How to determine if the silencer baffles are drilled

[TOOC]

My Valkyrie has the silencer piggies cut clean to about 3/8in in length but the end plate around the base of the piggies is not drilled. Is it posible that some drilling was done deeper into the silencer through the stubs of the piggies? I tried t oexplore the cavity in by probing into the piggy stubs and found that ta rod can be inserted about 5-9 ins.

I would like to restore the exhaust noise levels to original. I am hoping that replacing piggy pipe extensions will restore the silencer to original dB. The beauty of this beast is the silence. When I want noise I take out the Hornet.


Thanking you all,
Oliver

[John Schmidt]

If you can stick something in the piggy tubes that far then they have been drilled also. With a flashlight you should be able to see a hole drilled in the end plate where the piggies attach. That should be solid.

[BF]

Yeah, it's real possible that you'e got drilled baffles. 

You can shine a light in there to see if the baffles have been punched/drilled. 

There are twelve baffles on the Valk.....six on each exhaust pipe....three rear and three front per side.  It's entirely possible to have all of them drilled.  The odds are that you've got only the rear baffles drilled and the front baffles are still untouched.....simply because the rears are easy to get to and the fronts....not so much. 

This will give you and idea what the inside of the exhaust looks like and what to look for.....

http://luiscajiga.com/Exhaustm.htm

http://luiscajiga.com/Exhaustm2.htm

As far as I know, if you've got drilled baffles, then there's nothing you can do to restore the pipes back to stock.

If there's enough of the piggies left on there (and judging by your pics there isn't) you might be able to solder a copper coupling on there and add some copper tubing/pipe to restore your piggies.  There's several threads about that.....search piggies or restoring piggies.   

A very easy way to eliminate the drone you have (and with the piggies cut...you have drone) and to silence the effect of the drilled baffles and quite the Valk is to install a set of aftermarket silencers.  These.....

http://shopping.rexmar.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=silencers-inline-insert

Here's a thread about them....

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,40398.0.html

MarkT also sells silencers from OEM exhausts that you can install if you want.  He's also got intact piggie plates with the pigs attached that he sells also.  PM him for more info....as there's no one on this board that knows more about the Valkyrie exhaust than he does. 

[MarkT]

For restoring your piggies, if you haven't seen this yet, Hedgehog started this thread on how he did it using my piggy plates.  I sell them pretty cheap, not really a money maker for me - but since I have them, I make them available to folks in your situation.

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,38448.0.html

[John U.]

Extending the piggies with some of Mark's plates will definitely eliminate the drone. I have done it and don't find the little bit of added sound from drilled baffles to be objectionable. It won't be as quiet as stock but it really is not very much louder.

Tapping the cut piggies and using a copper threaded coupler works but it does close the ID down some at the coupler. You will need to use silver solder to attach the lengths of copper pipes so the solder won't melt. Considering the cost of copper pipes and fittings lately, as well as silver solder, there is not much of a cost difference that way as compared with mark's piggie plates, even including shipping.

One thing to understand is that the piggie pipes all have a bend to them to get them aligned either vertically or horizontally (in the case of the Interstates). You won't have that with straight copper pipes.
Therefore, if you plan to use stock exhaust tips, you better get Mark's piggie plates.
Unless you have the Hondaline triple tips or Cobra or other straight pipes or tips, they will work with straight piggies.

[Len]

My 97 had Cobras w/o the baffles. I replaced it with a 2001, both Standards.  The 01 has stock looking pipes
I was expecting it to sound like a goldwing, but it has a noticeable exhaust note compared to a Interstate.  What would be the result of removing a set of baffles per side?

Note, I only owned the 97 four months before it was stolen, I did not get around to installing the stock exhaust.

 

[BF]

My 97 had Cobras w/o the baffles. I replaced it with a 2001, both Standards.  The 01 has stock looking pipes
I was expecting it to sound like a goldwing, but it has a noticeable exhaust note compared to a Interstate.  What would be the result of removing a set of baffles per side?
Note, I only owned the 97 four months before it was stolen, I did not get around to installing the stock exhaust.

 

Not sure I understand your question.  Are you wanting to remove them......or do you think they're already gone and want your pipes restored to original?

[Len]

I would like to make it louder, but not as loud as the cobra pipes,