It's been a couple of months since my last post, but I really haven't been doing any modding on the bike. After spending the time it took to cut and re-shape the front fender, I decided I liked the looks of my Vstar better without it. I seem to have reached a point where most of my little tasks are complete. I only have a few things left I would like to do. One of them is to add a front wheel, which will take modifying the front forks, enabling me to add a Harley wheel. Most of the wheels I'm interested in are only manufactured for larger bikes, or a Harley. With a little work on the front forks, and machining a new axle, and spacers, I can fit one of several available styles on the 650 Vstar. After adding the black wheel cover on the rear, I would like to stay with black and chrome for the front wheel as well. Another item is paint. Though I plan on sticking with a gloss black base coat, and several layers of clear,there is a very unique coating I would like to add over the top. It's called HolaGrafix. It refracts sunlight, creating a rainbow effect over the black. I'm still debating on the different parts on the bike I would like to paint this way. If you're interested in the coating you can find it at DNA-Custom paints. When I finally get around to a paint job with it, I will certainly let everyone now how it turns out. There are a few other ideas I've been tossing around in my head as well, along the lines of a new rear fender and side plate. I'm not too sure of what I would like to do there. Never the less, I will need to make up my mind before the paint happens. Both the wheel and paint are costly projects, and being a family man, and a Dad, I have other finacial demands that require more attention than my mods. Don't give up on me though. I have high hopes that I can get the ball rolling again real soon. As alway....ride safe.

Front fender mod.

Well, I 'm back at it again. With my trusty Dremel in hand, I went to work on the front fender... finally. I taped the front and back off, made a few quick measurements, sketched out my idea on the fender, and started cutting. I know this look isn't for everyone, but it is growing on me. At first, I thought maybe it was a bit overboard. However, I think I'm staring to like it more everytime I look at it. I'm in the process of making new mounting brackets for it now. I'm lowering the fender around 1/2 inch. I will soon be needing to replace the tires, so I think the 1/2 inch lowered distance will accommodate the new rubber. At any rate, here are a few pictures of what I have so far. Keep in mind, the fender is simply resting on the tire, and not mounted yet. I have an aluminum shed that I do most of my work in, and we've been having thunderstorms everyday now for about a week. As you can imagine, this has delayed my progress immensely. I will post more, hopefully of the completed project, when mother nature allows. Until then...ride safe.

Leftovers

Though I wasn't going to spend anytime working on the bike this summer, it seems I just couldn't help myself. With the addition of all the new glossy parts I've recently added to the front of the bike, the flat black headlight seemed to stick out like a sore thumb. So, I decided with the leftover paint from my last little project, I would remedy that issue. I removed the headlight, and was in between painting coats of gloss black when I happened to spot a small sheet of 16 gauge steel tucked away in the corner of the shed. Again, another left over from a previous project. The wheels in my brain began to spin. I've been wanting to remove the turn signals from the fork tubes, but haven't thought of a plan... until now. Using the vice, and a few well place bends, I shaped a bracket that was about 1/2 inch wider than the base of the headlight. After a little more measuring, and while waiting around to add the clear coat to the headlight, I took a dremel tool and cut the piece down to the height and depth I needed. Now, I simply took the grinding wheel and shaped the ends round, drilled holes to match the lower mount on the headlight, as well as ones for the signals, and started painting away on it as well. I'm pleased with the end results. The headlight is now gloss black and the front forks look much cleaner with the addition of the new mounting bracket for the signals. So, even though I originally said I wasn't going to work on the bike, I'm really glad I did. Until next time...ride safe!

A Little Paint

I have not been doing a whole lot in the way of mods lately. I have finally decided to paint the speedometer housing black, to match everything else. I will probably remove it later and add a few more coats of clear, for that really deep shine I'm after. I have a few things I'm thinking about, but nothing major. From the begining to now, I've progressively become more engrossed with modifying and changing the looks of my bike, and though I still have several things I'm going to do, I will probably take the summer off to simply ride. I have enjoyed searching out and finding all of the parts, as well as watching my bike take on a different personality. So, taking the summer off will be new, and a bit of an adjustment for me. If anyone needs help finding a particular part, please let me know. I'll be happy to pitch in on the search. One last thing before I go, If you happen to be traveling through South Georgia, keep your eyes peeled for me. I'll be out there, and would love to meet some of you. Until then, Ride safe.

VStar Triple Trees

I finally have the new tripletrees from http://www.bikercom.com/ installed. I'm really happy with how this turned out. There will be an adjustment period though, due to the extra length and rake. The price for the triple trees was 415$ plus the additional shipping, as well as powdercoating. This mod was bit time consuming, and you will need an extra set of hands to help hold and line everything up. Overall though, it's not too difficult, and certainly not as much as I previously anticipated. I'm currently trying to decide if I should run fenderless on the front, cut and reshape it, or simply re-install it as is. I will likewise need to re-install the mirrors but, that's not going to take long. Here is a picture of the new, much improved, stance. After I make a decision about the front fender, I'll be back with more pictures. Until then, ride safe....

Half way there!

Well, I've completed half of my project. The painted rear drum and final drive are all shined up and, I've installed both the rear wheel cover, as well as, the driveshaft cover. The back of the bike is completely black with the exception of a few bolts here and there and, the chrome ring I left exposed as an accent around the inside of the tire. I'm extemely pleased with how things turned out. I will hopefully be able to start the frontend by the end of the week. I've tossed in a few pictures of how it looks now but, will post more when everything is finished. Until then,ride safe...

Finally

After 6 weeks, I have received the last of my order from Scootworks and, the wheel cover, as well as, the triple trees are back from the powdercoat guy. There was a slight bump in the road concerning the installation of the wheel cover. Apparently the little ziplock bag with the hardware, wasn't sealed well and some was lost in shipping. Fortunatly, I was able to locate a local store that carried the matching chrome bolts and spacers needed. I have the wheel cover installed on the wheel however, need to have it balanced before re-installing it on the bike. After this is done, I will start on the front end. I plan to take a nice long ride beforehand though, due to my extended down time during the Scootworks episode. I've included a couple of shots of what I have so far. BTW, I still have no explanation from Scootworks concerning this order.I'm just glad to have what I paid for. After this experience, I will certainly use more caution, and research the vender completely before ordering. Ride safe...