Cheap Harley V-Rod Street Rod
2007 Harley Street Rod Now that the Street Rod is done, it is time for it to find a new home. The paint is beautiful, the aluminum is polished and the bike is completely serviced including new tires. Priced at 8999.00, it is about 2500.00 under NADA book value. The 07 Street Rod was one of the rarest Harleys made with only about 700 examples being built. For more pictures, click on the “showroom” tab at the top. Read More →
BMW adds dealers when most are closing down…
This is a glimmer of hope in an otherwise very bleak powersports industry. The fact that BMW is adding dealers may just be wishful thinking, but I suspect that they are planning on converting some owners of other brands. BMW has a great lineup now with the addition of the 1000 RR in their sportbike stable. In reality, I suspect that if BMW prices their bikes aggressively, and the exchange rate cooperates, they will be able to poach a few customers... [Read More...]
Deals Gap on a Gold Wing… Crazy
So, if you haven’t ever seen this, it is worth watching. This guy lives up there and obviously has the course dialed in. But still, this is impressive. The guy filming is also on a Wing and you can hear his footpegs scraping in every corner. (Thanks for the link Jerry!) this guy once did 106 runs on deals gap in 24 hours fastest run about 11 minutes. He makes video’s from your ride on Deals Gap (don’t try to outrun this guy) Read More →
Deer vs. Motorcycle… Amazing
I have fixed a few bikes when guys have hit deer, and it is always a lot worse than this. The fact that he kept the bike up and didn’t crash is amazing. Probably more luck than skill, but hey, it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes! Read More →
JD Powers Motorcycle Satisfaction Ratings
It really seems like a simple and obvious thing to do- call a customer after the sale and make sure they are happy. But apparently it doesn’t happen very often. That’s because sales people are pressured to sell and once a bike is sold, they move on to the next customer. But something as simple as calling the customer can reap big benefits because those customers are likely to tell their friends about the good service they received and... [Read More...]
V-Rod Part 9- Finished
Here are a few pictures of the finished V-Rod Street Rod. This is a super rare bike that Harley only produced 700 of in 07. In addition to the paint and cosmetic repairs, I also did a complete service that included new hydraulic fluids for the brakes and clutch, oil and filter change, new Dunlops on the front and rear, steering head bearings lubed and adjusted and a check of all the other stuff like brake pads, etc. So she is really ready to ride... [Read More...]
V-Rod Project- Part 8
Today, the weather was a bit nicer with temps in the 60’s and sunny skies. So it was the perfect winter day to do the final buffing on the paint. Even though the paint looks great after clear-coating, we wet sand everything again to eliminate any slight orange peel or dust specks in the clear and then do the final buffing. We start off with a rough cut compound and keep using finer polishes until we get the perfect finish. Here are a few... [Read More...]
V-Rod Project- Part 7
V-Rod Stock Exhaust We are in the final stages of the “restore the V-Rod” project and is is starting to get really fun. Today, we get to install the replacement exhaust and put the chrome heat shields back on the pipes. The original mufflers were scratched when the bike fell over- not badly scratched, but enough that they needed to be replaced to make the bike look really good. So I searched around on the internet for some replacement... [Read More...]
V-Rod Project- Part 6
Before Polishing So, now we are in the final stages of our project and some of these are really tedious and time consuming. Since this bike was a daily ridden commuter bike, it wasn’t cleaned and polished regularly- so the aluminum parts like case covers, swingarm and wheels had that dull slightly corroded look. The wheels were cleaned and “brushed” with a fine grade scotchbrite pad which gives them a nice machined/brushed aluminum... [Read More...]
Jay Leno introduces the New Aprilia’s & Moto Guzzi’s
Jay Leno is one of the good guys- he loves motorcycles, cars and pretty much anything with a motor. So, it is really cool to see him do the dealer show intro for Piaggio Group’s line-up, which include Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Vespa. Press release from Piaggio Group- Moto enthusiast Jay Leno added his unique energy and spark to Piaggio Group America’s 2010 product introduction, held during the company’s October 2009 national dealer meeting... [Read More...]
V-Rod Project- Part 5
V-Rod back on it's wheels Well, the V-Rod is on the ground and rolling. After a thorough cleaning with all the bodywork off, we are ready to reassemble. Wet sanding the tank (really, air box cover) is easier with it off the bike, but I won’t buff it until it is installed. Plus, we have lots of aluminum to polish. Wet sanding the tank It is starting to come together- the gauges and front fender are installed in between wet sanding and polishing... [Read More...]
V-Rod Project- part 4
Forks and Wheel Installed Today I reinstalled the front end components- forks, wheel and the clutch and brake mater cylinders. Here’s a tip for you- always do your cleaning and polishing with the parts off the bike for ease and simplicity. It is way easier to clean a wheel with it off the bike if you want to get it super clean. After that, I hooked up the line to the clutch and brake master cylinders and proceeded to bleed them. You can get... [Read More...]
V-Rod Project- Part 3
Installing new handlebars With the forks back on and the steering head nut tightened, we can now install the handlebars and soon, all of the switch gear and master cylinders. In the mean time, the tank and rest of the body work has been cleared and is drying and awaiting reassembly. Tank after clear-coating Read More →
V-Rod Project Part 2
V-rod Tank orange Tank in base coat V-Rod No Forks Well, I needed to strip the bike down more than I thought since the handlebars were tweaked and needed to be replaced and the steering head bearings need to be adjusted. I will say this- Harley does not design their bikes with ease of maintenance in mind. At any rate, the front end is off the bike and the tank is being repaired/painted. PPG makes a color that is dead on for the Harley orange. That... [Read More...]
The Harley V-Rod Project
#gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } I picked up this somewhat ragged 2007 V-Rod Street Rod at the auction for a decent price but it obviously needed some TLC. With... [Read More...]