Should I cut the baffles out of my pipes???

I have a Honda Shadow Spirit 1100, and it's an awesome bike, but it's just not loud enough for me. I don't really know much about pipes, but I know that cutting out the baffles should make it louder, and I have a friend that knows how to cut them out. However, I've heard that you could lose torque and/or horsepower by doing this. Is that true? Are there any other concerns I should have about doing this? I can't afford to buy louder pipes, so I need you guys to help me out here.....what's going to happen if I cut the baffles out??? Thanks!!!!!

I would think that just punching the baffles will introduce a whole new set of issues. The low end performance would probably suffer and the sound may not be too cool. It would probably be wise to get a new tuned exhaust that is matched to the bike and all the necessary adjustments made.

Maybe someone can speak up that has a solution that will work with your request though.

I'm with Smeg on this one, a tuned exhaust is the way to go. Simply punching out the baffles can and probably will effect performance to a degree and would most likely sound like crap. Just my :2cents:

I have a Honda Shadow Spirit 1100, and it's an awesome bike, but it's just not loud enough for me. I don't really know much about pipes, but I know that cutting out the baffles should make it louder, and I have a friend that knows how to cut them out. However, I've heard that you could lose torque and/or horsepower by doing this. Is that true? Are there any other concerns I should have about doing this? I can't afford to buy louder pipes, so I need you guys to help me out here.....what's going to happen if I cut the baffles out??? Thanks!!!!!

I have done the "hole saw mod" on my 95 Shadow 1100 and have been quite pleased with the results. Much deeper and louder but the neighbors still like me. I drilled additional holes in the second baffle plate and it helped lower the tone of the exhaust. Like most modifications, you will either love it or hate it, it's all up to you.

Thanks for your input guys!! Just to let you know what I decided....I talked to my dealer, and he told me that since there are 2 baffles in each of my pipes, cutting the back one out wouldn't cause any problems. So, I cut the back ones out and it sounds great!! I didn't lose any power like I thought I maybe would.

I did manage to make a small dent on my bottom pipe when I was prying the baffle out though, so take it from me....BE CAREFUL when you're making modifications to your bike!! Now I gotta look at that dent for the rest of my life!!

Thanks again!!!!!!

That's great that it turned out so well. Good job.

Glad to hear you have joined the Holey Order. I still get positive comments about the sound of my "mod" pipes. Just remember, we have dual pin engines which mean they will never ever sound like a single pin.

That's a good point. I'm really happy with the new sound. It's not the exact sound I was looking for, but I'll take what I can get. Either way, I think it sounds better without the baffles, and that's what I was looking for. I can't complain!!!

Do you think this would work on my 86 VT700 ??

Hole saw mod.... I like that LOL

Do you think this would work on my 86 VT700 ??

Hole saw mod.... I like that LOL

My dad actually has an 86' VT700 Shadow too. He hasn't cut the baffles out of his, but I'm assuming it would work. One thing I would do first is stick a long screwdriver in the end of the pipe and see if there is another baffle further down. If there is, there shouldn't be any problem cutting the back one out. If the one on the way end is the only baffle, then it would be a different story I think. According to my dealer, you'd be messing with the air-flow then. My dad's bike is still in winter storage, or I'd check for you myself.

Like someone said earlier on this post....you'll either love it or hate it. Personally I like the sound of mine.

i have a 2004 vstar 1100 classic ,i removed the exhaust pipe drilled out 5 holes 5/18 in diameter each in a circle effect and then also drilled out the cones at the back ,i did not have to rejet the carb because there was still enough backpressure ,you need to get a drill bit that is about 12 inches long to drill out the baffles

As you might notice by my new sig pic, I have left the
"The Holey Order" upon finding these beautiful brand new Jardine fishtail exhaust pipes on ebay. I loved the sound of the mod pipes I had but could not pass up on these beauties. I would still tell anyone wanting a better sound from their stock pipes to join the Holey Order until they decide whether or not to spend the big bucks for aftermarket pipes.

I've used the "hole saw" technique before. The only problem I've ever had is a loss of compression, which a timing adjustment took care of. It's really a pretty easy process. Take a 1/2" hole saw on the end of a 16 inch extension, rev the drill up good... pat your baby on the seat and tell her to pucker up. Drive it up the tailpipe and let the sparks fly. Then crank the bike up and blow all the crap out of the tailpipe. Adjust the timing to handle the loss of backpressure, and you're good to go.

It can make stock pipes sound like $500 aftermarket pipes, while still retaining the original look of the bike.