Bikes Of The Stars!

By Bob Feather

The setting is Longmont, Colorado. Rolling plains suddenly give way to the majestic Rocky Mountains, forming the backdrop for the 2006 STAR Touring and Riding Association’s annual event.

This ideal location is where I met our stars, Asher and Sylvia Haun, president and secretary of the Twin Peaks Chapter 182, STAR Touring and Riding Association, Longmont, Colorado.

Asher and Sylvia met in 1969 at a local Yamaha dealership. Sylvia, the diligent bookkeeper, was swept off her feet when local off-road racing legend Asher Haun showed up one day to buy some parts. They’ve now been married nearly 39 years. They have raised two sons and have a long family history of riding motorcycles together.

Asher’s bike, a 2000 Road Star, was custom-built by Baron Custom Accessories. Asher gave Baron a general idea of what he was looking for in a custom cruiser, and then he let the experts do their thing. “They surprised me with a few ideas of their own,” says Asher. “Like the embroidery in the seat, the way they carried the graphics from the tank right through the speedometer. And theykept a few other things secret from me until the bike was finished. I am very pleased with the end result.”

It wasn’t long before Asher noticed that the bike was considerably faster than when he dropped it off. I have to wonder if that has anything to do with the displacement bump to 1825cc, the Mikuni smoothbore carb, or the better-flowing Baron exhaust system. Hmmm.

The spacious seating accommodations were improved with PM forward controls, and the front turn signals were built right into the footrests. A Headwinds headlight pierces the darkness, and the bike rolls down the road on a set of RC Components wheels. Among the many finishing touches, you might notice the Powder Blue engine cases, tribal graphics by Dan Hatch, and flowing stems of the Paul Yaffe mirrors perched on top of the Baron pullback bars.

Ask people who have customized a bike and many of them will tell you what a thoroughly satisfying experience it is to be part of the design and customization process, and then ride the bike when done. Having enjoyed the success of Asher’s bike build, the Hauns turned their attention to Sylvia’s stock 2000 V Star 1100.

“When we first started riding on the street, in 2000, I was a passenger on Asher’s bike,” says Sylvia. “That lasted for maybe six weeks. Then I got the itch to have my own throttle. I like the fact that I’m in control myself. But Asher will tell you that I really enjoy the speed. I usually stay behind him because I sometimes have trouble riding at the posted speed limit.” I saw evidence of Sylvia’s lust for speed while doing the riding photos. Syl kept jumping out in front! You go, girl!

Sylvia, had some distinct ideas about how her bike should look, and she wanted to create a theme for it. She says, “Guys always go with flames and skulls and masculine graphics. Since it’s a woman’s bike and a woman’s vision, I wanted it to reflect a feminine side. I wanted a little mystique.”

The faces painted on the rear fender were actually found at a motorcycle show. “It’s from a piece of stationery, where the guy is kissing the girl,” says Sylvia. “I liked it so much I asked the person who drew it if I could use it on my bike.” The artist agreed, and the bodywork was sent off to painter Dan Hatch in San Diego, California.

Syl’s bike announces its arrival through a Double D Straights exhaust system. The bike pulls its fuel through a Baron Big Air Kit, and, like Asher, she rolls on a set of RC Components wheels and lights the way with a Headwinds headlight.

One of the problems we had when customizing my bike is that there simply weren’t a lot of accessories available for V Stars at the time,” she says. Headwinds worked directly with the Hauns to design a new turn signal setup for Syl’s bike, and the unit you see here is now in production.

“This is the third version of Syl’s bike,” admits Asher. “Having gone through several changes with seats, handlebars, mirrors, blinkers, chrome, plus three paint schemes, we finally arrived at something Syl really loves.” The couple claims that while they did a lot of the work themselves, they also had help from talented tradespeople who pulled it all together.

As you can see in the photos, these two customs make an impressive pair. They represent what is possible with a little imagination, an extensive aftermarket, and some fine people behind the scenes who are willing to help. No need to break the bank, either, because accessorizing a production-based bike can be done in stages. The Hauns would like to thank Phil Wiley, Brian Purgusan, and P.J. Nochese for their efforts and help in building these beautiful bikes.

While the bulk of the labor is out of the way, both bikes remain works in progress. Once riders get the customizing bug, they always seem to be tweaking and fine-tuning their rides. No doubt Asher and Sylvia will have further refined their slick custom bikes when we catch up with them again at the next Star Days event. RB