So after a pretty tough week, I was finally able to get the new voltage regulator, ignition pickup and stator coil stuffed in the V-Star. The first thing I'd like to note is that the V-Star is twice the size of the Hawk, roughly speaking. And yet, with all that extra room the designers were still able to find all the tightest, smallest and most inconvenient places to route the wiring.
So after about thirty minutes of laying on the ground and swearing like a sailor, I finally got the new bits installed and sure enough, that was the problem. The bike fired right up and sounded pretty good. I took it out to get registered, and here in Arizona we can do five year tags on motorcycles. So $244 later, I have a tag that's good until April of 2024. Called up the insurance company and adding the V-Star to my insurance resulted in a NET DECREASE in my policy of $52. No idea how that math works out, but I'll take it. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be cleaning the bike up and determining what else still needs to be taken care of. One thing right off the bat is going to be the front forks. They're leaking pretty badly and have almost no dampening action. The bike seems to be riding kind of low, as well. Then I'll dig into all the places it's leaking oil. It's marking it's territory everywhere I park it, and at the occasional stoplight just for good measure. It also needs a new rear tire, and to have the oil in the final drive checked. Other than that, I'm happy with what I've got so far. It's a really nice ride when you get out on the street, and makes a nice change of pace from what I had in the stable.
Also, big thanks to Ben2Go and MegaDan for all the advice on getting an unfamiliar bike to perform like a favorite tee shirt.