QUiet bike

[awander]

Last week, I was standing outside the local firehouse, when I saw a motorcycle coming up the street towards me. I could only See it from straight ahead, but it looked like an old Harley-but I couldn't hear any engine noise-just a sort of fluttery whistling and clicking. When the bike turned and passed me, I saw it was a Knucklehead, and when he got on the gas, i first heard the whistling noise, then when he really got on it, finally the rumble I am used to.

I am guessing he had really quiet pipes on it, but I've never heard such a quiet old bike before.

I am also wondering if anyone knows where I can get a quieter muffler for my '52 pan-I like the sound of a V-twin, but it is just too loud!

[VintageTwin]

sort of fluttery whistling and clicking.

Yea...that's the rocker arms. Sounds good. The cam gears whirl when the lash is right. Generator has it's own sound. Sounds like the motor was running right.
Those V-Twin '49-57, 24" mufflers are pretty good copies of the original. I think you can get the same sound from the shorter '58 - 64, 22" muffler.
There's two choices of mfgrs. for both styles, either V-Twin or Dennis Corso. I'm not sure what type of baffling they have inside. I think it's an inner perforated sleeve.
If it's motor noise that bothers you, those tank strips between the halves work. I'm brush painting the inboard of my '57 tanks with "Noise Killer Blue" (water based) (Garner-Wescott), which will be totally hidden and turns noise into a low grade heat. I also wear a single foam ear plugs, cut in half, in each ear. Works for me.

[FlatHeadSix]

Andy,

Are we getting old or what? For the longest time I had a straight pipe fishtail on my '49 pan, loud & proud, rude & crude. Bottom line; it just sounded raw. When I finally pulled it off and put a stock muffler on it I could not believe why I kept that stupid fishtail on it as long as I did.

The stock muffler is way more better than anything else you could put on the bike. It sounds like a big twin Harley and I'm convinced it even runs better.

here's a pic of the stoopid fishtail, I'll post one with the stock exhaust in a minute if i can find a good one.

mike

[FlatHeadSix]

Same bike with stock muffler, BIG improvement! All I hear now is valve noise and gear train noise, and a little whine from the 32E generator. (the windshield amplifies and reflects all the mechanical sounds).

But, standing behind the bike, or hearing it drive by, it sounds great, just like a big twin should.

mike

normal_rally6.jpg (36.48 KiB) Viewed 2368 times

[Motorcyclemike]

While they might look COOL they are not for good performance,as the pipe after the y....is way to long and that Fish Tail tip...is more for looks and sound too.....as we all know that a Straight Cut pipe will allow the motor to Exhaust properly and sharply at the end of the pipe.....ever see a real drag bike with slash cut ends on the pipes?........thats cause a Straight cut is way more power making.......thats a nice looking muffler on your Harley Dee.
Moooootor Cycle Mike

[awander]

Mike:

Do you recall the make and model number of that muffler?

And I assume you needed to tweak the carb when you went from the straight pipe to the muffler-is that correct?

[VPH-D]

The fishtail muffler appears to be a 65240-61, and they are quiet...
VPH-D

[Motorcyclemike]

Yes with any type of pipe change on a Harley you should check to be Really sure that you are Not Running Lean.....if you are that will lead to holes in pistons burnt valves and ring to wall damage and blued pipes .....any pipe change requires a check to be sure that your not lean...its best to be very slightly rich.. do you know about taking readings off the spark plugs?

MotorCycle Mike

[awander]

I think so-aren't you supposed to shut the engine off while it is running at speed and under power, and then take the plugs out and read them?

[FlatHeadSix]

yes, it is always advisable to shut the engine off before removing the plugs........

[51Hog]

I did not read that part Mike.
No problem getting the plug out while running.
A B**ch of a job getting it in tho. Kept blowing back out.---and I almost rear ended a truck.
Dale

[Panacea]

That's where the running comes in, trying to catch em'...Has anyone tried reading plugs lately? Mine get black around the perimiter of the base but the porcelin stays clean as a whistle. I hate to change anything and mess up the good starting, but I did raise the needle one groove just to see if I can get some color on the porcelin. My cigar muffler was almost too quiet, I like to hear the exhaust so I took a hole saw and removed the tabs off the inside of the pipe. It's still not loud but sounds a bit more to my likeing. Mike

[Panacea]

That was me, Things look a little different around here! Mike

[Toymaster]

I think so-aren't you supposed to shut the engine off while it is running at speed and under power, and then take the plugs out and read them?

Yes.. leave throttle open.. shut it off.. and coast to a stop, then read plugs..

[awander]

Well, I put the wuieter muffler on last week. It is a V-Twin 30-0143, supposedly equivalent to the 65235-50.

I started 'er up(it IS a bit quieter, but still has a nice meaty sound), and went for a ride to warm the engine.

Then I did the tuning drill as spelled out in the Harley Panhead manual-turned the lo-speed screw in until the engine started to miss, then out about 8 clicks. I made sure that the engine would idle with the spark all the way retarded. I rode it again, and it seemed to be doing a lot more popping from the exhaust when I rolled off the throttle. i turned the Hi-speed needle in about 6 clicks from where it had been with the other pipes, and this popping went away.

I've put about 200 miles on 'er since, and the engine is running well-I did the "pull in the clutch and shut the engine off while riding" trick, and coasted into my driveway after a 20 mile ride today, and took out the plugs. This is what they look like:
(Front is on the Left and Rear on the Right)


What do you guys think? I am a babe in the woods when it comes to reading plugs, though I will say if I don't get any other advice, I will leave things as they are. The deposits are a bit darker than they show in the photo, kind of a tan-grey color.