How To Customize Your Star, By Doug Mitchel

If you’re a Star owner looking for a winter project, or if you just need extra guidance in the garage, How To Customize Your Star is definitely worth a look. Author Doug Mitchel teamed up with J&P bike builder Kody Wisner to create this 140-page, full-color publication. Using a 2008 Midnight Star as the base bike for the build, the book takes you step by step through the entire process of making a standard Star your own, with comprehensive chapters on lighting, exhaust, saddle, floorboards, suspension, fuel delivery, tin, setting the bike up for touring, and more. Each instruction and caption has a photo so detailed, one could build a bike just by looking at the pictures.

Part numbers are integrated into the instructions for all the custom components installed on the Star, and every one of them can be found right in the J&P catalog. At the end of each chapter, there is even an information box listing the parts and their J&P part number. And if that’s not enough, a DVD documenting each stage of the build is included.

There’s no need to worry about seeing 300 identical Stars at the next bike show, though; in order to achieve the utmost personalization, Kody installs several different varieties of each part on the Star. Most of the projects are generic, such as the saddle and exhaust system, so you can really choose any aftermarket company or part model you’d like, and the basic instructions shouldn’t change dramatically.

Rest assured, though, there is plenty of advanced content for the more experienced wrench. Many of the parts installed require removal of major parts like the front end, the final drive, and carburetor. The well-organized chapters allow you to start from square one on any project, and pick and choose which installs you want to tackle. Go as far as you feel comfortable going, although with the amount of detail displayed at each step, anybody with a simple toolbox should find success in customizing his V-Star with How To Customize Your Star. —Tyler Greenblatt

SOURCES

How To Customize Your Star, By Doug Mitchel
$27.99
Wolfgang Publications
319/462-4817
www.JPCycles.com