www.boxertrix.com

Steve1200S wrote:?............Is it me, or does the top of the carb cap look exactly right for a bottle cap?

Good idea.

Damn, that means you're going to have to drink quite a few bottles of Bavarian beer to find the one that matches with perfection. You could be ages before you find the right one. Weeks!

How about one of those fancy ones with the over centre type clamp. You'll be able to de mount it then, when it gets dirty.

used to cut the pins off lapel badges and stick them on with araldite (BMW badges of course!!)

I bought some stick on badges especially for that. They didn't stick to the curved surface though....

I'll have to peel the foam backing off and find some strong glue!

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!! but quite fun.

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.

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!! but quite fun.

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 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.

Nice bike!
I had that exact bike in 1980!

Maybe I can find some photos??

Cheers

Droptarotter wrote:Nice bike!
I had that exact bike in 1980!

Maybe I can find some photos??

Cheers

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...

Post them up.

Corvus wrote:

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!! but quite fun.

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 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.

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.

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?

Deleted.

Steve1200S wrote:

Corvus wrote:

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!! but quite fun.

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 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.

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.

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?

I recall at the time that the cable operated master cyl was slated by the press.

Mine? Er, unique for sure. If I can figure out the best way to get photos from i pad I will post a photo. It is currently undergoing another "makeover", ready for next April.

Here you go.............1980 R100S......

Action man with realistic hair?.....or is it Action man...hello sailor??

Steve

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.

This is a question I meant to float at the time and forgot.

Ok, c of g height and tyre width have a direct influence on the angle of lean. But the front and rear tyres are different widths, especially on a modern bike, so that can only mean that the front is leaning less than the rear...... Strange. True?

Deleted.

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.

Cheers.

Yep, the high c of g and skinny tyre thang was my take on things too. A principle easy enough to get your head around when thinking about one tyre only. But two different widths on the same machine (as is usual) takes a bit of head scratching.

The difference in angle of lean between front and rear tyres is clear to see on your picture. But is that representative of road riding? I was under the impression that countersteer initiated the turn but once you're over the steering turns in the more expected way? But even if that is correct the two tyres are still not at the same angle of lean anyway, to my way of thinking. Don't know if you'd agree with that?

Then there are bikes, like trail bikes etc, with extremes of width differences plus diameter differences!