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Cruiser
Posts: 88
Lavon, TX | WOW!! KevinX did three installs today - mine was first, since I was the host. Where do I even begin to describe the difference - it's like I've got a new bike! Smooth, strong power band in all gears - it'll take some getting accustomed to the front tire wanting to leave the ground in first, second, and third gears. Came back from test ride - two up with the wife - both of us with this s*%t-eating grin on our faces! Idling and low speed maneuvering is noticeably improved. Rev limiter is so much closer now - but the brakes don't feel as strong (guess it takes more to stop all this new-found power). Feel like a kid after Christmas day - gotta let off on the throttling, or I won't get to see any improved mileage (and will be replacing tires and brakes again much sooner). Will definitely need to get a better radar detector / jammer now. |
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | It was really great to see everyone today, especially KevinX! Chris and Janis really did an awesome job at hosting KevinX. It is amazing to see a master like Kevin do his magic on the Vision. I have known a lot of wrenches in my day but none better than Kevin. The grin on Chris’s, Janis’s and Mark’s faces after riding their enhanced Vision’s told everything. Too bad my Vision was in the shop waiting to get repaired from my accident. It was really hard not being able to ride Chris’s bike to experience the performance and improved rideability of the Vision after Kevin did his magic. It will be another 7 to 9 weeks before I will be able to ride a bike again due to my fractured shoulder. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 146
| I was one of the "Distinguished & Honored Three" to have my new cams installed yesterday. I (unfortunately) had to work and therefore didn't make it over to Lavon until about 1930 hrs last night. My bike was last and was very surprised that Kevin had already completed the work over an hour before I got there. I did have the opportunity to sit and visit with Kevin, Chris and Janis for about half an hour before I had to leave. The WHOLE TIME Chris and Janis had this huge grin on their faces. They could NOT quit telling me about how their new cams made such a huge difference. So the entire time I was there I was listening to what everyone was saying but I found my thoughts wandering to the experience of my 1.5 hour ride home. I know I probably looked a bit anxious because the more Chris & Janis talked the more I wanted to experience "The Ride" myself. I had a great time visiting and only wished I had been able to be there to actually witness the master in action myself.
OH ~ The ride home was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I kept thinking I needed to stop to make sure this was in fact my bike. I'd like to say THANKS to KevinX and Chris & Janis for assisting me with my particular needs in order to get my bike there in the first place since I had to work at the last minute. I can certainly testify to the fact that KevinX knows what he is doing and anyone thinking of getting their cams done ~ HAVE KEVIN DO THEM FOR YOU!!!
Gadget |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 639
Tri Cities, WA | Congrats all, Glad you all are enjoying the new mod.I so want this done to my ride but I'm having a hard time getting folks to commit or want to get it done here in the NW. ARRHHGGG :-( |
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Visionary
Posts: 1340
Gainesville Fl Home of the Gators | VisionNWRider - 2009-09-20 6:22 PM
Congrats all, Glad you all are enjoying the new mod.I so want this done to my ride but I'm having a hard time getting folks to commit or want to get it done here in the NW. ARRHHGGG :-(
Funny thing about the party in Dallas. I had three firm comitments within a few days, and then nothing. Yesterday came along, and people were asking if I brought along extras to do thier bikes.
It was a GREAT time in Dallas, and I can't thank Chris, and Janis enough for their hospitality. Glad everyone enjoyed themselves. Now the real fun begins for them!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 88
Lavon, TX | After my KevinX conversion (#53 for him), Jan and I spent 4 hours riding in rural east Texas yesterday. Note that my comments below all pertain to two-up riding. Low-speed manuvering is VASTLY improved - before, I was never comfortable going really slow on the Vision; it was jerky and felt like it was stumbling for fuel - and I could not traverse a straight line. Yesterday, I was finally able to creep up to a stop sign behind someone and do a calm, straight-line rolling stop without having to put my boots on the ground (I might even consider entering the slow races at rallies now). I can do a full U-turn in a Tee intersection - I used to have to make half a turn, stop, back up, then finish the turn. Power curve is smooth across all gears - Jan couldn't tell when I was shifting, as the transition was so calm. Used to, there was a slight buck as one gear ended and then another one started. I found myself using much more of the higher RPMs in the lower gears (never used to drive 70MPH in 4th gear) - I had been accustomed to shifting every 10MPH (2nd was used from 20-29, 3rd from 30-39, 4th from 40-49, 5th from 50-59, then overdrive at 60MPH). Now, I am shifting closer to each gear's red-line - maybe this is the reason for the smoother gear shifting? At very low speed and again above 70MPH, there is additional air noise - kind of tinny sounding, presumably from the added air intake (and removal of baffle from factory intake). Per GPS, we achieved and maintained 115MPH in 6th gear (Jan said the speedo was reading over 120MPH, but I knew to monitor the GPS indicator). I had forgotten that I could get farther above the speed limiter by using 5th gear instead of 6th. Never got another long open stretch to try it again yesterday. The bike is certainly PLENTY fast! We showed an average of 44.6MPG on the tank yesterday - and this included much "hot-dogging" . I was pleasantly surprised, as I would typically have expected to get 41MPG from that ride - which we do regularly.
Edited by charbin 2009-09-21 8:52 AM
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 33
| Charbin,
I'd be interested in any other comments you might have on low-speed maneuverability.
I might just need more time on the VV (only logged 300 miles so far) but this is the area I feel least nimble... especially two up.
Thanks! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 639
Tri Cities, WA | Nice write up charbin. Thanks for sharing. :-) |
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Cruiser
Posts: 88
Lavon, TX | Agreed - I've got nearly 16K on the bike now (most of it two up), but she's always felt like she was "floundering" whenever manuvering at low speeds. As a result, I've tended to over-grab the front brake while trying to steady her (it's hard to hold up 750lb of bike along with its 240lb pilot and 115lb co-pilot).
Hate to publicly admit it, but I've dropped the bike at least 8 times, each time publicly while pulling up to rally campsites - mud, sand, wet grass, gravel, on a hillside, the weight of the beer shifted - many different excuses used to cover her lack of nimbleness at very low speed. So glad that the Vision has tip overs!
We had been able to do slow-speed manuvering comfortably with our former smaller V-Star 650 (just didn't have enough power for any long distance riding) - but this, as you say, was the area where I felt the most uncomfortable with the Vision. I had attributed it to being that this was a touring bike - much heavier with a more powerful engine - so low-speed manueverability had to suffer.
In fact, I had just remarked to Jan earlier on Saturday at how much envy I felt when a GoldWing had effortlessly turned around in our driveway (two up) after delivering Gadget's bike for the KevinX upgrade.
Yes, there is DEFINITELY a marked improvement since the upgrade. Both of us noticed it - immediately. Like I said - I did a full U-turn for the first time without needing a three-lane highway.
It was so much fun yesterday to pull up to a stop and remain calm and relaxed - no longer panicky and front-brake grab-happy.
Kind of ironic, too - as I would have figured that more power would have meant even less stability at low-speed. Kevin explained that the O2 sensors were to blame for poor low-speed behavior (note that unhoooking them does not even throw a code on the computer), and that Lloyd's fuel map provides a better AFR for this condition (though, technically, the bike is now no longer certified for on-road use per the emissions standard, since the VFC has no CARB cert). |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 12
Springfield, MO | Well, I am the last of the 'Dallas Three' to report in. I came home to lots of chores at work to handle and didn't want to post anything until I had a chance to tell the story right. Jan will also understand that I had to clean the Vision first too!
First being from Springfield, MO, I had the privilege of an extended 7 hour test ride from Dallas to get used to my 'new' Vision - and new it is! Since I have a stock exhaust, I was not expecting the raw power that some of the other Vision-Riders had seen. I was looking to keep my wife happy with a quiet bike, keep me happy with a little more power and none of the popping we hear about with other exhausts and get some more torque for two-up riding and pulling a trailer. I was sure all this was going to happen after KevinX assured me the performance with the stock exhaust would be much better than you might expect.
Well I got all my wishes and more! Chris is telling it right; the most noticeable thing is how much smoother the bike is. No surging, just smooth and steady from idle all the way up. Before Kevin did his magic, I had never even thought about hitting the rev limiter, it just seemed to start sucking air and falling off, so the natural thing to do was just shift up. Now you go and go and just keep going. Like someone else said, all you have to do is hold on and twist that throttle. Now the bike does the rest. Other upgraders have said, it is almost like you have more gears, it just feels that different.
On top of all that over my 7 hour ride home, with average speed of 64 mph, my on board gas mileage were 45.8. This was 2.7 mpg better than I got on my way to Dallas and of course I had to open it up at least a little to see how it felt. Nothing too wild but top speed by GPS was 92.
Aside from the stupid grins we were all wearing after our test rides, it was a great time. The people were just as enjoyable and great to meet as the experience with the upgrades. I can't imagine a better host than Jan and Chris. It was also great to meet all the other fine folks from Texas including, Craig "Spock" Edland. I know he is quickly becoming a YouTube celebrity but I would find some other method next time!
While we were standing around bothering KevinX, Chris let me hold while he did the hard part and I got another great mod by adding a Utopia backrest to my Vision seat.
Last but not least KevinX, he is just as good a guy as he is a great wrench. I can't wait for my KevinX t-shirt or chrome cover!
I would have tried to make a cam party before if I had known it would work with a stock exhaust. But I am grateful I had the opportunity to enjoy this process with a great group of people in Dallas! Even got to visit my son too – can't beat that.
Look for a cam party in your area and get on that list! Here's a few pictures.
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Tourer
Posts: 466
Grand Cane, LA | Now I'm really disappointed! I was all ready to have KevinX do this mod on mine and I couldn't get off from stinking work for this weekend. In fact, that where I am as I write this! (Explective dialog under my breath) Well I guess I'll have to wait for another time KevinX can come back by this way. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1340
Gainesville Fl Home of the Gators | atvtinker - 2009-09-21 9:58 PM
Now I'm really disappointed! I was all ready to have KevinX do this mod on mine and I couldn't get off from stinking work for this weekend. In fact, that where I am as I write this! (Explective dialog under my breath) Well I guess I'll have to wait for another time KevinX can come back by this way.
You might want to put it out there. I had a few requests to start another date, and would be GLAD to go back |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | atvtinker - 2009-09-21 8:58 PM
Now I'm really disappointed! I was all ready to have KevinX do this mod on mine and I couldn't get off from stinking work for this weekend. In fact, that where I am as I write this! (Explective dialog under my breath) Well I guess I'll have to wait for another time KevinX can come back by this way.
Me too. I have to work weekends. There was some talk earlier about having a cam party somewhere in Arkansas. I could probably make it to western or central Arkansas by playing hooky one day. That would be halfway between atvtinker and myself. You guys that already have the cams are making me really envious. I want the cams bad. Funds saved up and available. Time is the problem. How about an Arkansas party?
Ronnie |
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Tourer
Posts: 466
Grand Cane, LA | Don't suppose you could do another date around Oct. 9 and 10? I'm going to Stroker's party in Dallas that weekend and it would be mighty convenient! Maybe we can talk Rick Fairless into letting us use his shop and kind of give him some advertising for his Victory dealership. Just putting it out there as a thought. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 146
| Well, I FINALLY got to spend the day riding my NEW "KevinXinated" VV. Again I say.......WOW!! I can relate to you "atvtinker" because I too have had to work the past 8 days straight so this was my first opportunity besides riding to work and back. I totally agree with the write up Chris posted. Much...much more power and smoothness throughout the entire gear ranges. I too was finding myself remaining in at least one gear lower than I used to simply because I didn't feel the need to shift to a higher gear. Chris warned me about not letting the front end get away from me...and he was right. 
I set out today to explore my newly Kevinxinated mod and I gotta say that I am even more impressed by the running and handling each and every time I ride. This is by far the single most impressive upgrade to date!!
I just looked at the pictures that were posted of the event and it's so strange seeing my baby sittin in the driveway and me not being there participating in the festivities.  Hopefully the next go-round I'll be able to attend and visit with many of you fine fellow "Visionaries".
Just a note...my friends that dropped my bike off for me that were riding the Wing Chris mentioned...they are great people and both are extremely experienced wing riders. The one that actually ride my bike to the Victory Summit called me after delivery. Now, he has been a winger for many many years, and he called just to tell me that he was extremely impressed with the Vision. This was his first time to ever even sit on a Vision much less pilot one 1.5 hours to Lavon. He said that it was one of the best riding motorcycles he has EVER ridden. That's a huge compliment coming from him...TRUST ME!!
Gadget |
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