Thanks Kim. I'll experiment around a little and see. I am about 170 and I've pushed it hard a few times through some twisties and it's done ok both front and rear wise. The Pirelli's, though squeaky on some of these residential road bumps, have gripped quite well at higher speeds on smoother, more consistent surfaces. The previous owner, based upon the huge custom grips he had installed and the #6 rear spring setting, must have been an XXL dude. Even though the bike only had 3200 miles on it, he may have pounded them pretty good. ----- Original Message ----- From: Kim Paddock To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 1:15 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal
Dennis is right. Always listen to Dennis. The problem with the rear shocks is substantially reduced in both wear out and hardness on the rider according to the weight of the rider however. When these bikes were produced people were, well, smaller. I'm not that big so the rear shock problem is not such a problem for me. I do know that Pirellis are a soft tire which makes them really good for road grip. The tread life is only about 1/2 that of some other tires due to this performance however. It's your call to decide on the rear shock problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: the Bargers <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, April 2, 2010 10:18:03 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal Thanks Kim Dennis seems to feel like the rear shocks of these bikes are cheap and likely to wear out after about 2k and then prone to bounce. Not sure I want to put more money into an after-market set of shocks and springs unless they are reasonably priced and worth it. Any thoughts about that????? I think it may just be a softer tire that is causing the squeak and something I can live with. I had one of the first 500's back in the early 70's and a 550 thereafter and I don't remember a whole lot of bounce or handling problems. Currently I am not going to the track anytime soon or pushing too hard through the mountain twisties in North Georgia. One of the things I absolutely love about my bike is the standard riding position and the retro look. There are not many bikes out there today with those ergonomics and it suits my body dimensions to a "T". I can ride all day without feeling worn out. Regards, Barge ----- Original Message ----- From: Kim Paddock To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 3:19 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal As long as it's not rubbing so that it gets any worse or so that you can tell it's rubbing I think that you'll be fine. HotrodMamma. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: the Bargers <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, April 1, 2010 1:06:53 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal Thanks Kim. Appreciate the comment as that may be the essence of the problem. I did look under the rear fender and there is not a single shiny spot but a thin half inch trail that is slightly cleaner than the rest of the underside that runs dead center over the entire length. Is that normal? Barge ----- Original Message ----- From: Kim Paddock To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 9:01 AM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal The Pirelli's may simply be a soft tire that, once it loses contact with the road, grabs and squeals a bit once contact is made again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: the Bargers <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 9:39:24 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal Thanks Dennis. Will check. It doesn't sound like something that could cause a critical event. In in an effort to match the front and rear tire pattern, they (the dealer) may have put a wider than OEM tire on the back. It also could be a nuance of this type of Pirelli. I will look for the shiny spot and react accordingly. So far, it's been more of am irritant than anything else. I've put 2k on it with some lengthy trips on interstates and restricted access 4 lanes so far without any real handling issues. The major squeaks have occurred on residential streets with patched up potholes. Unless you think I need to stiffen up the rear shocks, I will leave them in the #2 setting. Barge ----- Original Message ----- From: Dennis Hammerl To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 11:05 PM Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal I'll take another guess. But first, I find the late model 750 front end a bit too soft for me. I have no way of knowing what was done to yours. The rear at #6 must have been a filling loosener. Now, about those tires... Is the back one wider than OEM ? Like maybe the sidewall is rubbing the trailing arm when it gets deformed by impact ? I'd look for a shiny spot somewhere under the rear fender too. 1/4" is not enough clearance in the dynamic of riding. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: the Bargers <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, March 31, 2010 8:30:55 PM Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] Bounce and Squeal Subject titles can be misleading. After having returned from a lengthy stint of work travel, I have gotten back in the saddle and am still experiencing some skid like squeal whenever I go over asphalt patches, manhole covers, railroad tracks, and any bumps or dips at above 35 mph. I have backed off the brake pedal adjusting nut to where I almost have to stand on the rear brake to make it work, and the tires still make that noise. So I don't believe it's dragging the real wheel. Frankly, I can't even tell if it's the front or rear tire. The bike is an 03 750 with 6k. The rear suspension is now set at the #2 setting vs. the #6 setting when I bought it. I weigh 170. The bike's previous owner had extra large grips put on and I assume was a pretty big guy (or rode double a lot with that #6 stiffer setting). The only other visible modifications were the 30-06 bullet shaped tire valve caps. I put new tires on it before I rode it out of the dealership--Pirelli Sport Demons. I have also tried dropping the air pressure down from 33 to 28 and that seemed to help a little. Could it be simply the tires themselves or is it a suspension problem? Does the squeal come from a bounce that comes from too soft or too hard a suspensiion setting. Could the previous owner have installed stiffer springs and/or heavier fork oil causing the front end to hop more? I had a Honda mechanic sit on it, pump the front end and ride around iin the parking lot and he said it seemed fine to him (but he didn't have time to get out on the road and get over 15 mph.). This is driving me nuts, so Dennis or anybody else who has some things I can try out please give me some feedback. Thanks, Barge -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
