Hypercharger

Christmas has come and gone, now I sit here writing to you just minutes away from the new year. As promised, I can now inform you of my surprise gift, a HyperCharger. My "better half" also gave me a new set of Flanders 35 degree dragbars. Both are gloss black in color, and compliment the midnight custom VStar beautifully. The HyperCharger, along with the adapter for the 650, was purchased from Phat Performance,and at $292.00, was much cheaper than their competitors. The focus here was performance and the HyperCharger added an incredible amout of speed, that is, once much larger jets were used besides the ones included with the kit.The Flanders dragbars we picked up off of Ebay for $75.00. Style was the name of the game for this buy. Sitting lower and with just as much pull back as the stock bars, the Flanders bars not only add to the sleek profile of the VStar, I also did not sacrifice any comfort in achieving the look I was trying to obtain. I am completely satisfied with the direction my bike is going and my recent purchases however, the wheels in my brain are already spinning toward my next modification. Until next time, have a happy and safe new year.

Subtle changes do make a difference! My VStar is now about two inches lower thanks to the Baron's lowering kit. Though there is not much of a visible difference, the handling is greatly improved, and for under forty dollars (Ebay) I highly recomend this modification. With a lower center of gravity, the cornering can be acheived, as they say "on rails". Another subtle change, was a quick swap of the drivers footpegs. Though I originally considered forward controls, Kuryakyn's swingwing pegs, sold for just over a hundred dollars, kept more money in my wallet and yet achieved the overall results I'd hoped for. The swing wings are just as described, when closed they behave much in the same way as the regular wing pegs, however a simple flip of the switch on the side, swinging them open, and voila, three extra inches of leg room. Although neither modification dramatically changed the apperance of my VStar, both have made my ride much more appealing on a personal level. My next planned upgrade(hopefully) will not only be eye catching, but performance enhancing as well. I will let you know more around Christmas due to the fact that this is going to be a gift from my Wife, so officially, I don't know about it yet. Ride safe!!!

It has been a while I know, my apologies. Been just a little too busy for any leisure writing, so I figure I am overdue for an update. After my last upgrade I decided It was time to match up the lighting therefore my motorcycle now sports a new set of bullet LED lights on the front as well. I also picked up a great looking set of leather grip covers off eBay. I am happy with both purchases, but here is the real “meat and potatoes” of my recent modifications. A brand new set of gloss black “Phat Risers” purchased for 104.95 plus shipping, from Scootworks.com. There are three options available, 4, 5.5, and 8 inches. To prevent any cable changes I opted for the 4 inch with the 1.5-inch pullback, which translates to a grip point that is 2 inches closer. What a difference! Longer rides are now pain free, no shoulder cramps or muscle tension at all. Not to mention, these things are built to last. Each riser weighs in at a hefty 2 pounds. Yes...2 POUNDS, for a grand total of 4 pounds of heavy metal. I am talking about class meets strength, Chuck Norris style. Sporting a gloss black shine comparable to most paint jobs, and the durability to withstand time, this is arguably one of the best mods yet. Well, I’m going to take advantage of some of this free time, beautiful weather, and new comfort by going for a ride. I will keep you posted, until then, ride safe. (By the way, I removed the shield for the picture, giving you a better look at the new “PhatRisers”.)

Rainy Day Delivery

My new seat from West Eagle arrived today and, wouldn't you know it, it's rainy. Luckily, it has cleared up enough for installation and a quick test run. As with the windsheild, this modification actually requires more time removing it from the package than it does to install. I can honestly say under a minute. My excitment added with the pressure of the looming clouds above might have improved my time just a bit. The style and look are exactly what I was going for. The only improvement I could have asked is for the rear section going up the fender to be a little thinner. It's no big deal though since this adds to the comfort factor. While on the subject, after a short run, I'm quite pleased. I was a little apprehensive at first, wondering if I were sacrificing comfort for looks, but after the test run I no longer worry. This little seat, in my opinion, out performs the stock one hands down. Over all I would say it's money well spent. The West Eagle seat at 154.99 is far below much of the competition.Though there are many seats and styles out there, if your looking for a low "in the saddle" feel, look no further. West Eagle gets a thumbs up.

motorcycle tip (just the guys)

Ok guys this is something that should be a "no brainer", however, until recently I was unaware of how effective it could be. On mothersday do everything in your power to keep your wife from having to lift her fingers to do anything. Afterward, even though it's mothersday, she'll buy you new parts for your bike. I'm not refering to mowing or taking out the trash. We need to go much beyond that into the realm of dishes, cooking, and laundry. Get my drift. My new seat from West Eagle is on the way. Try this technique next year and watch your motorcycle transform.I'll post more later when the seat arrives.

New Pipes

After installing my new "strippers" last night I'm simply speachless. New pipes have been on my list of mods but I honestly didn't expect the results. Even the "HarleyGuy" that helped me install the pipes had to smile. What a sound! My little 650 grew up. I was totally blown away and I fully, and whole heartedly recommend Hardkrome's "strippers". The Guys and Gals at HardKrome deserve a pat on the back for a job well done. Though the old exhaust were a bit of a pain trying to wriggle them out between the frame and the engine, the strippers slide right into place with no problem.Not only do they sound phenomenal, but adding the black ceramic pipes to an already mostly black bike simply looks just too cool. I also think I should toss a little "hats off" mention in here about Phat Performance parts. This was a speedy delivery, right on time, and everything in order. I'll post a new picture on here soon.

I just ordered the new style "HardKrome" strippers exhaust for my VStar. This is a much awaited improvement. Though VStars look great, the new pipes should give this bike even more of a custom flare than before. When I say new style what I really should be saying is color. They have very recently added the black ceramic coat to the strippers and I simply could not resist. Previously, I was thinking about the "Vance and Hines" shortshots. However, they only offer the black option to the Harley guys.Bummer...I really liked the slashcut ends, not to mention they sound great!At any rate, these pipes should be in around early next week so I will post more about them then. BTW, I elected to go with PhatPerformance. After searching around abit, they seem to have the best deal( At this time they offered free shipping , can't beat that).

atlast!

They're heeeere! After much ado and almost a month waiting, I finally have my mirrors as well as the new lights installed.Other than a missing wrench from my tool box, which was easily remedied with a trip to the local hardware store, there were no more problems to speak of. Phat performance parts stuck to their word without any problems refunding the original money spent for the mirrors. I'm extemely pleased with the outcome.The black teardrop mirrors and bullet lights are a great complement to the Midnight VStar. In comparison to much more expensive lights, I have to say I cannot tell the difference. Drag specialties bullet lights in my opinion are definately the best bang for your buck out there. I will try and get a picture on here soon,until then I will continue to update with any new information pertaining to Vstar parts that I find.

Mirror Trouble

There is quite a story behind my next modificaton so get comfortable. After the first good experience with Phat performance parts I felt it would be a safe bet to begin there. I found a great looking pair of Arlenness rad II mirrors for around 100 dollars and placed my order. A week goes by and I receive an email explaining that only one mirror is being shipped and that the second was back ordered and would be in around a month later. This was not acceptable, especially since they were already suppose to be here by now. I replied That I would like to cancle my order only to have them respond by saying when it comes in deny shipment and when they received it back I would be refunded my money. Disappointed, my search began again. This time ebay prevailed and for about $10.00 cheaper. After about four business days my mirrors came in supposedly with all the hardware for metric and standard fit, or atleast thats how they were advertised. WRONG! It appears Yamaha, out of all the bikes, needs and extra reverse thread adapter for the right side. Lucky me, I save money ordering the mirrors just to have to spend it putting them on. Calling my local dealership, I found out how incompetent some people can be. Credit card number, order placed, and a four day wait behind me I decided to call and check on my part. They guy answered and claimed he forgot the card number and lost our phone number and so he didn't place the order. Frustrated, I went back to my computer and found cruisercustomizing.com which had my part for half of what the dealer was charging. Shipping was going to be $6.00 so I decided to toss in a set of "Drag Specialties" bullet marker lights as well. I just placed the order so no news yet. By the way, I'm still waiting on the original order from Phat performance to come in just so I can deny it and get my money back. Alot of trouble, but on the up side the one mirror I have on does look really good. They are a bit small, but with proper adjustment you will still be able to see the jerk behind you just before he rear ends you. I will post back with more on this dilemma later.

First Modification

Because I'm not one of those tough guys that can handle all that wind blowing them off their bike, my first purchase was a sheild. After looking around a bit I decided to go with a Memphis Shades "poptop" sheild purchased from phat performance for a total of 144.43( sheild and hardware are sold seperate). The sheild is black across the bottom, clear at the top, and matches my Midnight Custom Vstar perfectly. Simpe installation, I think it actually took longer to tear it out of the shrink wrap package it came in. I'm around 5'10"so I still get a little wind in the face but this was a dramatic improvement.

Introduction

Hi, My name is James. I recently bought a new V-Star motorcycle, and have been searching the internet for parts on the V Star 650. It has been harder to find than I thought it might be, so I figure I can share what I am able to locate here, and maybe save someone else the headache.