Ok, I have made a few threads in the past but I figured it would be easier for me to make one continuous Journal/blog update. So here it is. 
unk:
:::Warning: Wall o' Text:::
Alright.
When I was down range I was dead set on getting an American Muscle Cruiser. Dead Set. I had two different Manufacturers in mind. Victory and HD. I really wanted to get a Victory, but they are eve more expensive than HD so they where out. I went to the local dealership and walked around, looked at all the new and used bikes, a few where in my price range but.... I just never got the warm in fuzzy about any of them. I wasn't looking forward to spending a few thousand on something I didn't really feel good about.
A few months go by...
In March I bought my first bike. The mad max looking 1996 VMax 1200 monster. Everything looked amazing. The most American looking non-American bike I have seen. So with my buddy there who knows a bit about bikes gave me the thumbs up I bought it.
Being in the army and owning a bike you have to go through a few bike courses. "Basic Riders Course" A three day course. Just going over basics its simple. But what I need considering its my first bike, and never ridden before.
Two weeks go by and I have a close encounter with the ground. I swear I saw a silver dollar and went to pick it up and didn't want to get off my bike. Ok ok luckly it was in the grass between the road and sidewalk. No real damage was done. But still some repairs where needed. I ended up buying some new handlebars and replacing my back left tail light along with my foot shifter.
Anyhow time goes by, I go to the local stealership (OK in reality the guys are really nice and easy to get along with and do a good job as far as I can tell) Being my first bike and all I dont know what it really should feel like riding it around. What is the norm vs oh shit I need to get that fixed. Anyway I get to the bike shop and drop my bike off so they can put it on the dyno and give me my bikes stats. RWHP was not impressive at all. Only 94. I was not happy. I also had them check out the CO_A/F ratio because my MPG was lacking a lot too. I was getting to about 90 miles to the tank (recently mid 70s!!) and the average CO_A/F Ratio was 11.4ish So that was out of line too. I didn't really have the cash to get any tuning done right then and It was something I wanted to do myself also. The problems it turns out where two fold. A: Those sexy mad max pipes I loved so much... slip ons that kill my HP. B: Apparently the owner before the guy I bought it from decided to toss a jet kit in there with out tuning it.
I get back to the appt and start doing research. My first concern was my HP. Now 94 is more than I need. Its more than enough to kill myself that's for sure. But being a man, doing man things. Having less HP than stock did not sit right with me. After a few weeks I ordered a exhaust system from Marks. 4-2 14" pipes 2.25" wide. Sadly right before the pipes got delivered, something financial came up unexpected. It was simply a crap situation and I called mark to let him know. He was very understanding and professional. I actually didn't end up paying him till maybe 3 weeks AFTER the delivery. Lets just say I was very embarrassed and pissed at myself for this. I called him told him that I could finally pay him and he said not a problem at all, got his mypay information and payed him that night. So now I have a box full of exhaust I can finally install on my bike after sitting in my living room for 3 weeks... I wasent about to have it installed till I had it payed.
Now I wanted to install the exhaust myself, I talked to mark and he said it was really only a 4 hour job or so for someone with not much skill with bikes, which I defiantly lack the skill. My biggest concern was the fact that I live in an apartment complex and if I need to take a brake I don't have a garage to work in so my bike would be sitting in the parking lot half torn apart. My other concern was that the two people I rode with (for the short time I have had my bike) Moved so it would just be me by myself working on the bike. In the end I decided it was best to wait till I saved up some money and get it professionally installed.
So as of right now it is sitting in the shop. I just got back from looking at it the window sitting up on the dyno machine looking sexy as hell with marks pipes on. They ran it on the dyno after putting the pipes on and these guys where impressed. Smiling and half way laughing when they where talking about the sound quality of the exhaust. Now keep in mind this was the same shop who I talked to and said after working on Vmaxs for X amount of years, always found that 3rd party pipes took away from the Vmax and never added anything to it. :clapping:They haven't run any numbers because I told them along with installing the pipes to sync the carbs if they need to be and re-tune the jet kit. Hopefully they will continue to be impressed with Marks Pipes.
Sadly I wont get my bike back till the end of the week or so. Aparently when looking at the jet kit something was wrong with the needles so they are going back to stock, which is fine for me. I am sure down the road I will get Morelys Jet Kit. Now I just have to wait for it to get in, and have them re-tune it and then do a Dyno run so I can compare how the bike was when I got it, to how it runs now.
And that's my story.... Hopefully I will have more to add once I get the bike back.
unk::::Warning: Wall o' Text:::
Alright.
When I was down range I was dead set on getting an American Muscle Cruiser. Dead Set. I had two different Manufacturers in mind. Victory and HD. I really wanted to get a Victory, but they are eve more expensive than HD so they where out. I went to the local dealership and walked around, looked at all the new and used bikes, a few where in my price range but.... I just never got the warm in fuzzy about any of them. I wasn't looking forward to spending a few thousand on something I didn't really feel good about.
A few months go by...
In March I bought my first bike. The mad max looking 1996 VMax 1200 monster. Everything looked amazing. The most American looking non-American bike I have seen. So with my buddy there who knows a bit about bikes gave me the thumbs up I bought it.
Being in the army and owning a bike you have to go through a few bike courses. "Basic Riders Course" A three day course. Just going over basics its simple. But what I need considering its my first bike, and never ridden before.
Two weeks go by and I have a close encounter with the ground. I swear I saw a silver dollar and went to pick it up and didn't want to get off my bike. Ok ok luckly it was in the grass between the road and sidewalk. No real damage was done. But still some repairs where needed. I ended up buying some new handlebars and replacing my back left tail light along with my foot shifter.
Anyhow time goes by, I go to the local stealership (OK in reality the guys are really nice and easy to get along with and do a good job as far as I can tell) Being my first bike and all I dont know what it really should feel like riding it around. What is the norm vs oh shit I need to get that fixed. Anyway I get to the bike shop and drop my bike off so they can put it on the dyno and give me my bikes stats. RWHP was not impressive at all. Only 94. I was not happy. I also had them check out the CO_A/F ratio because my MPG was lacking a lot too. I was getting to about 90 miles to the tank (recently mid 70s!!) and the average CO_A/F Ratio was 11.4ish So that was out of line too. I didn't really have the cash to get any tuning done right then and It was something I wanted to do myself also. The problems it turns out where two fold. A: Those sexy mad max pipes I loved so much... slip ons that kill my HP. B: Apparently the owner before the guy I bought it from decided to toss a jet kit in there with out tuning it.
I get back to the appt and start doing research. My first concern was my HP. Now 94 is more than I need. Its more than enough to kill myself that's for sure. But being a man, doing man things. Having less HP than stock did not sit right with me. After a few weeks I ordered a exhaust system from Marks. 4-2 14" pipes 2.25" wide. Sadly right before the pipes got delivered, something financial came up unexpected. It was simply a crap situation and I called mark to let him know. He was very understanding and professional. I actually didn't end up paying him till maybe 3 weeks AFTER the delivery. Lets just say I was very embarrassed and pissed at myself for this. I called him told him that I could finally pay him and he said not a problem at all, got his mypay information and payed him that night. So now I have a box full of exhaust I can finally install on my bike after sitting in my living room for 3 weeks... I wasent about to have it installed till I had it payed.
Now I wanted to install the exhaust myself, I talked to mark and he said it was really only a 4 hour job or so for someone with not much skill with bikes, which I defiantly lack the skill. My biggest concern was the fact that I live in an apartment complex and if I need to take a brake I don't have a garage to work in so my bike would be sitting in the parking lot half torn apart. My other concern was that the two people I rode with (for the short time I have had my bike) Moved so it would just be me by myself working on the bike. In the end I decided it was best to wait till I saved up some money and get it professionally installed.
So as of right now it is sitting in the shop. I just got back from looking at it the window sitting up on the dyno machine looking sexy as hell with marks pipes on. They ran it on the dyno after putting the pipes on and these guys where impressed. Smiling and half way laughing when they where talking about the sound quality of the exhaust. Now keep in mind this was the same shop who I talked to and said after working on Vmaxs for X amount of years, always found that 3rd party pipes took away from the Vmax and never added anything to it. :clapping:They haven't run any numbers because I told them along with installing the pipes to sync the carbs if they need to be and re-tune the jet kit. Hopefully they will continue to be impressed with Marks Pipes.
Sadly I wont get my bike back till the end of the week or so. Aparently when looking at the jet kit something was wrong with the needles so they are going back to stock, which is fine for me. I am sure down the road I will get Morelys Jet Kit. Now I just have to wait for it to get in, and have them re-tune it and then do a Dyno run so I can compare how the bike was when I got it, to how it runs now.
And that's my story.... Hopefully I will have more to add once I get the bike back.
