"Loud pipes save lives," is a common phrase in the motorcycle community, but due to certain regulations, many motorcycles ship with small, quiet exhaust systems that dull the sound of the engine. Reinstate the powerful sound of your Yamaha Custom, and make yourself known on the road by removing the baffles from your exhaust. But be warned: going overboard with this modification can result in low compression and a decrease in power from your engine.
Use your owner's manual or a model-specific Yamaha maintenance manual to remove the exhaust system from your bike. Be sure not to damage the chrome or ceramic surface of the exhaust.
Cover your motorcycle with a tarp or dedicated cover to protect the now-open cylinder head from weather while working on the exhaust.
Install a drill bit extension and 3/8" metal cutting drill bit on your drill. Make sure the battery of your drill is fully charged and ready to use.
Place the exhaust pipes in a clamp or vice to hold them in place. Use shop rags or towels to protect the surface.
Insert the drill bit into the end of the exhaust until it stops. This is the first baffle. Most motorcycle exhausts have three or four to deaden the sound emitted by the engine.
Drill through the first and second baffles with the 3/8 inch metal-cutting drill bit. Drilling through all of the exhaust baffles will result in low compression and a loss of power from your motorcycle's engine.
Remove the exhaust system from the vice or clamp and hold it with the end pointed toward the ground. Tap the muffle lightly with a rubber mallet to ensure all metal pieces and residue are expelled from the exhaust.
Use your owner's manual or a model-specific Yamaha maintenance manual to reinstall the exhaust system on the bike. The exhaust tone should now be lower, throatier, and most of all, louder.
