With Baffles Installed
It is definitely louder, but not obnoxious, in my opinion. Now the sound more closely matches the performance you experience riding the new Rocket 3 and it no longer sounds like a Honda Civic, as someone else here described it.
25 pounds of weight for the stock vs. 8 lbs for the Werkes. When the stock frees up and you lower it off the bike you'll be amazed at just how big and heavy that thing is. Put some wood blocks underneath to help protect it when it comes free.
I measured the db with a iPhone app (non-scientific) at idle. From what I understand about decibels small changes are relatively large changes. These numbers mean nothing other than by comparison. It depends where you are (in garage/outside), how close and where you place your recording device.
Stock = 86 - 87
No Baffles = 89 - 90
Baffles = 88 - 89
While riding moderately, with my phone mounted on the handlebars, I got a fairly consistent level of 89 - 90.
Popping? Just be sure you have tight seals everywhere. There's no increase in decel popping, they're just louder along with the other exhaust noise. Maybe an increase in hp and no loss of low-end torque that I noticed on my first very short test ride before the rain hit.
It's an easy install. 30 - 45 minutes. This guy has a great video, so there's no reason to repeat what he's already recorded...
What gave me trouble before watching his video was determining from the manual exactly which three bolts hold on the cat assembly. The middle one is deep, coming in from the left, and required a long socket extension for the 12mm. The Werkes instructions say to reuse the gasket from the original exhaust, but it's embedded in a metal ring. I thought the ring would be considered part of the "gasket"- well, no. You need to dig that out (very carefully) and pack it in the lip, or flange, of the new exhaust (I used some copper gasket seal on all of my connections, btw). That part took the longest time of the entire installation, being careful not to destroy the old gasket. Without the metal ring the stock exhaust clamp will then go over the lip on the header AND the flange on the exhaust. Success!