Randy,

Think of it this way. Those tips create a small restriction right at the end of the pipe which hurts that exhaust flow to a degree. Cut the tips off and the exhaust has no restriction so the engine breaths better.

Honestly I have done this and I really did not notice that much of a power increase but I also did not check the rpm's before I did it.

The biggest change I made on my 160FX was to remove the perry pump (I had a short fuel run) and change the line to 1/8th inch from the clunk (drilled out the clunk also) all the way to the carb including the little line between the carb and needle. This alone allowed for a cleaner transition in the mid range and really woke the engine up. I do understand that if you have a long fuel run then the pump is needed.