Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Exhaust Bub Exhausts - what do you think?

Well I've got about 3500 miles on my slashcuts and they just keep getting better - sound and speed wise. The improvement over stock is amazing. Didn't rejet, didn't do anything to the airbox, just put on the pipes. Last road trip I turned 48 mpg and was running at an indicated 75 - 80.

The only downside is the noise - these pipes are loud, BUT mine are mellowing with age.

What's your experience with Bubs?
roadie

48 mpg is great. i noticed that my tors long slash cuts are getting mellower, too. what's the science behind this? anyone have ideas?

those lonf slash cuts are nice. i like the upswept pipes on the standard bonnie, too. wonder if one could make those fit the spdmstr?

cat
bub stuff for tri

Roadie,
I’ve got the long Bub Slash Cuts too and I love them. I’m going to paint the inside of the ends wrinkle black. They are loud when you open her up, but that’s one of the reasons I brought them.
When the dealer installed them he also installed the Freak and removed the air injectors. He also rejetted my carbs. When I power shift into second I gotta hold on real tight or I’m going off the back. It really flies!
I see a lot of posts about rejetting and changing needles and trying this and that to get rid of popping on deceleration. Mine does pop on decel also it sometimes backfires real loud and even now and then hiccups through the carbs. But I’m not gonna change anything. I like the “backing off” (popping). And the back fires and carb.burping are infrequent enough that I can live with it. It just seems to me that messing with the carbs is a never ending process once started.
Kennymc

Cat, I believe the mellowing is due to carbon buildup inside the baffles, absorbing some of the sound.

I've got about 5000 miles on mine, and love them. And I know they're not too loud, sitting next to a buddies 1200 Sporty with drag pipes, mine gets buried in the noise. That's a good thing (when the law is around!) I have everything dialed in now with jets/needles, and get 44mpg, occasional decel popping (more of a rumble), and the occasional backfire, but I'm done messing with that stuff, it runs great, gets good mileage, I'm happy. I've had a bit of problem with rust on the welds (the only real drawback to these pipes) and a loose rivet (that tightens up quickly as the pipes warm up), but have found an easy solution to that. Krylon (I think it is Krylon) makes a "chrome" paint that oxidizes rust, so I painted the welds with a little of this, and it is almost indistinguishable from the normal weld appearance.

I've had them on for about 1,000 miles and love them too. Not too loud but loud enough with a good sound. I have the rusty welds problem too and i think i'm going to try the krylon. Anythings better than the rust.

-Josh

Yoshi, it would be nice if it were available in a touch-up bottle type application, but is only available (that I've seen) as a spray paint. I just sprayed some into a cup and used a small acid brush (artists brush) to apply it.

Cat - I think Bayern's right - I've been watching my pipes and the carbon build up seems to parallel the mellowing of the sound. Prolly that way for all of 'em!

Kenny - sounds like you've got a great dealer. I've heard other guys say that their dealer wouldn't take out the AI's or do the freak for them. If I go with the freak, I think I'll probably have the dealer install it too.

I get the same noises when I decel and I like 'em!

Yoshi - I think I'll try the Krylon too. Up til now I've been just taking a little steel wool to the rust and then following up with some WD 40 - seems to work...

Perfect. At idle it sounds like I have a cam out of a '64 StageIII 426 Hemi Plymouth Sport Fury. Full excelleration roars like a pissed off Godzilla thats just been branded....

Bayern - Like you, I've got a buddy with custom pipes on his S&S 100 CI Harley and my Bubs don't compete! BUT I do like the bad boy sound the Bubs put out - even if!

I'd be interested in knowing what you're jet/needle combo is - do you think the jets / needles need to be changed? Mine seem good. I think I may overstated my mileage a little - 44 sounds more like it. Either way, the mileage is good, the performance is too.

Thanks for the idea about Krylon - Like I mentioned above, I've been going after the rusty welds with steel wool and WD 40.

I have the Big Dog Bub pipes an love them, what a sound. No rejetting or nothing just good sound and speed.
Stash

roadie, my dealer put 130 Mains in (and did an EGA on the bike), and didn't change anything else, but that was with the stock airbox. When I yanked all the snorks, I went with TBS Needles, as my needles got kind of white, now they are back to beige as they should be. The pilot jets are the stock 42's and the pilot screws are at 3.2 turns.

Bayern - Thanks. Have fun in Mexico!
PS
Don't drink the water...

I have beeen looking at the Bud pipes and Motorcycle Pro Shop has them for $336.00 www.motorcycleproshop.com/