Added a few new, yet subtle mods on my bike and thought I'd post some updated pics as well as give my reviews on them.

Latest mod list:
1. Ness-Comp by Magnaflow exhaust
2. RSD rocker box covers
3. Tank lift
4. Chrome brake/clutch levers
5. Swing arm bump-stop ditch
6. Engraved derby cover by Story808

Pics:





















Reviews:

Exhaust
Been on the prowl over the last few years for a good 2-1 exhaust to better complement the overall look of my bike and liked the relatively clean look of the
new Ness-Comp by Magnaflow, so I thought I'd give it a go. I've only seen this exhaust in online ads and catalogs. Nobody else I know of has one of these exhaust systems, so I'm "honored" that I get to be the first one to offer a review on this exhaust. LOL.
It was with great anxiety that I first turned her over and took my first ride with the Ness-Comp, since reviews of its siblings the F-Bomb and Lowdowns weren't exactly glowing - especially in the areas of fit and power.
Surprise! My first impression of this exhaust system was how well everything actually fit together and how good it actually looked on my bike. Fired it up. Much more mellow sounding than the V&H BR2-2s which previously graced my ride. No longer does she growl. Now she purrs at idle. This will be a negative point for a lot of people, but for me it's refreshing that I will no longer feel the need to warn people to stand back and plug their ears when I hit the START button. Took her for a spin to burn 'em in and wasn't expecting much in the way of more power because of the reported catalytic converter (actually called a "Power Core") in the muffler. SURPRISE again! Noticeably quicker off the line and more responsive to wick twists than the V&H 2-2s while rolling. The sound when getting on the throttle is a thunderous roar like "here comes Zeus!" type of sound. Took the wife out for a 2-up test. Felt the same or perhaps like there was just a tad less power than the 2-2s with only one rider. Wife already left a boot mark on the muffler, so no longer do I have to worry about that first scratch/mark, already. Thanks hon! Bottom line: I'm really liking this exhaust system think I'll keep it for awhile.
And, without further adieu...
(this video is best viewed with earphones/headphones)


Rocker Boxes
Was actually expecting to be much more thrilled with these than I was. I've been wanting these rocker boxes for a couple years or so, now, but I just couldn't justify such bling for the price. They're just valve covers, for crying out loud. Finally found 'em thru a dealer at a price I could barely justify so I pulled the trigger. Installed them and a couple of weeks later, the chrome on the front cover began bubbling and flaking off in places; most notably around where "Roland Sands Design" is engraved into the chrome. Told the dealer about it, who appealed to PM/RSD for a replacement, but they outright refused based on the their warranty policy which says that their warranty on products going overseas is null and void, as per their (PM's) website. Hmm...didn't know I was supposed to go and read PM's website to view their warranty policy before buying an RSD product. To be completely honest, however, I probably would have gotten them, even if I had known this beforehand, based solely on the immaculate reputation of PM/RSD components. Heh. Not so immaculate anymore (at least in my eyes) So, I'm SOL on getting these replaced. Guess I better start saving now for the time when they get to looking really bad - perhaps a year down the road - and need to have them re-chromed (sans RSD logo). On a positive note, they do look pretty badass and are a refreshing sight over the typical twinkie head design.
A couple pics of the defect:





Tank lift
I did this almost entirely to highlight my rocker box cover swag. Went and bought some generic hardware at a local store for like 500 yen ($6, maybe) and it gave me approximately two inches of height. Have some chrome cap nuts I've been meaning to put on instead of the regular ones on there now. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. This mod does throw off the fuel gauge and makes the fuel light come on before it should, but I haven't noticed any change in useable fuel. MPG sucks, as usual. Don't necessarily buy into the claim that this makes your motor run cooler. If it does, wonderful.

Chrome levers
Pure bling. Cleans up the grip area nicely by being shorter, without the ball-ends.

Bump stop removal
I pulled this off to make my bike sit lower when slammed, which she does. I just need to be sure to keep my air shock adjusted to give me adequate clearance and rebound; otherwise, as soon as I hit a hefty bump, "CLANG!" This does not feel good on the spine...

Derby cover
I've always loved member, Story808's engraved "Hammer Kitty" (before he went with the open primary), so I had him come up with something similar for my bike, along with a little jab at the popular TV series in a banner which reads, "Sons of Anarkitty." Since the Hello Kitty character originated in Japan, I thought the Japanese would get a real kick out of seeing it on my bike. The ones who've noticed it (2 so far) have had great reactions to it. Thanks for that, Story. Awesome guy! Fantastic, lightning-fast transaction.

Enjoy! Thanks for looking!

 

Very Nice looking bike .Great job . To bad they wont warranty the chrome. That is not right . Over seas or not that should not happen to a quality product .

 

Sweet! Keeps looking better and better. I may have to look at some pf Story808's stuff.

Sorry about the rocker boxes. You can bet that I wont be buying anything from that company. Looks like a **** poor chroming.

 

Great read. Your bike looks terrific! I bet it turns a lot of heads with looks and sound over there. That's bad form for RSD not covering those rockers under warranty for what you paid for them. Bad form indeed.

Have you noticed any difference in wind blast due to the tank lift? Without a windshield I doubt it but thought I'd ask.

 

Why didn't you just shave the rubber down? That's all I did, until there's about 10mm of rubber left. Stuff that having the swing smash into the frame like that with no rubber

Rad bike by the way, love the pin striping

 

I used to sell GM powertrain overseas. They had the same disclaimer. I tried to help the guys with the legitimate issues. Bad chrome? They wont help?
Thats BS. Would make me think about buying that product here in the US even with the warranty.
They should stand up and fix it.

 

Brother that bike looks bada$$

 

Very nice ride, what king of foot boards do you have?

 

Ahh, that's better ! Back to to the old "new" HoggyMntBreakdown. Love the look of those pipes. Thanks for sharing.

 

Great post! You have obviously put a huge amount of thought into what you've done there. Very cool bike.