Alright, let’s talk about my Honda VTX project. It wasn’t like I woke up one day and bam, custom bike. Nah, it started slower than that. I had this VTX 1300, a good solid bike, dependable. But every time I looked at it, it just felt… stock. You know? Like it rolled off the factory floor and hadn’t changed a bit. It needed some personality, my personality.
So, the first thing I did was just sit and stare at it for a while. Seriously. Grabbed a drink, pulled up a chair in the garage, and just looked. What did I really want to change? What bothered me?
Figuring Out the Vibe
Okay, the stock exhaust had to go. It was too quiet, too polite. Needed something with more rumble. And the handlebars, those big pullback things weren’t really my style. Wanted something a bit tougher looking. The seat? Comfortable enough, I guess, but bulky. Looked like a sofa cushion strapped on the back. Yeah, those were the big three to start.
- Exhaust: Needed more noise, more attitude.
- Handlebars: Wanted a different feel, a different look.
- Seat: Something sleeker, less… puffy.
Getting the Bits and Pieces
Then came the fun part: shopping. Spent hours online, looking at pictures, reading what other VTX guys did. Decided on some aftermarket slash-cut pipes. Heard good things about the sound. For handlebars, I went back and forth but settled on some drag bars. Not too crazy, but lower and straighter than stock. Found a nice low-profile solo seat too. Clicked ‘order’ and then waited for the boxes to arrive. That’s always a good feeling, waiting for bike parts.
Time to Get Dirty
Once the parts showed up, I cleared some space in the garage. Got my wrenches out, sockets, screwdrivers, the usual stuff. Started with the exhaust ’cause I figured that’d make the biggest immediate difference. Taking the old system off wasn’t too bad, just heavy. Getting the new pipes lined up took a bit of fiddling. Had to make sure the flanges seated right against the engine ports. Tightened everything down bit by bit. Stepped back, yeah, looked way better already.
Next was the handlebars. This took more time. Disconnecting the throttle cables, the clutch cable, all the electrical wires for the switches. Gotta be careful here, don’t wanna break any plastic bits or strip screws. Pulled the old bars off. Getting the wires threaded through the new drag bars was a real test of patience, let me tell you. Used some string, pushed, pulled. Finally got ’em through. Bolted the new bars on, reconnected everything. Had to adjust the lever positions so they felt right.
The seat was the easiest part. Seriously, like two bolts. Old one off, slapped the new solo seat on, bolted it down. Done. Instantly changed the whole line of the bike from the tank back.
Finishing Touches (For Now)
Swapped out the big stock mirrors for some smaller, teardrop-shaped ones. Put on some new grips that felt better with the drag bars. Stood back again. Looked less like a factory bike and more like my bike. It felt lower, meaner.
Fired it up. Oh yeah. That’s the sound I was looking for. Deep rumble. Took it for a quick spin. The riding position felt totally different with the drag bars and lower seat. More leaned forward, felt more connected to the road. Still gotta rejet the carburetors probably, or get a fuel tuner, ’cause changing the pipes messes with the air/fuel mix. But that’s the next step.
So yeah, that’s the story so far. It wasn’t one big job, more like a weekend project here, another evening there. Taking the stock VTX and just… tweaking it. Making it mine, piece by piece. Still thinking about paint, maybe some different turn signals. It’s never really finished, is it? That’s half the fun.
