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.

• Bulldogs Custom Starter Cable kit, available from www.bulldogscustomcycle.com. 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.
• 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).
• Dielectric (silicone) grease, to protect the terminal ends of the cable from corrosion.

The stock Road Star ignition module does an adequate job of controlling the sparkplug timing and RPM limitations, as long as you're running a reasonably stock engine, stock carburetor--and you don't mind being limited to 4,250 rpm for 1600 series engines, or 4,750 rpm for 1700 series engines. But if you want to install an aftermarket carb, increase the rev limit, add high compression pistons, or go big-bore, you'll need to replace that little black box with a Dyna 3000 or SpeedStar, direct replacement, ignition module.

Parts List:

• Dyna 3000 or SpeedStar ignition module

If you intend to cut an access hole in the battery box for the Dyna 3000 dip-switches, the following optional parts are for making a protective insert for the dip-switches:

• Small foam brush
• Plastic shopping bag

This bike is known for not using oil and responds well to different flavors of dino or synthetic oils. Your bike will let you know what it likes as you try some different options in oil selection. Lately I've been using Royal Purple 20W50 Synthetic, which in my opinion has given good results of lower engine noise and possibly a cooler running engine.

I like to change my oil at 5000-mile intervals with the synthetic oil and have found the procedure of changing it quite simple. A one beer job, unless you are like me and tend to sit back and admire the beauty of the bike. So lets take a look at this simple procedure.

Tools Required:

1. Funnel
2. Rubber mallet
3. Shallow drain pan
4. Small oil filter wrench
5. 3/8" 17mm socket, small extension, and rachet
6. Two each 2x4 boards screwed together
7. 3/8" torque wrench
8. 17mm craftsman box-end wrench cut short