I figured I ought to tell you a little bit about me. I am a 53 year old male, and this is my first bike. I've had it about 3 1/2 weeks, and have put 900 miles on it so far. I'm trying to get as much time in on it as a can, before cold weather sets in here in Southern Ohio. I sure wish I would have started riding back in my 20s when I didn't have any fear of anything. It sure would have made things easier. The first two or three times I was out on it, was mostly just primal fear. You have every appendage doing something different at the same time, and all of it is foreign. It's no big deal if you're doing this on a drum set, but on a bike getting out of rhythm, means you're eating pavement! I'm getting a little more used to it now, and trying to get smoother through the curves, and such. As far as I know, there is no other way to learn this stuff other than just to do it, and push yourself. I like this little bike real well. I'm 5'-9" 168 pounds, and really fits me. I like being able to put both feet flat on the ground when I'm stopped. All my friends ride, and have ridden forever. I got a lot of different advice on what I should get to learn on, and none of it steered me towards this bike. Most everyone, said I had to have at least a 1200 something or other, and everything I got on, was like straddling a propane tank. I saw this one on Ebay, and knew it was THE ONE right off. Plenty of umph, small, light, and simple. It's as much Motorcycle 101, as you can get. Right now, I do want it to be somewhat louder, without it being deafening, because after I shift past 3rd, there is so much wind noise past my helmet, I can't hear the engine anymore. Mine doesn't like to go into 5th very easy, so I'd like to know for sure if it did by being able to hear it, since there's no tach. So, that's why I'm asking about the Hartman like muffler mod.

We drilled my son's too.  I put a Harley Dyna model muffler on mine, but his drilled stock one is a little louder.  Actually sounds good, IMO. Just don't let the drill sink too deep or you will catch inner workings, which we did, and it rattled for a while.  Find Routy's post, or someone else who did it with instructions.  Its the cheapest, easiest thing to try first.
So how old is the bike you got, and how many miles?  * Edit - just read your other post -- 2006 model, ok.  Mine is '06 too!

Welcome to the site!

The riders safety course is a really, REALLY, Good idea.

I went from a full shield to the sport to the fly.
and thought I'd change as the weather did.
I didn't, and won't.  love the fly shield.

Welcome to riding and to this forum. Don't outride your abilities. It seems to me, we have little emergencies thrown at us without pushing it. We learn by getting through those safely. (Or not) I use a Slipstreamer Spitfire windshield. The number is S-06 I believe. Cost me $60. I am 6' tall and really like it. It installs in about 15 min. Be safe and learn from practice. Impatience can kill you. If you were 20, I wouldn't even bother to tell you that. You have the advantage of being older and hopefully, wiser. We all ride for different reasons, but we all get that same stupid grin. Enjoy.

Welcome fellow 06 S40 rider and Ohioan!  I am in Columbus and have put over 6000 miles on my bike this season.  I love the S40, but for the riding we do, I am searching for an S50.  Mine is stock, I did put a Slipstreamer on mine too.  Welcome to riding and welcome to the forum.  P.S. do the walk-in thing with the MSF, this time of year you can probably get a spot no problem, best $25.00 you will ever spend.  P.S. I also was a late starter to riding also, I'll be 51 in December.
Connie

A picture of the routy exhaust mod is here .  I've been considering doing it myself since my bike is still 100% stock even though it's got almost 13,000 miles on it.

And I'm from south-western Ohio.  Born and raised in Clermont County; now living in Anderson Township in Hamilton.  I'll probably ride as long as there isn't snow on the ground.

Oh, I forgot to say thanks for the Exhaust mod pic. I'll probably try that. I can always weld it back up, and keep it stock if I need to. Looks like about 1/4" holes, and with the pattern, it looks like it was made that way. I saw about you riding until the snow flies. I can take an awful lot of cold, but i have found out one thing, you definitely need to be dressed for riding in it. I rode my bike to work the other afternoon (72 miles one way) and it was a great ride up, at about 78 degrees. However, when I left the next morning, it was 36. OMG what a ride home that was! All I brought extra from the day before, was a sweater to put underneath my jacket. My buddy gave me a pair of frog tog bibs to put over my jeans. I had to keep my visor cracked 1/4" to keep the inside of it from fogging, and then, I drove through fog for about half the trip, and had to try to keep it off the outside of the visor and the mirrors. Out of the whole thing, my hands got the brunt of it. I stopped off one time to buy terry gloves at gas station to put underneath my riding gloves,( and drink a gallon of coffee) and then later stopped off to wrap my terry clad hands around the engine jug to get the feeling back. I should have just crashed on my coworker's couch until the afternoon, but nooooo! I can tell you one thing though, I wasn't sleepy on the ride home.