Muffler options - Slightly louder

[EricVentures]

Hello Xs650 Fam,

Recently picked up an almost all original Xs650, and wanted to see what slip-on exhaust options people are running? Would like to make my exhaust note louder, but nothing too crazy. Looking to keep the original pipes, and just switch out the muffler. Any suggestions for something tasteful?

I want something louder for more road presence as I'm in a traffic congested area of NJ. Any suggestions would be great!

 

[nj1639]

Have you considered moving?
I almost had a Special ll as my first xs650, it didn't work out that way.
IF it was back in 2007 and I had the knowledge then of what I know now AND I had your bike as a first xs650?
I wouldn't change a thing.......

That being said.
There's no quickie slip ons. The stock headpipes are two in one, a pretty chrome cover over a steel inner pipe. Once you cut the muffs off you'll see. You can use a reduction adapter to mate the inner pipe to what ever aftermarket muff you choose, and then you get into changing the air flow, most likely, and finding performance issues like the dreaded hanging throttle. To resolve that you have to get into the carbs and change out jets.
Have you considered moving?

Personally I had to replace the exhaust on my current ride. I have a set of single wall headers and am running a pair of Commando style repros, 27" long and they have a lovely note. Yeah, I had to go into the carbs and change jetting, as I had replaced the air filters with Uni pods too.

To sum it up.
Save to buy a complete replacement, headers and muffs. Save the stock exhaust whole or sell it. Get ready to work on the carbs, you might get lucky and not have to change a thing, most likely not.
Other opinions may vary.

Nice bike.

 

[JJames]

It's not for everyone but cheap ,easy and maintains original appearance. Drilled six 3/8" holes around the outlet. Not super loud. Kind of sounds like a Hyundai with a bad muffler. Shouldn't require re-jetting the carburetors.

 

[5twins]

I also recommend replacing the entire exhaust. Your stock double wall headpipes are actually quite small in diameter on the inside. This chokes off flow and performance. The 1.5" aftermarket headpipes will flow much better, not to mention the ease of attaching mufflers to them. I also recommend the Commando muffler. I think it's about the best muffler being offered at the moment. It looks good, sounds great (not too loud), and performs well. But, DO NOT buy them from MikesXS. The ones they sell are a copy of the original made by EMGO. They only look like a Commando muffler on the outside. Inside, the baffling is completely different. And they also only come with a 1 3/4" inlet, meaning you need to use reducers to fit them to 1.5" pipes, and those things always leak.

You can still get the original Commando muffler from YamahaXS650.com. This is the one you want, with the 1.5" inlet so it fits without using reducers, part #07-0065 .....

https://yamahaxs650.com/product/commando-style-megaphone-muffler/

They also have the 1.5" headpipes .....

https://yamahaxs650.com/product/xs-performance-chrome-1-5-od-headpipes/

Both are on sale at the moment so you can get a complete exhaust for less than $300. If you've priced exhaust systems for other bikes, you'll see this is a very good deal.

 

[jetmechmarty]

Wow! Nice bike with a lovely stock exhaust.

I agree. Replace the headpipes.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152833104445?hash=item2395901a3d:g:PcoAAOSwRspf0nLf
Those Emgo mufflers right there are LOUD.

 

[40north]

It's possible to cut the headers, lose the crossover, fit shorties, and fabricate a "baffle-sleeve" that's a slip fit into the cheapo shorties...this sleeve is really important, as it has a concave reflector closed at the engine valve end, and has regularly disposed holes in the skin > (holes about 5/16 and deburred) total cross section area > than the inlet) and a snuff or not at the street end, which has to be a slash cut so you can fit the snuffer. Of course after that, wrap the pipes and seal with silicone RTV spray to keep the Reynolds Number sweet. I posted the exhaust length site recently... it's worth reading, a lot > http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/calc_exhaustlength.htm Building that stuff took me several days, first of study, then of thought, and thereafter a lot of work. The kid was coming to go riding... (he's 46).

The reason the stock header pipes are double wall is to keep the gas stream as hot as possible. This is important and vastly lowers the friction once things are busy making some good power. The convex reflector is very important - there is a lot going on in the pipes, which are "traveling wave tubes" with mass flow and also acoustical energy interacting. Look > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_number

I'd leave it alone, and not drill anything. Save up the bread and buy a complete system. But your "need for noise" = need to be seen...so a few holes as Brother James has shown, neh...why not?

The reason I know it is possible to design-build with the cheapo JC Whitney shorties is that I had/have an XS that the previous fella had drilled as you speculated, drilled the mufflers to make it louder... As to carbs.> flatside Mikunis. They're bitchy as el. The cheapo shorties? They were in the shop junk pile, the guts fell out, all rusted away...but they look nice now. And they're kinna loud with the snuffers open.

I'd stay with the stock tooters. Stock exhaust. Let the scooter tell you what it wants...ride her and listen. Make dialogue. Couple thousand miles and y'all will know all about what the old gal wants.

Best o luck. What you learn to do is better than money - nobody can take skills and knowledge away.

NB> The nightrider site is less than it used to be...see this> http://victorylibrary.com/brit/mega-c.htm

 

[EricVentures]

Wow! Nice bike with a lovely stock exhaust.

I agree. Replace the headpipes.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152833104445?hash=item2395901a3d:g:PcoAAOSwRspf0nLf
Those Emgo mufflers right there are LOUD.

Hey Jet, would these slip right on the stock exhaust pipes?

 

[jetmechmarty]

Hey Jet, would these slip right on the stock exhaust pipes?

Not really. If you cut the mufflers off, the inner pipe is just flopping loose. Also, reducer required. Replace the headpipes or run the stock exhaust.

 

[5twins]

..... and those shorty mufflers are VERY loud. My buddy got a slightly used set really cheap but didn't keep them long. Obviously they were so cheap because they were so obnoxiously loud, lol. After hearing mine, he bought the Commando mufflers I linked to in post #4 above. Honestly, they really are about the best muffler available for these bikes. And yes, combine them with aftermarket headpipes as well.

 

[jetmechmarty]

..... and those shorty mufflers are VERY loud. My buddy got a slightly used set really cheap but didn't keep them long. Obviously they were so cheap because they were so obnoxiously loud, lol. After hearing mine, he bought the Commando mufflers I linked to in post #4 above. Honestly, they really are about the best muffler available for these bikes. And yes, combine them with aftermarket headpipes as well.

I have a set of those short mufflers. They were gifted to me. Yeah, they’re loud. I have yet to put them in service. I expect they’re better than no mufflers.

 

[RC4MAN]

A loud Horn
https://g.co/kgs/FTLLnR

 

[Kevin Werner]

I have a set of those short mufflers. They were gifted to me. Yeah, they’re loud. I have yet to put them in service. I expect they’re better than no mufflers.

It seems you can repack them. I have a process to quiet them down.

 

[EricVentures]

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll go with @5twins recommendation and go with those commando pipes with aftermarket head pipes.

 

[arcticXS]

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll go with @5twins recommendation and go with those commando pipes with aftermarket head pipes.

A good decision!

 

[nj1639]

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll go with @5twins recommendation and go with those commando pipes with aftermarket head pipes.

You won't be disappointed. The look and sound is classic.
Sometimes I'll wear a half helmet and turn me head a little side-side just to hear the rumble while riding. Yeah.
Keep in mind that if you start to experience a bit of hanging throttle you may have to up the jets in the carbs. No bigee.

 

[Kevin Werner]

You might up the jets right away to limit blueing.

You won't be disappointed. The look and sound is classic.
Sometimes I'll wear a half helmet and turn me head a little side-side just to hear the rumble while riding. Yeah.
Keep in mind that if you start to experience a bit of hanging throttle you may have to up the jets in the carbs. No bigee.

 

[5twins]

I see you have aftermarket VM carbs. It would be a good idea to pull one apart and write down all the jetting you find. This means everything including the needle, needle jet, and slide cutaway. Also check to see if the air jet is present or has been removed. Usually on the 650, you remove the air jet and run without it. But there are many different suppliers of these carbs, and they come set up all different ways. There's also the generic, off-the-shelf VM and that comes set up for use on a two stroke dirt bike. All that jetting is totally wrong for 650 use.

 

[EricVentures]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! Slowly making my xs650 the way I want it!

 

[arbea]

There is a way to make it a little bit louder by putting a piece of a ground rod into the exhaust outlet, slide it in and it will bottom out on a plug two feet in or so and then just rap or tap on it and it will knock the plug out and you won’t be cutting anything but your bike will be louder and flow just a bit better. Have done it on two of my 650’s

 

[46th Georgia]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! Slowly making my xs650 the way I want it!

As it should be,