Vance and Hines RE-Pack

I have a 1983 KZ1100 LTD with a complete header/muffler (4 into 1) system from Vance and Hines. The previous owner took out all the baffle material, it's not really loud unless you hit the throttle really hard. however it burbles, burps, adn farts when down shifting, letting off the throttle and slowing down. Sounds really crap in my opinion. I am looking to get some "glass pack" material and hopefully tone it down some.

Is repacking the muffler something I should leave to a shop, or is it something a fairly novice wrench can handle? I don't want to get in over my head, half apart and not be able to get it back together, etc.

You can purchase a replacement baffle for $30 from Summit.

www.summitracing.com/parts/VAH-21869

DoubleDub wrote: You can purchase a replacement baffle for $30 from Summit.

www.summitracing.com/parts/VAH-21869

That link is for a Hardley pipe baffle.

It states Harley and Metric. I would verify the pipe before ordering, of course.

You can probably rewrap the baffle you have yourself, haven't done it myself though.

dano83-1100 wrote: however it burbles, burps, adn farts when down shifting, letting off the throttle and slowing down. Sounds really crap in my opinion.

That sounds more like carb problems than no packing in the muffler. I can't really tell but it looks like the head pipes are really blue in your avatar picture. If that's the case, your carbs are probably running lean.

Later, Doug

Depending upon what sort of baffle it has you should be able to re-wrap it. I have used fiberglass pipe insulation on the baffle in my pipe. Have also used fiberglass wall insulation at times in the past as well. I have found the pipe wrap easier to work with.

It does not last forever, and I do replace it every couple of years or so but it is not an expensive item. Each time I do replace it, there is a marked decrease in noise level.

As to its burbles and burps, yes sometimes adding a baffle or packing will decrease this - more back pressure. But as Streetfighter says, it can also be a carb or air/fuel mix issue. Do check it, as a too lean mix will not end well.

How would u check if bike is lean, without using an o2 type sensor or something else electronic?

Its pretty simple I hate to mention another site but Chopcult has a good how to on this in their best of's section.

Wouldnt pipe bluing be cause by a lean mixture having to do with the pipes being unbaffled and less backpressure?

I was under the same impression that the bluing was caused by the pipe being swpped out form original. I have seen other ltd's same year and same Vance adn Hines exhaust...the blue is pretty much identical...the only four into one headers I have seen not blue are the black MAC or Kerker types. granted there are not thousands of pictures to choose from, just saying I have yet to see an 1100 with the chrome 4:1 headers/muffler that are not blue...I assumed it was just part of the deal.

If your V&H still has the metal baffle, but the packing material is gone or burned up. You can remove the baffle from the megaphone with just 1 bolt. Then buy some decent grade muffler packing material, wrap it around the baffle, and reinstall. If you get it really tight, less exhaust will flow, and power will be less. This usually only temporary as the packing does start to go away again. It should settle in to a nice sound with little restriction.