Motorcycle Repair: Exhaust, head pipes, dirt bike

Question
I own a 2003 Honda CBR600rr.  Right now i have stock everything on the bike so the exhaust sounds like a dual-sport 4-stroke dirt bike.  I want it louder.  I was told you can take a 1/2" drill bit about a foot long and literally shove the drill down the pipe and drill it out.  Is this nuts or is it true?  Sounds crazy to me.

Answer
Hi Dave, Im afraid it is true although not recommended. This rodding out of the muffler will only make it sound like a louder dual sport 4 stroke dirt bike with some wonderful popping sounds on decel. The air flow in and out of your engine is designed to deliver the best all around performance with the least possible noise. This means the injection is tuned to that exhaust system, an exhaust system which is highly restrictive, not just at the mufflers mind you...the head pipes, collectors and crossovers are restrictive as well. So in order to achieve the exhaust tone you crave you will need to upgrade the entire exhaust system. Thats going to involve a new header with substantialy larger down tubes dumping into a much larger collector and exiting via one narrower, higher, lighter, less restricitve and Oh yeah, SWEEET sounding muffler.         have fun be safe

   Randy