What did you do to your other motorcycle today ?

[sixpack577]

Today I scrubbed in some new HH pads I put on up front yesterday after reassembling my new gauges and putting them back on. Rode 196 miles getting 33+ mpg. I proved the new speedo goes beyond 85. I’m running 5,000 revs @ 80 mph. 5,000 revs on the Busa is 95 mph. Wish it had bigger tires. The rear is a lil bigger than our fronts @ 130/18 and the front is a 100 or 110/19. Very skinny and noticeable above 90.

Can you get one size wider on the rear?
It could add some stability.
One size taller will be like a -2 rear sprocket.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Can you get one size wider on the rear?
It could add some stability.
One size taller will be like a -2 rear sprocket.

-2 for a taller tire or +2? It’s already a 130/90/18. Can’t go wider due to the swingarm.

 

[Bumblebee]

Can you get one size wider on the rear?
It could add some stability.
One size taller will be like a -2 rear sprocket.

-2 for a taller tire or +2? It’s already a 130/90/18. Can’t go wider due to the swingarm.

The joys of having a bike designed in the '70s and their narrow tires which in the day were biased ply.

Makes me wonder how we rode the crap out of them back in the day....

 

[sixpack577]

-2 for a taller tire or +2? It’s already a 130/90/18. Can’t go wider due to the swingarm.

oh ok on the width restriction.
A taller rear, like a 55 series, is about the same gearing as a 50 series tire with a -2 rear sprocket, so a taller tire will make the bike more sluggish, already the opposite of what you want.
I would stay with the rear tire you have now then, and get a +2 rear sprocket.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

oh ok on the width restriction.
A taller rear, like a 55 series, is about the same gearing as a 50 series tire with a -2 rear sprocket, so a taller tire will make the bike more sluggish, already the opposite of what you want.
I would stay with the rear tire you have now then, and get a +2 rear sprocket.

Marty, wouldn't a 55 profile (taller than 50) lift the rear and steepen up the steering geometry as a result, and quicken up the steering?
If you know something I don't . . I'm all ears!

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

The joys of having a bike designed in the '70s and their narrow tires which in the day were biased ply.

Makes me wonder how we rode the crap out of them back in the day....

I remember the best we could get for Dunstall Nortons or Bonnevilles or my CB750-4 was a Dunlop K81 TT tube type! Great tire until you get a flat. Spoke wheels, single front rotor and a drum rear! Also had a kick starter along with electric start. The CBX book calls for a 130/90V18 and a 3.50/V19 which is a 100/90 or 110/90. Either size will fit up front. I may get a fork brace. Both of my others had one and I’ve never ridden one w/o until this one. Never having ridden with the Kenda tires I’m not sure if the skittering around I feel over 90 is the tire or fork wobble. I believe they’re tiny 39mm forks. Got new oil and seals just before I got it. The 79s really needed a brace up front with its 35mm forks! I also had progressive springs in the 79.

 

[Bumblebee]

I remember the best we could get for Dunstall Nortons or Bonnevilles or my CB750-4 was a Dunlop K81 TT tube type! Great tire until you get a flat. Spoke wheels, single front rotor and a drum rear! Also had a kick starter along with electric start. The CBX book calls for a 130/90V18 and a 3.50/V19 which is a 100/90 or 110/90. Either size will fit up front. I may get a fork brace. Both of my others had one and I’ve never ridden one w/o until this one. Never having ridden with the Kenda tires I’m not sure if the skittering around I feel over 90 is the tire or fork wobble. I believe they’re tiny 39mm forks. Got new oil and seals just before I got it. The 79s really needed a brace up front with its 35mm forks! I also had progressive springs in the 79.

A lot of bikes in those days had fork braces....

Some used the steel front fender as a fork brace...sometimes the bike would get dropped and the front fender would get tweaked and through off the front end alignment a little causing a wobble....

Those were the good 'ol days....

 

[sixpack577]

Marty, wouldn't a 55 profile (taller than 50) lift the rear and steepen up the steering geometry as a result, and quicken up the steering?
If you know something I don't . . I'm all ears!

Yes, you are correct(as always Greg, lol) but the 'sluggish' that I was reffering to was power, not handling.
As Wuzza was looking at alternate tire sizes, and wants a little more low to midrange pick up.
We had already mentioned a sprocket change(+2 rear), and we were on to tires, and I didn't know that there was no room to go wider, but I said not to go taller, as it would really kill the power.
However, if a taller rear didn't make the bike 'twitchy', and it still was comfortable with that extra pitch, then a +4 to +5 rear sprocket with a longer chain would be an option.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Is there really enough adjustment room with the original chain when adding two teeth? An extra link or two wouldn’t hurt would it?

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Yes, you are correct(as always Greg, lol) but the 'sluggish' that I was reffering to was power, not handling.
As Wuzza was looking at alternate tire sizes, and wants a little more low to midrange pick up.
We had already mentioned a sprocket change(+2 rear), and we were on to tires, and I didn't know that there was no room to go wider, but I said not to go taller, as it would really kill the power.
However, if a taller rear didn't make the bike 'twitchy', and it still was comfortable with that extra pitch, then a +4 to +5 rear sprocket with a longer chain would be an option.

Cool.. very well explained!
Power uptake and steering geometry are very much two different things..
I didn’t read the previous posts and missed the point lol.
Oh and I’m not always correct.. I’m always open to hearing other peoples experiences, interpretations of given faults, and of course their techniques and methods of repair etc.
I’ve been fascinated with automotive engineering and the electrical component with cars, bikes and quads, all my working life and I reckon if you don’t learn something new every day, you better check your pulse lol

 

[ottafish]

Is there really enough adjustment room with the original chain when adding two teeth? An extra link or two wouldn’t hurt would it?

I run +2 on the rear only. Standard chain and still heaps of adjustment. And it makes a huge difference for me. Leaves the line a heck of a lot easier in day to day riding

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

I run +2 on the rear only. Standard chain and still heaps of adjustment. And it makes a huge difference for me. Leaves the line a heck of a lot easier in day to day riding

What revs are you turning at 70 and 80 mph?

 

[LC4CARL]

Sssshhhhhh...my box still has the flapper!

There are plugs(?) on the two center throttle bodies in all the pics/manual images for the vacuum lines...I don't have those apparently. Does it matter and if so, what are my options?

Flapper?

 

[LC4CARL]

I prefer having my phone on me. Have you thought of a radar detector? Mine has saved me thousands over the years.

I have a Cobra detector in the car. Ideally a car just ahead of me gets hit with the radar and my detector picks up the signal. In my experience, there is so much radar "noise" that I almost tune it completely out.

I do like the WAZE app on the dash TV. Other "Wazer's" can flag police in real time.

Between the two, I can spend my day cruising the friendly highways with reasonable confidence.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Radar always picks up the vehicle coming at them first in line or going away, the last in line. Cobras aren’t worth the money.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

I run +2 on the rear only. Standard chain and still heaps of adjustment. And it makes a huge difference for me. Leaves the line a heck of a lot easier in day to day riding

I got to remembering that my other 82 wasn’t as…sluggish as this one seems to be so I counted the teeth on both sprockets. The front is OEM at 18 but the rear is four (less) than OEM which is 42. The PO must’ve wanted a very calm bike at freeway speeds. I’ll swap in new sprockets and since the current chain is a cheapo with a clip style master link and may not fit over four more teeth I’ll get a nice O ring with a rivet style master link. Adding four teeth back to OEM may wake it up just enough.

 

[Hayabusa Wannabe]

Marty, wouldn't a 55 profile (taller than 50) lift the rear and steepen up the steering geometry as a result, and quicken up the steering?

This seems to be a "quick fix" that many here suggest but while true, “Use the right tool for the right job." The primary job of the tire is not to provide height.

I suggest one setup the bike exactly as they like. Select the tire using criteria for tires such as performance, weight, appropriate for the current riding conditions, etc. Then communicate all bike changes to a suspension builder and they will cut the spring to set an optimal height for the bike. Especially for our sport touring bikes (no offense to the "hypersport" crowd) this may be slightly higher to offset a more moderate geometry delivered from the factory.

 

[sixpack577]

Rebuilt the forks on my Goldwing.
They weren't leaking, but they were out, and I didn't know their history.
It has aftermarket springs, so that's another reason it rode well, it did need new bushings, so I replaced all 4, as well as the fork seals, and with 10w Honda oil.
The old oil stunk, so it had some miles, lol.
Also greased and installed the tapered steering bearings, triple tree, and handlebars.

 

[sixpack577]

Replaced 2 of the 4 speakers on the Goldwing, and I will put the back 2 in tomorrow.
Supposedly these sound much better than stock, and they at least look the part, lol, that's a much bigger magnet.
They are ShowChrome brand.

 

[sixpack577]

New tapered steering bearings in the GW, and handlebars back on.