Thunder Monster baffles Any 1st (or 2nd) hand experience?

[Tripps]

I looked into them, but when I found out you had to pull pipes apart to put them in and out, I kind of lost interest, too bad they don't make one that slips in the tailpipe.

 

[norseman]

Okay well my bike is in the shop right now getting the wheels powder coated, triple filters installed and a PC. The pipes are on order but will take a few weeks to come in. When they hit the shop and I can measure the headers properly I'll order the baffles and get them installed. It doesn't look like I'll have a chance to dyno before and after but I'm hoping to get a good dyno tune at some point SOON and will at least post the "after". I realize it's only half the picture, but I just can't afford to pay to have the pipes put on, dyno, then pay to have them taken apart and the baffles installed, then dyno again. I'm not made of money!

Actually it's been tough for me to get a specific answer, even after emailing the maker. Tripps do you know exactly where these things would fit? Are they between the collector and the mufflers (requiring 2 baffles) or between the headers and collector (requiring 3)? This may be a total newbie question, but that's fine... I'm a total newbie.

 

[Tripps]

IDK for sure, I think 2, they go between the muffler and the link pipe ( I thinK). Someone who knows will answer. What did they wack you for powder coating wheels, that's on my wish list?

 

[GPMAZ]

The baffles mount in the head pipes. They will extend a bit out of the head pipe and the muffler slips over them.

 

[norseman]

What did they wack you for powder coating wheels, that's on my wish list?

Canandaigua uses a paint guy that they tout pretty highly. He's definitely not cheap but they are very confident in his quality. I believe the 2 wheels are going to hit me for between $600 and $700 (that includes the labor to get them off, remove the rubber, do the actual powder coating, replace the rubber and reassemble.)

Also thanks for the helpful answer GPM! If you had forced me to wager I'd have guessed that was where they'd fit, but I'm way beyond wanting to guess with any of this. Now the question is "do I want the QQ (little bit quieter) baffles or the normal Thunder Monsters". I'm not sure how "polite" they're going to make the Jards and I don't want to go too far stifling that beautiful noise.

 

[Tripps]

Canandaigua uses a paint guy that they tout pretty highly. He's definitely not cheap but they are very confident in his quality.

I'll always choose quality over cheapness, I have a great bike painter, he's painted 3 bikes and a side car for me so far, top knotch work is worth paying for.

 

[norseman]

Yeah I'm trying to decide how much paint I really want. I was thinking of adding some color but I'll decide the end of the season when I can't be on the road anyway. Maybe you can get me your paint guy's number when I get down to brass tacks.

 

[Tripps]

Jardine baffles are in the sidewalls of the mufflers, or something, because I can see straight through mine, so I guess the slip ins are in addition to. I've heard the packing can go on the Jardines, but hard to really picture them any louder???

 

[norseman]

Do you use these baffles with or without Jardine baffles?

This is the current question under debate. The Jards (as heard on Tripps bike when we met up last year) are loud. They may not be as loud as some folks like, but I believe they're too loud for me. That's assuming Tripps' rumblers have the same baffles as their Roadster pipes (very likely). So there are several questions that can't really be answered before I have the pipes in hand and can test:

1. Are the Jards too loud as delivered from the factory? (I expect so, but we'll see)
2. Are the QQ Thundermonster baffles ALONE going to be quieter and at least as effective as the stock baffles? (Have to pull the stock baffles out and try the QQs alone)
3. If the stock baffles are too loud, and the QQ Thundermonsters are too loud, can they be combined in some way that doesn't utterly destroy the whole point of buying higher flow pipes? (unlikely)

My wrench wants to try just the stock baffles first and see what I think of them from the pilot's seat. I agree this is the best first step, but I'm guessing it's going to be too much (or at least my curiosity will get the better of me). There is no way I'm stuffing 2 sets of baffles in those pipes without absolute assurance that it won't negatively impact performance, so I guess the next step is to pull the stock baffles out and try the QQs. At that point, unless the QQs are significantly more deafening than the Jard stock baffles I'll probably just drive away with them and try to shop for another set of baffles that will offer a good compromise between dampening and performance.

Looks like the pipes should be in the 20th, and I'll be chomping at the bit to get into the shop once they're in. My chin fairing should arrive around the same time, and my Corbin fast gun (with green sidewalls... I'm committed now) should be on early next month. I'll post pics when it's all together, as well as my findings with the baffles.

 

[GPMAZ]

The Thunder baffles are meant to be used in conjunction with the baffles that come in the Jardines. The Jardine baffles are fiberglass wrapped tubes that are in the muffler housings. The Thunder baffles mount in the head pipes just in front of the mufflers. They take some of the rasp out of the Jardine sound resulting in a deeper sound, and are a bit quieter. I would not remove the Jardine baffles, if you want louder, just wait a while and the fiberglass will eventually blow out.

Do the Thunder baffles effect performance? Perhaps they take a bit off the top end, but I'd imagine they improve low end torque with a bit of added back pressure.

How they sound while you're riding is obviously a very subjective matter. Assuming you're wearing decent hearing protection the sound isn't bad at all. If you have a windshield the sound will be louder than without. And, if you're anywhere near my age, it probably doesn't matter much any more.