Adventures on the Old Girl, and with the Old Girl

sixtiescycle · Post by **sixtiescycle** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:03 pm

That is one sweet Superhawk!!!!!

Vince Lupo · Post by **Vince Lupo** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:29 pm

'Wobbly'? 'Didn't have any idea what straight ahead was'? Sure everything's okay with your bike?

I'm pretty sure the bike shouldn't be handling like that. At least mine sure doesn't!

BTW what kind of tires do you have on your bike? How 'turned down' do you have the steering damper knob?

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 4:07 pm

sixtiescycle wrote:That is one sweet Superhawk!!!!!

Thank you! :)

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 4:13 pm

Vince Lupo wrote:'Wobbly'? 'Didn't have any idea what straight ahead was'? Sure everything's okay with your bike?

I'm pretty sure the bike shouldn't be handling like that. At least mine sure doesn't!

BTW what kind of tires do you have on your bike? How 'turned down' do you have the steering damper knob?

Vince, it shouldn't be. To me it, it acts for all the world like tires. They're the Heidenau's, a 2.75 on the front, and a 3.00 on the rear. The friction knob isn't cranked down terribly much, just enough to dampen. I've checked the front end, steering head, for free play, as in back and forth, and it's tight. The same with the swing arm, no lateral play at all. The shocks dampen on rebound, as do the forks. The axles are both tight as well, no side to side play in either wheel.

I think it's tires because the bike wants to "fall in" to corners. It's not stable, and it takes a bit of counter steer to hold it on a line. That said, I have not pushed it in corners, and frankly I won't. However, something is amiss!

Vince Lupo · Post by **Vince Lupo** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 5:52 pm

I too have Heidenaus on my bike (2.75 front, 3.25 rear), and I can tear around the backroad twisties with reckless abandon, so the tires should be fine (assuming we have the same ones). Maybe try cranking that steering damper knob down and see what happens.

sarals · Post by **sarals** » Sat Apr 25, 2015 3:20 pm

Vince Lupo wrote:I too have Heidenaus on my bike (2.75 front, 3.25 rear), and I can tear around the backroad twisties with reckless abandon, so the tires should be fine (assuming we have the same ones). Maybe try cranking that steering damper knob down and see what happens.

I will, and I'll let you know. Thanks, Vince!

LOUD MOUSE · Post by **LOUD MOUSE** » Sat Apr 25, 2015 8:15 pm

The bike wheel spacing and angles are such that to turn right or left you lean in that direction and relax on the bars such that all you do is float your hands on the grips and allow the front to come around.
When you add friction with the damper you will need to push on the left grip to turn right and right grip to turn left.
You can check this out by tightening the adjuster and make several 90 degree .turns then loosen the damper and do the same.
You will find all you need to do to turn is lean the bike and as you exit the turn come straight up on the bike and you are going straight. You may not like this idea but I've ridden the CB and CL72/77 this way and it works for me.
Admitted the CL has a piston damper (no adjustment) but as you ride it doesn't give a push pull friction but will lessen any hard hit to the front wheel.
Back when I raced the Mickey Thompson circuit I adjusted the damper in the car to "0" (same as on a bike) and I found the steering slam left right so I adjusted the pressure back and sure enough that piston did it's job and no more problem with steering control.
Nothing more than advice. ....................lm

Vince Lupo wrote:I too have Heidenaus on my bike (2.75 front, 3.25 rear), and I can tear around the backroad twisties with reckless abandon, so the tires should be fine (assuming we have the same ones). Maybe try cranking that steering damper knob down and see what happens.

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Adventures on the Old Girl, and with the Old Girl