Hey Chuckles, welcome to the treehouse.
If you want to sneak around, ghost along the road, keep the stock exhaust, it's
fantastic at being quiet.
Personally I thought it made the bike sound like a sewing machine.
I feel your pain on the $$$ thing, I'm in the same boat myself (and it leaks).
Cheap and effective help is at your friendly JCWhitney catalog/website.
I got chrome 16" shorty mufflers, $40 each.
Now it sounds like a bike.
More power too. And it lightens the bike by about the weight of a case of beer.
Eventually I'll get around to rejetting, but it runs good.
So I guess the answer to your question is: Modifing the exhaust is as necessary as you want it to be.
Speed Safe.
