Another baffle question

I just bought another KZ. The guy I bought it from had a receipt showing carbs had just been redone and the bike was tuned. It had an older Vance & Hines pipe without a baffle.

My other KZ is running really poorly now and I have a Vance & Hines pipe with a baffle on that one. I figured I would put the baffle in the new bike when I went into town to tag it. Small town with annoying cops, so I figured why take a chance.

The bike ran ok, but I thought it just felt average. My shaft drive with almost 50k on the motor felt quicker to me. After about 100 miles of riding I took the baffle out last night. It seems to run way better. Just wondering if it can have that large of an effect or if it feels way faster because it sounds way louder and my mind is playing tricks on me.

Also can someone tell me my model. I'm not sure if it's an LTD or A4.
Frame number: Z1F-507515
Engine Number: Z1E-105872

The guy probably had the carbs jetted for a open pipe.

The only way to tell would be to remove the carb bowls and chec the sizes of the jets.

That bike is a 1976 A4 according to zedder.com

If you run the bike on the street an open pipe will be slower than a bike with a baffle. It will sound better unless you put a comp baffle in but will be slower. I know this to be true as I was running an open baffle. You need some sort of back pressure. Now instead of the stock vance baffle you put a comp baffle in it you will see that it will be much faster. Jetting has to be right as well.

I would politely like to disagree. I have been gassing these bikes ever since i started riding to get them to run better than stock.

The first thing i do is remove the restricted mufflers and install headers.
The next step would be to jet it up to match those headers with the packing removed.

And when we use to do a lot of street racing jet it up some more so you could run open headers.

I agree normal street riding would benefit from some restriction but the way i use to ride would not be considered normal.:woohoo:

I really have calmed down in the last year. No one around here rides kz's and i don't have to one up my old friends that would try and wring everything out of these bikes. Roy

Thanks for the info on the model Roy, I had not been to that site before.

What are the size differences of a competition baffle and a stock. The opening on the one I have is 1 1/2 inches I think?

I really dn't know the diffrences in the baffles.

I make my own.

This is a cut down Kerker pipe and baffle. Roy

Here's a comparison between V&H street and comp baffle.



See next post also.

Good Luck!

Shorter baffle is V&H competition version.

Longer baffle is V&H street version.



Good Luck!

Comparison of V&H baffle ends which the exhaust meets first.



Good Luck!

Thanks, I ordered a competition baffle today from redline. We'll see how it works when it gets here.

How much was it? Roy

$44.95 after shipping was added. I don't remember the breakdown of Item/Shipping.

After I bought it I noticed there's an ebay auction with a brand new in the box one also. May go cheaper.

cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT