Photos by J&P Cycles www.JPCycles.com
When we meet up with Chris Hagest and his crew at Low and Mean, we’re not sure what to expect in terms of custom motorcycle manufacturing. He mentions his company took the interest of Yamaha for designing a custom giveaway (more on that later) in which inexperienced and experienced customizers and riders could replicate on their own time, in their own garage. To our surprise, his massive 6,500 square foot shop isn’t simply an assembly facility to “supe up” your stock V Star or other cruiser, but a manufacturing plant for many bolt-on accessories. Components that allow any metric cruiser rider with minimal mechanical skills and a worthy set of tools to customize their bike themselves are right here in our city!
How do you cross over from Jet Ski extraordinaire to making cruisers look good? Chris began Low and Mean as a result of being unhappy with parts for his bike that never fit. “I was working at Kawasaki as a development test rider” – for Jet Skis mind you – “and I picked up a Mean Streak at an employee sale. I wanted a different front fender and a chin scoop for it, but at the time all I could get from the aftermarket were pipes. The stuff I could find didn’t fit right or was of terrible quality, so I started making my own stuff.”
Valued at $25,000, this Yamaha Custom V Star 950 includes a myriad of modifications that, to the average onlooker make this bike appear to most as a high dollar, unobtainable ride. We’re happy to report that this isn’t the case and would like to detail the additions that make this eye catcher a real catch. If you’re planning to do this to your motorcycle, firstly it won’t break the bank as much as a high-end motorbike, but it can definitely still hurt, now say if you got into a crash that wasn’t your fault, that’s a lot of money that’s now in broken condition or that isn’t salvageable at all, there’s some great info here on motorcycle accident attorneys and laws if you’re ever in the unfortunate need of such a site.
FEATURES:
- 23” Front Wheel
- Raked Out
- Aftermarket Exhaust
- Performance Air Intake
- Remote Controlled Air Ride
- Low Profile Seat
- 500w Sound System
- Storage within Rear Fender & Diamond Side Bag
- Custom Front and Rear Fenders with Chin Scoop
- Pearl White w/ Jet Black Custom Paint
- State of the Art LED’s
- High-End Driving Lights
Being an entry-level big twin, it’s easy to profile the 950 as a “lesser” class of bike, but the retail sales promotion manager for Star Motorcycles said “…we wanted to show that it’s got a lot of the same features that our larger cruisers do: the metal fender, the belt drive, the air-cooled engine and the ability to accommodate larger wheels. A lot of these features appeal to customizers.” With that being said, this gorgeous, finely crafted, one-off custom motorcycle from Low and Mean is just a taste of what you can do all on your own, and it’s available at a pretty reasonable price. If you’re looking to upgrade to a top class motorbike like this one, then you can sell you old one and find out the value of your motorbike at www.wewantyourmotorbike.com.
How can you win this bike? Just the question we’ve been waiting to answer.
Until midnight on November 1st Star is accepting entries to the V Star 950 Sweepstakes. Soon after, one lucky participant will be selected at random to ride away on this custom beauty. No sales pitch and no obligation to purchase. Register to win at www.starmotorcycles.com/ vstar950sweepstakes. Or you can hand print your name address and phone number and send it to Star Motorcycles Custom 2012 V Star 950 Sweepstakes, 6555Katella Ave., Cypress, CA 90630. em>(Note: if you’re goingthe snail-mail route, we recommend you first go to the Star website,click on Official Rules, and follow Yamaha’s corporate stipulations tothe letter.)
LM CUSTOM V STAR 950 COST BREAK DOWN
- Stock V Star 950, MSRP $8,495
- Ride Wright Wheels, Pulley and Rotors, $3,520
- Platinum Air Ride Suspension (w/Remote), $1,259
- VTX-treme 80 Billet Triple Trees, $650
- Burly 13” Bagger Apehangers, $250
- LeoVince 2-Into-1 Black Jack Exhaust, $699
- LM Low Rider Seat, $260
- InStitches Customs Seat and Tank Cover, $500
- Radiants LED Lighting, $420
- LM Diamond Hard Bag, $850
- Star Roadliner Floorboards, $437.86
- Star Stryker Pulley Cover, $55.28
- Custom MidnightBomber Covers, $425.65
- LM Chin Scoop, $225
- LM Performance Air Intake, $199
- Diamond-Shaped Air Filter Cover, $150
- LM Coil Cover, $99
- Arc 500w Audio System, $600
- Star Driving Lights, $309.95
- H4 Super Plasma GT-X Bulb, $49.95
- Cell Buckle Bar Mount, $20
- Avon 23” Front Tire, $175
- DunlopRear Car Tire 195/50-16, $150
- LM Chrome Axle Covers, $49
- LM Speedo Face, $45
- J&P Cycles Low-Profile Gas Cap, $95
- Power Commander V, $350
- Letters, Line & Design Custom Paint, $3,500
- J&P Cycles Round Bar Mirrors, $115
- J&P Cycles Turn Signal Grip Ends, $65
- LM Rear Fender w/ Storage, $550
- Solar Charge Controller, $17
- Special Front and Rear Break Lines, $175
- Total Accessories: $13,011.69
- Custom Paint and Finishes: $3,500
Grand Total (Including Motorcycle):$25,006.69
Star chose Chris and his team at Low and Mean to develop last year’s Stryker giveaway, and now this year’s V Star 950. We can’t wait to see what else the team at Low and Mean has up their sleeve for making the roads’ cruisers more attractive, giving us road appeal and ultimately the street credible nod that’s much deserved.
–LIVING MAGAZINE