new guy, v star 650 into bobber.

[el fuego]

hello, my name is Diego but you guys can call me fuego, everyone else does, i am a 27 year old body piercer and tattoo aprentice, trying to turn a 2001 v star 650 custom into a decent bobber, here it was in all its chrome ugliness:

and this is how it looks now:

and this is the pain in my arse!

rear wheel

front wheel

now, the cost of replacing the bad wire spokes + trueing and balancing + sand blasting the rest and then powder coating it = me not happy. so does anyone know if virago wheels can bolt up to my bike? if so what model or year?

 

[forcefanajd]

why not just dismount the tires/brakes from the wheel, blast them and then use appliance epoxy to paint them black?

 

[el fuego]

why not just dismount the tires/brakes from the wheel, blast them and then use appliance epoxy to paint them black?

isnt that for indoor use only? and not suppoused to use with surfaces that heat up rapidly? im in florida so it gets to the 100s here plus stop and go traffic wheels get pretty hot.

i never heard of it used on wheels, then again im a noobie and thats why im here, do you have any pictures of wheels that have been coated with this?

 

[hurley209]

you could wet sand and spray paint those with epoxy, or some regular spray paint and clear, and as long as you do good prep work they will be ok.

 

[forcefanajd]

do a search on here, there are NUMEROUS people that use the appliance epoxy for wheels and frames and the stuff looks great when its done.

 

[el fuego]

do a search on here, there are NUMEROUS people that use the appliance epoxy for wheels and frames and the stuff looks great when its done.

ill give it a try, sounds like a cheap temporary fix, but i really dont like wire spokes and some of this spokes are so bad they might go out soon

i like these

i just dont know if they fit.

 

[Speedfiend]

EWWWW, gross. Don't do that!

IMHO, Mags and bobbers don't mix.
Listen to these guys, pull the tires, blast those suckers. Spray paint and done.
But, if you really don't like the look of spokes, what about some wheel covers?

Heres some from Mooneyes

http://www.mooneyesusa.com/shop/product.php?products_id=2362

Or you could use any cool old auto hub cap.


Welcome aboard and good luck.

 

[el fuego]

mmm one of the guys here at the shop suggested fat boys, but i didnt like them, besides he said it is scary sometimes when you get a strong wind on the highway. but the automobile hub cap idea is somewhat appealing.

 

[VonYinzer]

Mags are rad... But can be a pain in the ass to fit if they arent made for your specific bike. Trust me, I know. Use Duplicolor wheel paint. Hard as nails and flexible. Or appliance epoxy. Both will work fine.

Welcome to DTT!

 

[IndieSol]

It may not be the most desirable bike in my eyes, but it's still a 2001! How long has it been sitting ? Man, the FL climate must be really tough on bikes.

Sounds like you'll give it a good home. Have fun with it and welcome to the site. The bobbers are really starting to turn the wheels in my little noggin. Of course, that's probably just due to the quality of builds going on here. Glad you joined the ranks.

 

[el fuego]

Yea not a good looking bike on stock form ugh... Buy it was cheap and has a freshly rebuilt engine, it was an outside bike for a while so that's why it has so much rust.

 

[4eyes]

If it were mine, I would buy some new stainless spokes, paint the rims/hubs, and re-lace and true them myself. You gotta learn sometime.
http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=20561.0

 

[CB350f Cafe]

My uncle has that same 650 V Star. Can't wait to see yours bobber style

 

[HK_Sailor]

I've said it on here before and I'll say it again, I've got a really special place in my heart for viragos.
I live in a similar climate in Hong Kong and yea.... the humidity and rain really eats away at bikes!
I say go for the wheel covers! I love the look of a "solid" back wheel!!
One thing that I will say about viragos that plenty of other viragos I've met will tell you is that the electrics aren't that great and after a few years even if you stick a brand new battery in it you'll have problems charging and started etc... I don't know if the same goes for the newer ones like the one you've got but all the mid 90s ones have issues with it. Or atleast thats what everyone I've met here in HK has told me. Go check out viragotechforum.com if you want tech help, the boys there can help you out too!

 

[JRK5892]

if yoiu are worried about costs just blast and coat the whole wheel... not the best way to do it but if you run dyna beads you will be fine... we will do this for you for $75 a wheel in that condition... coated in any one shot powder...