I drilled four 1/2 inch holes in the end of my exhaust and it made it a bit louder.
As for the idle problem, try cleaning the carb jets, check the condition of the rubber on the needle valve and the valve seat, check if the float is adjusted properly, and do an idle drop (
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...ad.php?t=31262)
Also check the condition of the cables to see if anything is worn or rubbing, and grease the starter circuit slide.
It sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not.
You should only need a phillips head, 10mm wrench, 14mm wrench, a magnifying glass and a tire tread depth gauge for checking the float height, some carb/choke cleaner and some copper wire. Somebody posted a pdf of the service manual somewhere on here for specs.