Virago XV250 baffles?

**re_animate** · 15th December 2011, 13:21

I've been considering messing with the baffles on my bike, I'm a new rider but I find my bike is a little too quiet for my liking.
It's a Virago xv250. It's only 250cc, but I would like it to sound a little more grunty.

The guy I bought it off recommended I take the baffles out all together, I've been doing tonnes of research and am left undecided.

What if I just drilled holes in the baffles like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB_Au6aLlJ8

Would that have a massive impact on the performance/life/temp/etc of the bike?
Would I need to re-jet the carb? How would I know?
I don't want it to be too loud. After all, it's a 250 and i'm not fooling anyone haha.

Cheers

**vifferman** · 15th December 2011, 13:27

It's easier to make it louder, and also easy to make it less grunty. Oh - and "louder" doesn't necessarily mean "better" - it's always gonna sound like a lawnmower engine. If I were you (which presumably also means I wouldn't be the eejit I am now), I'd leave it alone. You could buy an aftermarket pipe or muffler if noise is important to you, or save the money for your next bike.

**FJRider** · 15th December 2011, 13:35

Originally Posted by re_animate

The guy I bought it off recommended I take the baffles out all together

Cheers

If HE reccomended it ... why didn"t HE do it ... ???

No such thing as a "Grunty" sounding XV250 ...

Keep your hearing ... and the pipes ... in original condition ...

**re_animate** · 15th December 2011, 13:38

Yeah, I wouldn't want to make my bike sound nicer at the expense of power.

I have read people say that taking the baffles out of their virago had little noticeable effect on the power of their bike though, which is why I'm considering it. Putting holes in the baffles seems pretty harmless by comparison, and it did sound tonnes better on that youtube video.

I'm apprehensive, but really keen to try it at the same time.

**ducatilover** · 15th December 2011, 14:57

You can get a neat sound out of that 52 degree twin.
I'd smash the baffles out and jet it to suit.

**Fast Eddie** · 15th December 2011, 17:10

I drilled the baffle out on one of my 250's and took a less restrictive air filter. sounded better and if anything it felt like the power curve was better. Felt like it was breathing free

drilling a few holes can't be reversed thoug haha.. maybe find a second muffler from a wreckers to hack up

**DrunkenMistake** · 15th December 2011, 17:18

Cut the cans off, pack the pipe with steel wool, Jet to suit.

Should be an interesting sound lmao.

Be careful when drilling baffle, there is usually more than one plate within the can as it goes through many holes that dont all line up to silent it up a little, someone banging some holes in it will cause it to sound like... well it has a hole in it.

**re_animate** · 18th December 2011, 19:41

haha, damn.

I'm so torn, my bike is quiet stock.
Where can I find after market exhausts for my bike?

**re_animate** · 18th December 2011, 20:48

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnDS5...eature=related

What was the legal limit to how loud a bike can be?

**ducatilover** · 18th December 2011, 21:44

Originally Posted by re_animate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnDS5...eature=related

What was the legal limit to how loud a bike can be?

My VT250 was run with no muffler for quite a while... That was loud and gay and I never had a problem.

**DrunkenMistake** · 19th December 2011, 08:48

100db, both of my last two bikes have had race cans and have sat at 110 - 113db at 5grand, never had a problem

**ducatilover** · 19th December 2011, 12:21

Originally Posted by DrunkenMistake

100db, both of my last two bikes have had race cans and have sat at 110 - 113db at 5grand, never had a problem

You have to look in to how the test equiptment should be used too.
Uusally you have to be 3m away at a 90deg angle to the outlet, and 100m from any noise or obstacle.
Not really achievable at a testing station.

**re_animate** · 21st December 2011, 19:38

This is what i've done
http://i.imgur.com/4hJGV.jpg

This is what my spark plug looks like:
http://i.imgur.com/rUnJ4.jpg

I hear if it's running lean/rich the spark will become black or white. true?
If so, is it?

**ducatilover** · 22nd December 2011, 10:32

Originally Posted by re_animate

This is what i've done
http://i.imgur.com/4hJGV.jpg

This is what my spark plug looks like:
http://i.imgur.com/rUnJ4.jpg

I hear if it's running lean/rich the spark will become black or white. true?
If so, is it?

The colouring on the band over the electrode is your spark plug temperature, it seems okay.
The sooty black ring is your low speed jetting, that's rich, but okay.
You should see a ring on the porcelain if you peer down it with a torch and the further down that is, the better your wide open throttle fuelling is.

If memory serves correctly.

There are guides on how to read plugs on the net.

**SMOKEU** · 2nd January 2012, 20:33

Originally Posted by re_animate

This is what i've done
http://i.imgur.com/4hJGV.jpg

This is what my spark plug looks like:
http://i.imgur.com/rUnJ4.jpg

I hear if it's running lean/rich the spark will become black or white. true?
If so, is it?

That's pretty much what I did to my old CBR250, sounded bloody good after.