Replies

Maybe I shouldn't reply to you on this becasue you seem to have respect for all bikers.

Of course I have respect for all bikers. You should too. I have trouble understanding that you don't.

I proceeded to tell him that I paid $8995 and could do 10.45 in a quarter mile. He asked me what I did to the bike and I told him I put gas in it and turned the key. I never got around to telling him that was the slow bike and I just use it for twisties. But lean angle and rake and trail are words he would have never understodd anyway.

I see where you get your misconceptions from. $17k for the bike, and $20k in performance parts to go slower than a sport bike is pretty damned stupid. I don't get it.

I spent $6.5K on my bike, and then about $900 on parts to make it go faster. Not that I was looking for a performance machine, just that I thought the 883 was something of a dog especially riding two up.

Problem was that I over did it. I used domed pistons, aggressive cams, a race ignition, etc. It was just tuned for the wrong kind of ride. The power was waaaaay too far up in the band for my liking.

I've since gone the other way with dished pistons, a cam that's not aggressive but torquey in really low RPM's for real world roll on in traffic power. It still dynos at 10 more HP than a standard big twin, while only being 5/7 the weight. It's faster than the 1100 Yammy cruiser my buddy rides, but that's like being taller than Tattoo. Point is though, it's plenty fast enough for any kind of real world driving.

As for lean angles and rake and trail....lol. It was a lowered model when I bought with lowered front end and 11.75" shock in the rear (standard Sporty is 13.5"). I put 10.5" rears on within month. I probably reduce the lean angle by a full two degrees. Not that I ever noticed, because I actually slow down for corners.

Actually the guy spent $20k altogether. $17k for the bike and $3k in mods. Common sense tells me that when someone explains how much money they have spent on their bike; divide that number in half and you usually get the right figure. Little to their knowledge, they are actually incriminating themselves and their bikes by exaggerating the price and displaying results that do not justify the money.
They say they have a bike with $3k in mods that is just sitting there. In actuality it won't pull a greasy string out of a cat's ass and that is just the type of image-without-substance that I have come to expect from alot of V-Twinners.
But you are right. The majority just want to ride. I have no problem with these folks. Why, I have a few friends that ride VTwins that have no idea how many horsepower their bike has and they don't care. They just want to hop on and go get some chicken wings.
My VStar is not fast. Its pretty. Thats its job ~ to be pretty. I have no plans of doing any modifications to that engine cawz it runs just fine. It is what it is. Its pretty. It was given to me for "payment" to evaluate the front end. (Thats what I get for being too fat...er..big to make any money competitively) They give all the slow guys the sucky jobs like testing and evaluation. I never tried to make it pull a fourth gear wheelie at 110mph. Its just not that kind of bike. I have other bikes to take care of that.

So don't get me wrong when I say that I know what you are talking about and don't underestimate me when I say that I know what I am talking about.

It still dynos at 10 more HP than a standard big twin...

So...you have 70hp instead of 60hp. Hell, if you spend a few thousand more, you might be able to keep up with a $1500 , 1984 500cc Honda Interceptor.

That was a joke. I am sorry, I couldn't help myself. My point is WHY? WHY? WHY? Why would someone spend $6.5K for a bike ~ take all the time and money to take the engine apart and spend exorbitant amounts of money to get to the performance levels of another bike that has twice the power out of the crate at the same sale price? WHY?

That just doesn't make any sense to me.
BUT (and thats a big "BUT") If you are happy, I am happy. I don't pay any of your bills so its none of my business what you ride. I just can't help but think you would have been so much happier with a better bike. Without looking at the nametag. Without knowing at all where that bike is produced. I have ridden so many bikes that did not belong to me and I have made myself block out everything except how the bike feels and the sportser is the worst, by far. But again. If you are happy......

It's faster than the 1100 Yammy cruiser my buddy rides,

Thats the VStar, right? Come on now. Tell the truth. Is it really faster? I mean faster like real numbers, not because you got the jump in a more favorable gear. I have a hard time believing that because the mathematics of those two bikes lets the VStar win hands down without even racing. Even the 1200 mod Sporsters dont add up.
This is the way I compare bikes when talking about performance. ~~~ I have a 1981 Honda CB750C out in my shop. (I love that bike) Its no speed demon, thats for sure. When compared, it outruns a 2006 HD Sportster 1200 without ever setting tar on the track. I get that conclusion because that bike has 85hp at 8200rpm and 51 torque at 6900rpm. (yes, I have daily access to a dyno) The beast weighs 510lbs.
That, compared to numbers of a 1200 Sportster that chimes in at less HP and 100lbs more weight puts the 26 year old 750 one and a half seconds faster in a quarter mile. Granted, the 1200 has more torque and has a better 60foot time, but that jump is not nearly enough to make up for the top end difference.
Now at the finish line, the 1200 owner is gonna say his bike is not for racing, its for cruising. I say its a good thing its not because no matter how many modifications you make, no matter how much money you spend, the bike is still a boat anchor. And that boat anchor will be handed its ass by just about every bike on the market, excluding a few mopeds.