I just received and installed a set of new custom baffles from Fuel Moto for Rush slip-on mufflers, and I wanted to report the result. These baffles have an asymetrical design, with the left having 1.75" and the right 2.0" baffles, the left having the addition of a 3/4" reversion cone installed.
First, a shot of one baffle, with the requisite blurred license plate in the background. Why do we blur our license numbers in photos when license plates are exposed for all to see when riding? From the side, both baffles look alike, the difference in the two being internal. The right shot is the rear of the baffle, unchanged from standard except the left side starts out a 1.75" (modified) and the right 2.0" (unmodified). Note the grab bar, which must be a new addition since my old baffles had none, making the originals tricky to remove. Also note the new high-quality packing material made by Silent Sport. The old packing did not cover the entire baffle on my mufflers, but the new packing does. This undoubtedly impacts the sound and loudness, which I'll go into later.
The following photo shows the front of both baffles, clearly showing the modification to the left muffler, the right remaining unchanged. On the left is, appropriately, the left baffle showing the reversion cone welded into the baffle at Fuel Moto. The hole is only 3/4", and it is the key to the effectiveness of this option. Jamie experimented with many baffle sizes, cone sizes, and even tried blocking the left side completely--but this was the best combo. Jamie developed this kit for performance and sound quality while keeping noise reasonable. I can report that he succeeded on all counts.
I'll give some tips on installing this kit, and some impressions after the fact.
1. Remove Allen bolt/nut holding the old baffle in. I used a 1/2" ratchet with 1/2" socket for the nut on the inside, Allen wrench holding the bolt on the outside bottom of the muffler. Loosen from the nut side, as my bolt wouldn't budge and I didn't want to strip it.
2. As I mentioned, I didn't have the grab bar on the rear of the baffle to aid in removing it. I used the same Allen wrench and clamped some vice grips on the end, using the hooked end to grab the bolt hole. It was tricky but the right side came on out without much ado. The packing material apparently jammed on the left and it took some twists and pulls with vice grips to remove it.
3. After the old baffles are out, get a vacuum cleaner and remove the crud that remains in the muffler, which is a mix of old packing material and rust. The baffles are a tight fit and are a bear to install unless you do this. I didn't on the right and it took 10 min. to shoehorn it in, while the left was cleaned and it took 2 min. After spraying some WD40 on the ends, not the packing material, I gently hammered them in with a 1½" PVC pipe section (about 12" long) and a rubber hammer. A large piece of wood would likely work as well, but be careful not to deform any part of the baffle. The tricky part of installing the new baffles is lining up the hole in the muffler with the slot in the baffle to fit the bolt.
That's about it, so what about the result? Take a look at the dyno chart, which Jamie says is a conservative representation, not the best curve he had obtained. He didn't want to exaggerate the kit's effectiveness, and that's the way Jamie does things.
Just looking at the curve, I think it is superb for a stock 96" engine, stock head pipes, Rush slip-ons, and AC--which approaches or equals a 2:1 system that would cost much more. Now for some observations after a test ride:
1. To my surprise and delight this setup is quieter than the 1.75" setup I had--not immensely, but a meaningful and welcome improvement. This is obviously the result of the packing material, at least in part. Whereas with symetrical mufflers and stock head pipe about 70% of the exhaust exits the right side, but with this setup I would guess it is more like 90%. That's predictable considering the 3/4" reversion cone installed in the left baffle. If you expect an obnoxiously noisy result, this is not your option--but if you want mellow but throaty, I think you'll love it. Gone is the raspy bark of the old setup upon acceleration, which I never quite got used to. I now hear my 5th gear whine a bit more, but the stereo sound is improved.
2. Boy, do I feel a performance boost all across the board! It's like you gave the engine a B-12 shot, and the dyno chart's representation of a 7 TQ and 4 HP increase over my old setup is believable by my trusty seat-of-the-pants dyno. No, I don't think this is in my head, and I was careful to be objective when taking my first test ride. I had just completed a 150-mile ride prior to the installation, so I had the feel of the old setup fermented in my butt.
I give this option an enthusiastic thumbs-up. If you have Rush slip-ons already it is a $99 cost for the baffle kit, including Jamie's PCIII map that he spent countless hours perfecting. The mufflers with kit are $349 vs. $299 with standard baffles. This must be considered a great bang-for-the-buck standout, IMO. No, I'm not on Fuel Moto's payroll, but I like Jamie's work and his work ethic, and don't mind giving him the kudos he deserves. This kit is a winner.
http://fuelmotousa.com/rush_fuelmoto
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