midnight61

it would be foolish to state such a thing, but even more so with modern engines with fuel injection,catalytic converters and engine management systems you have a manufacturer trying to meet stringent emission and noise levels....the result is an engine 'strangled' and silent as a whisper. Since fitting cobra speedster shorts,the cobra fuel processor and a K & N air filter on my XVS1300A it feels like ive got an extra 200cc under my seat, a big difference...at the cost of noise (clarkegray can tell you just how noisy)...but its now breathing freely and i believe it feels 'happier'

i agree, get a locksmith to cut one from the lock... ...oh, and by the way 'hello', welcome aboard

if its comfort you desire you could get a gel seat insert fitted very inexpensively ...by this guy

oh my god, the size of that exhaust in that link, a monstrosity if i may say so....yuk. Even bigger than the stock exhaust on my 1300, and that was big enough...but not anymore i wouldnt call the 1300 bulky, lots and lots of 'clutter' and other 'add ons' tends to make a cruiser bulky, i may ditch the engine bars, they'll have the visual effect of 'slimming' it down somewhat

the bikes looking good mate, never seen an xvs1300 with RSTD bars on it, look forward to seeing them, and meeting you, PM sent

hey graham, if your definetly gonna be at squires on the 4th and its not pouring down i'll have a run up and meet ya ? its only 70 miles and i have family in leeds

i chose not to drill my 1300 stock pipe, ive fitted cobra speedster shorts, drilled the airbox and fitted a K and N FILTER AND A COBRA FI2000 CL FUEL PROCESSOR, the exhaust change sorted the engine noise...its now that loud i can hardly hear it LOL, i personally think it sounds better than a harley. As for the bike not liking low revs around town, i found as stock, it runs weak and at low revs was surging and lurching, my exhaust and processor 'almost' got rid of that BUT, this isnt an engine with good low down torque. For a 1300 V twin it needs to be revved, even now i find myself doing 25 in first, 35 in 2nd, 45 in 3th, 55 in fourth, and then into top gear, when i'm in a 30 limit, i'm always in 2nd gear or the engine isnt comfortable IMHO and feels like its gonna start lugging, and if i'm in a 40 limit i'm usually in 3rd, 50 limit i'm usually in 4th for the same reasons, i only go into 5th at a minimum speed of 55, i get at least 50 mpg all the time. if you want a big V twin that'll pull from walking pace in 2nd gear THIS isnt the engine, unless you slip the clutch ...which leads me on to my MAIN 'niggle'... turning into side roads at slow speed...you either have to change down into first !!!, or turn in in 2nd gear, if you do the latter you have to slip the clutch or the engine lugs REALLY BADLY which is a real shame, i wonder if it could be geared better, other than thew gearing i'm very pleased with the bike hope this helps

i think 'horrific' is going a bit far, many motorcycles clonk into first, and 1st to 2nd has been notorious for years, on many makes of motorcycle... and i admit our's is pretty bad for it, If you paid £8000 for a car and the the gear change was as bad as ours you would instantly return it, unfortunately it's how they are ...mines done 3,500 m now and it's still the same, i find a pair of steel toe capped engineers boots and earplugs tends to mask the sensations a little, the earplugs also help with what i would describe as valve train noise, this is not a sweet,sweet sounding engine and gearbox, acceptable, but not as sweet as we've learned to expect from japanese engineers. Still better than a harley though

sorry mate, i'm up in nottingham...but if your ever passing. mine's done 3000m...no 'knock'...some valve train noise thats to be expected but not a knock, as for a dealer doing the valves on first service, NO chance. if your's had done a lot more miles i might suggest it's carbon build up but that sounds unlikely given your tender mileage, all you can do is take it back to the dealer

xvs1300a midnight star.... identical to V Star 1300.... exhaust WILL fit fine, i ordered cobra speedster shorts from america for a V Star 1300, fitted like a glove... read this thread...

and this has reminded me of when i first started to ride (mid seventies), it could just have been me writing this not addik, no CBT then, i always block changed for the first few months and knew it wasnt right, then i started listening to how my mates rode and realised they went through every gear...it was a revelation to me. Stick at it addik, it'll click....and ride safe

for the record Ttaskmaster, i was agreeing with you ....

i agree graham, the bottom of the rad takes it all off the front wheel, daft idea from yamaha i took my front mudguard off to fit that flap...that way i knew i'd get it level and also knew there was less chance of the drill slipping LOL.I used stainless bolts, i dont see why this wont do the trick, what should have been a "small job" actually took two and a half hours in the end, but i must say, "her indoors" best pair of kitchen scissors cut through that polyurethane like a knife through butter

and so, an idea came to me, a mate of mine had some rally mudflaps on a scooby he's since sold....3mm thick polyurethane. fortunately for me he took them off as they werent too his taste, he now has only 3 mudflaps left as ive taken one, chopped it up and made this.... ....hopefully that'll put an end to stones hitting my radiator, i cleaned the very bottom front edge of it yesterday and it was actually starting to chip....

thanks for those links graham, the chilhowee made me smile, its not for me...im not into tassles and concho's etc. Also, i personally want to keep the radiator as discreet as it is now, a chrome cover would draw attention to it which is not my personal intention. i'm gonna go for a common, ordinary "fender extender" of some description (trial and error) and possibly some form of mesh attached to the bottom third of the standard radiator guard. I shall throw a few idea's in the air ...but i shall let you know. Thanks again mater ...

a fair comment, if i may say so

hey, thanks for the link graham...maybe that skid plate is a little OTT for my liking. But it proves my point, there is a concern about this, i will do something, a mudflap... some kind of universal fender extender is gonna go on maybe ?. The last thing i want is to be up in the highlands this summer and a small rock goes through the rad...it's a very real concern

hi, after a jaunt around leicestershire with "her indoors" on the back last night (we got four seasons in 4 hours !) i got home to find stones had hit the bottom of my radiator, and were trapped behind the guard, ive noticed in the past mud has sprayed up onto the rad and always thought the radiator could be vulnerable to a stone etc. Prevention is always better than cure in my book....and i plan to do something about it, buti cannot find a fender extender for this bike ?and before i have a go at making a "mudflap" for the front mudguard, has anyone else done this ?, or found a fender extender anywhere for this bike ?...i would appreciate any comments.

my bike also clonks into first, ive had honda's that do that, i had a blade that made me shudder changing from first to second gear. going back to the xvs1300a, i reckon its partly due to the straight cut gears employed, to lessen mine (and my drive slopes to the road) i engage first gear with the bike just moving forward slightly, seems to be a bit kinder to it then, generally i think the gearchange is clunky...after 2,500 miles mine has definetly got 'easier'... and i wear grinders with steel toe caps, the gearbox wont argue with them... But otherwise, i'm glad you like the bike eggar...incidentally, what harley were you riding previously ?. i previously mentioned i have friends/family with harley's, this bike is equally as good...if not better, but in a different kind of way (if that makes sense)

consider the emblems you take off 'sacrificial'... get em off as clean as you can and fit new ones

just to add to that mate (as a mechanic).... pls ensure genuine yamaha parts are used and obviously, keep all the receipts.... and buy a decent torque wrench.... not that these bikes go wrong often (fingers crossed)....

i quite agree, there'a lot more to be seen sitting naturally with your feet forward as opposed to having your head stuck face down over the front wheel with your feet somewhere up behind ya butt...

i agree with speedshop, go for thin wall cable as it carries a higher load than traditional hence its better,also, in a handlebar application it'll be less bulkier.There's no reason you can't add thin wall wire to a traditional wiring loom Use good old 'ohms law' to calculate what current (amps) is to be used by the handlebar switchgear and buy that size wire . a 55w 12 volt headlamp bulb will pull 4.5 amps, a couple of 21w indicator bulbs will pull slightly less, so on the strength of that 11amp wire will suffice or play safe (as it's thin wall) and upgrade to 16.5 amp wire.

you'll be "hard pressed" (no pun intended) to push the piston(s) back by hand, a big pair of grips is my usual choice or a G clamp or similar, slowly and gently does it, before i push the piston back i (personally) clean the piston with a light application of WD40 and an old toothbrush, then wipe it clean and i (personally) smear a little copperslip round the piston to keep the weather off/out,..THEN i push it back into the caliper, AFTER undoing the master cylinder cap, (you dont need to undo the bleed nipple on the caliper to push the piston back), push it back as far as it'll go (you'll feel it 'stop') dont burr over the piston, inspect the dust seal too. It goes without saying NOT to get WD40 or copperslip either on the brake disc or on the new pads Be aware that if your master cylinder is full before you start, it may overflow when the piston's go back...thats the last thing you want on your fuel tank, and also, if the bikes moving around as your working on the calipers, brake fluid could also 'slop' out of the master cylinder. one last thing.... make sure you pump the front brake lever several times AFTER refitting the caliper/pads to get a good brake lever and be gentle with your braking first few times to allow the new pads to 'bed in' hope this also helps

if your certain the battery is good, certain that the engine has a good earth to the battery, and certain the starter (when energised from the solenoid) is getting a good supply with a volt drop of NO MORE than 0.5 volts on that supply, yet it still wont turn the engine and the engine is ok then there's nothing else it can be but the starter... testing the starter off the bike with no load attached is inconclusive as even a knackered motor will spin free with no load on it. "sounds" like a lazy starter motor to me