Why not a V Star Custom 650?

I ran across some popular reasons women don't want the 650 and I wondered if some of them might have changed their minds if they knew you can modify some basic parts that will change the characteristics they don't like. I experienced same issues and after some research, determined that some basic mods will set them right for me. There were two things right from the start that I wanted to change immediately.

On the top of the list is seat height. The V Star Custom has a 27.4" listed seat height which I fit into well. 29" is pushing it for me and 30" is out of the question. I'm not sure if other women feel the same, but I want both feet flat with some bend on the knees to feel comfortable on a bike. It's a reassurance thing. And since it's over 500 lbs, having solid straddling support is more important than ever. Still, I wanted a lower seat height before I resort to replacing the shock head which I might do later. I'm now waiting on a custom solo seat by West Eagle to arrive in a week. It was on eBay for $159.

There are options for custom seats and most of them do lower the seat height as what other owners have been writing about. It depends on what your intentions are as well. I'm opting for a solo seat because I do not plan on carrying passengers along for the ride, I've already taken the pillion (passenger) seat off and I'm saving to buy a cargo rack to go in it's spot since I'm primarily going to use the bike for commuting to school/work. Before you buy the seat, make sure it fits the model you have. Some seats might require a mounting bracket so do ask the retailer about it. An added benefit to a custom seat is that it will always be more comfortable than the stock seat. Ask other owners in forums about their seat experience or read their reviews.

Ask any V Star owner about the clutch and most will describe it as horrendous. The friction zone is like 1/4" away from full disengagement. Hence the stories about stalls at stop signs plastered all over web forums. While some of them might be beginner's mistakes, all my friends who ride have commented that it's quite noticeable. To make it more beginner friendly, I did two modifications which I'll post about separately and it's now a dream to ride, even hill starts are a joke.