Items Needed:

• Kelsey Hayes type master cylinder: L 1979-1983 Harley FX or 1980-1981 XL Sportster Product Link
• 3/16”x 1” flat stock approximately 4” long.
• 2 bolts 5/16”x 2 ½”
• 2 5/16”chrome acorn nuts
• 1 5/16” x 24 banjo bolt
• 1 5/16” solid rod (purchase at hardware store)
• 1 brake light switch for 67-79 Chevy Nova OEM# 1261219
  

This was one of the easiest projects I have ever undertaken on my bike. Total time was about 2 1/2 hours. It probably could have been done in 45 minutes to an hour but I was taking pics and making notes. I recently acquired a set of "Hurricane Studded" bags from Mike Battles at Custom Classic Saddlebags, which happened to come with a set of Easy Brackets. The Hurricane's are generic bags not made specifically for the Road Star (more about the bags at the end of the article), so this set of instructions should apply to just about any bike with Generic bags assuming the correct Easy Bracket kit is ordered to fit the bike.

Parts:

• Easy Brackets Kit (part number YMA-R2BR for Silverado with stock backrest)
• 4 Docking Posts (in kit)
• 4 8mm polished ss button head bolts (in kit)
• 8 3/8 x 1 black button head bolt (in kit)
• 8 3/8 nylon locking nut (in kit)
• 8 3/8 fender washer (in kit)
• barrel key (in kit)
• Hurricane Studded bags from Custom Classic Saddlebags

Mark Garetz at www.vstar1100.com originally put this idea together.  Mark Cole (Mark7) adapted it to work on his Road Star, and after a very favorable reception on our forum, agreed to write out this set of instructions for the benefit of other members of the Clinic.

Parts List: 

• 2 Sealed Beam Spotlight Housings - J.C. Whitney part # 0199602S - $24.99/unit JC Whitney Part Link
• 2 Sealed Beam Spotlights - J.C. Whitney part # 0199622 - $10.99/ unit JC Whitney Part Link
• 2 Cruiser Customizing 3-piece bar clamp - $7.00/unit Part # CC-FRAME-CLAMP Cruiser Customizing part link
• *1 Toggle Switch SPST (optional) waterproof version - $5.00 part(s) 16535, 16536 go2marine.com part link
• *1 Toggle Switch SPST (optional) non-waterproof version Radio Shack part # 276-624 Radio Shack part link
• Silicone Sealant – Just a dab.
• 2 Insulated Spade Connectors.

*Toggle switch is an optional item and you need only 1: Get either the waterproof or non-waterproof version

Tire changes, belt changes, and swing arm maintenance are just a few of the reasons belt adjustment and rear wheel-alignment are part of Road Star ownership. By learning to do it yourself, you can save some cash, and make sure the job gets done properly.

If your rear wheel is not pointed in the same direction as your front wheel, tires wear out more quickly, the bike feels less balanced, and your drive belt may quickly wear.

There are at least three ways to align your rear wheel:

• Match the rear wheel’s alignment to the front wheel’s straight-ahead position.
• Align the rear axle’s alignment to the frame’s alignment by matching it to the swing arm pivot.
• Align the drive belt to track properly in the rear drive pulley.

The first method is covered in another Road Star Clinic article: The $6 Wheel Alignment Jig. Its author suggests tying straight edges to each side of the rear wheel, then adjusting the rear wheel until both straight edges are equidistant from the -- centered -- front wheel. While this method is clever, cheap, and potentially accurate, it won't work with a hydraulic center lift (it obstructs the straight edges). And I don't really have the garage space or the budget for a proper, non-obstructing lift. (See “The $6 Wheel Alignment Jig” article in this website for details.)

The second method, ‘Aligning the rear axle to the swing arm pivot,’ is the way Yamaha recommends, although they offer no opinion -- pro or con -- for other methods. This method aligns the rear wheel by measuring the distance from the rotational center of the swing-arm pivot to the rotational center of the rear axle on each side the frame. When the distances on each side of the bike are identical, the rear wheel must be pointed straight. This should also make the drive belt track properly within the pulleys, theoretically. Note: This is currently the method I use and recommend, too.

The third method, 'Aligning the drive belt to track properly within the rear drive pulley,’ can be highly accurate and doesn't depend on measurement devices, but it is often very time consuming, repetitive, and potentially frustrating. With that said, I admit that this was my method of choice for 4 years, and an estimated 25 alignments (due to the many related mods I did).

This article gives several variations and refinements on the standard alignment procedure to reduce error and guess work from the task. It's a fairly simple and quick procedure, and doesn't take many tools.

Complete Documentation of a Big Bore Project!

Today we are releasing a new series of articles on the Clinic that document a complete engine tear down and reassembly. Randy Fox (associate Publisher here at the Clinic) decided to go big bore on his Road Star and documented the process from start to finish. This is an incredible addition to our Tech Tips library, with a total of nineteen articles from start to finish.

In order to make it easy to follow, and to keep the structure easy to navigate, we have created a new category under our "Engine" section in our Tech Tips called "Engine Tear Down and Reassembly Series". As is usually the case with Randy's Tech Tip articles, each is well thought out, easy to read, and easy to understand. Randy has taken the time to create an index for the whole series that briefly explains what each article is about, and the order they should read. This series is a must read for any Road Star rider who likes to maintain their own bike.

About this series:

Introduction

The stock coils are prone to leaking so much spark that some riders have observed large arcing from their coils to the frame or tank on a dark night. Yikes! As a result, many owners have wrapped their coils with electrician's tape--an adequate, if un-elegant, solution.

Idiot Disclaimer: Do not run your engine in an enclosed space to achieve darkness. Do not touch coils or sparkplug wires while the engine is running.

I wrapped my coils with electrical tape several years ago, and it did seem to help smooth the idle a bit. But then I read that many owners were tracing various engine difficulties--especially plug fouling and carbon build-up--to sparkplug wire issues. It was discovered that the stock wires have excessively high electrical resistance. In fact, owners that modified their stock plug wires reported easier starting, smoother idle, and less carbon build-up. The stock sparkplug wires are built right into the coils, so you can't replace the the wires without also replacing the coils. When Nemesis Racing announced their introduction of high performance coils and plug wires, I decided it was time to replace mine. There are two, primary, options for aftermarket coils for the Road Star:

• Dynatech, (Dyna Performance Electronics, Glendora, CA)
• Nemesis Racing, (Nemesis Racing, g_wicks@bigpond.net.au, Australia, or powdercoatka@aol.com in North America.)

I opted for the Nemesis ones, as I have had excellent results with their other products, and, though I am not an electrical guru, I knew that matching component specs was important. Here's what Joel (Odo) Parker (Road Star Clinic author, and professional Yamaha mechanic) has to say:

"Our coils are rated at 1.53 ~ 2.07 ohm resistance, (99 to 03's), so, getting that rating right in there with how our systems work, is essential. The Dyna coils for our R*'s are 2.2 ohms, (A little too high). The Nemesis coils are 1.5 ohms, ('JUUUSSSTTT' right. :-)). More spark for the system.”

Introduction

The stock Road Star starter has a tough life even in the best of circumstances. You've probably thought so yourself at times--maybe when the weather turns cold and your battery is not as young as it use to be, or maybe every time you hit the starter button with your big-bore engine.

The starter is adequate for a stock engine with a new battery on a warm day. But if you repeatedly start your bike under more challenging circumstances, you might be asking for starter trouble.

This article covers two solutions which can be done separately, but should be done in order:

1. Replace your stock starter wires with 4 gauge cable. This dramatically reduces the resistance caused by inadequately small wiring. The undersized, stock starter wires, and the associated resistance, can lead to premature starter failure.
2. Swap out your stock starter for a Road Star Warrior starter. The Warrior starter has about 30% greater cranking power--even over the 1700 (102ci) models. Note: This option may not be necessary (but still desirable) if your pistons are stock, and you maintain your battery's charge.

• Starter Cable kit, available from Bulldogs Custom Cycle, Max Air Engineering, and probably some other suppliers, as well. Tip: Some riders have created their own cables by purchasing bulk cable from an auto parts store, and having terminal-ends fastened on. I opted for the Bulldogs kit because it is sealed against corrosion. I also felt that the time it would take to remove the stock cable, then measure, buy, and fastener-ize a homemade cable wasn't worth saving a few bucks.
• 3.5", 4-gauge cable, with ends soldered on, available from most auto parts stores. Tip: the Starter Cable Kit from Max Air Engineering comes with this short piece, so you won't have to get it separately. The kit from Bulldogs does not include this piece. Tip: Without this short piece, with a Warrior starter the negative wire may get hot enough to melt solder! And you might burn out your starter, over time. Even if you aren't going to install a Warrior starter, you'll rob yourself of some of the benefit of this whole project without this little piece.
  
• Warrior starter, complete with oil seal O-ring. Note: I opted for a nice, chrome starter from www.sxygramps.com.
• Wire ties, medium length (6-inch or so). Qty: 1 or 2, (optional).
• Warrior, 180 amp, type starter relay. Yamaha part#: 4BH-81940-02-00. Optional. See the Removing the Stock Starter Wires section for details.
• Dielectric (silicone) grease, to protect the terminal ends of the cable from corrosion.