Harley Mufflers on a Wing...revisited

[Offcenter]

Hey gang.
When I first got my 76 GL, like many of them, the original exhaust was long gone.
Based on what I read on several forums, I bought a matched set of Harley FLH take-offs and
installed them. Not as quiet as a Wing should be, but bearable....sort of.
The more I rode the bike, the more it seemed like the LEFT pipe was much
louder than the RIGHT pipe. And the bike never did run right.
So recently I pulled the mufflers and looked inside them. :head bang:
Those two mufflers are completely different inside!
I assume that because of the layout of Harley's V-twin engine
having two different length exhaust pipes, the right
muffler has MUCH more baffling in it than the left!
I figured that the difference in back pressure with two
mismatched mufflers could not be doing the Wing any good.
So.....
I ordered another set of Harley takeoffs that matched the
first set. Same part numbers. Almost brand new, just like
the first set.
Today I removed the left muffler and installed a second
Harley RIGHT hand muffer. (The muffler with the biggest
baffles)
Man, what a difference! The bike is noticeably quieter. The
staccato bark of the left pipe is gone. The engine runs smoother
and definitely IDLES better!
I amazed that no one ever posted about this difference in
mufflers before! (at least not in any post that I read!)

As usual, just my two cents.....

 

[dan filipi]

I always have had a suspicion about this but never could confirm it because I never got a pair.
Thanks for posting this. Anything to balance the engine and have it quiet is great info!

 

[Offcenter]

You're welcome!
I figured that if this info helped just one person, it
was worth taking the time to type it up.
Just giving back for all the help I've gotten here. :good:

 

[joedrum]

seesh ive never tried them before ....that is interesting

 

[Ansimp]

Now I will have to look in my cheap sportster mufflers! Thanks for the heads up :good: :salute:

 

[Offcenter]

Let us know what you find in the Sportster mufflers.
I suspect it will be something similar since the pipe for the
front cylinder is longer than the pipe for rear cylinder
of all Harleys with the V-twin engine.
My set came off a FLH or one of the similar full dressers.
I'll be interested to hear what you find.

 

[slabghost]

Until now it's never been confirmed exactly what the differences are. However it has been mentioned more than once the HD mufflers are tuned for the sound customers crave.Which by the way is often defeated by the new owner insisting on aftermarket loud pipes. I'll have to keep this in mind if I ever get around to actually using HD take off mufflers I have.

 

[rob.lafady]

I guess I'm glad the auction I won was.for two sets!

 

[Denver]

Theres always someone who would like to make their bike have the HIGH SCHOOL HARRY sound, that has an old wing. :yes: Maybe make some of your investment back. :good:

 

[rob.lafady]

My plan is to try a 4 into 4 setup with the Harley mufflers, so I will have to make sure I get one of each type on each side.

 

[brianinpa]

I was always under the impression it was a sportster muffler that was needed as those are a matched length. It goes even further that at some point Harley put a crossover tube on the sportster so the best ones to get are pre 2003 edition. That's what I have sitting in a box waiting.

 

[ekvh]

The newer sportster mufflers were different lengths altogether. I have a set of RoadKings that appear to be the same. They are too long I think for my non-bagger. They have pretty small exit diameters. They bell out to about three inches, but the inside diameter is only 1.25" with two plugs with only about a 3/8" hole in them. I was actually sizing them up for use on my Caddy yesterday. I know, I have strange ideas.