Moderators: slparry, Gromit, Paul
Good idea.Steve1200S wrote:?............Is it me, or does the top of the carb cap look exactly right for a bottle cap?
but quite fun. 
I find mine light, easy steering at lower speeds but once you turn the wick up it doesn't turn that easy. I put it down to the high (compared to modern) gyroscopic forces and trail? I find I can carry deceptively high corner speeds because it doesn't need a large lean angle. I've raised the battery (11kg!) and the seat, which should have also raised the combined c of g a little.Steve1200S wrote:Took the bike to work yesterday as the weather looked ok and I thought it would be good to get some miles on it.
Unfortunately it pi@@ed it down in the afternoon and evening, and so I rode it home through the worst traffic in Sheffield (I bottled my usual motorway route home), with no mirrors (ordered some now!), in the soaking wet at night. It was err, eventful!!
It does seem to turn on thought control with hardly any lean angle or pressure on the bars. I guess it due to lightness and skinny tires? Doesn't like bumps in corners though, or downshifting into corners, but the soft suspension is really comfy on the crap roads around Sheffield.
I'm going to give the valve clearance a check tonight, they seem very rattly... I know Airheads are loud in that respect, but I don't know how loud it should be as I've never rode or been near another one, so I'll give it a check to be sure.
Roll on the weekend.
The original owner of mine decided to put his name and postcode on the side of the seat unit! (confirmed the name is right as I have the original sale receipt) It's still there too...Droptarotter wrote:Nice bike!
I had that exact bike in 1980!
Maybe I can find some photos??
Cheers
I've not given it some proper stick yet or hit any super twisty roads, but like you say, it seems to carry tonnes of corner speed with hardly any lean angle.Corvus wrote:I find mine light, easy steering at lower speeds but once you turn the wick up it doesn't turn that easy. I put it down to the high (compared to modern) gyroscopic forces and trail? I find I can carry deceptively high corner speeds because it doesn't need a large lean angle. I've raised the battery (11kg!) and the seat, which should have also raised the combined c of g a little.Steve1200S wrote:Took the bike to work yesterday as the weather looked ok and I thought it would be good to get some miles on it.
Unfortunately it pi@@ed it down in the afternoon and evening, and so I rode it home through the worst traffic in Sheffield (I bottled my usual motorway route home), with no mirrors (ordered some now!), in the soaking wet at night. It was err, eventful!!
It does seem to turn on thought control with hardly any lean angle or pressure on the bars. I guess it due to lightness and skinny tires? Doesn't like bumps in corners though, or downshifting into corners, but the soft suspension is really comfy on the crap roads around Sheffield.
I'm going to give the valve clearance a check tonight, they seem very rattly... I know Airheads are loud in that respect, but I don't know how loud it should be as I've never rode or been near another one, so I'll give it a check to be sure.
Roll on the weekend.
I recall at the time that the cable operated master cyl was slated by the press.Steve1200S wrote:I've not given it some proper stick yet or hit any super twisty roads, but like you say, it seems to carry tonnes of corner speed with hardly any lean angle.Corvus wrote:I find mine light, easy steering at lower speeds but once you turn the wick up it doesn't turn that easy. I put it down to the high (compared to modern) gyroscopic forces and trail? I find I can carry deceptively high corner speeds because it doesn't need a large lean angle. I've raised the battery (11kg!) and the seat, which should have also raised the combined c of g a little.Steve1200S wrote:Took the bike to work yesterday as the weather looked ok and I thought it would be good to get some miles on it.
Unfortunately it pi@@ed it down in the afternoon and evening, and so I rode it home through the worst traffic in Sheffield (I bottled my usual motorway route home), with no mirrors (ordered some now!), in the soaking wet at night. It was err, eventful!!
It does seem to turn on thought control with hardly any lean angle or pressure on the bars. I guess it due to lightness and skinny tires? Doesn't like bumps in corners though, or downshifting into corners, but the soft suspension is really comfy on the crap roads around Sheffield.
I'm going to give the valve clearance a check tonight, they seem very rattly... I know Airheads are loud in that respect, but I don't know how loud it should be as I've never rode or been near another one, so I'll give it a check to be sure.
Roll on the weekend.
I'm going to try and improve the brakes for the weekend, just do a complete setup from start to finish and see if it improves a bit. I still dont think they're that bad, but others have reported being able to 'squeal' or slightly lock up the front wheel. No chance on mine! the cable would snap first.
Corvus, What does your customised bike look like?
This is a question I meant to float at the time and forgot.Harry Lime wrote:Heh! I recall a Suzuki rider approaching me after a spirited zing down the Via Gellia.
"I was leaned right over - you were hardly leaning at all."
(My '71 Laverda 750 runs a 90 section rear).
"Just good technique, mate"
Contact patch is less, mind. Don't want any "hedge interface" moments, do we?
H.
Cheers.Harry Lime wrote:Yep.
Oh, and, c of g. A motorcycle with a higher center of gravity requires less lean to maintain a given speed around a corner.
So if you're not keen on leaning and want to go quicker, buy a tall bike with skinny tyres
Counter intuitive stuff, this motorcycling. Counter steering, counter intuitive, but counter me IN, I love it.
H.
