Renfield

I keep checking the official Yamaha accessories page for risers for this exact reason. I'm also 6'1" and the stockers definitely force me into a more agressive forward stance. It would be helpful to find a stealer with those bars in stock. I don't like to buy blind. All they carry locally are the bikes. I will check price at yamahasportscenter.com. Tony O is hard to beat. Thanks for the info on the bars and the alternate forum. This bike deserves it's own topic area.

I've always avoided the crash bars, as I tend to drag the floorboards in curves. Additional lighting would be my choice. You can't be too visible for the distracted cagers. Where have you seen risers? That might add some greater level of comfort.

Looks sharp. What's next?

You're on the customize till you drop crusade. LOL. Good luck. Can't wait to see. I'm thrilled with my stock tourer. 6K+ miles of smiles. I'll replace stuff when (if) it breaks. Right now a new rear tire is high on my list. Bridgestones aren't holding up very well. Cheers, Renfield

I see you now have a 1300 Tourer. Congrats. Was there some reason you decided to go aftermarket for the touring upgrades?

My take (value: approximately two cents) is that lugging the engine is worse. This bike will shake your fillings loose at the shift points Yamaha recommends. I don't get into 5th gear until about 45-50 INDICATED mph. A bike that comes with no tach cannot be overrevved. Haven't hit it yet, but I expect it's got a rev limiter just like the smaller/cheaper siblings (650 classic). Noises? Yes it makes noises. Most are pretty sweet. I'm past 5K miles and two service intervals. Clutch noise is as it was on day one, just as described by ZenCruiser. Anyone finding a good price on a replacement air filter yet? Cheers, Renfield

They fit my old 650 just fine, and the brackets I made for them would likely work great on the 1300. They're a universal design, and I attached them to the bolts that you'll be using for the backrest. I can send you some photos if you send an email address. Mine is: [email protected]. I bought the bags from cruiser customizing (I think) and used the stock Yammie saddlebag mounts with my own bolts and standoffs so that they were hard mounted. I also added twist lock closures so the velcro wouldn't release at highway speeds. Not sure if the 650 bag mounts will fit the 1300, but I still have those lying around too.

Definitely a better deal to buy the tour model, if you know you want those accessories. I learned my lesson the hard way with my vstar650. I have a set of saddlemen jumbo slant bags if you're interested. I got lucky and found a set of Yammie hard bags for $350 on ebay for the old bike. Won't make the mistake again of buying without the accessories.

While we're wishing, I wish the Yamaha Owners Club had a dedicated forum for the V Star 1300. This post is running long and going all over the place, topic wise. Good luck with your new backrest! Cheers, Ren.

FWIW, $35 seems like a steal for that gauge package. I paid about $55 for an electronic version that I've used for several years. Hookup is simple, calibration is quick and precise. Worked with my carburated Vstar 650, and still works with throttle bodies on the fuel injected 1300. I'm no mechanical genius, so listening to the pipes or reading the tea leaves is not an option for me. Props to those of you with such skills. I consider the sync tool an excellent investment that eliminates guesswork beyond my capabilities, and keeps my ride running smoothly. I can tune my guitar and bass by ear, but I use a $50 stage tuner for that task as well. Hey, it's fast, simple and very precise. So shoot me. Good luck! Renfield

Thanks for the award nomination, I guess. Too often stupid and gutsy are interchangeable. Anyhow no guts, no glory right? I performed the second valve job last Sunday at 4,500 miles. Took roughly half as long as the first effort. Only removed seat, tank, plastichrome covers, plugs, and of course the engine trim panel that reveals the timing marks. Didn't even remove the aircleaner, but I did take off the throttle cables at the throttle body. It helps having a sawed off 5mm hex wrench when removing the valve cover on the front jug intake (the one under the coolant hose). All in all, a bit cramped but perfectly doable. With a minimum of hassle compared to the shop manual prescribed method. Even with twice the valve count, it was an easier job than on my old 650 Classic. And your scrap wood idea worked well for reconnecting the vent hoses under tank. Throttle body sync was still spot on - no adjustment necessary. Cheers, Renfield

Cobra makes one for the 1300 that costs $225 from cruisercustomizing.com. Haven't seen it in person. Here's a link I love the one that came on my tourer. The factory passenger backrest components cost $354 from yamahasportscenter.com - cheapest I've seen. Which probably explains why you've gotten no response to either post. There's a company called bakupusa.com offering a nice backrest for the driver. Too dear for my wallet at $350 plus shipping. Makes the Kuryakyn backrest bag an obvious choice for the 1300T driver at about $145. That's what I'll be getting for long trips, as it adds useable storage space and a driver backrest for much le$$. Alas, no help if you have no passenger backrest. Maybe prices will drop if and when the 1300 becomes more popular. For now, the limited selection of Yamaha accessories seem steeply priced compared to other models. Fortunately, the tourer came with all I need. And the extra cost was less than adding the factory hard bags. Easy decision. Cheers, Renfield

I've checked my speedo against two radar speed displays set up permanently on either end of the main drag through a new local neighborhood/golf course. They like to walk their dogs, jog and drive golf carts down the middle of this main street, even though there are no homes or driveways on it. so they're quite adamant about pointing out the speed limit. At an indicated 40 mph, the radar reads 35. At an indicated 60 mph radar reads 55. The error seems more linear than a set percentage would return, but seems consistent with your experience. Makes me wonder if Yamaha has considered this when offering shift point advice in the owners manual. If I follow their guide, it always seems like the engine is lugging. -Renfield

I did the 600 mile valve service about 2800 miles ago. Did NOT remove hoses OR throttle bodies. Never opened the radiator. A long screwdriver will pry the top hose aside just enough to access the valves. It was still a very lengthy process, and one of the most difficult parts was reattaching the forward vent hoses under the tank. It took another set of hands for me to accomplish that feat without scratching anything. I hope round two will go more quickly. It's coming up soon. Good luck. Renfield.

The only whine I've noticed is from my wife. When the divorce is final, I expect that to go away. (Sorry. Couldn't resist. ) My clutch was not adjusted properly at the dealership. Might be worth a check. Everything got considerably quieter when I did the first oil change to synthetic. Passed 2000 miles now with no troubles. Bags get a bit wrinkly in the rain, despite all the mink oil treatments. Maybe they skinned an old Kaw? Cheers, Renfield

It's not a big shift, but there's some room for adjustment. Loosen the 4 allen head screws and push/pull. Moving it aft increased the buffeting, so I pushed the top of the 'shield as far forward as possible - much as it came stock. It doesn't have the same range of adjustment as the yamaha tall shield on my 650, but there's a bit of wiggle room. Considering that a couple millimeters made all the difference (to me) on the handlebars, it's worth a shot. Good luck, George

Seems like your extra luggage was the perfect backrest solution. There's something called a "cruiser bag" designed to fit that niche as well: www.cruiserbag.com So far, I've only used a backrest when picking up a 44lb. bag of dog food. I'm just past the 1,100 mile mark. Gave my sport bike buddies a hearty chase through the local mountains today. Sweet ride. I started in the rear of the pack, but they were holding me back enough that they insisted I lead the way home. Big red object in mirror was too close. LOL. Valve job was relatively easy, but time consuming. Getting the vent hoses reconnected under the tank was the twitchiest part for me. Had to have a helper hold the tank just so. A second adjustment to the stock handlebar got it just right for me. Takes a bit more aggressive posture, but it's very comfy. At 6'1" it's much improved over the ergonomics of my old VStar 650 classic. No more knees in the chest feeling. Also, I used some split-loom plastic wiring cover to protect the clutch cable where it meets the shield bracket. It was showing signs of wear. Love the sound of the stock pipe. Meaty-beefy, but not obnoxious. BTW, did they forget to tell the designers about the horn in advance? LOL. Seems like the mount for that wanker horn was a total afterthought. Odd looking on such an otherwise well designed machine. So far the leathered bags have held up well in the rain. I've used half a can of the included mink oil already. The instrument readout is getting wonky too. Needle sweep fails intermittently and the idiot light check sometimes winks out very fast. When I can replicate the problem with greater regularity, I'll take it to the stealer for a fix. Others have mentioned the speedo sticking, but so far that isn't a problem. (Knock wood) Cheers, Renfield

After a 117 mile drive today, I noticed buffeting at highway speeds from the tall and very vertical windshield. Also, the bars seemed too short, with clutch/brake controls too far down in front. And the cables were cramped between the shield supports and handlbar creating a potential weak spot on the cable housings. By tilting the bar slightly farther down, I was able to free up the cables AND tilt the shield back a bit. Clutch and brake lever came up too. Storms hit before I could test the new setup, but my initial impression is that the dealer set up the bar incorrectly. I can now get farther back in the seat without doing the stretch/lean forward. Still plenty of tank clearance. Anyone know of a definitive stock angle or checking procedure? Also, has anyone subjected the leather bag covers to rain yet? Mink oil working? Renfield

As of yesterday (6-30-07), yes. So far, so good. Just traded my '04 VS Classic six-fifty (21K miles) for the Tour 1300. Red of course. Gone are the tube tires, carburetor, drum brake, crappy shaft drive (about to fail from internal rust), meager power, air cooling, poor ergonomics (I'm 6,1") and HD styling. It's got gobs of torque, better hauling capacity (I had the factory hard bags on the 650), amazing comfort in terms of seating and legroom, very quiet ride that I personally prefer (loud HORNS save lives, loud PIPES bring new legislation for all of us) and a cool art deco style. I've been test riding bikes and researching for a couple of months. This one was calling to me. Looking forward to many miles of smiles. Cheers, Renfield