StarFan

Happy birthday Charlie. May you have many more to come. Jonas

Hi Paul. Sorry to hear about your accident. Tell me one thing - What size helmet do you use ? I have a new "Nolan fullface flip" size S (small). If that would fit I could send it to you. Let me know. Friendly regards, Jonas

Hi Rick. Sorry, but I don´t have what you are looking for. But I am putting a bid on a MM Venture here in Iceland next weekend and it needs the driver seat redone. Don´t know yet if I will get it but will know the coming Monday a week from now. Any chance you are selling your original one ? Friendly regards from Iceland, Jonas, aka StarFan

O.K. but sorry I donæt have a map - I use GPS most of the time. But by all means don´t skip NY State. I have done a road trip there two times and I was pleasantly surprised. This state is so beautiful and there are many roads and towns that are very nice. I always tkae the country roads and stay away from the interstate. Have spent some time in Woodstock where I have good friends and that town just stole my heart. Also close to Woodstock is Phoenecia, a very cosy town and the list goes on and on. Also I am told that upstate NY is breathtaking - never been there but plan to in the not so faraway future. Oh,,,,and if you are visiting Niagara Falls then Big Toms town, Alden is close by. A very nice town and Tom can sometimes also be quite nice - he´s usually pretty good on Thursdays Go for it ! Ride safe. Jonas

[quote=cecdoo;726059 Awe you are killing me Eck:bawling: wish mine were only $900.00:bang head: We missed you guys, sorry you couldnt make it! Craig Killing me to ! My property taxes were 900 US$ and insurance for the bike, two cars, lifeinsurance and my home is 4.500 US$ A gallon of petrol is 7,10 US$. Have no clue how we make things work - Luckily the warden is the cashier. Otherwise we would surely be bankrupt but I would have six bikes and a Porsche.

Would this be of any help ? http://www.mapquest.com/maps?state=NY Friendly regards from Iceland, Jonas

With the Fender Tip it is a baggage in hold. Without, a carry on. Just leave the Tour Delux. Getting you a bike in Iceland is not a problem. You could borrow my ´98 Tour Classic Jonas

Sorry Boss. Forgot to ask Eileen to check your wardrobe before I posted this. I actually can imagine that you would look cute in purple flannel trousers

Ehhh,,,,not my type of color- to much of an 1st Gen color. Why not go somewhere East like candy apple red against cream white ? Bet it would be the only 1st.gen around and would really stick out. Boy am I happy we all have different tastes. Would not be fun if we all wore purple flannel trousers. Ride safe. Jonas

Hi George. You don´t need any mechanical skills to take the tire off and reinstall it. If you want me to I can walk you through it or send you a detailed write up step by step - bolt by bolt. Just let me know. You don´t need the roadway to Iceland. Ask Your Rand McNally to take you to JFK and 5 hours later you´re in Iceland. SIMPLE ! Actually am in Norway at the moment at work. Iceland is a tropical island compared to stupid North Norway. Man it can get cold here. Yes,,,I can promise you that I do my outmost to stay warm here Took a walk downtown this evening and met a reindeer in the middle of town in a walking street. Had to move to the side to let it pass and then stepped in it´s sh#$&%$tttt ! Ride safely, Jonas

Hi George. I installed the fendertips on my 1998 Tour Classic but when I did that I had the bikes rear part pretty much dissasembled since I was greasing the splines and driveshaft as well as going through some other things so the bike had no back tire, bags, exhaust etc. in the back, just the bare fender. The only reason for something else than the bags to be removed would be if the hole you need to drill would be behind the fender rail (1) that is bolted to your fender and the exhaust support bracket (2) and I actually suspect it is in the way. And if needed to be removed then it´s a minor job - removal of around six bolts on either side or so and then reinstall afterwards. It´s a "unscrew/screw in" job - anybody can do that. Note that the support bracket for your exhaust (2) is connected to gether in the back with a connection piece (3) that runs behind/under the fender and actually holds up the support bracket since that piece is bolted to the fender rails (1). If you have to remove the rails the mufflers will get a little strain on them since they will want to hang down in the back. Just put some kind of a support under the back of the exhaust support bracket on both sides to avoid them sagging. If not done it can damage the exhaust gaskets and cause leaks. I would remove the back wheel if I were you just to have comfortable space to work with and also you should in my opinion apply a rust preventing primer or something similiar to the bare metal in the drilled hole. If you opt for leaving the back tire on the bike make sure you put a piece of wood or steel between the fender and the tire to prevent the drill puncturing the tire when it shoots through the fender. When I did mine I drilled a small hole first with a 2mm drill bit and then afterwards used a drill of the right size for the bolt. That way there is much lesser chance of the drill bit moving from the accurate spot when you start drilling the fender. When I installed these tips on my bike I was a little sceptical regarding the bare metal of the fender tip lying and touching the bare metal of the fender. Went to the hardware store and bought 3M rubberstrips the kind you use in your windowframe between the glass and the wood. They come in various thicknesses and widths and are selfadhesive and I used a thin and narrow one for lining the fender tip on the inside just about 1-2mm from the edge. Worked out perfectly. Took the fender tips off this spring to see if everything was O.k. behind it and it was absolutely clean with no scratches. I recommend this but on the other hand I can be a little picky about things like this. Wish you well with your tips and remember to post some photos when you are done. Attached are the kind of Fendertips I used, Picture of the back of my USA based bike (no tips) as well as a picture of the similiar kind glass rubberlist I used on the inside of the tips. Jonas

Actually this bear was hit by a Pickup truck. Some guy had some fun turning it into a Harley story and posting it on the internet some three years ago. Sorry to ruin a good story.

Got my first bike in 2006 - A 1998 Virago 1100. Bought in West Virginia and shipped to Iceland. Had it trucked to my home and took it into the garage and practically tore it apart just to get to know the bike and change the oil, filter, brakefluid and so forth. Will never forget that Sunday morning when I rolled the bike out of the garage to take my first ride. The only experience I had with bikes was riding 50cc bikes when I was 14 to 15 years old. Well, started the bike up, gave it a couple of revs and then slowly drove out the street. Man was I scared Did not dare to take more than a 15 minutes ride on the back roads and headed straight home to the safety of the garage sweatting like a pig. Parked the bike in the garage, stepped off and thought: Gotta sell this beast - much to powerful for me and I will loose control any given time and crash it for sure and most likely kill myself. I rode that bike every night after this for a week. The following Sunday I came home from a two hours ride, parked the bike in the garage, stepped off and thought: Why in the world didn´t they make this bike with a bigger motor ! Note that the Virago regardless if it is a 250cc, 550cc, 750 cc or an 1100 cc, these are one of the easiest handling bikes one can get. Sure the 1100 has nice power but it is there to use it when you feel comfortable with it and/or need it. I could lean this bike over to the side so far that my friends said that they were constantly waiting for me to fall over. The funny thing was that I was far from pushing the limit (I found later out where the limit was ). Simply the easiest bike I have ever ridden considdering size and power and it is perfect for beginners. Loved that bike and am determined to get another one when I get permission from the Warden (that might take some time). As time went by (three months) I felt the urge for something bigger and more powerful. Fell for the 1998 Royal Star Tour Classic and was very surprised how easylie it handled taken into considderation the size and weight. It has low center of gravity and I have never found it difficult to handle at low speeds. Expected the bike to be a little clumsy and hard hadling but it is not. But do agree that one has to have some basic skills and experience to handle a bike like this and it is not suitable for absolute beginners. But a great bike for one who has learned the basics, has a little experience and first and foremost respect. One kind of grows with the bike surprisingly fast. My guess is that once you have gotten the basic skills,and understanding of your 250 cc Virago you will soon be taken to a bigger one. But you are vice to start on a small one and take it step by step. Am sure that in the not so faraway future we will be seeing you riding a bigger bike with comfort and a smile on your face. Hopefully a ROYAL STAR Ride safe, Jonas

I DOOO understand you wanting to put some money in your bike to make it more comfortable and special. I am doing the same with my USA based 1998 Tour Classic with some other mods and have put quite a lot of money in it. I had the engine V-Maxed with V-Max cams and 32mm Venture carbs, Dyna Ignition Module, R1 brake calipers and master cylinder, baron engine guards, V-Max drive hub, upgraded clutch and the list goes on. The money I have put into the bike is more than I care to think about but I do not regret it. I have been asked why I did not just buy a Venture instead. Well I do have a Venture that I bought to use while my 98 was under construction but wanted a more sportier bike that would handle better at low speeds riding two up. Also I like riding something that is somewhat special. Don´t get me wrong, I love my Venture but it is just a different type of a bike. Still have not put the trunk on - Gonna have it painted this winter and installed - (no I am not lazy, it is just very costly and timeconsuming travelling from Iceland to USA to do this). So my friend BigTom is the keeper off the bike and is helping with finishing this project. Coming over in August 2013 to take it for a spin,after spin,after spin,after spin,,,, All the best with your project and remember to post some pictures when you are done. Jonas

Jeff - no more info is actually needed. You have a 1997 Royal Star for sure by the Vin number. You can determine the year of production by the 10th. number/letter in the Vin. 1993(P), 1994®, 1995(S), 1996(T), 1997(V), 1998(W), 1999(X), 2000(Y), 2001(1), 2002(2), 2003(3), 2004(4), 2005(5), 2006(6), 2007(7), 2008(8) Yours has the 10th letter "V" so it is without doubt a 1997 And also - on my 1998 Royal Stars as well as on my 2000 Venture there is a sticker that tells you what month and what year the bike rolled off the assembly line. For example on mine it says 02/98 meaning February 1998. The sticker (if I remember right) is located on the front frame tubing that run up along either side of the radiator, height should pretty close to the underside of the gastank but can vary a little. Regarding a replacement engine then it does not matter if you have a Tour Classic, Tour Delux or a Boulevard since all the model types share the same motor. All you need to know is that you have a 1996 to 2001 Royal Star that you need a replacement motor for. Any motor from 1996 to 2001 from these bikes should be a bolt on fit (excluding the Venture). PinWall Cycles do not always list all of their available motors on the website since they have a very fast turnover. I have quite often gotten a part from them that I have not found on eBay, just by calling them. If you want me to, I can call them and check if they have a 1996 to 2001 engine available with known miles (they have some listed with unknown miles - personally I would not buy a motor with unknown miles). Contacting them by email will give you zero results - they even state so themself on their website. Let me know Jeff if I can be of any help and I am here for you. Friendly regards, Jonas

You got me there Glenn ! My 1998 Tour Classic does not have the removable backrest so there is no pin. Forgot that the newer Tour DeLux have them. Was and am not sure if the Venture side rails have the same bolt patterns as the older Royal Stars but good to know that it is the same as the newer Royal Stars. Good info - stored in the data bank Ride safe, Jonas