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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127795
(Left) The other Item that was a little bit more than boltoOn was the passinglight kit. The wires are color-matched and InstnJctlons clear, but it Is best to check the wiring with a multi-tester. (Below) Second only to the windshield as an aid to rider comfort was the leather seat made by Corbin for YlIJ1Ulha. and the use of an air compressor to finally get on (we later replaced them because we thought they were too big to grip comfortably). The other two items that took extra time and know-how were the passing-light kit (electrical, though dear instructions are included), and the front- fender mascot, which required careful measurement for the holes you have to drill in the front fender. Use a sharp bit. And don't slip. The item we liked the best was the studded leather seat - made by Corbin for Yamaha. The stock seat is good, but nothing beats a Corbin. If you plan to carry a passenger for any distance, get a bigger pillion pad than the one we used, or keep the stock piece. The only other items we weren't impressed with were the billet accessory mirrors. Yes, the oval, machined mirrors look cool, but the optical quality is poor. The studded leather saddlebags look good (am I reaUy saying studs look good?) and it's nice to have some extra storage, but for guys used to hard saddlebags with quick-release buckles, the belt-buckle-type closure with inner zipper is cumbersome at best. But as we soon learned, function is largely secondary when it comes to customizing cruisers. When you begin to examine the outright expense of the whole project over $3800 in Yamaha accessories - then you see the real irony: Precious few of these parts actually enhance the performance function of the motorcycle. But it's cool - as long as it's cooL After about five hours with one to three people working on the bike to install the more than 40 parts, we were finaUy through. The finished bike is stunning and makes stock Royal Stars look like white bread - totally plain. Our project was an extreme and meant to demonstrate what could be done: How you do it, well, that's entirely up to you. And that's the real beauty of building a custom motorcycle. (N Sound decision T here is only one thing more important than looking cool on a cruiser: Sounding cool. So the final flourish on the project Royal Star was the addition of a set of Vance clr Hines Straight-Cut slipon silencers (Yamaha does not offer accessory pipes). And just for kicks we ran the bike on Vance clr Hines' Dynojet rear-wheel dynamometer before and after installing the new pi pes to see what kind of horsepower I torque gain would be realized. Installation of the $679 silencers was straightforward (especially when you get the tech guys at V&tH to do it for you) and aD necessary bnockets are included. The tip of eech 01 the four pipes is fitted with a billet-machined end cap and the siIena!rs themselves are stamped with the Vance clr Hines logo. The quality of the chrome is very high. The mcrease m power output wasn't dramatic - 3•• hp and 5 ft.-Ibs. at 3750 rpm - but actu- aDy isn't bad considering the pipes were the only mods. Up to around 3000 rpm. the power d1aracteristics before and after were virtually icIential with only the slightest advantage going to the V&tH silencers. Beyond that, however, output _ boost1!d by alleast 1 hp. The seat-of-the-pants Impression is a bit cliffelent than what you might expect from the raw numbers. though the extra power in the midrange is just peteepIib\e. StiD, the 64-hp Roya1 Star will never wow you with wild burnouts or smash your eyeballs against the back of your alaaIl from sheer force of acceleration. The addition of the pipes, though. makes it sound Ub it might. Yes, the real plus is in the chanae of tuDe. The Ilodt Royal Star oounds good. but with pipes there aren't too 1IUll\y bikes out tIiere that sound beller. The Vana!" Hines StraiKht Cut sIip-<>ns give the RoyaJ Star the bark of a top-laeIer without being so loud as to offend those 01 a more fragile constitution. Va« iii HbIH Imo MimpUmIt Aw. SIlItlI h SprlIrp, CA . , . nOlm-'461 (Above) The addition of the studded Iealher SlIddIebegs required the use of chrome frames to ettllch them securely to the bike. Uke all the lICC8SSOries offered by YlIJ1UlM, required hardware Is Included and all of It Is metric. The parts, the price P8rt_ Custom solo seat wi skirt, studs, concho STR-4NK24-10·04 Pillion pad. full. studded STR4NK25-20-o2 Chrome master-cylinder cover. pair STR4NK 18-1 O-CR Passing light kit (for windshield mounting) STR-4NK35-00-01 Custom grips. foam insert STR-4NK37-10-01 Visor, headlight STR-4NK58·10-00 Visors. passing lights, pair STR-4NK58-20-00 Visors. tum signal, pair STR-4NK58-30-00 Chrome saddlebag support bars STR-4NK73-40-OO Engine guards STR-4NL31-OO-00 Windshield - Road Star STR-4NK06-10-00 Windshield mount hardware STR-4NL03-40-00 Billet Mirror Assembly, oval ball-milled. left STR-4NK 13-31-00 Billet Mirror Assembly, oval ball-milled. right STR-4NK13-32-00 Billet license frame w/backing plate & logo STR-4NK27-01-03 STR-4NK27-02-02 Billet fork cap covers. ball-milled. pair Billet pass. footpeg backing plates. ball-milled. pair STR-4NK27-03-02 Billet front axle bolt covers. ball-milled..pair STR-4NK27-04-02 Billet rear axle bolt covers. ball-milled. pair STR-4NK27-05-02 Billet fork stem nut cap. ball-milled. each STR-4NK27-06-02 Billet diff. breather cover, ball-milled. each STR-4NK27-o7-02 Billet dif£. filler bolt cover, ball-milled, each STR-4NK27-08-02 Billet gas tank mount covers, ball-milled. pair STR-4NK27-Q9..02 Billet rider flOOfboard covers wi rubber ribs STR-4NK27-11-03 Billet brake pad wi rubber ribs STR-4NK27-12-03 Billet shift peg covers. ball-milled STR-4NK27-13-02 Billet oil filler cap STR-4NK27-14-01 Billet engine breather cap covers. ball-milled, pr STR-4NK27-15-02 Billet brake cal. accents. ball-milled 3-piece STR-4NK27-16-02 Billet handlebar clamp, ball-milled wi logo STR-4NK27-1 7-03 Billet motor mount covers. ball-milled. pair . STR-4NK27-18-02 Billet pass. footpegs wi rubber ribs STR-4NK36-1 0-03 Leather tank panel, narrow, studded STR-4NK49-20-01 Royal Star front fender mascot STR-4NK14-01-OO Chrome radiator side covers STR-4NK26-10-00 Chrome fender tip, front/front STR-4NK26-90-OO Chrome fender tip, front/rear STR-4NK26-91-00 Chrome fender tip, rear STR-4NK26-92-00 Chrome battery side covers STR-4NK26-30-00 ClasSic deluxe saddlebags. studded ABA-3JK73-OO-O 1 Vance & Hines Straight Cut slip·on silencer.l 18565 T-. '329.95 '169.95 '29.95 '209.95 '29.95 '14.95 '14.95 '13.95 (2) '69.95 '91.95 '229.95 '79.95 '99.95 '99.95 '69.95 '47.95 '107.95 '88.95 '55.95 '24.95 (3) '22.95 '22.95 '59.95 '244.95 '45.95 '45.95 '34.95 '99.95 '45.95 '64.95 '45.95 '89.95 '59.95 '92.95 '119.95 '99.95 '109.95 '109.95 '174.95 '357.95 '679.00 '4573.85