exhaust questions

[lumper]

I bought some 600 paper and sanded them for a while, then I painted them a few coats, so far so good, they look great I think.
The sandblasting sounds like a better way to go for sure though I am just experimenting and took a shot, if it peels or anything on me then I will try that next time.
Lump

[griz01]

Sandblast the pipes with a product called Black Beauty that I bought at Home Depot

[badboy194]

Griz01, When you painted your pipes, did you scuff up the chrome or have it removed in any way?  I like the look and am thinking about doing the same. 

[griz01]

My Bike does have Ted's Drifter Shifter on it. It allows me to foot or hand shift the bike. I do use foot shift most of the time; But some times when the local Harley Boys are watching I use the hand shift just for the looks I get

[chief]

Yep, I was thinking of his when I wrote the post.

[marshalldoll]

Ted's shifter does exactly that. Shift as normal with your left foot or right hand shift if you feel so inclined.
Dan
dwclocks@aol.com

[chief]

Some of the mods I've seen allow you to use the foot shifter as well as the handshift. Indian actually had the shifter on the left side, but later you could order it on the right. Its called a "suicide" shifter for a reason... keep that in mind.

[Troll]

I've had 3 bikes with hand shift... you don't want one....'46 EL, 45 WLA, (3 speed w/reverse) '49 FLH,

[lumper]

Looks awesome, that is a unique paint job.
So you do have the roadhouse on there right ?
I love that look.
I just pulled my pipes and they are drying from the second coat right now.
They look 100% better than before but still I want those flex looking headers, I ove that look for this bike.
I also like the shifter I am thinking of doing one down the road, it was one of my first thoughts when I was looking at these bikes., do you use it or is it pretty much for looks on yoru bike?
I like to heel shift now almost exclusively, so I wondered about the hand shift, but I think I amgoing to try one.So much I want o do, lol a little at a time, I am not working and have been out of work for about a year so I am not used to going this slow when I want stuff, my wife has been my hero lately, lol.
I am having a paint fest in the driveway today though,  have gloss for my trim and other parts and a nice matte heat paint for the pipes, I cant wait to put it back together.
I might have a problem with one lever but thats another story, I m not sure.
Wish I could get the kickstand off today, lol.
Talk to you later,
Lump

[griz01]

Lumper

I have some pics over in the Member Gallery, but I will have to be update them soon to reflect this winters mods.

http://www.autoandmotorcycle.com/photogallery/showphoto.php/photo/3540/title/imgp3641/cat/501

[1SG CAV]

I run Hard- Krome headers. They are straight pipes with no baffles. It has a deep solid rumble. Loud some would say yes.  But the tone is what I like.  Would use anything else I love the sound they make.

[lumper]

Thanks again buddy,
its funny to hear from others along the way and realise we have been thinking abotu the same things, lol.
Anyway I am going to paint them and see how it looks for now.
I just pulled my levers and grips and mirrors and painted them today, they look great.
I wonder how ward getting new gaskets will be for the exhaust to pull it, paint it, and put them back on.
Did you go flat or gloss on the pipes?
I am thinking of a ceramic type paint that will withstand heat.
I see there are epoxy's I need to learn a little more before I choose.
I am going to do my kickstand too, lol.
No Chrome!!
I have a few othert parts here and there that the previous owner had replaced with a chrome part but I will get to them all in time.
I wanted these grips so I decided to paint since I couldnt afford the black ones I wanted.
I still want new mirrors as I dont like these, but now at least they are black adn look brand new.
I just saved a few hundred bucks and got just what I wanted otherwise.
Anyway Griz, thanks again man.
You have a bigger pic of your bike somewhere I can see?
That thunmbnail is small.
LAter,
Lump

[Mike O]

Thanks Griz

[griz01]

Lumper,

Welcome to Drifter owership! Parts what parts we don't make no stinking parts. That is the cry of anything that is Drifter specfic. Fortunately for most of us we would rather adapt custom parts to our bikes.

Drifters are not race bikes, so for me HP means nothing. Torque is what I wanted to improve. Inproving torque generally costs up HP. As a general rule 2 in 1 systems will increase the low end torque while duals will sacifice this torque for HP at the upper end.

Sound is in the ear of the beholder, what rumble you like some else may not. I am video challenged, do not have any way to make a video. Do not know if I can be of much help with sound. Been told my bike is louder that my neighbors Road King. I don't hear it though, 

I went to the hardware store and purchase some BBQ grill paint. Painted the pipes to see the how it looked. Ran the bike for a year this way. held up well.

In any case I would not sell the pipes you have until you have the new ones to put on.

[griz01]

Mike o,

that is exactly what  I did . The locals here use a 3' dowel rod to check your bike's mufflers. If they insert it and it does not hit anything you get a ticket, if it can not be inserted full length or to the bend in a pipe then no tic. Noise level does not seem matter to them.

I swtched the exhaust, Thunder Air Filter and Power Commander at the same time, never ran the bike with the mods and no PC.  Not sure how it would run.

All the 1500 Drifters are Fuel Injected, I run a Power Commander on the Bike. it has a map that I created. I would like to get it Dynoed; the only real effective way to tune a PC but I live in Harleyland and anyone that has a dyno only works on Harleys.

[lumper]

Thanks Griz,
As soon as I decided to pursue this I went to their site and saw that as of November 2010 they are closed and out of business, lol DOH!! thats just my luck.

I just got the bike, they couldnt hold on a few more months for me, lol.

Anyway yeah I find a few different road house set ups that will work on my bike but I dont know enough about them to know what I would prefer.

I see dooleys available and I also see the 2in 1 available both with the serated flex looking pipes for headers.
I generaly prefer dooleys but with this bike I migth be inclined to go 2 in 1 for that look if it still delivered the rumble and hp I want, I think the look is more appropriate for the bike and the theme I am going on.

I read an article that says with the air kit you can see pretty good gains in hp over 2500 rpm's compared to stock, I would look into the air kit and then having a computer dial me in to see the gains once I am done with this.

I want to end up with what you did, blacked out older look.
My Vance and hines arent too loud, not as loud as my Road king was with Rienhardt headers true duals.
But I dont want to lose to much of that either.
I cant decide if I will paint my vane and hines for now or sell them.
I woudl sell them but it isnt that easy to find the roadhouse pipes and timing will be everything, I jst know as soon as I sell my pipes all of a sudden it will become difficult to locate the roadhouse pipes I want.
So I think I am going to keep these and just keep looking for the roadhouse, I dont think I woudl get o much for the used Vane and hines anyway, if I am only going to get 150 or 200 for them I may as well paint them and keep them myself I think.

I like a little rumble and it makes me known in traffic.
I hate those bikes with no baffles that are just insanely loud though.

The stock pipes on these are way to boring though, even my King was like a quiet little Honda with its stock pipes.
Can you make a quick video with your camera and start the bike so I can hear them?

Put it up on youtube and send me a link if you can and dont mind.

That would be sweet.
Anyway here we go again, each thing I search for for my Drifter is either no longer available or out of production etc...  but I guess thats the fun of it, finding things that will work, deliver the end result I am looking for and keep my bike unique, this would be way to easy if there were a current catalouge out with all the available stuff for these bikes and all available, lol that wouldnt be any fun.
Lump

[Mike O]

Pulled the packing out. sound is very mellow and not too loud. Had it ceramic coated black by my powder coater. It looks great! I hope you are aware that Road House has closed it doors and their systems are getting harder to find. Should get one soon if you wish to go that way.

Hello,

When you say you pulled out the packing, was that all the packing off the baffle and re-inserted the metal part?   Also, is your bike fuel injected?  Did you need to use any type of remapping?

Thanks.

[griz01]

Can not help on the V & H's; I have never heard them on a Drifter. but I had Hard Chrome staggers 45's on my 1500 when I got it. Way too loud for me plus I did not like the look. I even put in the quite inserts. I went the Roadhouse 2 in 1 love it sound and look. Pulled the packing out. sound is very mellow and not too loud. Had it ceramic coated black by my powder coater. It looks great! I hope you are aware that Road House has closed it doors and their systems are getting harder to find. Should get one soon if you wish to go that way.

[lumper]

Hi all,
So I have a set of Vance and Hines on my 99 drifter now.
They sound great.
One of the things I want to end up doing is either having them painted or powder coated to go along with the no chrome look I am working on.
I have seen some road house pipes though and I really like the look with the serrated section and all.
Can anyone tell me from experience how they sound in comparison to the Vance and Hines?
I would like to retain the rumble but change the look.

Whichever I go with I am planning on having them blacked one way or the other but I just think the road house has that older era feel fitting the theme of the bike better than the Vance and Hines I currently have does.
IF the Road house sound as good though then I think I am going to sell these pipes and get the Roadhouse.

Also, I dont know if the previous owner had the bike set up for the new pipes or not after he had them installed, sort of like a fuel injected stage 2 I guess?
Is there anyway I can find that out?
Either way if and when I swap the pipes myself without a power commander or other such tool can I just go to a local bike shop and have them set up to run properly with the new pipes or is that a trip to the dealer?

Thanks again for any info,
I really appreciate it.
Lump