F X S T E I N - Frankenstein's blog

1 eBay
eBay: RS Warrior
eBay: MT-01
eBay: Road- & Stratoliner
2 FXSTEIN
rswarrior gallery
S T A R V M A X
3 Custom Bikes
Amospro's Warrior
Redhorse's Warrior
rswarrior.com
roadstarnetwork.com
4 Aftermarket
Cycle Image
PhatPerformanceParts
Patrick Racing
5 Manufacturers
Star Motorcycles
Yamaha Motors US

THE countdown is on!

admin | 26 May, 2008 01:43

Less than 10 days before the new Max will hit the streets!

Go check it out!

www.starVmax.com

New Custom Fuel Map available for download

admin | 17 November, 2007 15:25

It has been a busy fall season so far. Lots of work going on and far too little riding. I finally got around to create another custom fuel map for the following setup:

Yamaha Star Roadliner/Stratoliner with Patrick Racing BAK and Roadhouse slipon. Make sure you unhook the OEM O2 sensor when you run this map. Leave the exup valve in place. Click the following link to choose between the available maps and download the one that matches your setup: Perfect Custom Fuel Maps

Enjoy and ride safe!

Perfect Custom Fuel Map on the Dyno

admin | 26 April, 2007 01:11

After having received lots of requests to dyno one of my custom maps posted on this blog, I finally went ahead and did a few dyno pulls earlier today. San Jose Yamaha just finished installing their dyno equipment and have been pulling a few Roadliners over the past few weeks. None of the equipped like the FXLiner but good for some comparisons. The FXLiner used for this particular dyno run has several modifications installed that all need to be mentioned before you can read too much into those numbers. First off the bike has a modified rear end with a 240 wide tire conversion kit. Having done similar runs on various RS Warriors before I know that the 240 kit eats rear wheel power by about 2-4 hps.

 (Click here for the entire article)

How to fix the Yamaha Roadliner/Stratoliner engine stall

admin | 21 April, 2007 17:20

The Yamaha Roadliner/Stratoliner is one of the most desireable VTwin cruisers on the market. It comes with little supirse that review after review ranks it as the top cruiser in the >1800cc category. The aricooled VTwin runs smooth, produces gobs of torque and makes some serious power. Riding the Roadliner is fun. You can cruise in 5th gear all day long or yank the bike through the twisties for some sporty feeling. Its no sportbike but the handling has currently no match in the cruiser world.

With all the raveing about the bike there is one issue that bugs a growing group of Liner Owners: More and more people report of stalling bikes. In particular riding the bike in stop and go trafic at extremly low speeds or down slight downhill stretches can cause the engine to stall when approaching a stop or pulling in the clutch.

This article describes a very simple procedure how to adjust some of the idle characteristics of the bike to prevent the engine from stalling.

 (Click here for the entire article)

Perfect Custom Fuel Maps for the Roadliner available for download

admin | 16 April, 2007 08:00

As I am putting on the finishing touches on Part 2 of the Custom Fuel Map series I went ahead and did another Perfect PCIII USB map for the Roadliner/Stratoliner OEM exhaust. There is also a map for the Cobras staggered. You can find both maps for download in the Albums section of the site or follow this link: Perfect Custom Fuel Maps

Enjoy and ride safe!

Upgrading the Roadliner Stratoliner Clutch for Some Serious Power

admin | 21 January, 2007 17:01

Most of you know that I have been looking for a serious clutch upgrade ever since the FXLiner got its wet Nitrous system installed. The bike's OEM clutch did not take the 50 extra rear wheel ponies that easy. Especially in 3rd and up clutch slippage was extreme to the point where the engine would redline within a second of hitting the shot - far before the acceleration has had a chance to actually move the bike that fast.

Soon after my failed attempt multiple individuals pointed out a good old trick from other bikes that have gone serious power upgrades. Yeah - thats the one I refused to even try to begin with. Well not really but in order to try it out you too have to order parts and I felt it was not worth it.

 (Click here for the entire article)

FXStein's Final Monster Garage of the Year 2006

admin | 10 January, 2007 08:40

December 29th was the day - or better night. The final chance for a great Monster Garage in my little bike shop. A whole bunch of the local Warrior gang showed up for a night of fun. As always we had some plans for wrenching around but somehow we did not get too much done. ;-) To much talking, enjoying good old Fat Tire beer, watching recent videos, pizza and plenty of scotch. The night started out around 7pm and it sure was one of the colder nights you find out here in California during our usually not so winterish winters.

 (Click here for the entire article)

The Perfect Custom Fuel Map - PART 1

admin | 24 October, 2006 21:28

A little theory of Fuel Injection

Today's fuel injected motorcycles demand different attention to details than previous generation carburated engines. There are several fuel injection setups available across different manufacturers. Tougher and tougher emission regulations are pretty much demanding fuel injected, O2 sensor controlled configurations.

O2 sensors are used to monitor the Air Fuel ratio (AF ratio) of the engine. Why is the AF ratio an important measurement/factor for the operation of an engine?

The AF ratio represents the mixture between air and fuel. For gasoline operated engines the optimal fuel efficiency AF ratio is 14.7:1 - thats 14.7 parts of air and 1 part of gasoline/fuel. Most modern engines however produce maximum power at 13.2:1. So what's the deal with these metrics?

 (Click here for the entire article)

Frankenstein once again on National TV

admin | 17 October, 2006 23:29

Once again Frankenstein is hitting national TV during Prime Time. Filmed during the Star Motorocycles Custom Bike 2007 Calendar shoot in Longmont Colorado, V-Twin TV will air an episode about the Custom Metric Bike production on Speed Channel.

The show is scheduled to air on December 12 2006 at 10PM Eastern 7PM Pacific. Check out the behind the scenes of the latest Star Motorcycles production that took place during this years Stardays in Colorado.

The show includes interviews with all 6 custom bike builders/owners portrait in next years Custom Metric calendar and scenes of the different sets used to shoot the individual bikes.

So get ready and set your Tivo!

Final shots of the FXLiner for the 2007 Star Bike Calendar & more

admin | 05 October, 2006 20:54

Right about now your local Yamaha Star Motorcycle dealer should have gotten the 2007 promo material in.

It contains the 2007 Star Motorcyles Custom Bike Calendar as well as plenty of cool Posters and Promo material. One of these Posters features the 2006 FXLiner and myself, bad soo bad. ;-)

The artificial light shots got a little extra color and work done to them since the initial raw version I received. On paper they look even more impressive.

While visiting the local San Jose Yamaha dealer today I had to sign the first poster of the series. Its gonna be framed and put on display in their store.

 (Click here for the entire article)

The FXLiner hits the 2007 Custom Star Calendar

admin | 13 September, 2006 21:21

Only months after the 2006 Stratoliner S model rolled off the showroom floor of San Jose Yamaha, its custom version the FXLiner hit its first major appearance. Yamaha USA picked the motorcycle as one of only six (6) custom bikes on display in the 2007 Custom Star Calendar. The shoot took place in Longmont CO during Star Days 2006 just outside of beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park.

In addition the bike claimed its first custom bike show title that week at the Roadstar Custom Bike Show. It won 1st in its first public appearance and got plenty of positive remarks. During all of Stardays the bike was one of the Stars of the event, demanding attention form all groups of bikers.

Ride Safe!

How NOT to upgrade the Stratoliner & Roadliner Clutch

admin | 06 August, 2006 22:19

I know thats a sad post but it has to be said so others don't waster their time and money on a fruitless attempt to upgrade the clutch of the Yamaha Roadliner or Stratoliner. After installing and tuning the wet Nitrous system for the FXLiner it became clear very fast, that the clutch was in need for some upgrades. Especially in 4th and 5th gear the extra power developed through the NOS injection puts the engine in a run-away mode. The stock clutch simply cannot keep up with the super high torque developed by the engine and the result is an engine pulling away faster than the bike can accelerate. Before going through the trouble of disassembling the clutch I went and checked on the parts fiche for the Stratoliner. The clutch assembly looks awfully similar to that of the Roadstar Warrior and so I went and ordered the Stage IV spring conversion for the Warrior. Not opening the clutch first was a mistake that I should regret rather fast. The day the Roadstar Warrior Stage IV (4) clutch spring arrived a few weeks back, I opened up the clutch assembly. I was lucky and did not destroy the gasket but I recommend you don't attempt to open the side cover without having a new one ready. My local dealer did not have one in stock - well - now they do ;-). After the removing the left side floor board and the clutch cover the revelation came rather fast: The Warrior spring will not fit the Roadliner or Stratoliner assembly. (Click here for the entire article)

240 Phat Tire for the Roadliner/Stratoliner done

admin | 11 July, 2006 09:30

The FXLiner also comes with a 240 Phat Rear. Together with Cycle Image, Frankenstein has developed a 240 conversion for the Roadliner / Stratoliner. After looking into multiple options for billet wheels and the lack of support from all major manufacturers to come up with a setup for the Roadliner, I got the commitment from Cycle Image to make a prototype based on the specs I supplied. The 240 setup for the Roadliner is rather straight forward. No modifications to the swingarm or belt drive system are required, as long as the wheel is centered inside the rear swingarm. A custom widened wheel got welded up from a stock one and finished in famous Cycle Image show quality chrome. The stock wheels with their 12 round spokes simply looks killer in show quality chrome. None of the billet wheel manufacturer offers round spokes as they are too expensive to machine. In addition to the rear wheel getting widened, it also got enlarged from 17 inch to 18 inch. That allows for the installation of a Metzler 240, a great tire, with great handling and a decent long life. I have been using this make on several Roadstar Warrior projects with great success. (As always click the images to see the full size 1024 versions of all shots) (Click here for the entire article)

Wet Nitrous for the Stratoliner/Roadliner

admin | 10 July, 2006 00:03

The FXLiner comes with a computer controlled wet Nitorus system that makes an extra 45 hps at the push of a button. The system is based on a NOS car setup. Out of the 4 cylinder version only 2 sets of nozzles were needed for the VTwin. The setup was fabricated around the Patrick Racing HiFlo Big Airkit. The installation required to custom drill and tap both intake manifolds for the NOS Fogger nozzles. They inject the Nitrous/Fuel mixture directly into the intakes of the cylinder heads. They are positioned to be almost in line with the open butterflies of the throttle bodies to minimize flow resistance. The Fogger nozzles are fed by steel pressure lines that had to be routed around the Patrick Racing HiFlo Big Air Kit as well as the throttle bodies and other required hoses and brackets. The Patrick Racing HiFlo Big Air Kit actually made the installation of the wet nitrous much easier than with the stock airbox. (As always click the images to see the full size 1024 versions of all shots) (Click here for the entire article)

The Yamaha Stratoliner/Roadliner is Done! - The FXLiner

admin | 14 June, 2006 23:28

Well, almost. ;-) Last weekend was long and hectic. The FXLiner (Stratoliner) had to be finished as Yamaha is going to show the bike together with the 21 Turbo Warrior at their upcoming dealer show in Las Vegas. The tins spent the last three weeks in Hollister where Master Painter Erik Solorio gave the bike its final custom touch (see prior blog post). Meantime the install of the direct port Nitrous setup for the Roadliner turned out to be quite a project. I went through two #2 intake manifolds as both Nozzle positions turned out to be problematic for running the final NOS and fuel lines. Rather than controlling the NOS setup with traditional micro-switches (e.g. for full throttle) I wanted to come up with a clean and safe design that allows for lots of flexibility. A Dynojet Wideband Commander got installed in addition to the already existing Power Commander (PCIII). The stock O2 sensor got replaced with the wideband version from the Wideband Commander. (Click here for the entire article)

FXLiner Custom Paint Preview

admin | 10 June, 2006 01:12

Today was the day to get a first look at the newly painted Yamaha Star Roadliner/Stratoliner tins. Master painter Erik Solorio let me take a peek at the paint prior to final clear coats. I have asked for a subtle silver/blue realistic flame paint job on a black base. Less is more. Came out great! The flames have great structure, the different layers of silver/graphite and black/blue candies change their depth based on the viewing angle due to the perl flake in them. As you can imagine the photos taken with flash don't do the paint job justice. Some last minute show commitments for the Yamaha dealer show in Las Vegas made the project rather tight. In addition to the paint the phat tire conversion, some electrical gadgets and a wet direct port NOS system are in the works. (Click here for the entire article)

Patrick Racing HiFlo Big Air Kit (BAK) for the Yamaha Star Roadliner/Stratoliner

admin | 15 April, 2006 00:41

Don't you hate it when you got the first best thing rather than waiting for the real one? Thats how I feel right now. So I had to put a BAK onto the FXLiner and just got what was out there. You would think I have learned from my many Warrior lessons. Anyway, the brand new high performance VBAK (they call it HiFlo Airkit) from Patrick Racing is out! You know, the guys who won almost every race the past 4 years and certainly all World Championship titles in the AMA Prostar Hotrod Cruiser class?! They make the finest engine upgrades for the Warrior and its just logical that they are now coming up with Roadliner/Stratoliner Hotrod stuff. The first of their high performance releases is their very unique VBAK. It uses machines velocity stacks with curved venturi cones for the ultimate in power and torque. 11-12 rear wheel horses over stock with just the VBAK! Gets you awfully close to 100 rwhps, and that not even with a good pipe. (Click here for the entire article)

Big Air for the FXLiner (aka Stratoliner/Roadliner)

admin | 05 April, 2006 21:46

The Roadliner/Startoliner, the newest bikes from Star Motorcycles, are some of the fastest stock cruisers on the market. With 113 air-cooled ci they put out some 101 hp at the crank and some 84 of them end up at the wheel. Nice fast - but really? Every had a vehicle going fast enough? Not really. So its time to help that huge engine breath a little better and get some serious horses freed up. The only kit currently on the market comes from Thunder Mfg. Its what I would call a second generation Big Air Kit (BAK) as it utilizes venturi/velocity stacks in combination to some free flowing oversized K&Ns. It is not the most sophisticated setup I have run into like the VBAK that Patrick Racing makes for the Warrior but it is good for some serious hps improvements. The entire kit - once installed is completely hidden under the tank and cannot be seen from any angle. However you can hear it once the engine is running. As with all Big Air setups they are louder than stock air-boxes and sometimes make a sucking or whistling noise. But hey its the cheapest permanent power increase you can get. (Click here for the entire article)

The FXLiner - A bold Roadliner/Stratoliner for some serious trips

admin | 02 April, 2006 19:37

UPDATED Check out the latest post: The FXLiner

April fools day was the day. The alarm went of at 5:30 am bright and early for a short trip down to Hollister CA. Some of you might know that its the home of Corbin. Custom seats for virtually all bikes and lately more and more fairings and similar products. It was time to dress up the Stratoliner - to make it my very own FXLiner. In addition to the Cobra pipes and a Thunder Mfg BAK as well as a few chrome goodies, the FXLiner got its fairings, hardbags and custom seat installed.

 (Click here for the entire article)

BAK and pipes for the Roadliner/Stratoliner

admin | 30 March, 2006 20:42

It's done! The FXliner is putting around on a set of Cobras and the bran d new Thunder Mfg BAK kit. The Cobras have been on for some 2 weeks and the BAK went on last Saturday during a trip to SoCal. As always the guys from phats came through with unbelievable service! (Click here for the entire article)

240 phat tire for the Roadliner/Stratoliner

admin | 18 March, 2006 23:25

Well finally. Today I found some time in the morning to take the stock rear wheel off the Roadliner/Stratoliner. Time to test fit a 240 rear. As both RC Components and Performance Machines don't offer any wheels for the Roadliner yet (its mainly about the spacer anyway) I went ahead and installed a Warrior 240 rear on the Stratoliner. For those of you that are eagerly awaiting some details here's how it went: (Click here for the entire article)

Roadliner/Stratoliner 1000 Mile Update

admin | 04 February, 2006 20:18

Beautiful NorCal weather (not to regular lately) got me across the 1000 miles marker on the Stratoliner S. The bike is running strong and the transmission is getting smoother with every mile. Not that I had anything to complain to begin with. The 5 speed powershifts in a fraction of a second and getting to 100+ takes only very few seconds. The rear tire is showing its first burnout marks. ;-) Had to visit the guys at phat's last weekend and could not help but smoke in their shop. (Click here for the entire article)

2006 Stratoliner S First Ride Report

admin | 09 January, 2006 22:33

I have been watching the release of the new Star flagship cruiser line the Roadliner/ Stratoliner for the past few months. I have always been interested in different looks and lots of technical goodies. Both of witch these bikes excel in. The retro styling of the bikes mixed with high tech fuel-injected air-cooled VTwin engine technology makes them a great platform for the next generation of custom metrics. The engine has tons of potential with it 113 ci or almost 1900cc displacement. It come in a very powerful trim that leaves for plenty of upgrade options. Different pipes and a VBAK to start with and I am sure its only a question of time until engine builders like Patrick Racing come up with some trick internals. (Click here for the entire article)

July 2009
May 2008
March 2008
January 2008
November 2007
August 2007
July 2007
May 2007
April 2007
January 2007
December 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005

General [13]
MT Series [6]
RS Warrior [23]
Starliner [23]
Technology [6]
VMax [4]

THE countdown is on!
Upgrading an RS Warrior front brake system
Turbo 21 on New Camera
New Custom Fuel Map available for download
Warriors at Deals Gap - Tail of the Dragon
The Ultimate RS Warrior Ping Stop!
S T A R V M A X - The Next Generation Yamaha Star VMax Community
Customizing the Next Generation 2008 Yamaha Star VMax
The Ultimate Road Star Warrior Search for eBay
Perfect Custom Fuel Map on the Dyno