| Author | Message | ||
     Bartimus |
HP2, sweet bike! Here's my RS  | ||
| 86129squids |
DANG that HP2's a sweet ride!  | ||
| Oddalloy |
Bart... sweet R1200RS too! Bet that ride would be way nicer for my back than the HP2 Sport ! Squids... The HP2 Sport could be yours... it is for sale but that's not for discussion here. If anyone has an interest in discussing that possibility, shoot me a pm. (Message edited by Oddalloy on February 23, 2017) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Another thought on my motorcycle choice... I could invest ~$600 in a custom seat (Day-Long or similar), ~$300 in a race ECM (to help with engine heat), and ~$200 in an adjustable windscreen bracket (assuming they can still be found) and I'd mostly, if not completely, correct the Uly's shortcomings. That way I could use the Uly as I originally intended AND I could still buy an EBR. My Uly's got almost 60,000 miles on it now, but only about 35,000 miles on the replacement 09 engine, 30,000 miles on the wiring harness installed at the same time, and I'd imagine similar mileage on the 09XT suspension bits I installed, so it should be good for a few more miles. | ||
| Two_seasons |
That Moto Guzzi Flying Fortress is a very sexy machine. I need to find out the Gross Weight capacity. Looks like something Doris and I could enjoy.   | ||
| Macbuell |
That HP2 is sweet. Wanted one years ago but way out of my price range. | ||
| Rsh |
As suggested, You can buy a Moto Guzzi Norge on the cheap. Example: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mcy/60132225 14.html It is simple and has character just like the Buell but with dealer support | ||
| Two_seasons |
Rsh, What I like about the Flying Fortress is...it's as naked a bagger as you'll find anywhere! I like storage, but I don't like the "look" of storage! And, it has a 37 lean angle!  | ||
| Ratbuell |
The rest of your post lost me. Are you responding to a since-deleted comment?) Nope. 5th post in the thread. | ||
| Bartimus |
That Guzzi is a NICE looking bike! | ||
| Two_seasons |
You got to admit, for a bagger, that is a sweet looking ass on the Guzzi! | ||
| Aesquire |
So many lovely machines..... I was waiting for the EBR that was a classic "standard". Suzuki GS-E series, Triumph Bonneville, BMW RT, basically feet under you, not so far back. A little back. Balanced at the honest 60 mph back road cruise that is my local, deer filled, venue. So, I'm just keeping the Cyclone until I can't ride it. I'll almost certainly buy an airplane instead of a bike. Bartimus, Does that BMW RS have a "regular telescoping fork, or some kind of linked suspension? Very sweet ride. I like every angle of the Moto Guzzi Flying Fortress, except the front fairing, which makes me mutter "I'm Batman" under my breath. A Rifle Sport fairing would be nice, color matched to the heads? or black. | ||
| Jaimec |
The new R1200RS (and its "sister" the R1200R) both have a standard cartridge fork. Same as the "F", "C", "S", and "G" series bikes. The GS and the RT have the Telelever and the "K" bikes use the newer Duolever front suspensions. (Message edited by jaimec on February 27, 2017) | ||
| Bartimus |
standard cartridge USD fork. My RS actually has the ES, which is still an USD fork, and works surprising very well. Never thought I'd be a fan of electronic suspension, but there it is, working like a charm. | ||
| Jaimec |
USD cartridge forks have pretty much BECOME the standard for hydraulic, telescopic forks these days. They're even showing up on cruisers. I miss the old fashioned forks that were EASY to work on. When the front end of my 1985 K100 started feeling "sloppy" it was simple to open the drain plugs at the bottom of the forks, open the plugs at the top and then drain all the fluid out (pumping it up and down a few times to make sure you got it all). Then, replace the drain plugs with new crush washers and pour in a measured amount of fresh fluid. Replace the upper plugs, pump them a couple of times and off you go. Nowadays you have to disassemble the whole front end to do what used to take less than a half an hour. Although the new technology is probably good for a couple of tenths at the track I suspect the REAL reason is to make sure professional mechanics get all the work they can. (Message edited by jaimec on February 27, 2017) | ||
| Hughlysses |
USD cartridge forks have pretty much BECOME the standard for hydraulic, telescopic forks these days. They're even showing up on cruisers. That's one thing that's really striking me as I'm looking at potential new bikes; how few of them match Buell's standard for suspension. For instance, the M-G Norge, has conventional forks with only pre-load adjustment. Their model lineup has some strange inconsistencies regarding features. They have inverted forks and radial mount calipers on some apparently lesser bikes but not on the Norge. Of course now I've found out the Norge, Stelvio, and Grizzo have been discontinued, although there seem to be ample left-over 2015 and 2016 models available. Speculation is Moto Guzzi will concentrate on "heritage" bikes in the future while Aprilia concentrates on more modern stuff. | ||
| Court |
Still some disagreement on who was the "first" to put "USD" forks on a production (that word seems to be the sticky part) but some folks point to the 1991 Buell RS1200 Westwind. The 1990 (and my memory may be leaving me) had conventional folks. Buell rolled them out on the 1991 RS1200 Westwind. But . . there is no debating that Buell was the first manufacturer to ever ship a bike with stainless lines on it. No one had ever been able to pass the "whip test" (See S5.3.3) and it darn sure wasn't for not trying . . . one of the first times Buell started getting worldwide attention for some pretty amazing engineering. Let me guess . . . you already knew about the whip test? Roughly the time a young . . full of piss and vinegar, talented engineering intern named Brankin showed up. (Message edited by court on February 27, 2017) | ||
| Tootal |
My 2002 Harley Road Glide has a conventional shock on one side and a cartridge on the other! I guess they were trying to get the best of both worlds and got the worst instead!  | ||
| Jaimec |
The very first K75s bikes from BMW had compression damping in one fork leg, and rebound damping in the other... | ||
| Zac4mac |
I have seen several front-ends from that era that were damping in one leg and rebound in the other. Never did like that idea much... Just looked at the 91RS and found damping and rebound on each leg. Couldn't find preload but it's there one way or another. Z | ||
| Jaimec |
I couldn't understand it either. It sounds "unbalanced" to me but honestly it didn't FEEL any different to me on the brief test ride I took.
A lot of bikes back then didn't have a "built-in" pre-load adjustment. You had to buy spacers and add them yourself if the stock preload was insufficient. | ||
| Tootal |
I don't know for sure but I've heard some of the new Harley's have a cartridge in one fork and nothing in the other. The theory is that once all the bolts are tight it acts like a single unit. It doesn't sound kosher to me but if you think about it I guess it could work, obviously it does if they're using it. The fact is we are really spoiled with the suspension on our Buell's! I aired up the tires and took the Uly out yesterday. I haven't ridden it since October! It would really be hard to replace such a wonderful machine! | ||
| Sifo |
I couldn't understand it either. It sounds "unbalanced" to me but honestly it didn't FEEL any different to me on the brief test ride I took. No more "unbalanced" than the rear shock being off to one side. Balance doesn't matter unless you have a lot of flex. Here's an example of looking unbalanced, but actually worked quite well. The unbalanced look is a deal breaker for many people though.  | ||
| Hughlysses |
A lot of bikes back then didn't have a "built-in" pre-load adjustment. You had to buy spacers and add them yourself if the stock preload was insufficient. Some were like my Honda VT500FT Ascot, with air pre-loaded forks. You can pump up to 8 (?) PSI into the forks through a Schrader valve on top of each leg to make them stiffer. Of course, according to contemporary articles when he bike was new, the fork springs are already too stiff, so that's not much help! | ||
| Tootal |
That's right Hugh, since you mentioned that I remember my old 91 Harley dresser had air adjustable forks forks. The forks were connected to the handlebars and there was a schrader valve at the end of the left grip. The cool thing about it was there was a valve that shut off the handlebars when you hit the front brake which acted like an anti-dive. The funny thing is, it actually worked quite well! | ||
| Jaimec |
Three guesses on who was awarded the patent on that, and the first two don't count... | ||
| Hughlysses |
Three guesses on who was awarded the patent on that, and the first two don't count... I was thinking he had something to do with it. Weren't some early Buells also fitted with this system? | ||
| Dennis_c |
I did that back in 1975 to a 1974 Kawasaki KX 450 2 stroke took the springs out put Schrader valves in it gave me a smother ride off road. | ||
| Aesquire |
Harley FXR series had the Erik Buell designed forks.... & suspension. IIRC, the touring version had a remote air reservoir in the fairing to tune the ride. The first Harley since WW2 to be considered a state of the art real motorcycle, not a junk nostalgia piece. ( AMF ownership really hurt the company rep ) On the cover of every motorcycle magazine in the world as a world beater. The first modern suspension & handling bike mass produced in America in the second half of the twentieth century. Still my favorite big twin. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
If your looking to do a lot of long distance touring I recommend getting a Harley Davidson! That is the only thing I really like about Harley's is they make good touring motorcycles! I wouldn't buy one for any other reason though! Too heavy and underpowered! Plus there are dealers all over the country to service them and those dealers carry almost all parts to keep them on the road running |
