Just a short while ago, John Parham and the mechanics at J&P Cycles gave a lucky contest winner the chance for a full Harley-Davidson makeover from parts and accessories available through the J&P Cycles catalog.  Well, John is at it again as he has commandeered his faithful staff of mechanics and given them two days to complete a Total Metric Makeover on a Yamaha Road Star!  Oh, and by the way, this bike will appear on the cover of the new J&P Metric catalog, so hey, “No pressure!”  Aided by Baron’s John Vaughan-Chaldy, mechanics Nick Schroeder and Jeff Wiley are about to become “quick-change artists” as in 48 hours they will turn this stock Yamaha into a retro-cruiser reminiscent of a bike from the 40s or 50s!

With just two days to make this conversion, there was no time to waste so the crew began to strip the bike down to the frame and the engine.  John Vaughan-Chaldy told us that the most difficult part was taking the bike apart so our guys didn’t waste any time, completing the task late in the day so they could be ready to begin the assembly bright and early the next morning; however, since it wasn’t too late, Nick and Jeff installed some of the components before the teardown including a Baron’s Front and Rear Lowering Kit that will drop the bike 1 ½ inches and smooth out the front-end ride.

The next morning saw a flurry of action and installation beginning with a Baron’s Ignition Cover made from billet aluminum.  Next, they installed a set of Baron’s One Inch StarBar Handlebars and a Baron Bullet Tachometer.  These bars look awesome and the tach combines style and function with a back-lit face for night riding!  The next upgrades consisted of a set of Kuryakyn Iso-grips with Accent Rings, and the Kuryakyn Throttle Boss.  These grips make long rides a bit easier as they help to reduce rider fatigue.  Kuryakyn Banjo Bolt Covers and a Baron Master Cylinder Cover were the next additions.  Made from chromed billet aluminum these parts add significant head-turning power to any bike!  J&P’s Flexi-wire Hose Cover Kit with covers for every hose and cable on the bike were installed next, and then a Baron Big Air Kit, complete with chrome cover, K&N Filter, performance needle or jet kit, and the Baron Power Cone were fitted to the bike.  Finally, a Baron Cam Cover was added with a simple installation and it made the bike look even better!

Well, that’s all the time we have for this segment, so stay tuned until we come back for Part II of the J&P Metric Makeover.  By the way, you can follow the progress of this project on J&P Cycles website at www.jpcycles.com.  J&P Cycles: Keeping the World on 2 Wheels!

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