Hey there - sorry this took me so long to respond to! Thank you for your helpful comments!
By "backfiring," yes, there is a popping sound, but it's only when I release the clutch right when I'm opening up the throttle, never any other time. Everyone seems to be suggesting Seafoam, so I'll look into it. Thanks again!! On Monday, February 18, 2013 1:10:03 PM UTC-6, Kurt Nolte wrote: > > Welcome! One post works fine for now, no worries. Pictures of your Gladys > are going to be "demanded" as payment for help rendered. ;) > > >> 1. First off, I'm riding a 2007 Nighthawk 250. I noticed a slow rear tire >> leak shortly after I had the tire replaced about 8 or 9 months ago. I took >> it in to the shop that replaced the tire, they exhaustively searched for a >> leak, but couldn't find one. They told me the tire was safe to ride on, and >> that I should just keep an eye on the pressure. Ideally, what should I be >> keeping the tire pressure at? I feel like that's a dumb girl question, but >> let me explain - is it better to overfill the tire a bit so I can go longer >> in between trips to the air pump, or is that a terrible idea as far as >> traction/handling? >> >> Not a "dumb girl question" at all; you're ahead of most of the motoring > public just worrying about tire pressures and taking action to resolve an > issue. > > My own bike is a 750, so obviously my pressures are not likely to match up > to yours, but I run the rated pressure on the tire sidewall (40psi on > mine). Your 250 has tube tires, correct? It's possible that you have a > "pinch flat" in the tube, or if you didn't replace the tube with the tire > it's possible that the tube is old enough to be letting air seep through > the rubber. > > I would not overfill the tire just to save trips to the air pump. > > > 2. I'm 5'9", and I feel too tall for my Nighthawk, as much as I love it. >> The whole bike has always felt rather "squishy" under me, and I don't >> really trust it in the corners not to slip out from under me to some >> extent, even on dry, happy pavement. Is this something that could be >> adjusted, or am I stuck on a bike I don't fully trust because I'm too >> *gasp* big for it? My self esteem is doin just fine, feel free to give it >> to me straight if you have any input. :) >> >> If the back end feels "squishy" or bouncy, it's possible the rear shock > preload isn't set high enough. There are some stepped collars on the bottom > of the shock, turning them increases the preload on the rear springs, > effectively stiffening them up. > > If you increase the preload but still have a squirrely feeling in the > rear, it's possible that your bike's shocks are just worn out. How many > miles are on them? I'm 220+ pounds myself, and the preload all the way up > felt fine the one time I was on a 250; you'd have to be at the far deep end > of the bell curve to be too big for the 250 at only 5'9", believe me. > > Bear in mind that pressure issues in the rear tire can contribute to > squirrelling feelings, as well as axle alignment. > > >> 3. Gladys (the Nighthawk) has been backfiring lately. Could this be a >> dirty carb issue? Should I attempt to clean things/do this on my own, or >> would you recommend a trip to the shop? I've never done anything to a bike >> other than change the oil, though I would love to learn more as I go. Being >> self-sufficient with bike repair is my ultimate goal, I just haven't had a >> lot of chances in the year I've owned the Nighthawk. Which is probably a >> good thing, ultimately. >> >> > Do you have a service manual for your bike? Those are the best place to > start. Either the bike-specific Honda manual or the Clymers. If you have > almost no experience doing your own mechanical work, the "common service > manual" from Honda might also be worth a perusal. > > By "backfiring" do you mean it makes a popping sound when you let off the > throttle and decelerate? Unless you want to run rich all the time you're > always going to have a little of that; it's caused by the lean condition, > when you have more air than fuel coming into the cylinder. > > If that's the case, it MIGHT be a dirty carb; as previously suggested, try > a dose of seafoam for a while, it does tend to help keep things clean in > there. Unless there are other performance issues, I wouldn't worry about > digging into the carb too much, and if you decide to do it that is a job > that even someone inexperienced should be able to handle, especially with > only one carb like the 250 has. > > -Kurt > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en-US. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
