V&H Bagger sounds

[ronnie]

new member here from Ky....ran across your site info while looking thru another m/c forum.... I'm sure I'll like this site, as my bike is an 06 nomad.....now for my question,,,, I've got a set of vance and hines baggers on my bike... It's tooo quiet with the baffels in, and toooo loud with them out... anyone out there done any modifications to the baffels, to get the sound they desired......any info would be appreciated...before I start cutting on them.....and, like I say, I'm new.. so, if this horse has already been beat to death on the forum,,, just point me in the right direction, to read it....... thanks ronnie

[ringadingh]

I like them when you wrap the baffles with sheet metal, held in place with a couple gear clamps. It gives it a nice low rumble and a little more volume. And welcome to the forum from Canada.

[nomad1600]

I can't help you on the Vance and Hines, because I did the bafflelectomy on mine. But welcome to the site from North Carolina.

[audiogooroo]

Hey, welcome to the forum!
Nico has a pretty cool "system" for tuning his V&H pipes by cutting down the baffles. I'm sure he'll be along soon to chime in.

I didn't cut mine, but I wrapped them very tightly with fiberglass tape. I think it improved the sound a bit.

[ruruson1]

Welcome from Arkansas. I can't hlep with the pipes.

[bigdave]

Welcome from Western North Carolina cant help with the pipes still stock

[dkdixie]

I like them when you wrap the baffles with sheet metal, held in place with a couple gear clamps. It gives it a nice low rumble and a little more volume. And welcome to the forum from Canada.

Welcome from Georgia!

I too wrapped my V&H baggers with sheet metal (flashing), held in place with 3 radiator clamps on each side. Cost appx 20 bucks.

Made a much more pleasant sound, at least to me.
Lower, slightly louder, better tone.....especially at highway speed.

Where do you live in Ky? I use to live in Bardstown many years ago.

[racinchef]

Welcome to the forum from Vermont. Sorry can't help you. I got my '00 Nomad already with V&H Baggers and they sound terrific to my liking. Someone will come along with the answer.

BTW Audiogooroo, you broke forum etiquette and paid Nico a nice compliment, but BD is no where to be seen to counter. What gives??? This is an unforgivable faux pas.

[beezer]

I like them when you wrap the baffles with sheet metal, held in place with a couple gear clamps. It gives it a nice low rumble and a little more volume. And welcome to the forum from Canada.

a LITTLE more volume?????

That's an understatement!!!!!!

More like a top fuel dragster ;)

[radco]

WELCOME from MAINE,, you will find ALOT of good info and good peole here.....Rich

[Scoot]

For the very best sound out of your V&H's do what I did. When I first got mine I thought they were still to quite so I pulled baffles and took off the insulation and put them bake in. Sounded better, but still wanted them to sound better. So next step was I pulled them and cut the back half off with a band saw and then mounted the half baffle back in place. Now they sound perfect to me. I told Nico about it, He'll also tell you they sound great now.
If you don't like it you can get a friend to weld them back. But I bet you'll LOVE um.

Brad

[VulcanE]

Welcome from NW. Georgia, this is a great site. Before you cut your baffles, I would try what dkdixie did. I herd his and done mine the same. It does make a deeper and a bit louder rumble. All you'll need is a roll of flashing ($8-$12) at home depot, and 6- 2 3/4" hose clamps. Cut the flashing to where you can wrap the baffle tightly with at least two wraps, tighten a hose clamp on each end, then snug one in the middle, slide it back in, and check it out. I am very happy with the sound, and it seems to give back a lot of the torque that was lost when you go to larger diameter pipes, but if it's not what your looking for, you can still shorten your baffles

[BandC]

Welcome from Northern Minnesota!! Sorry I can't help with the pipes, but I'm sure someone here will have the answer!

[Cajunrider]

Welcome from Louisiana. Sorry can't help with the pipes. Still have the stock pipes but with silencers removed. Love deer hunting in Ballard, Christian, and Crittenden counties. I'm usually up there in October and December for muzzloader seasons. Ride safely.

Mitch

[markusmaximus]

Welcome Ronnie from central Indiana. Can't help with your V&H baggers, as I debaffled my stockers. You didn't mention where in Ky you are from. I lived in Lexington (did my undergrad and grad work at UK) and was raised in Ashland. Try to visit both regularly so the kin know I'm still alive.

[ronnie]

What a great and informative site.... no smart answers.... just welcome and facts....I forsee spending a lot of time here. I'm gonna try the wrap and see what happens.... but, for the record scoot,,, when you say cut off the back half... do you mean cut the baffel in half or just cut off the back end of the baffel. I assume you mean split it in the center of the baffeled section....... ......oh yea, I'm from glasgow kentucky, near bowling green... I haven't seen how to get to the section where you put your personal info in yet.. but, when I figure it out, I'll update.... thanks again,,,,ronnie

[jussmatt]

Don't have the V&H Baggers yet...but wanted to say welcome aboard the Crazy Train!!!! Don't worry...the smart a$$ answers will follow soon enough!!! LOL! We all get along pretty good here...so we have fun when/where we can!! Glad you're with us bud!! Ride Safe!

[tkd]

I guess I'm in the minority, I have the baggers on my 07 (were on the bike when I got it) and they still have the baffels in, but the are too loud for me.....I've even had small kids cover their ears when I coast though the neighborhood w/ clutch in. This weekend I'm going to pull the baffels to see what shape the packing is in.

Any advice on re-packing to keep things quiet? (really don't wanna start cutting stuff and lengthening). Also, if I repack, does that mean I should re-program the PCIII?

thanks

[VulcanE]

I guess I'm in the minority, I have the baggers on my 07 (were on the bike when I got it) and they still have the baffels in, but the are too loud for me.....I've even had small kids cover their ears when I coast though the neighborhood w/ clutch in. This weekend I'm going to pull the baffels to see what shape the packing is in.

Any advice on re-packing to keep things quiet? (really don't wanna start cutting stuff and lengthening). Also, if I repack, does that mean I should re-program the PCIII?

thanks


You probably won't need to re-map the PCIII, but when you repack the baffles, do it as LOOSELY as possible. The empty spaces between the fibers are what catches the sound. If you repack tightly, you eliminate the sound absorption of the packing ;)

I guess I'm in the minority, I have the baggers on my 07 (were on the bike when I got it) and they still have the baffels in, but the are too loud for me.....I've even had small kids cover their ears when I coast though the neighborhood w/ clutch in. This weekend I'm going to pull the baffels to see what shape the packing is in.

Any advice on re-packing to keep things quiet? (really don't wanna start cutting stuff and lengthening). Also, if I repack, does that mean I should re-program the PCIII?

thanks


You probably won't need to re-map the PCIII, but when you repack the baffles, do it as LOOSELY as possible. The empty spaces between the fibers are what catches the sound. If you repack tightly, you eliminate the sound absorption of the packing ;)

Absolutely true. I wanted mine louder so I packed them very tightly. A loose pack of fiberglass batting, secured with a bit of tape, will do the job.

It will burn out faster too, but it's cheap & easy to change.

[tkd]

Where do y'all recommend getting the batting and also, if I am understanding correctly, it is basically just a matter of removing the baffle, wrapping the batting and replacing.

Correct or not?

thanks

[ringadingh]

I like them when you wrap the baffles with sheet metal, held in place with a couple gear clamps. It gives it a nice low rumble and a little more volume. And welcome to the forum from Canada.

a LITTLE more volume?????

That's an understatement!!!!!!

More like a top fuel dragster ;)

Whats that Beez, I cant hear you! http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[dkdixie]

Where do y'all recommend getting the batting and also, if I am understanding correctly, it is basically just a matter of removing the baffle, wrapping the batting and replacing.

Correct or not?

thanks



You got it

[redeye]

Welcome from Northern California. I bought my bike used & the V&H baggers were all ready installed. I described the sound from them as a raspy bark at freeway speed. Not too loud but very close to being so. If I was to make any modification I would look into getting a set of stockers & do the mods posted on this forum. This will give you a very deep & mellow sound..-Rich

I notice a lot of folks that buy a used bike with Baggers do not like the sound, and I'm wondering if that's because the glass is all blown out & they needed to be repacked?

Once a hole burns through the fiberglass they can get loud and raspy sounding.

PS: I will give a complete low mileage Nomad 1500 stock and unmodified exhaust system with complete hardware and rubber mounts, flanges & cat convertor, plus $100 cash, for any used set of Baggers that are not cracked, bent, or badly dented. Minor dents & scratches are OK.

(Continental USA only please.)

[ronnie]

Well I got um wrapped in sheet metal,,, gives it a pretty good sound..... I'm still thinking, not hardly loud enough, but, I'm gonna ride it like that for awhile and see.... it might grow on me.. we're riding up into canada in two weeks... I'll know more when we get back...........as for the baggers,, I bought mine shortly after I bought the bike new..... they look great, and changed the whole looks of the bike for me...... first thing I done was remove the packing, and it gave it a little more sound, but, not nearly enough........well enough said,, I'm gonna ride it with the sheet metal wrap awhile, and see how it go's...... ronnie

[dogdoc]

you guys that did the sheet metal wrap didnt say whether you took out the fiberglass or not??

[dkdixie]

you guys that did the sheet metal wrap didnt say whether you took out the fiberglass or not??


OUT

[ringadingh]

you guys that did the sheet metal wrap didnt say whether you took out the fiberglass or not??

I still have mine in , but it is probably in poor shape by now and doing anything as far as sound effect goes.

[oldbikers]

welcome from Mississippi I have just removed the fiberglass but I have though about cutting them in half?

[rewindgy]

If you still think the Baggers are too loud - go find a set of Harley Touring mufflers 2002 - 2005 or get as set of Screaming Eagles of e-bay and you will be quite pleased with the exhaust note.

[ronnie]

Oh yea,,, the packing was the first thing to go, when I got my baggers.........as far as leaving it in after you wrap the baffels... it would make no difference, because, the exaust is then blocked from that area after the wrap....

[tkd]

So, I'm in the group that got the bike with baggers on it. I pulled the baffles, and other than some discoloration, no holes in the packing. I'd say 85% of it was still light in color.

I'm guess re-packing isn't going to quiet things down. Maybe I'm to self conscious. I see litlte kids cover there ears when I go by. Then again, my neighbor tells me it's not too loud and that it sounds nice when I go by...........Did I mention he's the Chief of Police in my town (honest). I guess that's a good guy to have on your side huh? He even asked if I'd be willing to ride with him while he's on one of the police bikes. I figure why not....He's a great guy and talk about the best of both worlds......enough of a deterent from doing anything stupid and if I/we do....the ultimate "get out of jail free" card.

Peace

[Scoot]

What a great and informative site.... no smart answers.... just welcome and facts....I forsee spending a lot of time here. I'm gonna try the wrap and see what happens.... but, for the record scoot,,, when you say cut off the back half... do you mean cut the baffel in half or just cut off the back end of the baffel. I assume you mean split it in the center of the baffeled section....... ......oh yea, I'm from glasgow kentucky, near bowling green... I haven't seen how to get to the section where you put your personal info in yet.. but, when I figure it out, I'll update.... thanks again,,,,ronnie

yes ronnie, I cut the back half off in the center of the baffled section. Make it alot easier to get bafffles back in or out.

[ronnie]

Thanks Scoot.... I wrapped mine yesterday... made it a little louder.... I'm gonna try that a few weeks before I put the saw to them.........who knows, it might grow on me.... but, I doubt it, cause I like some noise...ronnie