Robin Willey's Comments

Hi Robin, welcome aboard! Nice looking bike! I'm in Iowa, about 260 miles from Effingham. Don't do much Interstate riding when I can avoid it, but if I get down to your neck of the woods on my way East, maybe I can look you and Jay up for a brew. My best riding buddy is my son, Chad (also seen on these pages). That's what family is all about, huh!? Ride well, often, and safely.
Larry "CatBandit" Walther

Welcome Robin you live in Effingham been there I remember the big cross. Have some friends that live rual Salem

Hi Robin, Not sure where Effingham is, but born and raised in Mason City. Left in 1964 and have lived in the northwest ever since. Lived in Logan, Utah for three years while finishing undergrad degree then spent three years in the Navy, two in Silverdale/Bremerton, WA and another 34+ years in the Puget Sound area. Moved to McCall, ID in 2001. What can I say!! No riding until late March, early April!! Need to put miles on new V-Star 1300!! ASAP!!

Yes that was our frist time there had to go to say that I was there

I just added some photos to show what it was like at my place, yesterday!! Roads are clear but the driveway is nothing but ice and packed snow!! We are having a heat wave today, near 30!! Roads are clear, but getting to them is hazardous!

I get up to the Quad cities three times a year. I'll let you know when I'm in town. unfortunately I'm always driving the conversion van and pulling a trailer when I'm up there, so I miss the good riding in the area. boohoo, just get to watch the bikes go by.

Robin, on the first chance you get, go up to the Quad Cities but stay on the Illinois side of the river (Mississippi) and from I-80 (heading West) take the last exit on the Illinois side - to Illinois Route #84. Go North on two-lane #84 for a really pretty ride through a bunch small towns, and plan to end your ride not sooner than Savanna, IL.

On the South end of Savanna is "Poopy's Grub and Pub", a motorcycle haven and a landmark in the Midwest. Friday nights are "Bike Night" at Poopy's, but even on an off night, there might be 50 bikes parked in the reserved "motorcycle only" area in the back. Live bands, tattoo parlor, bike apparel shopping, and restaurant are inside, and there is a HUGE patio area outside to sit, drink a beer or pop, eat the world's best (and biggest) burger (named the "Big Poop"), and socialize with bikers from all over.

The beauty of Poopy's is that it isn't a "special event" thing - it's every day, and definitely a must see for Midwest riders.

Mother's Day this year is May 10th. You might want to go to Poopy's web-site ahead of time to see what's going on that weekend. I don't know how often or how well they keep the web-site up to date, but I've used it in the past to see what was going on, and if nothing else, you can look through the "Gallery" images to see what the place looks like. Have a good one, and keep in touch.

Second web-site is right here. I don't know why, but in my browser I can't get from one page to the other although the web pages are all a part of the same domain - go figure.

Robin, I noticed your comment about wanting to hear what V&H "Cruzers" actually sound like. I went to the garage with my handy short-pocket cam and made a video for you. It's uploading now, so you should be able to check it out any time now. If you have any questions about it, just pull my chain. Thanks - Larry!

Thanks for the compliment. Still in California I am trying to find other ladies to hook up with. Went to the dealership Garage Party last night....under ten ladies who ride their own bikes. We learned how to pick up a bike in the event it is necessary to do so. Can you send me the link to the sparks?? Every day is a gift.....and I wanna soar with the Eagles......and keep trying new things (it is my anti-aging plan) to keep my mind, body, soul, and spirit ready for anything......happy riding:)

I ordered mine from local the dealer and they cost me a total of about $500 (actually, $501, I believe). That included the pipes ($380), the jet-kit ($50), and less than a full hour labor ($70). The V&H pipes themselves are available for as much as $50 less than I paid, if you check out eBay. But if you buy them separately, either plan to install them yourself, or be sure to ask your dealer ahead of time what his policy is on performing installation of items purchased elsewhere. Some are real good about it, some won't touch a part not bought from themselves. *Try telling them you received them as an eBay gift from an out-of-town friend or relative - they might go along with that better.

The V&H pipes really are probably best installed by your mechanic. Not because the pipes are hard to install (it's about .5 to 1.5 hr job even for the inexperienced but mechanically inclined do-it-yourselfer) ... but any time you make a major change to the breathing functions of the bike (intake or exhaust), you need to seriously consider re-jetting the fuel system, and I think that requires tools and test equipment that I don't have. Re-jetting yourself with the trail-and-error method can be a tedious job, and if done improperly, might even damage your engine.

Summary: The more air goes through the system, the greater must be the fuel being mixed with that air to keep the fuel-air ratio balanced for smooth running, best power curve, and the highest economy. And the air flow to and from the engine is drastically changed by additions like performance pipes (exhaust air flow), or adding something like a hyper-charger (intake air flow). Hope this makes sense, and is some help to you, Robin.
Larry

Thanks! I've enjoyed it a bunch.

Yeah, you can tell Jay's is the big engine - not so much by the exhaust tone, per se, but by the "loping" sound the engine makes. In a car (back in my day) we would say it sounded like a 3/4 cam - that is, a high performance modification to the camshaft in the order in which the engine cylinders fire. It produces a sound that is normally identified with a Harley at idle.

When I first got my V Star my wife and friends all told me to leave the exhaust alone because it was "nice and quiet". But like you, I didn't like the fact that when we were riding as a group, no one knew when I started (or failed to start) my engine ... together with the thought that a good after-market exhaust system nearly always gives you a bit of extra "kick" in horsepower. Have a great day, Robin!

Ive been there

now we need to see a picture of your drive way with all that snow heard you had about 10inchs least that what i heard in Salem

Robin, I like whhat you did with the background!! Check out Larry's comment on my profile!! He is a brave soul for the ride he and the PGR group did. I do understand what the nature of their being on the road in that kind of cold!! Take care!

Thanks for the welcome. Talk to you soon

Hey Robin, I just had a chance to jump over to the Glass Pack web site. Cool! I know the feeling of never being finished with a project ... the first few years I owned the "AMX" I spent every waking moment - and dollar - on her. Had a new (original) paint job when I bought her, and I did the electrical work and got the transmission, clutch, and upper engine all ready to go, did some work on the interior, rebuilt the cooling system, etc., then started to drive it - all over the U.S..

She is about 95-98% complete now, but I've run out of steam, and want to spend my time on the bike, traveling, instead of working on the baby. Just needs little stuff finished, like two instruments (fuel gauge and tach) that require repair (I have the parts), new carpet, new seat upholstery (for the original seats), and side window trim ... probably some little things I forgot to mention, but she's pretty much "restored-stock" right now. But it really does seem never to end. Guess that's why we call them "my project car". LOL!

Thanks for the comment We put the picks on of our bike,,,

That's not a problem here unless I go up into the mountains. I love the California weather for riding. Hope the snow melts soon for you guys!