I have a Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom w/ stock exhaust, any ideas of how to mod the pipes myself?

Question

I have heard of a "3 hole mod" but I don't know what to do. I have also heard some people say to knock out the baffles but I don't really know what they are talking about. I am just doing research for either my father or my boyfriend, once I figure out the best solution they said they would do the work.

Answer 1

Use a tape measure to see how far in the baffles are from the back end of the mufflers.  If they are more than about 24 inches, take the muffler off and check the same measurement from the inlet end.  Which measurement is less is the end to start from.

Knocking out the baffles is quaint old term that refers using a heavy piece of metal to ram the internals of the muffler till they fall out.  Modern motorcycle mufflers are usually too well made to use this approach.   The other approach is to use a drill.  Buy a drill bit for metal that is long enough to reach the baffles for shortest measurement as mentioned above. Then start drilling.  More holes, or bigger holes, more noise.

Answer 2

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

yaaaaay. more obnoxious loud pipes.

I've been a bike mechanic for 20 years, and I've seen it all and heard it all. No one ever listens to me when I say "leave it stock" but they almost always come back later and look embarrassed when they say "you were right."

If the whole idea is more noise without any improvement in the bike's running, then by all means drill away. Cut em up. It doesn't even matter how you do it, every method will result in a loss of torque and horsepower. It will also sound like your exhaust rusted out years ago.

If you want the "driveability benefits" everyone seems to think they get by fooling with the exhaust, you'll need to replace the entire exhaust system, modify your air intake, and do a carb re-jet. This might result in +1 hp, but it will most likely warm up faster. That's assuming the work is done correctly.

Knocking out the baffles is for idiots.

Answer 4

Honestly, the best way I have ever found is the purchasing a good quality set of aftermarket pipes and jetting the bike. I have ridden bike with the baffles removed before. Not only does it sound terrible, but it runs poorly.

Aftermarket pipes are designed with the specific bike in mind. They sound much better, give much better performance, (with propper tuning), and can really enhance the look of the bike.

Some companies offer what is called a slip on muffler. This is the easy way to go. It does not require the removal of the whole exhaust. It simply changes the end mufflers. It is a simply installation, usually about a half hour or so and requires minimal or no changes to the fuel and air system, depending on what you choose. They give the bike a great sound and are usually less expensive than changing the whole exhaust itself.

Goodluck!

I will give you a couple of links below to help your search