I loved my Road King. After all modifications it fit me perfectly and handled like a dream. The only problem was inadequate weather protection on a long ride. Especially in the fall when mornings and evenings became rather chilly. In late October we decided to have a  two-day ride to Virginia Beach, VA. We planned to leave NYC Saturday morning, stay in Virginia Beach overnight and be back home Sunday night. Saturday was sunny and relatively warm, 55 - 60F. The ride was nice and only when we entered Virginia Beach the weather started getting rough, the sun disappeared and the sky became dark. As soon as we checked in the motel and covered our bikes, the rain started. It was pouring rain but we were already inside relaxing after the ride and enjoying Jameson that tasted really good. Next morning I steeped outside in my T-shirt to put my stuff in the saddlebags but quickly returned back to the room - it was unpleasantly freezing on the street. I checked my iPhone and it showed 36F with the highest temperature of the day being 43F with occasional rain. Wow. Cold. We put all the clothes we had on, put our rain gear on top of that and started our ride to NYC. Just a couple of miles from Virginia Beach the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel begins. It was amazingly nice on Saturday on our way to Virginia Beach, when the weather was good but it was unbearably cold to ride on now. Its length is 23 miles and those were the worst miles I'd ever ridden. In short it was extremely cold. Among our group was a guy on a Gold Wing and another guy on a HD Road Glide. Looked like they were totally OK with this ride, the weather protection on their bikes was so good, they did not even understand why I was shivering when we stopped after we crossed this bridge-tunnel. At that time I decided that if I was planning to do any long distance rides, I had to do something about my bike. The chopped windshield on my Road King was a joke and no leg protection did not help either. So, all the ride back I was contemplating different options what I would do with my bike. By the end of our trip I had a solid decision to convert it to Electra Glide. 
I started reading all possible internet forums, talking to my friends and mechanics I knew and pretty soon I figured what was needed to complete this conversion. I wanted to stay with HD OEM parts, I did not want any aftermarket parts so everything was pretty straightforward. The only thing that bothered me was a fuel tank. The fuel tank on a Road King has a fuel hole on the right side and a fuel gauge on the left side. The fuel tank on Electra Glide has afuel door just in the center of the tank. If I decided to change my tank and install the Electra Glide tank, it would cost me about $2,000.00 parts and labor. Way too much. 
Then I noticed that my friends 2011 SVO Street Glide had exactly the same tank configuration as mine on the Road King with just a nice chrome center console instead of the Road King tank mounted speedometer. I called my dealer and he said that this console would cost me $220.00. Excellent! Instead of paying $2000.00 I could get away with $220.00 and still keep all HD OEM parts. I bought outer and inner fairings, stereo, speakers and all other necessary parts, partially from my dealer, partially on eBay if the parts were new and the price was better than my dealer could offer. I decided not to play around with this conversion myself and gave the whole project to my favorite and trusted dealership - Baer Harley Davidson in Honesdale, PA.
I gave them my bike in the end of November, 2011 and told them that they can have it till spring 2012. I came to check on the bike every now and then and was very pleased with the progress. I sold all the parts that came off the Road King - headlamp nacelle, windshield, fuel tank console with the speedo etc. and covered some cost of the new parts. Originally I wanted them to install a detachable King Ultra Tour-pak with incandescent wrap-around Tail Lamp, the Ultra Glide style backrest, ,  Chrome  Premium Tour-Pak® Hinges and Rear Speaker Pod Kit, so they made all electric harnesses with quick detachable connectors(speakers, tail lights and antenna) in case I would like to take the Tour-Pak off but later I changed my mind and ordered a chopped Tour-Pak, 'cause I thought it was easier to remove it from the bike and put it back and also it just looked better on the bike. I left all the wiring and connectors (coiled them and put them under the seat) - maybe someday I would install antenna and speakers on my Tour-Pak. I kept the luggage rack and passenger upright that I had on the Road King in case I would take off the Tour Pak and decide to ride the stripped down version of my bike. I also installed vented fairing lowers with Quick Flap Magnetic Doors that added long distance comfort and good looks to the bike. Previously I had Kuryyakyn Extended Girder Shift Lever and Brake Pad installed but they interfered with the vents in the lowers so I installed the original brake pedal and Kuryakyn toe shifter (stock length) with a heel shifter eliminator, because I never use the heel shifter. To my surprise the stock setup was no less comfortable and I even noticed that the stock brake pedal angle felt more natural than the on of the Kuryakyn Extended version. 
So, basically my newly modified bike after the conversion had all the OEM Harley Davidson parts. I liked this fact because it made the bike more serviceable and I really trusted Harley quality nowadays.  The only aftermarket parts that were installed on my bike were:
Maverick  Daddy Long Legs Seat
Klock Werks Dark Smoke Flare Windshield 6-1/2″

At 10,000 miles service Baer Harley Davidson changed the rear tire and did Stage-One on my bike: they installed a Screaming Eagle air cleaner kit and remapped EFI. I had Vince and Hines slip-ons on the bike already, so I did not have to do anything extra with my exhaust. The bike runs much better and feels more powerful now.

After I finished this project, I realized that I have actually created a Conversion Kit for those who want to convert their Road Kings into Street Glides. 
I think I will ride for a month to make sure that everything works perfectly (honestly, I don't see any reason, why it shouldn't - all the parts are Harley-Davidson OEM parts and everything was done by the professional HD mechanics) and then I will take it off the bike - the whole assembly, like a kit and sell it on eBay. I have another project in mind for my bike.

Here is a detailed description of this kit with prices for all the components:

A Conversion Kit to convert a HD Road King to Street Glide CVO style, color Red Hot Sunglo.

This kit includes everything you need to convert your Road king into Street Glide CVO style:

All parts are Harley-Davidson OEM parts except for Klock Werks windshield which looks and works much better than HD windshield.

What you are getting in this kit;

1.       Inner fairing     MSRP: $178.00

2.       Outer fairing    MSRP: $560.00

3.       High Performance Fairing Speakers    MSRP: $149.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448774054&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374309434065&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374309434065&locale=en_US&bmUID=1336073151533&bmLocale=en_US

4.       Advanced Audio AM/FM/CD Radio Kit by Harman/Kardon®    MSRP: $999.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448768271&default=none

5.       Speedometer, Tachometer, Voltmeter, Oil Temp Gauge    MSRP: $299.95

6.       Two fairing  twitters CVO style  MSRP:  $88.00

7.       Fairing Mount Mirrors    MSRP: $69.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441849597&default=none

8.       Antenna Relocation Kit - AM/FM    MSRP: $69.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442073939&default=none

9.       Shorty AM/FM Antenna    MSRP: $29.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448772524&default=none

10.   Color-Matched Vented Fairing Lower Kit    MSRP: $649.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448766619&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302287009&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302287009&bmUID=1162909821632&bmLocale=en_US

11.   Detachable Fairing Lower Hardware Kit    MSRP: $99.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448771257&default=none

12.   Fairing Lower Quick Flap Magnetic Doors    MSRP: $49.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448777397&default=none

13.   Soft Storage Bag for Fairing Lowers    MSRP:  $79.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448771258&default=none

14.   CVO style gas tank console    MSRP: $220.00

With this console you can use the Road King gas tank, because CVO Street Glide has the same gas tank with a fueling cap on the right and fuel gauge on the left.

15.   Klock Werks Flare Windshield For Batwing Fairings, Tinted, 6.5"   MSRP: $179.00

http://www.kustombaggers.com/Street-Glide-Electra-GlideUltra-Batwing-Style-Fairings-detail.htm?productId=-238377&shopBy=-7172&catalogId=-1790

16.   Adjustable Air Deflector Kit    MSRP: $109.95

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524448771261&default=none

17.   The ignition switch,  switches cover, lower triple-tree cover  and all brackets, wiring, harnesses that you need to install this kit on a Road King    MSRP: $400.00

18.   Harley-Davidson ORM touring handlebar     MSRP: $86.00

19.   Wiring harnesses with quick release connectors for Tour-Pak rear speakers, Tour-Pak antenna relocation and Tour-Pak brake lights    MSRP: $100.00

Total MSRP: $4,420.95

Right before Christmas in 2010 I bought my Road King '10. It was a demo model and I got a very good deal. The bike had had some modifications already, like Vance and Hines Twin Slash Ovals Slip-Ons, 4-point docking hardware and mid-frame air deflectors. 
Later I did the following mods to the bike:
Mustang Vintage Super Solo SeatWide Rear Seat, 13.5" wideDetachable Passenger Sissy Bar Upright - Standard-Height, Chrome with Mustang Smooth Passenger Backrest Pad 12" x 9"Detachable Two-Up Luggage Rack for which I bought Premium Touring Luggage Collection - Touring Bag. I installed Detachables Locks on the rack and the passenger syssy bar to make sure they won't leave my bike while I am not watching it. The Mustang seat moved me about 1.25" further back but I wanted more leg room and installed Kuryakyn Extended Girder Shift Lever, Heel Shift Lever Eliminator, Extended Girder Brake Pedal and Extended Reach Rider Footboard Pans. Now the seating position was perfect. 
On my previous bike, 2006 Electra Glide, I installed a couple of parts that proved to be rather useful besides just looking good.
I decided to install the same parts on my new Road King. Here they are: 

Saddlebag Guard Bag and Water Bottle Holder - Bar & Shield Logo, Left sideTwin Rail Chrome Saddlebag Guard Kit - effectively protects the saddlebags from scratches. Touring Saddlebag Lid Rails - you can tie lots of different things to these rails. I usually tie my bike cover there on long rides. I added Touring V-Logo Front Fender Rail to the front fender because it seemed that it will look good together with Twin Rail Chrome Saddlebag Guards. I bought  Deluxe Saddlebag Liners - very convenient. I pack them at home and then slide them into the saddlebags. Also I take them to the hotel when we stay overnight. I added a Chrome Ignition Cover, H-D part number  67866-08 that looked very nice and also covered the ignition from rain and dust. The stock handlebar was OK but I wanted a greater comfort, so I changed it for Heritage Style Handlebar - Polished. All stock wires and cables fit just fine, so it was not a big deal. This new handlebar provided a better hands position, at least for me, and was very comfortable on a long ride. 
Another modification that I had already done on my previous Harley was a change of the front and rear suspension. I got rid of the rear air shocks and front fork springs and installed  Progressive Suspension 940 Ultra Touring Shocks 940-4020UT andProgressive Front Fork Spring Kit, part number 11-1131 instead. The result was predictable and satisfactory. The Progressive rear shocks were 12" - an inch shorter than the stock ones and swallowed the bumps on the road very well. The front fork springs worked also better than the stock and added more stability to the ride, especially during turns.The stock windshield was too tall to my taste (even though I am 6'3") and I installed National Cycle Mount Kit KIT-Q343  and   SwitchBlade® Chopped™ Clear Windshield. Not only did it look much better than the stock windshield, it also had a lock, so it couldn't be taken off the bike easily. I like when everything is secured on my bike.
With this chopped windshield the stock passing lamps and blinkers looked too bulky and I took them off and installed Harley Davidson Custom Touring Front Bullet Turn Signals and matching rear blinkers and license plate assembly. I don't know the part number for this assembly, my dealer found it for me, but here is a picture:

I installed  Adjustable Highway Peg Mounting Kit - 360 Degrees with Cushion Footpegs so I can stretch my legs on long rides.
My bike was equipped with a cruise control but I used a Crampbuster more often. One more addition was 
Bar & Shield Logo Self-Locking Fuel Cap - looked good and were functional.

Here is what I installed on the bike:

National Cycle Mount Kit KIT-Q343 
SwitchBlade® Chopped™ Clear Windshield 
Progressive Suspension 940 Ultra Touring Shocks 940-4020UT
Progressive Front Fork Spring Kit, part number 11-1131
Chrome Fuel Tank Console
Saddle Bag Rail Guards
Saddle Bag Lid Guards
Touring V-Logo Front Fender Rail 
Saddlebag Guard Bag and Water Bottle HolderHeritage Style HandlebarFoot Pegs
Adjustable Highway Peg Mounting Kit - 360 Degrees
Compact Passenger Backrest Pad
Extended Reach Rider Footboard Pan
Kuryakyn Extended Girder Shift Lever 
Heel Shift Lever Eliminator
Extended Girder Brake Pedal 
Deluxe Saddlebag Liners
Harley Davidson Custom Touring Front Bullet Turn Signals 
Mustang Vintage Super Solo Seat
Wide Rear Seat 13.5" wide
Detachable Passenger Sissy Bar Upright - Standard-Height, Chrome
Mustang Smooth Passenger Backrest Pad 12" x 9"
Detachable Two-Up Luggage Rack 
Premium Touring Luggage Collection - Touring Bag
Detachables Locks 
Bar & Shield Logo Self-Locking Fuel Cap 

I rode from New York to St. John, NB last fall (you can read my blog about it) and I liked this ride so much that I kept on telling my friends how good it was and how much I would like to repeat this ride this coming summer. Over the beer during cold New York winter evenings we started planning our future ride. My ride last fall was only four days but we wanted to make our summer ride a little longer so we could see more of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I made some modifications to my Road King, I'll write about them in a separate blog, and I was ready for any long distance ride. We decided to have this ride in early June, instead of going to boring Americade, where we had been many times already. One more reason to ride at this time was that the prices for hotels and motels in Maine become unreal high after mid June.
The original idea looked like this: NYC - Oguntuite, ME - Bar Harbor, ME - Lubec, ME -  St. John, NB - Halifax, NS, where each town was an overnight stay, except for Lubec, ME - a nice little town which is the East Most settlement in the USA. We wanted just to stop there for a quick lunch and then cross into Canada. The border line is right in the town.

We did not have any plans for our way back home. One of the possible routes from Halifax, NS was this:
Fredericton, NB - Quebec, QC - Lake Placid, NY - NYC, NY
Then we realized that we missed one of the most interesting places in New Brunswick - Hopewell Rocks at the Bay of Fundu with its tides when the water can rise up to 50 feet. 

We changed our route and now it looked like this: Halifax, NS - Hopewell Rocks, Hopewell Cape, NB
We still haven't decided how we would go from Hopewell Rocks to NYC, maybe we'll follow the same route we came there with overnight stops in different towns for a change. 

The Daytona Bike Week is a very important event for the East Coast riders. It’s even more important for those living in the Northern States because by the time it starts – first week of March – us, Northern states residents, are so fed up with the cold weather, that we are happy to have an excuse to relax under the sun in beautiful Florida.

We all in our group had different opinions about how to get to Daytona Beach. Several hardcore riders, including one girl - Lera, wanted to ride all the way from Brooklyn, NY to Daytona Beach, FL. It wasn’t something new and unusual for them, they’d been doing this  every March for seven years. Others wanted to ride to Washington DC and take an auto train to Orlando, FL from there. The rest of the group wanted to fly to Fort Lauderdale, FL and rent bikes there at the local Harley-Davidson dealership. I just bought my new H-D Road King in December, it had about 100 miles on the clock, so I decided it wouldn’t be a wise idea to take a brand new bike to such a long trip. I also ordered some parts, like a handlebar, seats, cables, etc. that I wanted to install and test on shorter rides, so I opted for flying and renting. 

Day 1, March 7

The first group, hardcore riders, left Saturday morning on March 5th. Those who chose auto train from Washington DC left the same day – they had to be at the rail road station on Sunday morning. The rest of us spent the weekend in NYC and met at LaGuardia airport Monday morning, March 7th. When I was waiting for a car service to the airport in front of my house, I thought that the winter would never end in New York; it was so cold and windy that I looked strangely to the people on the street in my motorcycle jacket and a helmet attached to my backpack. There were ten of us on the flight to Fort Lauderdale and it seemed like other passengers did not have a clue about Daytona Bike Week because they asked us what was all this motorcycle attire for. We were a remarkable group – big guys in leather jackets and vests, some with their helmets on, because it was uncomfortable to carry them in hands, excited and loud. The air hostesses, though, were quite happy to have us on board and asked us to try on the helmets and take a picture with them. The flight was fun.

The first thing I noticed in Fort Lauderdale airport was warm air thick with summer smell. Man, I missed this kind of an air for  five  long cold New York months. It was 37 Fahrenheit in NYC and it was 76 in Fort Lauderdale. A paradise. We took taxis to  Best Western  and in no time I was sitting with a beer in my hand at the pool trying to understand why I lived in New York when there is Florida.

We spent the day walking along the beach, drinking in the bars and finished the evening in Chima steakhouse. Not cheap but very delicious. 

Day 2, Tuesday

In the morning, after a complimentary breakfast, we took a taxi to Fort Lauderdale Harley Davidson dealership, where was an office of Eagle Rider motorcycle rental. The service was beyond any expectations. Everything was done fast and perfectly well. They even had complimentary coffee, tea and snacks there. We were there 10 minutes before the openning but they immediately took care of us. Our motorcycle adventure began just right! I rented an Electra Glide Classic. Four of our busiest guys who had to work on Monday came to the dealership straight from the airport and within two hours we were all on bikes and ready for fun. Three of our guys lived in Miami and Hollandale,  so they just rode to the dealership to meet us and guide us to Daytona Beach. 

We stopped at our hotel, took our staff, checked out and headed North. After New York everything in Florida looked unbelievably nice - nice weather, roads without potholes and cracks, no helmet law, friendly drivers, clean streets... We were doing 95 Mph on I-95 N and we were not the fastest riders on the road. At some point we were riding through orange groves and it smelled so nicely that I slowed down to stay in this aroma longer. It took us a little under 5 hours to get to our hotel in Daytona Beach. Because our party was big - more than 20 people, we were all staying in different hotels. We stayed in The Shores Resort & Spa which was really good and cost less than it looked it would. More than half of the guests were bikers, the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed. We left our luggage in the rooms, called our guys who staid in other hotels, discussed where we would meet and went to the main strip where all the action occurred.  

Later in the evening we all returned to our hotel and continued partying around the fireplace on the beach almost till the morning.

Day 3, Wednesday

It was nice and worm even in the morning and we had a complimentary breakfast on the outside patio. I sincerely envied people who lived in Florida and did not have to deal with awful New York winter. The plans for the day were to go to the market where all major motorcycle vendors brought their products and then go to St Augustine - a beautiful town North of Daytona Beach. The market was crowded, lots of small shacks with everything from mandatory Daytona Bike Week T-shirts to parts and accessories to knives and belts. People spoke all possible languages; we had a couple of beers with guys from Finland. We spent there about two hours and left for St Augustine.

The ride to St Augustine was wonderful. For a little longer than an hour we were cruising along the ocean through small towns full of bikers, past huge and beautiful mansions on the beach and numerous crocodile farms. I did not want this ride to end. St Augustine, the nation's oldest city, is also known as one of the nation's most charming. We walked around the city for a while, did some bar hopping and then had a lunch in a nice restaurant with a live music.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Iron Horse Saloon. If you've never been there, you should see it at least once.
Here is a small video that I found on YouTube. It's not mine, but it gives you the idea.
You can ride your bike right to the bar and have all the fun you want. There are hundreds of bikers, hundreds of gallons of beer and liquor but the atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed. At the exit from the bar there was a police check point but they did not bother anybody who behaved and did not fall off the bike. Around the midnight a light rain started and we decided it was time to go to bed. 

Day 4, Thursday


We had to go to Miami to meet our friends there but it was raining in the morning, so we just took our time and had our breakfast. The rain was slowing and slowing and finally stopped. We put our rain gear on just in case it would start again and hit the road. The weather was gloomy, the road was wet so I just concentrated on riding. It was a rather long ride - about five hours, we had a couple of stops for coffee and food and gas. At one of the gas stations we saw a small pond surrounded with a chain link fence. I looked over the fence and saw two alligators - one in the pond and another on the grass near the water. They did not pay any attention to us even though we started yelling and calling them, clapping our hands. We don't see too many alligators near gas stations in the North East, just bears maybe. The closer we were to Miami, the better became the weather and in the end it was so hot that I had to stop and take my rain gear off. 
As I said before, Florida vs New York  wins hands down in terms of motorcycle riding. The roads are much better.  No winter at all. Florida drivers are much friendlier to bikers. No helmet law. Florida is good.
Our Miami guys waited for us in Hollandale, where one of them reserved a party place in his building for us. We had a good time relaxing after the ride, ate and drank and then went to the beach where some of our guys had enough courage to swim in the ocean in spite of the rather cold water.

Our Miami friends had big plans for us for Friday. We met early morning at Kalinka Deli on Collins Ave in Sunny Isles, Miami. The food was good, the waitress was pretty, the weather was fine - a perfect start for a long day.  
So many bikers was not a common thing for this place and customers were looking at us cautiously but with an interest. 
First we rode up Collins Ave, through Hollywood, all the way towards Fort Lauderdale. We saw channels along along which stood gorgeous houses  and huge boats, sometimes bigger than the houses themselves, parked near those houses like regular cars. We cruised around downtown Fort Lauderdale and along the beach, and then rode to 15th Street Fishers & Dockside Cafe, a famous seafood restaurant. The restaurant was right on the water and the view was very nice. We fed fish and other creatures throwing bread and fries in the water.The food was delicious and inexpensive.

After lunch we went to Boca Raton.  I was riding, looking at all the bautiful houses and buildings around me, at people walking in shorts and T-shirts in the beginning of March and couldn't find an explanation of what holds me in New York. We kept on riding North and soon entered West Palm Beach. It's another beautiful city about 60 miles North of Miami. Neat streets and expensive buildings and mansions. I heard that the real estate along Ocean Drive just starts at 10 million dollars and I believe it. In downtown West Palm Beach there were a lot of nice boutiques, restaurants and bars. The best words to describe the feeling of the town would be tranquility and relaxation.

We came back to Miami when it was already dark and went to South Beach area where all night entertainment was. We chose a Tapas & Tintos restaurant on Espanola way - a pedestrian street, where all restaurants had tables on the sidewalks. The rest of the evening we were just eating, drinking, and listening to the music on the street

Day 6, Saturday

In Miami we stayed in Newport Beachside Resort. It was on Collins ave in Sunny Iisles. Right on the beach, the drinks in the  bar were complimentary during happy hours, maybe it was some kind of a promotion but I drank for free two days in the row. The rooms were not cheap but Daytona Bike Week is just once a year. The indoor motorcycle parking was convenient , so all in all I was happy with the hotel.  

We had to return our bikes before 5 pm, so we decided to ride around Miami, have a lunch and then ride to Fort lauderdale Harley Davidson dealership where we rented our bikes. It was Saturday, the traffic was light and we just enjoyed one more day in sunny Florida.

Day 7, Sunday

Last day of our trip. I really did not want going back to cold and rainy New York. There were ten of us left in Miami, others who rode all the way back to New York or used the auto train from Orlando to Washington, left on Saturday. We did not have much to do, so we were killing time before our flight drinking beer and catching the last sun before the New York summer and making riding plans for the new season.
New York met us with cold winds and 36 Fahrenheit. The whole next day I couldn't believe that I was not in Florida anymore and did not want to go outside. I called my friends and everybody felt about the same. But everybody agreed that Daytona Bike Week had been one of  the best rides in resent years.

It was that time of the year in the North East when you can travel from NYC to Bar Harbor, ME and feel like you’re going from summer to winter. With the nicest fall foliage ever. The trick is to choose the right weekend. You don’t catch the right weather, your trip will turn into a nightmare with cold rain and gusty winds. We were lucky to get four perfect days in October, Thursday to Sunday. What I like about riding in the fall is that you pack relatively light – all the clothes goes right on you and you have just necessary toiletries and some small stuff in your bags. No hot days, colder nights. It’s always rather chilly in the North East this time of the year.

Day 1, Thursday.

We did not have any particular plan for this trip, we wanted to get to Bar Harbor, ME and then make our plans depending of the weather and how we would feel.  There were four bikes in our party, two touring Harleys and two Gold Wings, so we all had an adequate weather protection and could ride in comfort. We left early morning and decided to make the first long stop in Boston, MA. We took Belt Parkway, rode through Queens, crossed Whitestone Bridge, took Hutchinson River Parkway and got to I-95 N. The road was not particularly interesting, lots of trucks, road work and a bad pavement. New York City including its boroughs has the worst roads in the USA to my opinion and it stays like that within a 50 mile zone around NYC. Then miraculously the roads become much better. Somewhere after Stamford, CT we stopped dodging potholes and started enjoying our ride to its fullest. The traffic moved well and we got to Boston with no problems. We parked on Massachusetts Ave. right in front of The First Church of Christ. We walked to Newbury Street - a cozy street with a lot of shops, bars and restaurants on both sides, walked on Newbury to the Boston Public Garden which was amazingly clean and well maintained compared to New York Central Park. 

We crossed the garden, turned left and found a nice Irish pub where we decided to have lunch. The lunch was good, we washed it down with a glass of beer, got outside and walked up Commonwealth Ave to Massachusetts Ave. It was more like a boulevard with  trees and a pedestrian path in the middle. The old houses and buildings were immaculate and mixed nicely with the modern skyscrapers.

We left Boston with a definite opinion that it was one of the most beautiful cities in America. As I said before we did not have any specific plan for our trip, so arbitrarily we choose Portland, ME as our next destination and an overnight stay. As soon as we were out of Boston city limits, we found our way to US-1 N and rode along the shore passing one small town after another. Nice and easy. No rush, no speeding. Just turning our heads left and right trying to see all interesting things around. At some point we were riding right along the ocean and the views were spectacular! The only problem with the travelling at this time of the year is an early sunset. It was getting dark when we entered a small town with a strange name - Ogunquit. It looked really nice and we voted to stay there instead of riding to Portland which was about 40 more minutes further up North. We found a decent motel called Seacastles Resort, just a 2 minutes walk from the main town's intersection where all bars and restaurants were.

Day 2, Friday

After a  quick breakfast we were back on the road towards our next destination - Bar Harbor, ME. We kept on riding along the shore, it was so nice that we did not want get on the highway and were staying on back roads as long as possible. We stopped in small towns if we saw something interesting. We did not have a schedule and we took all the time we wanted to enjoy our ride.

Main is known for its lobsters. You can have them both in posh restaurants and small shacks on the side of the road. In Wells, ME we found such a shack which was right on the river and the lobsters were brought from the boat straight to the kitchen. A nice lobster dinner cost $21.99 per person. Not bad. Main is also known for its blueberry and home made blueberry jams were sold next to the lobsters. While our lobsters were being cooked we went to Mike's Clam Shack across the street. It was quite an interesting establishment where under one roof were a bar, a restaurant and a book store. 

There was almost no traffic and the pavement on the road was unbelievably  good. No potholes, no cracks whatsoever. I did not have to worry about it and could ride and concentrate on the Maine nature. Only a day ago in NYC it was rather warm and all the trees were green. Here the trees were mostly red and yellow and it was only 47 Fahrenheit outside. But nevertheless I was happy and  ready to ride all day long. When we came to Bar Harbor the sun was already going down and we stopped at Jack Russell's Steakhouse and  Brewery for a beer to celebrate the end of Day 2 riding.

We checked in Wonder View Inn, parked our bikes and walked to downtown Bar Harbor.
Bar Harbor is a very neat small town with lots of bars and restaurants and some very expensive real estate. We turned on Cottage Street and got into a tavern called Thirsty Whale. Nice crowd, good beer and live music set the ground for the evening.   Soon we were chatting with other patrons and had a good time in general. Most people were locals there, if not from Bar Harbor itself, then from the surrounding towns. Not too many tourists in late October in Bar Harbor. We started asking about places worth visiting and a cool, slightly drunk and relaxed couple from Lubec insisted that we go and see their home town. They said it was the Eastmost town in the US and also there was a crossing into Canada there. OK, we had no better plans, so it was agreed that we were going there next day. As the plans had been set we started bar hopping and were pleasantly surprised to see that all the places we swung by were really good. We were also glad that we walked there from our motel because riding after a couple of hours of our beer drinking frenzy was out of question. 

Day 3, Saturday

We had a long day ahead of us, so we got up at about 7:30 am, had a complimentary continental breakfast and rode towards Lubec, ME. We were going through rural Maine - blueberry fields, woods and excellent back roads. 

It took us about two hours to get to Lubec. It was a really small town, it was just one main intersection there and it did not even have a traffic light. From this intersection we could either turn left and get to a two-block long Water street, or go straight across a 300 feet long bridge which also served as a border line between the US and Canada. You enter the bridge in the US and you get off the bridge in Canada 30 seconds later. There were four places where we could eat on Water street, so we turned left. We went to Water Street Tavern, it was a nice, clean place with a friendly owner and a pretty waitress/bartender. There were also several locals at the bar and they were all interested and ready to talk about our ride. They couldn't believe we came all the way from NYC to Lubec without any particular reason and admitted that they had never been in NYC and considered going there a life-time experience. We asked what they would suggest us to see in Canada and the owner said that St. John, NB would be a good idea. We had to cross the border and take a ferry to St.John.  OK, the next destination set, we finished our lunch, said our good-byes and rode to the border, which was 3 minutes away. We waived the American border guards, there were two guys sitting in a booth, and entered Canada. A smiling lady in the uniform asked us where we were going. we said 'St. John', and she said 'No way, the ferry is closed till next spring'. She told us to turn around, get back to the US and cross into Canada in Calais, from where we could get on a highway to St. John. No problem. After being in Canada for 2 minutes we got back to the US. The border guards laughed at our story and explained us how to get to Calais. In about 45 minutes we were there.

We stopped at the Duty Free shop to buy rum infused with lingonberry - what a drink, you should try it! It's only sold in the Duty Free shops, at least that's the only place I saw it. We crossed into Canada, New Brunswick, got to NB-1 E highway and rode towards St. John. This highway is wide, with almost no traffic and it goes through beautiful Canadian landscape. It took us  an hour and a half to get to St. John.

There are a lot of  places to see in New Brunswick and St. John is one of them. The city is located on the St. John River and there is an entertainment center, like a huge play ground with a stage where live music is played in the summer, just on the river bank. St. John is a Northern city and the warm season is only from May till October, so it was not much activity on the streets when we came there. But there was a lot of activity inside the bars. We stayed at Hilton right in downtown near the Market Place so we were in the walking distance from the bars that had proved to be a wise decision back in Bar Harbor. We walked around the city for a while, found it very nice and interesting and headed to Ale House that was a half-block from our hotel. It was a right choice. They had everything we needed that night -  beer and lobsters. They claimed their lobsters were the best in town and later we had to agree that they were not lying.  We drank Moosehead Cask Ale which was brewed at Moosehead Brewery right in St. John. Great beer! Moosehead Brewery installed a real size moose statue in front of Ale House as a gift to the city.

Day 4, Sunday

The last day of a trip always invokes complicated feelings in me. I feel both sad that the trip is almost over and I have return to my normal 9 to 5 life soon and I also feel good because I've achieved one more step in my riding and travelling experience. And getting back home feels good too. The main downside of the last day is that you have to cover the longest distance of all previous days. Maybe somebody does it differently, but in our rides it always happens this way. We had to ride 615 miles according to our GPS. Not a big deal when the weather is warm, a little harder when it's 37 Fahrenheit outside. In New York it was almost 55. Winter to summer in one day. We left St. John at 7:30 am and arrived to Calais, ME uneventfully. We had coffee and decided to ride through Bangor, a capital of Maine. We took ME-9 W and enjoyed it for almost two hours. I highly recommend this road. Bangor did not impress us, though. It was the least interesting place of whatever we had seen during our trip. We did not even stop there, got to I-95 S and rode towards New York.

We liked the first town we had stayed overnight, Ogunquit, so much that we wanted to stop and have a dinner there on our way home. We turned to US-1 and stopped at 98 Provence restaurant. The dinner was good but we did not have too much time to stay and relax there longer, because the days were short and I hate riding in the dark. We rode along the shore for a while, then got back to I-95 S and just rode, and rode, and rode all the way to Brooklyn, NY. 

The summer was almost over, at least in the North East, the weather had been rather rainy all the summer, and we decided to use a nice weekend for a four-day ride to Cape Cod. We planned to leave early Thursday morning but things don’t always happen as planned. Wednesday night I went to my garage to put my stuff in the saddlebags so I wouldn’t waste any time next morning and found out that a bracket holding the left saddlebag was broken. Damn… I called my friend Alex who owned a motorcycle repair shop and he told me it was a common problem with Harley touring models prior to 2009 and there should be spare brackets in any Harley dealerships. Nice, but it was 10 pm already and everything was closed. I called my riding buddies and told them not to wait for me in the morning; I would ride myself as soon as my bike was fixed. There is one guy riding with us, a bodybuilder, we call behind his back ‘Pump’ for his ability to pump iron all day long and who hates getting up early. So, he said ‘No problem, I’ll wait for you and we will ride together’, which translated to ‘Cool, I’ll have an excuse to sleep late.’

Thursday morning I took the left saddlebag off and rushed to the dealership. Traffic on Northern Boulevard in Queens, NY was heavy, my lane moved particularly slowly and when I saw an opening in the next lane, I darted there. All of a sudden I saw unpleasant flashing lights in my rearview mirror.  What the…? I was pulled over and the cop came to my bike, took his time to look at my vest, patches, helmet, goggles and the bike. Then he said ‘You changed lanes without signaling, give me your driver’s license, registration and insurance.’ Oops… All my documents left in the left saddlebag at home, I only had my license on me. It took the cop about a half-hour to check my registration in his computer and it was a precious half-hour that was delaying my ride to Cape Cod. After all the formalities were over, I kept on riding to the dealership. The good thing there was that they had the bracket I needed, the bad thing was that the parts guy saw that another small bracket was broken as well and they did not have it in stock. What a day! I called Alex and he told me not worry, he would try to weld it. I came to his shop with my expectations really low but he welded one broken bracket, replaced the other one and the bike was ready to go in less than 40 minutes. It was 11 am.  I called Pump, who lived 30 minutes ride from me and told him to be at my place at 12:00 pm. He managed to be one hour late. He showed up at 1 pm, cursing traffic and the mankind in general, drank a whole big carton of orange juice from my refrigerator and we finally hit the road. 

We planned to go all the way to the end of Long Island, to Orient Point, take a Cross Sound Ferry to New London, CT and ride from there to Cape Cod. The guys who left in the morning followed this plan; we decided to do the same. We took Grand Central Pkwy, then Sunrise Highway and stopped in a bagel shop somewhere in the Hamptons for a cup of coffee. At that time my phone rang, it was one of the guys, Oleg, who left earlier. He said that his Harley V-Rod had some problem with a clutch on the way to the ferry , he had to stop at the local Harley dealership and now his bike was ready. What a coincidence, the bagel shop was right across the street from this dealership! We met Oleg and three of us went to the ferry. It was already after 3 pm by the time the ferry left for New London. The weather was nice and sunny; we were hanging out on the upper deck, talking to other bikers who happened to be on the ferry and looking at the endless around us.

In New London we got off the ferry, found our way to I-95 N and rode towards Providence. In Providence we merged onto I-195 E/US-6 E and kept riding. It became dark and the heavy fog came down. It was so dense that we could barely see the road under the wheels. We were crawling at 30 mph, emergency flashing lights on. We came to our motel in Chatham, where we had reservations for the whole party, only at 8:30 pm. Our guys were sitting around the pool, drinking beer and hard liquors, playing cards and having a good time. We joined them and in no time we were drunk and happy to be with friends, all problems of the day left behind and forgotten. 


Friday morning we had our traditional breakfast at IHOP and headed to Provincetown. It is located in the very end of Cape Cod. We were driving on US-6 E and then 6A, no traffic, sand, New England houses and food shacks on both sides. Provincetown is a nice, clean but unusual town. It’s unusual in that there is a large population of gays and lesbians living permanently and just during the summer season there. We did not have any problem with that and enjoyed bars, seafood restaurants, souvenir shops and crowded streets of the town. 

On the way back to our motel me and three of our guys stopped at a small deli where the previous year I had met four Russian girls who came for the summer by the J-1 visa (study and work). To my surprise there were again four beautiful girls working there but from the Ukraine this time. The deli was already closing so we gave the girls a ride home, spent some time with them drinking beer and talking about stuff and then rode to the hotel to the rest of our guys.

Saturday started as usual with IHOP and then we took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard.

Martha’s Vineyard is definitely worth visiting. It’s a secluded island where you can get only by sea and where the estimated year-round population is 15,000 residents; however, the summer population can increase up to 75,000 people. You can see extremely beautiful and expensive real estate here and at the best, the biggest and probably the most expensive yachts and motorboats in the world at the piers.

People looked happy, relaxed and mostly drunk. Women wore relatively little clothing, preferring  taking sunbath all day long on the decks of their boats, on the outside terraces of the bars and restaurants and on the beach.  The beach, by the way, is very long, sandy and clean. Pure paradise.

We had so much fun at Martha’s Vineyard, drank so much beer and met so many interesting people that we almost missed the last ferry to the main land.

We had our dinner in Chatham, had some more beer by the pool and went to sleep.

Sunday was our last day of the trip and we wanted to do something different for breakfast. No way. We tried one place – packed, waiting time 40 minutes, another – the same, and went to our true and tried IHOP. Inexpensive and plenty. What else can a biker wish?

The way back home was basically a reverse of our way to Cape Cod. A little more traffic but we were splitting lines, so no problem. We came to the ferry when it was just about to leave and were given the place for our bikes right in the very aft of the boat. My bike was the last – just on the edge of the parking deck. No gates just a loose chain.  It was windy and the waves around the ferry were really high – I think 6-10 feet, so I was a little worried whether I’d be riding my bike from the ferry port in Orient Point or calling the insurance company reporting a sunk bike.  Luckily, the bike made it OK and we rode home through Long Island evening traffic with direct sun in the eyes but nevertheless glad that we’d had another great ride together.

In the spring of 2009 I received an offer for my customized Yamaha Road Star (read my previous post in this blog) and started looking for a H-D touring model. By that time I had already rode all Harley touring models and was familiar with their features. The easiest and more fun to ride was Road King, it was the lightest of them all but the windshield was too small for long rides, especially cold weather. Ultra Classic Electra Glide was a serious touring machine with all bells and whistles but the price was too high for me. Street Glide was definitely the sexiest of them, with its aggressive minimalistic look and low stance but it cost as much as Classic Electra Glide which had a Tour Pak and could be converted into Ultra Classic with a couple of add-ons. FLHT or standard was just too plain and did not even have a radio. But it was the least expensive. The Road Glide I did consider because I didn't like its bulky front fairing. As always, I started looking on eBay and on Craig’s List. It was May then and the bikes were in high demand, so there was no real bargain anywhere. I was patiently browsing the Internet and finally found a decent deal on eBay – Classic Motors Co in Pennsylvania was selling a 2006 Vivid Black FLHT in a ‘Make an Offer’ type of an auction. I called them, they were friendly and told me everything I wanted to know about the bike. I bit my lip and made an offer that I really expected to be declined. But to my pleasant surprise it was accepted. Several keyboard clicks later, I was an official winner of the auction and paid them the required $500.00 deposit. Next day was Tuesday, so I took a day-off at my work and drove to PA to see my new bike. It was clean, undamaged and well maintained. It had a Stage One Upgrade done.The speedometer showed 20,000 miles but it was obvious that the previous owner had taken a good care of the bike. It was totally stock but the price was pretty low so I signed all the papers without any hesitation. 

The prices for parts and labor in Classic Motors Co were good and I asked them to install a Klock Werks 6.5" Flare Windshield for Harley FLHT Models 96-09 Dark Smoke and Advanced Audio AM/FM/CD Radio Kit by Harman/Kardon®.
They said it would take them two days. Cool.

On Saturday I asked my friend to drive me to Classic Motors so I could  pick up the bike. The weather was good and I had a two-hour ride home to get myself familiar with the bike and to decide what kind of modifications I would do . The first thing that became uncomfortable in about 15 minutes, as I predicted, was a seat. Not even the seat itself, but my seating position – two high and too close to the handlebar. Second thing that I noticed was that the floorboards were too close to the engine – it was both uncomfortable and very hot. Third, I did not like the rear suspension – too mushy. All the rest looked and felt OK.

I parked the bike in my backyard and started reading internet forums, looking for the information how to improve the things I did not like about the bike. For the suspension and floorboards extension it did not take long – the majority of the forum members spoke in favor of Progressive Suspension 940 Ultra Touring Shocks 940-4020UT , Progressive Front Fork Spring Kit, part number 11-1131 and Extension Kit for 1983-1006 FL Touring Models, but the seat was a real problem. There were so many different and controversial opinions about the seats that I decided to go and check them on the bikes myself. The seat is an expensive part and not all companies accept returns especially If you buy it on eBay. In the end I figured that for me the most comfortable was a stock Street Glide seat which also looked sleek. I found an almost brand new one on eBay for under $100.00 including shipping. I also put Harley-Davidson Chrome Fuel Tank Console, Saddle Bag Rail Guards and Saddle Bag Lid Guards for looks and practicality. Later I added Saddlebag Guard Bag and Water Bottle Holder,  Foot Pegs,  Compact Passenger Backrest Pad,  Extended Reach Rider Footboard Pans, Kuryakyn Extended Girder Shift Lever 1026 and  Kuryakyn Girder-Style Extended Brake Pedal 1027.

The combination of the seat, extended shiftier, brake pedal and extended floorboards let me sit very comfortably and were well worth the money.

Here is what I installed on the bike (part 1):

Klock Werks 6.5" Flare Windshield for Harley FLHT Models 96-09 Dark Smoke 

Advanced Audio AM/FM/CD Radio Kit by Harman/Kardon®.

I rode it happily till early November, had several long rides, like Quebec City and Cape Cod, and the bike performed flawlessly. The only thing bothered me  - not enough space in the saddlebags for real touring and I did not like tying stuff to the passenger seat or elsewhere on the bike.

Over the winter I was contemplating the idea of adding a King Tour Pak to my bike and after reviewing all pros (extra luggage capacity, more comfort for a passenger, weather protection for the stuff you carry inside) and cons (costs more than a thousand dollars, doesn't look that sleek, added weight), I decided to give it a try. 

As always,  I started looking on eBay first and soon enough found a very good deal - a brand new King Tour Pak with a Smooth Backers Pad and Fitted Liner - all for $750.00 shipped. I also bought MUSTANG SEAT 79100 79110 FOR HARLEY ROAD KING - a driver seat and a passenger pillion which matched the backrest pad just fine. Then came  Rear Speaker Pod Kit ,  Tail Lamp Kit and Chrome Accent Rail. Then for a more streamline look I added Fairing Mount Mirrors and Audio Shorty AM/FM Antenna.
The bike looked very good but to make it look completed I added Vented Fairing Lower Kit , Black Fairing Air Deflector,  Bar & Shield Logo Windshield Molding, Willie G.® Skull Collection Rider Footboard Insert Kit,  Passenger Footboard Insert Kit and Brake Pedal Pads.The bike was all I wanted for any long ride I was up to. Radio quality was great and I could carry as much stuff as I desired. The only problem was that the bike behaved a little unstable in turns and was wobbling sometimes that was not pleasant at all. After some research I found an inexpensive cure for this - Bitchin Baggers Bagger-Brace that totally eliminated wobbling and dramatically improved handling. I rode the bike for another season with no issues . I only did a regular maintenance; other than that the bike was running like a clock.

Here is what I installed on the bike (part 2):

Tail Lamp Kit 

I am sure there are many professional reviews about these bikes but I want to tell you about my personal comparison of these two bikes which I customized to my liking (read my previous posts).
Both bikes were made in 2005 and both had almost same engine displacement. Even physical dimensions were almost identical:

2005 Honda VTX 1800 C

Engine and transmission

Displacement:                         1795.00 ccm (109.53 cubic inches)

Engine type:                             V2, four-stroke

Compression:                         9.0:1

Bore x stroke:                        101.0 x 112.0 mm (4.0 x 4.4 inches)

Valves per cylinder:               3

Fuel system:                            Injection. Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) with automatic choke

Fuel control:                            SOHC

Ignition:                                     Digital with three-dimensional mapping,two spark plugs per cylinder

Cooling system:                     Liquid

Gearbox:                                  5-speed

Transmission type,
final drive:                               Shaft drive (cardan)

Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels

Frame type:                           Front Suspension

Rake (fork angle):               32.5°

Trail:                                       152 mm (6.0 inches)

Front suspension:               45.0mm inverted fork;

Front suspension
travel:                                     130 mm (5.1 inches)

Rear suspension:                Dual shocks with five-position spring-preload adjustability.

Rear suspension travel:                                     99 mm (3.9 inches)

Front tyre dimensions:      130/70-R18

Rear tyre dimensions:       180/70-R16

Front brakes:                        Double disc. LBS 3-piston calipers.

Front brakes diameter:     296 mm (11.7 inches)

Rear brakes:                        Single disc. LBS 3-piston calipers.

Rear brakes diameter:      316 mm (12.4 inches)

Physical measures and capacities

Dry weight:                          323.9 kg (714.0 pounds)

Seat height:                        709 mm (27.9 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Wheelbase:                        1,717 mm (67.6 inches)

Fuel capacity:                    18.16 litres (4.80 gallons)

Engine and transmission

Displacement:                    1670.00 ccm (101.90 cubic inches)

Engine type:                         V2, four-stroke

Compression:                     8.3:1

Bore x stroke:                     97.0 x 113.0 mm (3.8 x 4.4 inches)

Fuel system:                        Carburettor

Fuel control:                        OHV

Cooling system:                 Air

Gearbox:                              5-speed

Transmission type,
final drive:                            Belt

Chassis, suspension, brakes and wheels

Frame type:                         Aluminium

Front suspension:             43mm Telescopic fork with adjustable preload; 5.5´ travel

Rear suspension:              Single shock, link-type; 4.3´ travel

Front tyre dimensions:      130/90-16

Rear tyre dimensions:      150/80-16

Front brakes:                       Double disc

Front brakes diameter:      298 mm (11.7 inches)

Rear brakes:                        Single disc

Rear brakes diameter:      320 mm (12.6 inches)

Physical measures and capacities

Seat height:                          709 mm (27.9 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Overall length:                      2,499 mm (98.4 inches)

Wheelbase:                          1,689 mm (66.5 inches)

Fuel capacity:                       20.06 litres (5.30 gallons)

Pros and cons:

Yamaha has a belt drive which is much softer than Honda’s shaft drive. As far as I know belt drives don’t require too much attention in terms of the maintenance, so here Yamaha wins.

Double rear shocks suspension on VTX 1800 C was better than single shock on Yamaha Road Star.

Fuel injection on Honda VTX is definitely better and less hassle than Yamaha’s carburetor – choke, warm-up, tweaking, draining the carburetor for the winter.

Handling at low speeds was easier on Yamaha but Honda was much more stable at high speeds and in curves.
Sitting position was better on Honda for my 6’3” frame. No matter what seats I tried on Yamaha, I was still too close to a handlebar.

I think Yamaha was more fuel effective.

A hydraulic clutch on Honda worked better than a mechanical clutch on Yamaha. Once I was crawling in a heavy traffic for about 40 minutes and Yamaha’s clutch cable extended so that the clutch started slipping and I had to adjust its length.
A throttle was more linear on Honda with a more consistent response.

Linked brakes on Honda worked definitely better than Yamaha’s brakes.

A Honda’s liquid cooling system was supposed to be better than Yamaha’s air cooling system but I did not feel much difference.

I felt that riding two-up was easier on Honda than on Yamaha.

To me Yamaha looked better than Honda after all the modifications I did on both.

While I still had my Honda VTX 1800 C that I customized the way I wanted (read my blog about it), I started looking at touring bikes. For me, the ultimate bike in this segment was Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide, but I couldn't convince myself to spend more than $20,000 on a bike at that time. So, I started looking for a cheaper option. I was browsing internet, checking eBay, Craig’s List and other sites and all of a sudden I saw this bike on eBay:

It looked like a H-D Electra Glide but not quite. To my surprise it was a heavily modified 2005 Yamaha Road Star 1700. The price was $9,000 and the mileage was very low – just about 5,000 miles. I called the guy who happened to be a very nice person form Indiana, Scott was his name, and he told me that he bought this bike only several months ago as a leftover in the local dealership, modified it and then realized that he still wanted a Harley – that’s why he was selling the bike. After getting his assurance that the bike was in perfect condition, I paid him a deposit via PayPal and we agreed that I would fly to Indianapolis to pick up the bike and ride it back home. I liked this idea, it was like I was killing two birds with one stone – getting a bike that I wanted and having a reason to ride all the way from Midwest to the East Coast.

Scott did some job with this bike – that’s what he installed on the bike:

1.       A batwing fairing with an AM/FM/CD stereo and a shorty windshield
2.       Ultimate seats with driver’s backrest
3.       Engine guards
4.       Rail guards for the saddlebags
5.       Harley-Davidson King Tour Pak with a passenger backrest mounted on a special lowered rack
6.       Rear speakers
7.       Many other small extras

I thought it was a very good package and I was very glad I found it.

It was Tuesday when I decided to buy this bike and on Friday night, right after my work, I flew to Indianapolis. Scott offered to meet me at the airport and drive to a hotel in his town, Rensselaer, so we could do all the paperwork in the evening and I would be able to get an early start next day. So, he met me in Indianapolis airport and we drove in his big Cadillac to Rensselaer. We were driving and talking, driving and talking, driving and talking, and after 40 minutes I asked him how far his town was. He said that we had made a half of our way there. Wow! The guy drove an hour and a half to get to the airport to drive another hour and a half back home. I really appreciated this. Finally we came to his house, Scott showed me the bike which was in his garage, everything about the bike was OK, I gave him the money order and he drove me to a motel. Next morning, at 6:30 am, he picked me up from the motel, brought me back to his house where the bike was ready to go and said that he would ride with me on his Harley to the highway so I wouldn’t get lost. Then he surprised me once again. Right before the highway he stopped at the gas station and filled my gas tank. What could I say? A really nice guy!

I took I-65 N towards Chicago, turned on the radio and cruised and enjoyed the road and the smell of the corn fields on both sides of the highway. It was September 20th or something and the weather was nice and warm in Indiana. I was riding for about 2 hours and then merged onto I-80 E. The road was interesting first, but then it became slightly boring – the same flat lands going all the way to the horizon. 

I had to cover more than 800 miles and I decided to stop only for getting gas, food and going to the restroom. I left Indiana and got into Ohio.  I passed Cleveland, Youngstown and the road started going up and down the hills and views became more interesting. Then I entered Pennsylvania. The road was going through real mountains and the views on both sides were spectacular. The only problem – it was around 5 pm and after 6:30 pm it would be getting dark and by 7:30 pm it would be totally dark. I don’t like riding in the dark, so I extended my rides between stops to the maximum. I stopped when my fuel light was on and I tried to spend as little time at the gas station as possible. After 7 pm I noticed that the air became much cooler. I somehow underestimated the weather and I had only a couple of T-shirts, a leather jacket and a rain gear with me. My helmet was a small beanie that did not help much. By 9 pm when I was 40-50 miles from Scranton, I was freezing to my bones. I used one of my T-shirts as a face shield, I put my rain gear on, but I was literally shaking. The temperature dropped below 40 degrees and I decided to go to my parents’ house in Pike County which was 2 hours closer than NYC. I drove into my parents’ driveway at 11 pm and my hands were so cold I couldn’t take them from the handlebar for a while. My father came out of the house and I asked him to bring me a big shot of vodka right to the driveway so I could warm-up and get back to life. Of course, vodka helped and I darted straight to the hot shower. After the shower I had some more vodka and next morning I felt absolutely well, no cold whatsoever. 

I rode 815 miles in 16 hours and I got to know the bike pretty well. It was a good solid machine with adequate wind protection but something did not let me be totally satisfied with the bike. On Sunday I went for a short ride to see my friends and to show them my new toy. I was idling at the traffic light when an Ultra Classic  Electra Glide stopped in the next lane. I looked at my bike, then I looked at the Harley, then again at mine and realized that no matter how much my bike was similar to this Harley it still was not a Harley. It was a wannabe Harley and it was disappointing… 

On the way home I decided that I did not like the way my bike was modified any more. It would be more honest to show good Yamaha features instead of hiding them and trying to make the bike look like a  Harley. When I came home, I removed the front fairing from the bike. Hmm… It did not look bad. Then I removed the Tour Pak. Then I decided that the Ultimate seats were too bulky without the fairing and the Tour Pak. I decided to take some cool-off time and come back to this project in a day or two. I had (and still have) a good friend, Walter, in NYC who is a terrific bike mechanic. I did not see him too often, once or twice a month, but I always liked talking to him about bikes and modifications and seeing his projects. I called him and told him my story and he said to me ‘Come over, I wanna show you something.’ I came to his garage next day and saw a black Yamaha Road Star 1600 that he'd bought a couple of weeks ago. It was two years older than my bike but in a mint condition and nicely customized. It was everything I wanted my bike to look like by that time. I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing because the original plan was to buy a touring bike but hey, you live once, so do what you wanna do to be happy. I asked Walter if he could give a list of whatever he did to his bike and he said no problem. I brought my bike to his garage, we went through the list of add-ons that I wanted to install on my bike and I was delighted with the imaginary expected result. I sold all the parts I took of my bike for nearly $3,500 which covered all the parts for the new project and started coming to Walter’s garage almost every night to work with him on my bike. 

In two weeks the bike was ready. Man… I liked what I saw. It was completely different from the bike I brought from Indiana three weeks ago but it was unique (except Walter had a similar one but not exactly the same) and beautiful. At least, I felt it this way.

Galfer Brakes Cruiser Brake Line Kit FK003D421-3 Front

Galfer Brakes Cruiser Brake Line Kit FK003D421R  Rear

This bike did attract some attention, that's for sure. It looked good and rode good. I went for several long rides on this bike - Americade Bike Week on Lake George, New Hampshire and so on and never had any complaints. I decided to sell it only because I still wanted a touring model and a Harley Electra Glide was the bike I planned to buy next.

I’ve had about 20 bikes in my life in all different sizes and flavors – from 49.9 cc two-speed moped to 1800 cc Honda Gold Wing to my current H-D Road King.  I am a rather technical person, I even have an Automotive Engineering Bachelor Degree, so I’ve always liked to tweak and play with my bikes. When the bikes were simpler and I was younger and less responsible, I did all imaginable modifications to my bikes. With years, getting hard and painful experience, I decided that I can't really beat the manufacturer engineering team in main motorcycle components department and focused on aesthetic, the way I understood it, on comfort and practicality in my bike mods.

I decided to write about my recent bikes and about what I had done to them while I owned them. I normally keep a bike from 1 to 3 years, sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more, so I have a new project on hands almost all the time. Of course, it’s a costly hobby, but first, we only live once and second, I do it to make my rides more comfortable. And third, I just like it.

The simplest and the most common mod to a new bike is a seat. There are lots of forums flooded with the information about aftermarket seats and seat modifications. Because the seat is not a cheap thing, I usually read as many posts and articles about the seat I want as I can, always paying attention to the height and weight of the person who writes those posts, if this information is available. A seat is a very tricky part – what’s good for 6’3”, 200 lbs guy is totally unacceptable for a 5’6”, 165 lbs guy. So, when you choose a seat, make sure it will fit YOU. Same goes for the handlebars. Same goes for the forward controls. Even grips can be tricky – for example, Kuryakyn ISO grips might be just too thick for your hands. 
Anyway, here is the first bike I want to tell you about – 2005 Honda VTX 1800C. I bought it brand new in March of 2007, a leftover, for only $7,000.00. The MSRP for a new 2007 VTX 1800C was $12,899.00.

I liked the length and the bulkiness of the VTX and in most parts it really pleased my eyes, but it still wasn’t perfect in my humble opinion. The first thing I changed was a handlebar. I wanted something sportier, more drag-style. The old risers and handlebars were gone and the new Aeromach 6 inch Pullback Risers and Flanders drag bar were installed. It looked nicer and felt better. 

The next was the seat. I liked Mustang seats on my previous bikes, but all forums said that a Mustang seat for this bike would bring you closer to the front, which was just the opposite of what I wanted. From all available options I chose Mean City Cycles Rider Choice Mod modification which pulled me back about 2 inches. Nice and comfortable. 

Foot pegs were too close to me and I felt cramped even after the seat modification. I installed Kuryakyn Forward Control Extension Kit 4590 and COBRA SWEPT FRONT FLOORBOARD KIT 05-08 HONDA VTX1800C which moved my feet 2” forward and allowed for different foot positions. Looked good and was very comfortable.

I was riding my bike for a while and then decided that it would be a good idea to have a windshield for long rides. The Honda VTX1800 Performance Custom Windscreen 04-07 was added to the bike. Pricey, but good.

Then I decided to change the pipes. The original 2-into-1 was OK but too big and I installed Cobra Hot Rod Angled Slashcut Exhaust System along with Cobra FI2000R Digital Fuel Processor - Honda VTX1800. Looked and sounded good.

The original rear tire was 180 and I read on the forums that I can put 200 without any complicated modifications. So I installed Bridgestone Exedra Max Radial Rear Tire - 200/60R-16/--  and the bike became noticeably beefier when you looked from the back. I also installed a matching Bridgestone Exedra Max Radial Front Tire - 130/70ZR-18/--

Then I added Custom World International Side Mount License Plate just for looks. Then some more. And more. 


Here is the list of the items I installed on the bike:

I enjoyed riding this bike for a little more than a year and then I sold it on eBay to a nice guy from Canada. I really liked the bike but I wanted to start a new project so I moved forward. My next bike was Yamaha Road Star 1700. Read about the modifications I did on that bike in my next post.