Looking for some advice from you FXR performance experts

[Smitty33]

My 91 is slightly modified with Branch heads,cams,and 42mm Mikuni and presently running BUB Baddog pipes.It runs strong but the baddogs just never really did it for me looks wise.Now the chrome on them is getting pretty frosty looking and I'm toying with putting the stock pipes back on with SE mufflers.I cleaned these up over the weekend and they look like brand new.
So question is do you think there will be a significant performance difference? My brother has this set up on his FXR less the head work and his bike runs frickin great,I can beat him but not by much.
We all know exhausts for FXR's are like hens teeth,I figured I'd put these back on anyway until I can get the dogs rechromed or look around for some performance mufflers which there seems to be a much better selection of.
Mark

[FXR2]

Originally Posted by Smitty33

I'm toying with putting the stock pipes back on with SE mufflers....
So question is do you think there will be a significant performance difference?

My short answer would be "no".

By stock, I presume you mean the factory headpipes, complete with the big crossover pipe under the air cleaner? I still have those on my garage wall along with the SE mufflers that were on my FXR2 when I got it. I took them off more for cosmetic reasons than performance-- didn't like the look of the big crossover. Since then I've had Cycle Shacks (loud), Khrome Werks tapered duals (Nice. Looked stock but without the crossover-kept them, too) and for the last four years or so V&H Straight Shots (nice, smooth look, IMO. Full coverage heat shields). But frankly, I didn't see any great difference in performance between any of those systems that I could attribute to pipes alone.

There are some slip-ons out there that interest me, but it would mean going back to the stock head pipes with the crossover and partial heat shields, or cutting the mufflers off of my Khrome Werks pipes and using parital heat sheilds there, too. Not sure I'd like that as I really like the smooth look of the full coverage sheilds of the V&H pipes.

But back to your question, I really don't think your performance will suffer, and you may like the slight reduction in noise that I'm guessing you'll get over the shorter Bub's you have now.

[plugeye]

heck, just go ahead & try them.
let us know how they work

[Smitty33]

See the big crossover doesn't really bother me too much looks wise,I think it looks fine either way.The baddogs really aren't THAT loud at lower RPM's,thats one thing I do like about them is I can putt through town if I need to too keep the law off my case BUT at WFO they are big time LOUD.
I'm going to switch them maybe tommorrow after work and I'll let ya know what I think.
THANKS guys!!!
Mark

[plugeye]

when i didnt like the look of the crossover shield, i just painted it semi-flat black. blends in

[econnor]

I like the stock head pipes with good mufflers. For stock displacement engines with mild upgrades they work very well. I have seen mid to high 80s at the rear wheel with the stock headpipes and good slip on mufflers.

Your combination is not unique to the FXR. I suggest you try posting this same question in the Evo performance section. You will certainly receive the attention of a larger number of Evo owners in that thread.

[lucille]

As plugeye and econnor mention, the stock headpipes work well on a mild mod motor. Seems to me that the early FXRs had the crossover pipe blacked out.....
What torque will you go to on the head - pipe? Never did find that spec. in the manual....

[johnrides]

Supertrapp still has the 2-1 you can tune with the disks. With your mods this pipe should be real tuneable. My 91 is stock except for this pipe and an old Super "B" and the difference was significant. Worked for me anyway.

[Smitty33]

Well did the switch and the difference was huge.First off i think the bike looks a million times better.Just my personal opinion I just like that "look" alot better.
Second the engine just seems too me to run a hell of alot smoother.Even at an idle it just doesn't look like the engine is moving as much in the rubber mounts and out on the road there was less vibration and it just felt butter smooth.When I first started it I thought man it's going to be louder but actually out on the road is much quiter.Seemed to run just absolutly perfect.
Just by seat of the pants it feels like I lost a little bottom end BUT I think I gained a little top end.My buddy has a 2008 Star warrior that while we haven't touched these two off just playing around seem pretty equal.Top gear roll on we are dead even now and just goofing around I think I can take him in a drag race but not by alot.Not sure why this would make a difference but it feels to me like the engine revs quicker now.I don't have a tach but first time I got on it I missed a shift ,just felt like my timing was off but maybe it just sounds different and I'll need to get used to it.
Won't know for sure till I get it on a dyno,I had it dyno tested with the bad dogs so will have actual real numbers to compare but regardless of that I was really happy with the results and like how it runs now MUCH better.
Mark