[KY_Stryker]

Hello fellow riders. My wife and I made a purchase this past weekend. A 2011 Stryker. We are both first time bike buyers. We both have a few miles logged on the blacktop but most of our miles have been spent racing ATV's in the dirt!

For the past 10 years I've raced my Honda 450R in about every XC Race series this side of the USA. With the kids into so much these days my racing days are over. I am working on a complete sell out of all the equipment, truck, trailer, gear, and the race quad. My wife knew I was having a bad case of separation anxiety so she fixed that by buying me a Stryker. I am pumped to ride it. Thanks to this forum I felt comfortable buying this thing. I've only heard it run twice and I've yet to ride it lol. My dad rode it home for me since I've let my permit expire and I've never had a license. We are scheduled in at Balance Dynamics riding school here in KY to help us learn and stay safe.

So with all the years I've raced I know the single most important upgrade from stock that needs to be done before the 4-wheeler should leave the garage....suspension!
Question: All you Stryker owners out there......what is the very first, single most important upgrade I should do before I even roll it out of the garage??

this should be interesting lol

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Stryker2012]

Don't.................it's a beautiful bike, enjoy it stock for at least a couple of weeks. The mods will come soon enough

 

[DraEagWol]

Congrats on your Ride & Welcome to the Forum ~ May you enjoy both!

Now as to upgrades.. that depends.. you riding solo or 2up with the wife?

I ride alot of 2up with the wife, so the wife said the first thing we were getting was a sissy bar backrest for her and to upgrade from the stock seats...

If your partner is not happy ---- no way they'll let you be happy! lol.... I tell ya though - after attending the Stryker Rally down in Maggie Valley - the wife has got biker fever ---- we need to get her her own bike one of these days!

Either way - the Stryker is a joy to ride!

 

[stretch_o]

Congrats and welcome! Where in KY are you from? I'm only about 20 mins from Balance Dynamics in Georgetown

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[KY_Stryker]

Congrats and welcome! Where in KY are you from? I'm only about 20 mins from Balance Dynamics in Georgetown

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I work in Georgetown right across the street from Balance Dynamics but I live in Walton/Richwood about 10 miles from Balance Dynamics lol. I have no excuse but to take a class there! :thumb:

So.....I'm about 75 miles from you. I purchased my bike from MLS Powersports in Georgetown. Go there for your aftermarket needs. They really treated me better than I've ever been treated. They were very busy with the outdoor event at the Horse park and still managed to work with my bank and the insurance company to get me the bike in ONE DAY!

 

[stretch_o]

I thought about taking a class there but haven't made it around to it yet.

I've been in there a few times but never dealt with them. I'll give them a little business next time I need something.

Maybe I'll catch you runnin up and down the road around these parts!

 

[KY_Stryker]

Congrats on your Ride & Welcome to the Forum ~ May you enjoy both!
I ride alot of 2up with the wife, so the wife said the first thing we were getting was a sissy bar backrest for her and to upgrade from the stock seats...
Either way - the Stryker is a joy to ride!

We priced a sissy bar. I think we are going with the black one from Yamaha. I'm thinking I would like a windshield as well but I can't find one I like. May just try it a while without but I know I'm gonna hate the interstate with nothing to deflect the wind.

I'm thinking the 30 tooth sprocket would make me happy happy happy. It feels very high geared to me and I care nothing about going over 120 lol. Not yet anyway.

I thought about taking a class there but haven't made it around to it yet.

I've been in there a few times but never dealt with them. I'll give them a little business next time I need something.

Maybe I'll catch you runnin up and down the road around these parts!

Good deal. Just tell Mark they guy who bought the stryker sent you there and I'm sure he will give you a decent deal off the retail price. Very good dude.

See ya around.

 

[Adrenaline Revolution]

I'm thinking the 30 tooth sprocket would make me happy happy happy. It feels very high geared to me and I care nothing about going over 120 lol. Not yet anyway.

And right there you have it.
If I had it all to do over I would START with the 30 tooth pulley.
The bike should have been built that way.

I have the Yamaha "Boulevard" fixed windshield and while it doesn't block much wind from my face, it completely blocks the wind from my chest so I'm not fighting the buffeting when I ride.
I don't want to ride looking thru a windshield. It never felt right to me.
I wear a full face helmet so my head is pretty aerodynamic and doesn't get blown around at all.

Welcome to the addiction from the Pacific Northwest.

"AR"

 

[11Stryker]

Welcome to the Forum. 1st performance mod- 30 tooth front pulley for a Vstar 1300. Comfort mod- Parts Unlimited seat. Visual mod- to many to list LOL

 

[THEHAPPYCANADIAN]

welcome.

buy a nice soft towel to wipe the drool off the tank

unplug the O2 sensor

Cheers

 

[KY_Stryker]

Unplug the O2 sensor hu. Gonna have to read up on that trick.

 

[StrykerPilot]

Cobra Slip on and a Low and Mean fender eliminator kit :thumb: Enjoy the new bike!!!!

 

[wayne]

Welcome. Enjoy the new ride. If you ride 2 up a lot one of the first things you might look into is a replacement for the stock seat. Your wife will thank you for it.The must have first for me was pipes. Gotta hear that sweet v twin!

 

[Silkentek]

Don't.................it's a beautiful bike, enjoy it stock for at least a couple of weeks. The mods will come soon enough

I agree. I am glad I kept mine stock for the most part for the first few days
I added a passenger backrest, my saddlebags and a windshield. I customized the chrome bits some
But for the most part I enjoy my bike as she is. Someday I may put a cobra slip on exhaust on her so I can have bigger saddle bags.

 

[KY_Stryker]

Thanks! Yeah after riding about 50 miles today for the first time I know for sure the pulley, windshield, and sissy bar are the first thing I'm buying! Then the Star saddle bags! The wind beat the **** out of me today lol.

Having a rough time finding a windshield I like. I thought I saw a Honda one on here that fit nice but I'm not sure where or what it was.

 

[Silkentek]

Thanks! Yeah after riding about 50 miles today for the first time I know for sure the pulley, windshield, and sissy bar are the first thing I'm buying! Then the Star saddle bags! The wind beat the **** out of me today lol.

Having a rough time finding a windshield I like. I thought I saw a Honda one on here that fit nice but I'm not sure where or what it was.

I use the demon windshield from memphis shades. I use the universal mounting kit and have it mounted from my handlebars
I can take close up pics of the mounting kit system if you like.
The windshield came with my v-star 950 when we bought it and I kept it and put it on my stryker =)

 

[KY_Stryker]

If you could please pictures would help. A head on shot as well just to see what it will look like.

Thanks!!

 

[Silkentek]

If you could please pictures would help. A head on shot as well just to see what it will look like.

Thanks!!

Here are the pix, the hardware closeups and my windshield. I also took pix of what Toby uses as a wind shield on his bike, and it works very well. He will be getting a windshield similar to mine eventually.
I also thought you would find my choice of back rest interesting. I didn't like the OEM star backrest because it flares out at the mounting points, and makes it impossible to hang standard yoke style saddle bags well.
I use the cobra 17 inch high backrest, the mounting brackets line up flush with the fenders and do not flare, and it makes hanging my saddle bags so they do not wind up slipping and tipping and resting on the tail pipe easier.
it may not look stylish or fancy, but it is there mainly to hold luggage, I don't carry a passenger very often heh

 

[KY_Stryker]

Thank you! I like the way it mounts. Makes it adjustable looks like. I'm gonna pass on Toby's style lol

 

[Silkentek]

Thank you! I like the way it mounts. Makes it adjustable looks like. I'm gonna pass on Toby's style lol

LOL well Toby's style was my idea, we are a 'make it work and get 'er done' family. It is a stopgap measure until we can afford a windshield for him. He had major surgery on his neck, with 4 vertebrae fused, so I wanted to reduce the amount of wind he had to fight.
if you get a windshield like mine, make sure you get the universal mounting kit, that way it keeps your options very open on where and how to mount it.
There are plenty of adjustment and pivot points, this particular configuration works best for the stryker stock handlebars. I had it set up differently on the v-star 950...