John are you still around? 14 years but 🤞🏻
On Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 11:43:39 AM UTC-5 John McClain wrote: > Hi Fred, yes still have the blue one and another basket case I'm thinking > of restoring over the winter (in pieces right now). The blue bike started > out as a stock '84 w/7300 miles. I found the fairing last year and decided > to restore it. I had wanted one of them since they first appeared 23 years > ago. The truth be known, the red one also started out as a basket case if > you can believe that. Complete rebuild, top to bottom. Every nut, bolt, > screw taken off, cleaned (blasted w/plastic bead), oiled, greased and put > back together. Frame, taken down, blasted and powder coated as were all of > the black pieces on the bike. Better than new now. > > As far as tires go there is room for wider tires (at least at the > rear) but clearance issues to deal with when you do. I estimate one could > go to a 140 or possibly 150 in the rear but it probably would neccessitate > bending the rod that stabilizes the rear brake (called a Brake Torque Link > in the manual) to clear the width of a wider tire. Up front, not sure if a > 120 will fit under the stock fender. It might work if you choose a smaller > aspect ratio for the front tire (say 120/80 vs.120/90). Might be the ticket > for the rear tire as well (140/80 or 150/80). I've been thinking > of changing tires myself as I'm also interested in installing a set of > radials. Issue is I cannot find any 16 inch radials to fit the front. The > only ones I can find start at 130 which is just too wide for the front. > > For all of the discussions I've seen on the radial vs bias ply issue most > people do not recommend converting to radials but cannot offer a scientific > explanation (w/empirical evidence) to back up the "gut level" advice. > Everyone says these bikes were designed to use bias ply tires and that's > that. My thought is radials just weren't prevelant 23 years ago and that's > probably the real reason these bikes did not use them. Look at bikes today > and just about every one of them use radials.. Of course the evidence may > be out there but I haven't seen it yet. If anyone does know where it is I > would like to read it. Thanks! > > Just finished changing the oil on my other bike (see pic). Since it has a > full fairing you have to remove the entire lower portion of it in order to > get the oil filter off of the bike. Also, turns out my bike is one of those > that the pipes fit so close to the frame that the stock filter cannot be > removed or a new one installed either unless you loosen every bolt/nut > connected to the pipes to rotate the entire assembly down & forward (drops > the rear a few inches) to obtain the necessary clearance up front (between > pipes & frame) to remove the filter. It's a bit of a hassle but not as > difficult to do as it sounds (except getting to a few of the exhaust nuts > at the exhaust collars because of the fairing subframe). Other than that, > not too bad. > > Anyway, as far as I can tell the Mobile 1 synthetic (15W - 50) racing oil > works great in a Nighthawk S. No clutch slippage, the bike accelerates like > a scared cat and purrs when you're idiling. In fact the idle is about 100 > rpm higher than it was before which tells me friction has been reduced. > Walmart had it for ~$20 for a five-quart jug so the price wasn't bad > either. Bike used about 3 quarts which I thought was a little low as I > would have expected it to take more but after looking up the specs (2.8 qts > for an '84 S) that's about right so no worries. > > The fairing is such a blessing. It was a bit cold yesterday so I tucked in > behind it and kept going. *Really* makes a huge difference. I do notice > the front end is heavier compared to the stock bikini fairing which makes > steering a bit slower and the front end dives more during hard stops. > Turning the TRAC anti-dive up to 4 took care of the front-end dive issue. > Plans over the winter are to replace the steering bearings with new Timken > roller-bearings. I replaced them on the red one and all I can say is the > improvement in handling is amazing. No more flex, no more ill handing; > tight and it just steers where you want it. Also plan to replace the stock > brake lines with steel-braided; upgrade lighting to HID and manufacture > some rearsets. Of the three projects the rear-sets will be the most > difficult. The only rear-sets ever specifically made for the Nighthawk S > were by a company called Watari out of California. They've since gone out > of business. Everyone once in a while a set will come up on ebay but > they're rarer than hen's teeth these days. I've wanted to reproduce them > for some time now but incorporate stock pegs vice the chincey aluminum ones > that were included. I'll get to it someday.... > > *Fred Parczewski <[email protected]>* wrote: > > jeesus,,, you're as bad as me! What were you doing up at 4? Friday night > afternoon shift and you couldn't sleep right away when you got home!?! > Sounds like something that I went through when I worked for the airlines... > > Re the tire size. What I want to know if 120 front and 140 rear is ok,,, > or not at all. > > Your blue NS,,, NEW? In what year was that? Do you still have that one? > I'm a little confused.. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* John McClain > *To:* Fred Parczewski > *Sent:* Saturday, November 03, 2007 3:20 AM > *Subject:* Re: BTW > > What oversize tire? Tires for the 700/750S are 110/90-16 Front and > 130/90-16 Rear. Did I write something else. If so, definitely a mistake. > I'm 49. Just happened that I picked up a brand new blue one that had been > sitting on the showroom floor for over six months and the new models were > due out soon so they were motivated to sell. I paid over $3K for it > but they threw in a helmet and bike cover. It was a great bike and rock > solid reliable except when I would do something stupid like accidentally > hit the kill switch and wonder why it wouldn't start. Soon figured that one > out. Anyway, just changed the oil and put in Mobil 1 synthetic. My bike > only has 8K on it so I'll let you know how it goes. I've heard everything > from it's great to it could make your clutch slip. Guess I'll find out > tomorrow. Its 4AM here so I've got to get a few hours sleep before taking a > ride tomorrow (today). Talk to you later... > > *Fred Parczewski <[email protected]>* wrote: > > Hey John, > > Too bad we don't live closer... I think we could have had fun together. > I'm 58 and am nuts about these bikes ever since the first day they hit the > dealers up here. But I just couldn't aford one then, kids and all. > > Listen, you say you're interested if something comes up; I sure don't mind > looking for ya,,, but,,, you DO realize where I live, don't you!?! It's > not exactly your "hop, skip, and jump" and your in Montreal you know!?! > Ohio, you said, didn't you... You have a look at the map lately!?! LOL > > Anyway, I'll be on the lookout, we have a small ads listing in French > that I'll check from time to time... Before I got my "parts bike",,, I was > stroking a deal for 2 bikes for 500$, one was completely disassembled, > while the other was intact, but not running and no papers... > That deal went south when I realized what I could get from my buddy who > just did not have the desire to battle with the wife anymore about space in > the garage... > > Keep in touch,,, I'll want to pic your brain... > Oh,,, btw,,, you didn't answer my question about the oversize tire on the > rear... What your take on that? > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* John McClain > *To:* Fred Parczewski > *Sent:* Monday, October 29, 2007 6:51 PM > *Subject:* Re: BTW > > Actually, it's a 96. Still, small world isn't it? > > *Fred Parczewski <[email protected]>* wrote: > > Is that your car in the pic of the bike outside? If it is, is it a '98 > Nissan Maxima per chance? > If it is,,, guess what, I have one just like it!!!!!!!!!!! > > F... > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > -- 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 view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nighthawk_lovers/61fd9822-5253-4db9-924e-b1b19594a79fn%40googlegroups.com.
