Trike mufflers

[fiddle_mike]

Howdy folks. Another question for the experts.*
*I just triked my 88 gl 1500 with a champion kit. The mufflers that came with the kit are bassani brand,and son are they loud! *I rode about 150 miles with the patriot guard riders yesterday and it is so loud it blends in nicely with the Harley's. Not my style. I want a stereo louder than the pipes. I know yall have dealt w this so what can I do? *Thanks in advance!

 

[CrystalPistol]

I have heard your pain. I like some things about HDs, but riding behind or adjacent to one that has shed it's OEM mufflers is not for me either.

Our '97 GL1500 had an "X-tractor" pipe set in place of the middle chamber when we took posession, it give it a nice tone but even with two stock GL1500 mufflers behind it, the noise got old. I liked the "sporty notes" but it was the volume that I didn't like after a few miles.

It got "OLD".

Then I started thinking about those turn down tips the builder had installed, so I tried some straight "pencil tip" ends with rolled edges.

They helped a lot.

I tried them then substituting a OEM middle chamber ... really quiet, but I missed the sporty "note" .... so I put "X-tractor" back in place. "X-tractor" also seems to add some nice throttle response as well.

Then I decided to add an insert. The long plain steel extensions on my stock mufflers are 2" OD, 1-7/8" ID. The chrome tips fit over them at back. The stock muffler chambers have about 1" exits as I recall. I took a couple pieces of pipe about 10" long and 1-3/8" OD, drilled a whole bunch of holes in it ..... I mean a bunch. Used some scrap left over 5/16" steel rod and made 4 hoops to fit around that pipe with holes. Welded a hoop at each end, found the new inserts were a nice fit inside the extensions behind the mufflers. Wrapped them with a few layers of fiberglass cloth and used stainless steel wire to tie it in place.
Inserted into my muffler extensions, then put my chrome 2" ID pencil tips with rolled ends back on and this time ..... drilled a hole and put a 1/4" bolt in from below that has a nut inside the pipe. The bolt holds the tips in place securely and prevents the new inserts from sliding back.
Those inserts with the rest of it gave me the tone and volume I wanted ...... but I must say, just changing from turn downs to straight tips got me half way there.