[AFNurse]

I have Sampson Rolled Thunder Oval slip ons on my 04 FLHT. So far, knock on wood, the German Police have not given me problems. My bike does NOT have to go through inspection this year (thankfully) because it is "new". So, here is the problem/question. The Germans shove a rod up your tailpipe (Shounds like fun HUH??!! ). If the rod doen't get "stopped by the baffel", you FAIL.......There maybe also a decibles rating also, but I am less concerned about that at this time.... I am wondering if there is a magical "something" that I would be able to put into the rolled thunder pipes that will not drastically reduce noise/preformance and yet will stop that rod if I get pulled over? Any ideas? I need a back up plan for that "Just in case"!!!

[Pariah]

HIYA..
I have V&H straightshots with no baffles on one of my bikes. To keep the dreaded ""night stick up the tail pipe" test from working, and to improve your performance, install a "lollypop" in each pipe. Here's how:
Check the inside diameter of your pipes about 2" back from the end of the pipe. for discussions' sake, let's say that is 2". Go to the local hardware skore and buy two eyebolts with a 1/4-20 thread and with an "eye" of 1 3/4" outside diameter. Buy 4 washers , 1-3/4" diameter, and two bolts with lockwashers and nuts 1/2 long with 1/4-20 threads. buy 4 more nuts and 2 lockwashers and two smooth washers 1/4-20 to fit the eyebolt shanks. Total cost for all this is about $5.00 US.
Tale all this stuff home, and assemble your lollypops like this: Take an eyebolt and put a washer on each side of the eye, held on with a 1/2" bolt, lockwasher and nut through the center of the washers. Make the nut TIGHT. You now have an eyebolt with no "eye" as you have sealed off the eye with the two washers. Now it looks more like a stovepipe damper, which is basicallly what it is. Do the same with the other parts.
If you dont already have one, drill a 5/16" hole 2" back from the end of your pipes where you can get to it but where it is not readily seen. put a nut and smooth washer on the threaded end of the lollypop with the washer closest to the end of the threads. Install the lollypops in the end of your pipes with the threaded end through the 5/16" hole, so that the nut on the lollypop thread traps the smooth washer between the eye and the inside diameter of the pipe. put a lockwasher and nut on the exposed threaded end of the eyebolt and your done. Do the same for the other pipe.

Now what you have are two lollipops in your pipes. when the pops are turned so that the end blocks off the inside diameter of the pipe, you have max backpressure. when rotated so that the eye is flat to the diameter, you have minimum backpressure. these can be tuned in position to provide the proper backpressure for your setup so that you eliminate flat spots in acceleration usually found when running straight pipes.

The primary added benifit to these is that when a cop sticks a rod into your pipe he will hit the lollypops and think you are legal!

[AFNurse]

Very cool idea! I'll file THIS tip away, and if/when I start to catch some flack, I'll act on it!! (in the meantime, I'll have to scour the German stores for the right stuff to make it with!!)

[AFNurse]

So, I sent an e-mail to Sampson with basicly the same question that I posted here.....got a response back same day!! They just don't get the rod up the tailpipe part of the German Specs, here is their reply:
The rolled thunder ovals have an internal baffle that is built in to the pipe. It just has a larger inner diameter than most. These mufflers meet CA regulations I would expect them to work in Germany. Thanks for all that you do!!

Samson Staff

I did not know that they met CA regs!! Cool! Not that I will get to CA anytime soon......Oh well!

[Pariah]

Remember though; they might meet Cali Regs but a German cop may still be able to shove that ole' rod up there! Why not take something and see how easily you can shove it into the pipe so you don't have to worry about it? (geez; I feel like I'm talking around a porno site!)

[AFNurse]

I looked through the pipes before I put them on......WOW what a hole!! The baffles ar on the sides with no "end cap" (like the Germans want). The rod they use is SMALL.....like maybe 1/4" to 3/8" diameter.......NO CONTEST THERE!!! That pipe is going in ALL the way!! ......hmmmm, that does sound rather pornographic doesn't it??!! Oh well.....I still like your Lollipop idea if I start to catch flack......only other thing I could see would be if I found a "just slightly smaller baffel that has an endcap and can be jammed in without fouling the sound QUALITY, (loud isn't as big a deal as tone), and performance.

[Pariah]

a lollipop is a LOT cheaper than new baffles! If you are satisfied with performance now and If you want to keep it really simple all you really need to do is put a bold in the pipe crosswise (like the lollipop, only just a 1/4-20 bolt) to block a rod.

[CD]

Pariah,

Interesting that you remember these also. The earliest iterations I remember are the Snuff or Not's used on the early off road bikes. The difference being that the lollipop was a plate with a zillion small holes that you could rotate to any position. Worked great right up the point where those little holes carboned up.

The thumb screw idea works great and does remove a lot of the inherent reversion from drag pipes. Not all of it, but a lot.

[hotroadking]

Are these inpections random or at a prescribed time like an annual inspection.

If they are annuall then keep the stock pipes and pop them on before going to get the sticker.

If they do it to harass you on the road side when pulled over you might be better off to go with a set of E-series slip ons or Supertrapp slip ons with the end cap, there is no way any rod is going up those pipes, and the diffuser disks are where the sound and exhaust exit through.

They also eliminate a lot of the problems with exhausts as you can tune them to the motor.

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by CD

Pariah,

Interesting that you remember these also.
The thumb screw idea works great and does remove a lot of the inherent reversion from drag pipes. Not all of it, but a lot.

Guess there are some advantages to being an old f*rt anyhow! I first used this version on Dirt bikes 'way back. Remembered them when I went to straight-through V&H's and had a miserable power loss at low rpms. the lollipops fixed it right up!

[AFNurse]

The inspections are annual AND anytime the cops want to inspect......I kept my stock pipes (for now anyway!), but sorta hard to change them along the road with the cop looking over your shoulder holding the rod that he wants to shove up your tail pipe!! Still thinking about this some, but again, will not do anything about it unless I start catching some flack from the Germans.

[usahellas]

You have a US Bike with US Plates. German cops are going to leave you alone. Worst case they pull you over and you play the good old I only speak English and do not understand you. I am afraid I can no longer get away with that one any more.

But seriously German cops, motorcycles and loud pipes are a bad mixture.

Now I have to show you something one day. I know a German guy in Wallau with ILLEGAL Pipes, BUT he welded two bent spoons to the inside of his pipes. Cops pull him over think he is too loud pulls out the rod, rod gets stopped by spoon. OK that would not work in Bavaria or Frankfurt where they often do a so called "Fone" check. They actually measure your DB. By the way the things they use to measure the DB are portable.

[Pariah]

Originally Posted by usahellas

, BUT he welded two bent spoons to the inside of his pipes.....a so called "Fone" check. They actually measure your DB. By the way the things they use to measure the DB are portable.

...sounds like a variation on the Lollypop. We have some areas here who use DB meters as well but they rarely hold up in court. Someone has to determine how far from the bike the meter should be, at what angle from the pipes, and at what RPM to test for decibel levels. Since many Cruiser have no tach it's pretty hard to make a ticket stick. Most cops just bust ya and if there is something in the pipe they will let you go after yelling at you a while..

[usahellas]

After reading your post about the lollypops it reminded me about the pipes of this one guy.

If people think HD riders get a bad wrap in the US then come on over. Here in Germany you sometimes get the feeling that if you modify your bike you will be put on the Germans Most Wanted list.

If you are riding a Harley or chopper HD look you will be looked at. There is a saying by the German cops if it is a chopper it will have something illegal on it. Easy pickings and if they are bored they will stop you. The cops stopped a buddy of mine and wanted to do a db test on him. Well they told him to take the bike up to so many rpms and he just looked at them. Then asked how should he? By looking at the Tachometer. But a Harley does not have one. OH!!!! Ooops.

Just the hassle of being stopped and having to deal with these guys is bad enough. They pull you over for being a bit loud but what about that Porsche that just ran down the street doing twice the speed limit?