The 08 R* does not have the "cone" in the end of the stock mufflers. There is a cap plate back there but it is not cone shaped, it is flat. Because of this I found a way that makes the stage 1 mod much faster and easier for the one's that have this type of cap plate. Since the surface is flat, there is no need to remove the plate as with the "Cone". I did the stage 1 tonight and here is how I did it.

I took an old Phillips screwdriver that the tip had been stripped and it was more of a point than a screwdriver at this point. This is all I had but an ice pick or similar tool comes to mind for this job. Any pointed piece of steel rod will work great for this as long as it is about the size of an ice pick or small screwdriver in diameter. The punch tool will need to be about 6 inches long to be able to reach the first baffle plate behind the end cap plate.

1. Hammer the pointed tool through the cap plate.
2. Push the tool in further until you come in contact with the first baffle plate behind it.
3. Hammer it through the baffle plate as well.
4. Pull it out and start drilling with your 1/2 inch drill bit where you punched your hole.
5. Once through the cap plate, push it on through just as you did the punch tool and continue to drill the baffle plate.
6. Continue this procedure for all the holes you want to drill.

The holes you punch in the plates act as a pilot hole and aids in a faster, easier drilling task, and you can do it all without removing the cap plate. The result is the same and much quicker and easier.

Now, Stage 2 can be drilled the original way, you are just going through 2 drilled plates with your long bit instead of one.

Stage 3, poses a problem with the new style stock exhaust. The welds on the pipe that you remove is on the forward side of the plate. Even when the welds are broken, it is impossible to remove the pipe because the welds hit the plate. It requires opening up the plate around the pipe enough so that the welds on the pipe can pass through the plate. This is a bit of a chore. I used a combination of drilling around the perimeter and hammering a long chisel through the plate around the pipe.

This procedure will only work on the mufflers that have a flat cap plate. If you have a cone shaped cap plate, you will need to remove it as in the original procedure. Can't drill on a slanted surface too well.