thick.

Things that make you go, "hmmmm?"

What are they stamped?  Dynaflex?

The stamp is a "dp".

Mine is stamped Dynaflex  ...

[MarkT]

Dynaflex used to do special runs for Airflo, making them w/o the emboss.  They discontinued that recently since they wanted to charge a lot of extra $$$ for the special runs.  Now all Dynaflex stacks from Airflo are embossed.  They aren't consistent where they stamp them so they may show or not - also depends on which way you turn the miter.  Of course "square cut" stacks - what I call "Howitzers" - you can always turn the emboss away.  BTW, Dynaflex are the best stacks you can get, in quality unless you have them custom made by say Lincoln Plating in NE - but they won't be better, just be as good as Dynaflex.  For much more $$$.  I sell Dynaflex stacks now since my distributor's supplier got cheap and went to poor quality Chinese stacks. I don't get them from Airflo except if I have a source problem.  My supplier has better CS than Airflo.

[Relax]

Finally, stacks are on.
Took a while cause I choose to take the wheel off during installation.
And..then, why not a new tire, new bearings, new dampeners in the wheel  and the nut cage modification
I had cut off piggies and drilles exhaust from before, and the new  4 x 18 stack hardly changed the sound, just a bit deeper sound, maybe. I am okay with  that.
I had to grind a bit to get the new stacks to fit. I asked supplier ( Air Flow) for exact measurements for "old" "valkyrie stacks" and this new Dyna Flex stacks I got from same supplier , but they had no exact measurements for me (??)
Anyway, new, cool look on my bike!! 

[Jess from VA]

It looks great brother.     The tips and the tire (and double-decker mirrors). 

On a humorous note, I see that all the policemen in Europe still have bad eyes, and need those giant license plates to be able to read them.  During my two tours over there decades ago, to make them fit my US car license plate bumper cutouts, I trimmed mine down and repainted the black borders we had, and never had any problems with the local gendarma (though they left US military alone, mostly).

[Relax]

It looks great brother.     The tips and the tire (and double-decker mirrors). 

On a humorous note, I see that all the policemen in Europe still have bad eyes, and need those giant license plates to be able to read them.  During my two tours over there decades ago, to make them fit my US car license plate bumper cutouts, I trimmed mine down and repainted the black borders we had, and never had any problems with the local gendarma (though they left US military alone, mostly).

Thanks for the story 
Back in those days things were different, also license plate from country to country.
Different sizes or colours  so a trimmed plate would often not be noticed