Igofar Reviews

[Corkus]

Handling fixed!!! Thanks Larry!

I had two handling problems that were obvious as soon as I bought the bike. I had a form of the ST weave I guess. The bike "wandered" back and forth about 2 feet in a nice casual weave at 70 mph. I could hold it straight but that meant applying light pressure to the bars. Something was obviously wrong. The second problem was the bike would "fall" to the left when entering roundabouts. That felt really terrible. 2 up it was a real concern for that one moment of turn-in. I was thinking about new suspension parts, springs, shock, etc.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I called Larry on the white courtesy phone. BEST PHONE CALL EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry said fixing the handling was easy. It was shockingly easy. It was also a unique solution I had never heard of and I have not been able to find on YouTube, Google or any forum including this one. (If Larry's Alignment is well described on this forum I don't know where it is. It would make an excellent ST article in my mind.) Larry showed me how to finely align the front end components in a way I have never heard of and would never have thought of. I've been riding since 1978 and I swear I don't know why Larry's alignment method isn't common practice on every bike, every time a front wheel comes off. But it was all news to me. GREAT NEWS! No weave, no falling into roundabouts, no ST high speed handling concerns, no silly solutions involving not using a top box or a bigger windscreen, none of that nonsense. Just Larry's alignment method. Of course, if you want to know the details about the Alignment talk to the Maestro Larry.

There is also a good chance in my mind that Larry's alignment can eliminate front tire cupping. Wouldn't that be some kind of magic?

Huge thanks Larry. You are a terrific mechanic and an even better person.

 

[Corkus]

My poor brakes, fixed!!! Thanks Larry!!!!!!!!!

I had one of those BMW's from the early 2000's with whizzy power brakes and 9 bleeders I think. So the design of the ST's brakes didn't make me blink. But my ST brakes turned into a huge project for me. I'm so grateful for Larry's help. Without him I expect I would have removed the calipers from the bike and completely rebuilt them, replacing every part I could. That was not necessary, but that's the way it would have gone without Larry's help.

My SMC was not releasing the rear brake like it should, which I did not know until Larry told me how to test the SMC. I replaced the SMC and the rear brake bracket which was damaged just like Larry told me it would be. Also replaced pads, pad pins and serviced the disc rivets.

Replacing pads unexpectedly did not go well. I have always been able to push the brake pistons back with only my fingers on every bike I've owned. The ST's brake pistons would not move at all by hand. I was confused. Larry coached me to extend the pistons and remove the ring-around-the-collar dirt on the pistons using his very simple paracord method. I couldn't believe that a small amount of crud would freeze the pistons, but they all moved perfectly by hand afterwards. Thanks Larry.

I used the very simple, inexpensive Motion Pro bleed tool. Larry said not to use anything else like a suction pump or power bleeder style push bleeder like I was going to use. He was absolutely right. The Motion Pro tool is a bargain and it worked darn well.

Over more than a week I bled my bike's 7 bleeders two times each bleed for 4 rounds. That was 8 bleeds on each bleeder total. No brakes.

After much head scratching I discovered my bleeders were bleeding well but not sealing afterwards. 4 or 5 of the bleeders had tiny leaks. When I pulled them they were extremely dirty. I removed the plumbers tape, cleaned them with a wire brush and put them back in. After the cleaning and a couple more rounds of bleeding, no change. Still did not seal. No brakes.

I gave up on those bleeders and ordered replacements. Larry suggested I use thread sealant, not plumbers tape, on the bleeders. I did. Wow, success on the very first bleed with new bleeders and sealant (and new SMC, rear brake bracket, pads, pad pins, and disc rivet service).

And just that easy, fantastic ST brakes! Thanks Larry!

 

[cruzer1800]

Messaged Igofar and he had me call him on the bat phone. Had a (what I thought) was a basic question .... but Larry just gave me a SOLID hour (or more) of his time... blowing my mind with his knowledge of this machine! I think I learned more in this call than a week of reading the shop service manual. Wow.... this guy is A M A Z I N G!!!! If you need help, look no further. Incredible resource. Write a BOOK LARRY! (seriously) Thank you so much.

 

[cruzer1800]

IGOFAR!! Yeah you do. Goes far out of his way to help a rookie ST1300 owner/aspiring mechanic like me to tackle some jobs I was (totally) scared to do. After calling him on the courtesy phone, he diagnosed (one) of my probs as a shot SMC. Sent me shopping list of what to get and where.... Fast fwd a couple of weeks and with Larrys help I have replaced the SMC, completely bled out all brake lines, changed out the fork oil, properly aligned the forks, found some stupid crap the PO had done, and learned some valuable skills that basically saved me a ton of money (vs taking it to the Stealership) and had a great time doing it and getting to know my machine better. Win, win WIN! I swear, Larry knows more about these bikes... tips... tricks...shortcuts...improvements and other things than I could ever learn in what is left of my lifetime. Cant say enough about how kind he is to volunteer so much time to coach a rookie like me. Thank you Larry!!

 

[ToddC]

For all, who have experienced the wonders that are...The Amazing Larry.... thru the wonders of the white phone.
Just wanted to say the in person experience is even better.....but can be dangerous...
Plus, being there in person, you get to contribute to the tiny little tip jar by the bell......

So..... It is Christmas and all....... And if you have been the recipient of some of his incredible knowledge....

I bet Larry could use some rattlesnake food, or Bella treats, or maybe some new leathers for riding in the part of the world that tries to eat you or kill you.....
Or a nice fruit cake......

Just saying the guy rocks...!!!!

T

 

[cruzer1800]

So back in May, I purchased a fairly immaculate 2005 ST1300 with 40K miles on it, unknown what prior owner had done, other than replaced clutch slave cylinder (verified because it was new, clean and shiny) Done correctly? Hopefully…

Bike had 10 yr old (born on date) tires on it that were basically brand new according to tread wear. So… looks like she has been parked for quite some time. Had STealership put on new tires and check brakes. Front pads looked almost new, rears were shot. Told them to go ahead and replace rear. Shop tech said “that’s really odd why the rear would be like that… maybe owner rode the rear brake?” After reading on the forum about various causes, suspected SMC. Quality talent at the dealership huh?

So.. this journey began with me pm-ing IGOFAR with a question about SMCs since it looks like he is THE world famous-celebrity- guru on the forum… he replied by with the number for the courtesy phone and said call him. (yeah, that’s not intimidating at all!?) What began with a simple question turned into me becoming quite the hands-on training and learning experience for me.
Now, so you understand… I am quite the handyman around the home and used to work on cars a bit before they became rolling computers, but never done much more on any of my bikes other than oil changes… which I was soon to find out that I was NOT doing correctly… =)
Even with my new Coach from AZ, I was very hesitant to tackle these jobs… but with an incredible amount of patience and grace, Mr. Larry Igofar walked me through each step of the projects. Within a few days, I was feeling confident enough that when he said to pull off the rear wheel, I didn’t even think twice about it. Wheel off, caliper off, bracket off, bearings knocked out, new ones in… look at me!?!
So a partial list of items Larry helped me tackle…

Replaced secondary master cylinder.
Cleaned and inspected front brake pads and calipers, polished pistons w/paracord trick.
Checked and greased front wheel bearings.
Replaced faulty rear caliper bracket that was also contributing to rear wheel drag and uneven pad wear. Cleaned /inspected and polished rear caliper.
Proper brake flush and bleeding of all.
Brake lever adjustment.
Counter balancer thingy adjustment procedure.
Throttle cable adjustment and lube.
Clutch fluid flushed and replaced.
Rear flange bearings replaced.
Shifter linkage removed, inspected and greased. (WOW… what a difference!)
Removed, cleaned and drained, refilled forks and properly aligned them on install so that front axle passed smoothly through with no binding.

Not only did he walk me through how to do each task, but even told me where to order parts, how many, and how to put them on. He even looked up the parts numbers on some sort of FISH device (what kind of wizard is this?) all while kicking rattlesnakes away from his ankles in his garage… (don’t ask)
My journey continues… NEXT… something called a “throttle body sync” thing… I don’t know what that is but I'm sure it will be exciting!
End result… I am SUPER PUMPED to get to know my machine on such a detailed level, and now will save a ton of money hopefully staying away from the kids at the dealership who have probably never even seen one of these amazing bikes. All thanks to Larry Igofar. “Tips hat”

 

[Sadlsor]

All thanks to Larry Igofar. “Tips hat”

Don't just tip the hat, tip the JAR!
Yeah, Larry is a gem. Glad you found him.
Stay away from the service centers at dealers -- they will wreck your bike without even riding it, and they won't even know they wrecked it.
Now, @cruzer1800 don't you think we need pictures? (You can start a new thread.)

 

[Andrew Shadow]

...... oil changes… which I was soon to find out that I was NOT doing correctly… =)

Curiosity question- what was it that was being done incorrectly?

 

[Igofar]

Don't turn this into an oil thread this is a review thread

 

[cruzer1800]

Don't just tip the hat, tip the JAR!
Yeah, Larry is a gem. Glad you found him.
Stay away from the service centers at dealers -- they will wreck your bike without even riding it, and they won't even know they wrecked it.
Now, @cruzer1800 don't you think we need pictures? (You can start a new thread.)

Oh sorry... you guys like pics? Here are a few...

Before the carnage began...!



Then.... After I started getting "help" from LARRY!!?!?
Will it ever be right again??? (My wife walked out into the garage at this point saw what I had done.... turned around, and walked back inside.) I just told her I thought I saw a spider and was trying to find it...





Before and after balancer adjustment...



SMC parts dont quite look right...




Rear brake caliper bracket issues... note gap across the top...





That was causing THIS kind of uneven wear on new pads...



and the pin was walking around inside of here....




Caliper WAS disgusting.... Cleaned it up a bit...

 

[cruzer1800]

Larry strikes again!! So after helping me with all the aforementioned jobs/corrections/repairs/maintenance and improvements.... Mr Igofar thought I was ready for to do a throttle body sync on my baby. Seriously? Im a rookie bike mechanic and I dont want to destroy a bike that is running perfectly "fine"...
Not gonna lie... pretty intimidated to tackle this one but Larry assured me he would get me through it. Larry fixed me up with Aniwack (Thanks again!!!) from this forum who lives just a state away, has tools that he is nice enough to LOAN, and soon a very nice manometer was on my front porch. Larry told me all the prep to do, parts to remove and how, what to watch out for, how to not drop screws into the void, things to NOT touch... stuff like that. Lift the tank, pull a bunch of stuff off, new vac hoses installed, (and I just had to clean all that stuff down in the belly of the beast) and I was ready to do the deed. Larry stayed on the phone and walked me through every step of the (somewhat frustrating at times) process of lining all of those dang bars up just so... Funny how when you turn #4 it messes up #2, then #2 jacks up #3, then #3 blows out #4... and so on... but one last click and suddenly all four bars were beautifully level!!? blipping the throttle... they settled right back down to a straight line... pretty maids all in a row. Fantastic! Larry suddenly says HIT THE KILL SWITCH. I do... now what? He says... YOU'RE DONE! Wow. A bit stressful, but now that I have done it, really nothing to it. Just be careful, take your time, and have a friggin ST1300 expert on the line with you, and it all goes super smoothly. Put everything back where it goes, make sure not to drop screws into those pretty shiny holes (important tip) and button her up. DONE!

I know one of you guys is going to want PICS, but they are really pretty typical of what I have seen on other posts... (Starting pic of the bars all over the place, ending pic with them all in a very satisfying straight line.) LOL!

My bike already ran very smooth...(so I thought) but now is on a completely different level.... starts with a LEAP when I touch the wakeup button, and purrrs like a kitten. Well... a kitten with a gear whine....
I would NEVER have attempted anything like this with my limited knowledge of motorcycle mechanics, but with Coach Larry walking me through it, it was a breeze. I have learned SO much from this guy I can not even begin to tell you guys, and Larry I cant thank you enough for all of your help, patience and willingness to share your knowledge with me (and us) rookies.

Have I mentioned that this guy is A M A Z I N G??? If you dont know him... you are missing out. All Im gonna say.

 

[dexter69]

My 2 cents regarding Larry, he walked me through front fork alignment....over the phone no less. He has so much knowledge....Great guy!

 

[northwestparider]

Larry has it in spades when it comes to knowledge, generosity, and patience.

We've spoken a few times over the last couple of months due to waiting for parts and then cold weather set in on me, no heat in my garage.

The first time we talked he diagnosis the SMC as bad and then walked me around the bike pointing out numerous other things that need attention like; boot on the clutch lever, triming the engine ione cover on the tight side, and the spark plug boot. We also discussed some other future improvements.

The brakes are done now and when I get some more random warm days this winter I'll try to knock out some of the other items.

Larry, many thanks. I wish I was closer so I could come and twist wrenches with and really learn from you first hand.

 

[northwestparider]

Another quick and successful maintenance procedure done with Igofar's guidance. Refreshed the preload adjuster for the rear shock. I've still got some more little jobs to do during the winter season, but it sure is nice scratching some of them of the list.

 

[Flyboy]

Hello Guys!
Happy Sunday Morning!

I watched Why We Ride last night for the first time with my lovely Bride.
Great Joy-Of-Motorcycling Movie. Which brings me to Larry.
Larry took my new-to-me ST1300 hostage several weeks ago.
I thought that it was in good shape.
I was wrong . So wrong...

He went over it with his usual obsessive fine tooth comb, which I very much appreciated.
There were literally thousands of dollars in needed adjustments and repairs.
I am an aircraft mechanic, etc. and I completely understand, respect and engage in extreme attention to detail in any of my repairs.
"Good Enough" is not Good Enough. I want my vehicles RIGHT.
Larry is ABSOLUTELY that man, also .

After he literally tore my bike apart and provided me with a wealth of Before photos (clearly bad, damaged, or out of adjustment items) and After (new parts perfectly installed or gloriously repaired to new function) photos, I am SOOO thankful that he is willing to help us!
And his place is relatively local to me !
I needed a new SMC, Clutch slave cylinder, Front wheel bearings, Throttle body syncing, Fork alignment, new brake pads all around, rear shock preload adjuster service, all caliper rebuilds, etc., etc., etc. Literally page after page of truly necessary maintenance work for continued safety and road worthiness.
For the clutch slave replacement, the Factory manual calls for the engine to be removed from the frame ($1700+ in typical dealer labor alone.)
Larry can do it with his special tools while the engine stays in position in the frame.

On my kitchen table is a coffee mug from GriotsGarage.com. It reminds me of Larry, The ST Whisperer.
On it is a quote from Sir Henry Royce, of Rolls-Royce fame:
"Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exists and make it better. If it doesn't exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough."
That is Larry in every respect.
And he is a great guy, to boot!

As others have said, I think that it is VERY important to compensate him fairly for his care and expertise.
The Good Book says that "A workman is worthy of his hire."

If we all make sure to do that when visiting him and not try to take financial advantage of his good nature, I hope that he will be willing to continue to help us for many years to come.

*His work is like The Sistine Chapel of ST1300 Repair.*

Call me a VERY satisfied customer.

Ride safe!
Vince

 

[Flyboy]

Hello Guys!
Happy Sunday Morning!

I watched Why We Ride last night for the first time with my lovely Bride.
Great Joy-Of-Motorcycling Movie. Which brings me to Larry.
Larry took my new-to-me ST1300 hostage several weeks ago.
I thought that it was in good shape.
I was wrong . So wrong...

He went over it with his usual obsessive fine tooth comb, which I very much appreciated.
There were literally thousands of dollars in needed adjustments and repairs.
I am an aircraft mechanic, etc. and I completely understand, respect and engage in extreme attention to detail in any of my repairs.
"Good Enough" is not Good Enough. I want my vehicles RIGHT.
Larry is ABSOLUTELY that man, also .

After he literally tore my bike apart and provided me with a wealth of Before photos (clearly bad, damaged, or out of adjustment items) and After (new parts perfectly installed or gloriously repaired to new function) photos, I am SOOO thankful that he is willing to help us!
And his place is relatively local to me !
I needed a new SMC, Clutch slave cylinder, Front wheel bearings, Throttle body syncing, Fork alignment, new brake pads all around, rear shock preload adjuster service, all caliper rebuilds, etc., etc., etc. Literally page after page of truly necessary maintenance work for continued safety and road worthiness.
For the clutch slave replacement, the Factory manual calls for the engine to be removed from the frame ($1700+ in typical dealer labor alone.)
Larry can do it with his special tools while the engine stays in position in the frame.

On my kitchen table is a coffee mug from GriotsGarage.com. It reminds me of Larry, The ST Whisperer.
On it is a quote from Sir Henry Royce, of Rolls-Royce fame:
"Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exists and make it better. If it doesn't exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough."
That is Larry in every respect.
And he is a great guy, to boot!

As others have said, I think that it is VERY important to compensate him fairly for his care and expertise.
The Good Book says that "A workman is worthy of his hire."

If we all make sure to do that when visiting him and not try to take financial advantage of his good nature, I hope that he will be willing to continue to help us for many years to come.

*His work is like The Sistine Chapel of ST1300 Repair.*

Call me a VERY satisfied customer.

Ride safe!
Vince

One more thing:
I bought my ST (used) from the local Honda dealer (Cochise Motorsports) here in Sierra Vista. Larry then discovered things wrong with the bike, as I mentioned. Completely understandable, it was a used bike. When I told Cliff, the dealer here, he went out of his way to make it right financially after the fact. I cannot say enough good things about Cliff and his business practices here in Sierra Vista. I HIGHLY recommend Cochise Motorsports, here in Sierra Vista.

 

[Sadlsor]

I would say that's unusual in the business.
"As-is, no warranty expressed or implied" is what is the norm.
Maybe a 30-day warranty, if the motor blows up...
You got a great twofer, and I bet you can tell the difference in your bike after you ransomed it from Larry.

 

[Flyboy]

I would say that's unusual in the business.
"As-is, no warranty expressed or implied" is what is the norm.
Maybe a 30-day warranty, if the motor blows up...
You got a great twofer, and I bet you can tell the difference in your bike after you ransomed it from Larry.

Right on, Sadlsor!
I can absolutely tell the difference, since Larry did his magic on it !

 

[delta st]

My first contact with Larry was a blind email seeking advice on repairing/replacing my 05 tank following an "in garage" mishap leaving a deep golf ball size dent in the tank. He immediately sent a response and said, "Give me a call”. At that point I needed someone like Larry to talk me off the ledge, my near pristine ST had a big problem in my eyes. He wasted no time telling me "we are going to get this fixed, it will be fine". Being an OCD person that was just what I needed. I bought a nice tank on EBay and began to fret a little about making the swap. I reached out to Larry and he walked me through the entire procedure including parts I needed and pictures detailing everything I needed to know. The only hitch I had was getting the fuel level indicator working correctly after my installation, again Larry helped! !! Larry is very confident and rightfully so, but at no time did he ever get short or frustrated with my abilities or questions, he was calming, supportive and positive. Larry is one of those people that goes out of their way to help people. I wasted no time taking the bike on a “shake down” ride, seemed like everything was great, however as I pulled up to a red light the bike started creeping with the clutch in, not a good feeling. Once I got home I called Larry and explained what happened. His over the phone diagnosis tagged the Clutch Slave Cylinder as the culprit. I did not even know I had one (ha, ha, ha). This was a serious situation for me. I am not an accomplished bike mechanic and was uneasy about taking on the repair. Not once did Larry utter any doubts on me making the repair, only reinforcement and assuring me "we will get this fixed”. He sent me a detailed parts list as well as a few special tools I would need to order. Once I had the parts and tools I began work and with his guidance made the repair.



Larry then guided me through changing the clutch fluid, WOW !!, what a friend. But it wasn’t over ........ We adjusted the suspension and replaced the fluid in the preload adjuster. Then onto bleeding the brakes. I am amazed that this man who had never met me devoted so much of his time to me, INCREDIBLE ! He even picked melodious tunes on his guitar while talking me through the various maintenance issues. Never doubt his knowledge on the mechanics of the ST 1300, he's VERY GOOD.

 

[Flyboy]

My first contact with Larry was a blind email seeking advice on repairing/replacing my 05 tank following an "in garage" mishap leaving a deep golf ball size dent in the tank. He immediately sent a response and said, "Give me a call”. At that point I needed someone like Larry to talk me off the ledge, my near pristine ST had a big problem in my eyes. He wasted no time telling me "we are going to get this fixed, it will be fine". Being an OCD person that was just what I needed. I bought a nice tank on EBay and began to fret a little about making the swap. I reached out to Larry and he walked me through the entire procedure including parts I needed and pictures detailing everything I needed to know. The only hitch I had was getting the fuel level indicator working correctly after my installation, again Larry helped! !! Larry is very confident and rightfully so, but at no time did he ever get short or frustrated with my abilities or questions, he was calming, supportive and positive. Larry is one of those people that goes out of their way to help people. I wasted no time taking the bike on a “shake down” ride, seemed like everything was great, however as I pulled up to a red light the bike started creeping with the clutch in, not a good feeling. Once I got home I called Larry and explained what happened. His over the phone diagnosis tagged the Clutch Slave Cylinder as the culprit. I did not even know I had one (ha, ha, ha). This was a serious situation for me. I am not an accomplished bike mechanic and was uneasy about taking on the repair. Not once did Larry utter any doubts on me making the repair, only reinforcement and assuring me "we will get this fixed”. He sent me a detailed parts list as well as a few special tools I would need to order. Once I had the parts and tools I began work and with his guidance made the repair.



Larry then guided me through changing the clutch fluid, WOW !!, what a friend. But it wasn’t over ........ We adjusted the suspension and replaced the fluid in the preload adjuster. Then onto bleeding the brakes. I am amazed that this man who had never met me devoted so much of his time to me, INCREDIBLE ! He even picked melodious tunes on his guitar while talking me through the various maintenance issues. Never doubt his knowledge on the mechanics of the ST 1300, he's VERY GOOD.

Larry is AMAZING!
Not only did he do an extraordinary job on my '93 ST, he helped me to find a good home for my bike, when I developed a hip issue. Larry is both a World Class ST Whisperer AND a Great Guy.
Thank You Larry!!