DRB NW WA State

After all the cam chain tensioner hoopla, I made a strike on one via my favorite Honda parts dealer not long ago. Guess it isn't the "X11," unless that's the version made by Honda these days. Whatever. My '99 just crossed 40K miles. TTBOMK the bike's on the stock tensioner (bought used in '01). Installation took about a half-hour, as anticipated. The right panel stayed on; I saw no reason to remove more than a couple fasteners. Well, time for a "duh" moment: the new tensioner significantly quieted the engine. In a a case of, "didn't know what I was missing," the engine sounds much happier. I had no idea this quick fix would cause substantial improvement ("duh.") No more engine marbles, fellas.

There’s usually controversy in this forum about the Avon AV45/46 combo. I’ve just replaced the AV46 rear, at 7.1K miles. The AV45 front has plenty of life left. Before commenting, it’s important to understand a few details to put the mileage into perspective. Total mileage: 7,100 (tire picked up a nail at about 6K, which was eventually plugged. I believe this tire had about 1,500 miles remaining, but the plug wasn’t holding well). - Rider weight: 175 lbs w/o gear. - Suspension: taut, aftermarket (Penske). - Bike: mostly-stock 1999, with Corbin hard bags - Inflation: faithfully kept 40-42 psi cold. - Type of riding: mostly super-slab commuting, with occasional twisties. - Other: no stunting or burnouts. - General riding style: medium-aggressive, with occasional trips to 100 mph+. - Location: Seattle, Washington State. Often wet roads, generally not too hot even in summer. Decent pavement. Rain riding performance: good. Predictable sliding when pushed. Very few scary moments not caused by the loose nut behind the bars. No complaints or close calls due to the tire. Sport performance: good. I didn’t push this tire hard too often, from a sporting perspective. When I did, it always held well and behaved predictably. Mileage: about what I expected, based on comments from the list. Stability: excellent. Summary: above-average experience. Probably too sporting a tire for my purposes (not the tire’s fault). I’ve switched back to the Bridgestone BT020 for this reason alone. Caveats: The AV46 worked better for me at higher inflation than I’m used to (40-42psi). Handling degraded noticeably at lower inflation. Hope this helps.

Due to my rather idealistic trust in a local dealer parts counter when replacing the OEM chain in mid-2001, at 16K miles, I ended up with not what I’d expected: 1) VM chain, not the ZVM 2) Non-riveted master link 3) One tooth smaller rear sprocket 4) Aluminum rear sprocket I trusted the dealer, and this entire order was a moderate screw-up. The jackass just didn’t pay attention to what he was doing, and I foolishly did not check his work. They mean well but constantly miss the details. They still get some of my business, due to their positive attitude, but I check the details every time. Anyway, I went with the above items regardless, replacing the master link with a riveted some weeks after installation. I was pressed for time and just didn’t want the couple weeks downtime waiting for more parts. Today, at 40K miles, the chain is finally just about toasted. I have a Scottoiler. The Scottoiler kept that chain quite happy through hundreds of nasty Seattle rainy rides, at the expense of oil and grit everywhere. Such is life, and Scottoilers are another story. Point is, like another guy in this thread mentioned, “yes, the lighter duty parts will work. No, they are not ideal.” I do not ride like a jackass, but neither like a little girl. The aluminum rear sprocket is definitely worn and asymmetrical, though not alarmingly so. I do not know the condition of the primary sprocket. The one-tooth-smaller rear actually contributes to higher mileage and theoretically higher speed, though at a small loss of perceived power. Whatever, I really haven’t noticed. I shall replace all with the right parts very shortly: a ZVM or equal and steel rear sprocket. I’m expecting at least another 24K miles out of the heavier-duty kit. -=DRB=-

I completed the spark plug replacement today following directions on Warchild’s website. He posted quite well-considered comments and photos. I used the newer Iridium plugs recommended on the forum, damn the cost. Last set were replaced at 21K miles during a valve clearance check (not done by me). I’m at 38.5K miles now, so it seemed time: the bike ran just a tad rough of late. On inspection, a somewhat-dirty air filter didn’t help, either. The new plugs smoothed things out considerably when I finished the job this afternoon. A few comments: - This is a couple-hour job, even with the right tools. It isn’t fun but also isn’t the end of the world, if one goes in Warchild’s way (vs. the manual’s method). - I stripped one goddam Philips bolt head on an intake funnel. They were tight and I couldn’t easily get an impactor on-target. Warchild says use a no. 2 Philips: do this! Not no. 1, not no. 3, do it right the first time. I got it out with an EZ Out, but it added an hour to the job plus the PITA factor. - I disagree not to remove or at least loosen the top fairing sections: I removed the coils OK, but needed more room to re-seat the airbox base plus reattach the coil bolts. With a cordless drill I had the fairing panels loosened in two minutes. I don’t think it’s worth the hassle to not do this (making more work by “saving” work). - I had room to get a torque wrench on three out of four plugs. Maybe mine’s smaller than most (sounds like a personal problem?). Not like the torque’s much to begin with, but just the same… - The rest of Warchild’s instructions worked great, to the letter, complete with gotchas.

Oil threads are usually garbage, but at least this one's specific. My Mobil 1 info's anecdotal, not scientific. I've used Mobil 1 red-cap about 25K miles in this bike (1999 Bird), 100K + or more mile in various bikes and cages back to 1993 when I first heard of the stuff. I've never had a lick of trouble: turned out the slipping clutch issue on my former Aprilia Mille was due to the slipper clutch glazing the plates, not "too slippery" oil. Not sure the weight I use; guessing 15W/50 (obviously not an area of major concern for me). Changed about every 6K miles, in the cage and both bikes. Available for twenty bucks at Wal-Mart on-sale; I believe that's for five liters. The Bird runs fine, as does the ZX636B, two bikes currently in my stable. The latter's tougher on oil, I suspect, and the clutch hasn't slipped in the slightest due to oil or any other reason through about seven track outings. My conclusion: Mobil 1 red-cap isn't doing any obvious harm to the bikes or cage. I'd keep clear of formulations with additives, however, on general principles. Fairly sure the red cap's free of most additives. -=DRB=-

Answer no. 3: people ride in the cold for a few of the following reasons: A. They're hard-core riders. Several on this list probably are. I ride a little less as I grow older, probably suggesting I'm getting softer. B. To avoid heinous traffic found in many American cities these days. I suspect same's true world-over, actually. C. To express massive contempt for cagers, antithesis of item A. D. To be different, see items A. and C. E. Because I'm late for work and on the Blackbird it's a 35 min run, not 45 or so in a cage. F. To irritate the neighbors with gutteral Micron exhaust music at 7:45 AM.

There’s a debate around here regarding Zook cleaner for face shields. Zook have a booth at the Seattle stop on the annual motorcycle show, which passed through just the other weekend. Presumably it’s available elsewhere, too. I use this product to clean my glasses and (occasionally) computer monitors, finding it very effective. I also take-no-prisoners when buying glasses every couple years, with fog, scratch, and glare-resistant lenses of the thinnest, most durable materials available. Bottom line is Zook helps keep my glasses clean and fog-free, indispensable when riding in the rain. The visor is another matter. My luck with visor defogging products hasn’t been so good. Others do well with Fog City shields, and while I respect their views the products haven’t worked well for me (yet, at least). One day I will try them again. One rainy morning this week I liberally applied Zook paste to the shield on my Quantum F. After riding awhile, rain droplets smeared, forming water runnels, but did not bead. The shield resisted fogging. Smears made it harder to see, however, occluding much of the visor viewing area. Depth perception went straight to hell. Not good. While it’s a great cleaner, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with Zook on faceshields. I’ll stick with Plexus, and keep the visor cracked to avoid fogging. Another solution will eventually present itself.

Based on comments from the forum, I thought I’d try some Avon tires: AV45 front and AV46 rear. They replaced Bridgestone a very worn-out BT-010 front, BT-020 rear combo. I have about 1,500 miles on the rear, 500 on the front. Winter arrived to the U.S. Pacific Northwest more than a month ago. Usually this means frequent rain, temps high-30s to 40s F. There are both occasional sunny and snowy days in the greater Puget Sound area in winter. When it’s too cold, I cage: ice is not my friend. I’ve done a lot of Blackbird commuting on the AV45/46 combo the past couple weeks, almost always in light to heavy rain with temps high-30s to low-40s F. The Avons are by and large proving satisfactory. I’ve leaned, stopped, started, blah blah in fairly foul riding conditions. Here are some preliminary pros and cons: PRO: generally great rain manners, little to no sliding, appear to be wearing well, not unduly slippery when cold. CON: the angular profile on the front wants to fall in too quickly for my tastes, not unlike a Dunlop sport tire. I find this an odd profile selection for an intermediate-compound street tire. Granted I have Race Tech forks set up on the stiff side (they definitely work best when worked hard at high speed, less so at lower speeds). Bumps at low speed when leaned feed a little nervousness to the forks, exacerbated by the angular profile that wants to fall in quickly. I have not tried these tires at a spirited dry weather pace. Consistent dry weather won’t return here until late spring or early summer 2004. We’ll see about mileage: I must admit, sacrilegious though it may be to some of you cats, I mostly use my Blackbird as an ultra-reliable, smooth, comfortable, viciously fast, Corbin-bag-equipped commute bike (60 mile round-trip). Point being, I’ll trade a little grip for mileage, but prefer a rain tire that “works” over mileage. I’m not expecting huge mileage from the Avons.

Like most other bike components, chains are technology. I'm fond of the DID ZVM, for the 'Bird at least where friction losses really don't bother me. Like another guy on this thread, I'm a fan of Scottoilers. I believe my ZVM has about 18K miles without substantial wear. Inspecting carefully, I'm guessing it will go roughly twice that distance before dying. Scottoilers are another story, discussed extensively in previous threads. In Seattle, with wet roads roughly six months per year, it's great. A place with lots of dust and road grit, ditto. Most everywhere else, I wouldn't bother. Are there newer chains that supercede the DID ZVM in tensile strength and general usefulness on a Blackbird?

Guys here are often quacking about the M1 Sportec this, that, the other thing. I have a story. Granted, I’ve never used them on the Blackbird. I see no point installing aggressive street/trackday tires on a Nimitz-Class Motorcycle ® . Many of you guys do, however, proving once again there are many braver and/or dumber than me out there. Have a swell time. I like Metzeler, I really do, and run one on the rear of my ZX. They don’t dominate like the ‘80’s, though. Guess every dog has his day. These days Bridgestone has supersport car (S03) and bike (BT012SS) locked up, in my mind, but YMMV. Two issues with the M1, one minor, the other not: first, they wear out quickly if one mixes in street riding. That’s not a big deal, but the BT012SS, every bit the match of an M1, can last twice as long. Tires aren’t cheap. Second: I watched a kid on an ’03 ZX-6R find the limits of the Sportecs at Pacific Raceways the other week (track near Seattle, WA). He didn’t crash, due to luck and skill, but was ready to spit at Hitler after the tires repeatedly failed him. I also have an ’03 ZX636R, with Pirelli Supercorsa/Rennsports on both ends (same tire). I pitted with this young man. He’s faster than me by about five seconds per lap, basically slow A Group pace. His tires held up great about fifty laps, but as the track warmed significantly in the early afternoon (hot day), the front began to push and rear slide. He had a couple “moments” on the Sportecs, sliding the rear (not so easy to do on a 105 rwhp motorcycle. Nevertheless…) With race tires, I had no issues all day. The new ZX is exceptionally easy on tires, due probably to low weight and modest horsepower. To be clear, at ‘B’ Group pace, I don’t recall anyone mentioning issues with the Sportecs. My buddy, a B Group type, runs them on an ’02 R1. He crashed by augering in a peg last time out, not the fault of the tire TTBOMK. Otherwise the M1s held up great about two track days, then became a bit greasy. Point is, fellas, these tires have limits and seem to reach them without a lot of warning. I hope no one finds these limits 1) on a Blackbird and 2) on the street, but there’ll always be a few I suppose. When riding like Mladin, use race tires. Or, “don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”

Early this year, the give-me-all-you've-got-Scotty Race Tech front job cost me about $600, including 1.05 Kg/mm springs. My rider weight's 230lbs. I also have 17 lbs of Corbin bags on the rear, complicating the situation for both front and rear suspension. YMMV. Afterwards, at low speed it falls in a bit. They are not harsh, but want to be thrashed. Elevate the pace to "sport mode" above roughly 50 mph on moderate twisties, everything gels like magic. I'm astounded how well in general the Bird now works at moderate and (especially) warp speed twisties. I'm guessing fork work on this bike is a tradeoff: since they're not easy to adjust, pick your favorite pastime, have them setup, and live with it. They sure ain't the inverted Showas on my Mille or Kayabas on my '03 ZX-6R. I did front and rear simultaneously, at about 30K miles, seeing no point in a correctly-tuned front and bogus rear, or vice-versa. The shock debate never ends here, so I'll merely state what I did and why. Traxxion Dynamics did a fine job on my Mille two-way Penske shock in late 2002. They also offer the “Sport Shock,” an 8900-series without compression adjustment, at a competitive price. After carefully weighing debate on this forum, I went with the Sport Shock. I have little intention of adjusting Blackbird rear suspension beyond static sag and rebound. Again, I also obtained a heavier spring for my bulk which alone solved 90% of the problems. That’s great for me, but others on this list prefer additional adjustability. In retrospect, another option was giving both front and rear to Traxxion Dynamics. If I understand correctly, they have their own mojo for Blackbird forks. So far they’ve treated me very well. I’ll continue to use them in the future. Shipping forks was no great shakes: I used a commercial post office place, packed them carefully in a long box with lots of popcorn, insured up the yin-yang, and escaped for thirty bucks each way to and from Seattle. Rebuilding a CBR900RR shock is another option. Guys do it and manage to keep costs low, too. I think it’s a great idea. I was too lazy and also know I'll need Traxxion to one day rejuvenate my Penske rear shock. Better they work on a "known" product, in my mind. KyleUSA has three-way adjustable Ohlins for Kawasaki ZX-6Rs at an excellent price. If they’re available for Blackbirds, so much the better. As an aside, I’m very glad DK found an interest in 2003 ZX-6Rs, too, though that’s yet another way to spend all my money. Properly-setup suspension revitalized my ’99 Bird. Front and rear were totally sacked at about 25K miles. To be fair, I should have at least changed fork oil once in awhile but blew it off due to laziness. We’ll see how it goes when I cross 60K miles in a couple years. Penske aren’t difficult to rejuvenate. I do not know how the RaceTech forks will hold up.

The 010/020 controversy goes round and round on this forum. I’ve changed my tune from time to time over the years. I’m currently running an 010 front and 020 rear. Before that it was 020 at both ends, then the stock BT-57s or whatever. Did not Bridgestone distance themselves from the 010 and 020 for use on Beast Bikes? That was the rumor, at some point. I can believe it. First, the rear: The 020 rear provides me HUGE mileage, I shit you not: my current rear is almost dusted but has tread and (I think) 11 thousand miles on it. I keep records, which are not in front of me at the moment. The first 020 I ran did the same thing, also. I have no bitches at all about the 020 rear, since it sticks well in the rain and delivers astounding mileage. Understand I don’t chuck the bike around like a sportbike, but I do ride fairly quickly. I find the 020 rear quite predictable, designed for Beast Bikes or not. Thumbs up on that one. Now the front, the problem child: I’ve had 010 and 020 on the front. Neither proved satisfactory. Both fall off very hard after a few miles from new, cup, and behave very strangely all the way to the end. The 020 was far worse than the 010 as it aged, and in fact dropped me on my ass last year (wouldn’t warm up, sudden stop, whammo). I’d put an 020 front on a cruiser, but not a sportbike of any kind. I have an 010 on at the moment, mileage unknown though it’s getting there. It started out marginal, then got weird quickly after new. It’s cupped to all hell and back. Despite a full-boogie revamp of the front forks by Race Tech, the tire still tries to upset the applecart. I see the end is near so I’ll rip it off with relish. Something’s fundamentally not right about that tire on Beast bikes, I believe. I haven’t settled on replacements yet, though I want something that provides more mileage than “absolute grip.” Front tires have been challenging on this bike.

I’d be hard-pressed to see how the cost of a CBR900RR unit, reworked, equilibrates to any Penske or Ohlins shock I’m aware of the for the Bird. Based on my recollection from the forum in previous incarnation(s), one can find the CBR9000RR unit for $50-$150 used from some junkyard. Let’s call it $150. Add a spring, rate depending on needs. I believe those are a hundred bucks or less from Parts 411 or wherever. As I recall, heavier springs required by the Blackbird and heavier riders (like me) are hard to find, though it didn’t pose a problem for Traxxion Dynamics when I ordered mine in January. Send both to, say, GP Tech or Traxxion Dynamics. Ask them to renew the shock, plus install the spring. Lindemann Engineering did this for me for $100 some years back; maybe that’s a valid amount, maybe not. My guts tell me we’re fairly close. With a little luck, at $350-$400 you’ll have a genuinely decent shock, albeit probably not as compliant as a quality aftermarket unit. That’s hard to say, though, and exactly how much “compliance” does one need on a beast bike? Break through to $500 on cost, though, the game’s up: a Traxxion Dynamics Penske Sport Shock with custom spring ran me $550 this past winter. But let’s be fair: that one doesn’t have compression adjustment. Rebound and sag adjust easily and cause noticeable changes, however. The rear end is hugely more compliant with the Penske over the stocker. I’ve not seen a group Ohlins buy for shocks costing less than about seven hundred bucks, even in volume. The three-way Ohlins and Penske each run roughly $1,100, last I checked.

No, but I extensively test rode a ’97 before buying a ’99. Not quite an ’01, but close. 1. I didn’t notice much comfort change from the ’97 to ’99, though there was a slight difference in posture. The pegs are rather high on this bike, regardless. Some find all of them uncomfortable. 2. Wasn’t aware the ’99-on bikes had catalytic converters. Not sure, though. 3. I consistently get 35mpg, ranging up to the low-40’s on pure-highway drones. 4. I know little of wheels. 5. In ’99 they added ram air. I read an interesting article about various ram air setups on several production bikes, including the Blackbird. I’m not an engineer, but any boob can understand the basics of ram air. What I do not understand is how it helps the mid-range on this bike; nevertheless, info in the article suggests that’s exactly what happens. Net result: no more flat spot. In four dyno runs, I show no flat spots. 6. Theft deterrent? Don’t leave it outside anywhere frequented by scum (including all of Great Britain, apparently). Lock it in a garage. Adopt a German Shepherd dog with a loud bark. Buy a Glock or big .45. Shoot anyone who tries to steal your bike from the garage, or sic the dog on them. Just a thought.

The carbureted one, eh? Some guys here swear by them. I test rode one extensively and was astounded by the responsiveness of the carbs, though the mid-range flat spot and horrid forks buried the idea. My ’99 has Micron carbon canisters. They look nice, sound nice, and haven’t cooked in 30K miles. They retain the stock positions and work with my Corbin bags. I have no idea or interest if they contribute to additional power: the sound and look say it all. As for bags, Corbin can supply a nice set for eight or nine hundred bucks, if you don’t mind a couple month wait. I find them aesthetically pleasing, though functionality isn’t nearly that of other bags like Givis or similar. Depends what you want: I wanted to maintain the flowing lines of the bike with a modest amount of storage for electronics, clothing, small groceries, etc. However, if you want serious storage capacity, say for touring, try another brand. I believe it’s unanimous that hard bags disturb Blackbird handling. I don’t think it’s weight, though the Corbins add 17 damn pounds to the rear end. I’m guessing either the airflow or the location of the mass slightly disturbs the front end. Mine’s never handled quite as well with hard bags, though with a full Race Tech front end the problem’s vastly reduced. Guess it comes down to: sport bike or sport tourer? I’d never use a ‘Bird as a true sportbike when one trip to Everett Powersports and a check for $10K could buy me the devil’s dragster, a.k.a. a silver 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000, which would leave a Blackbird for dead anywhere, anytime, on any racetrack. I love the ‘bird, but wouldn’t bring a knife to a gunfight. This does not stop some genuinely talented guys from scraping pegs on Blackbirds, and if handled correctly they’ll really get up and go even in the twisties. It just isn’t the “optimal” tool for the job. I wouldn’t know shinola about any “inserts” in the carbs to limit horsepower. Find a website for one of the many guys who drag-race carbureted Blackbirds. There should be a mountain of data there. Other info? I’d have those ’97 forks ripped off in a heartbeat and reworked by Race Tech or Traxxion Dynamics. Best $500-600 you’ll ever spend. The Gen I forks are waaaay too harsh. There are several avenues to a compliant rear shock. Traxxion Dynamics makes a nice Penske “sport shock” (8900-series body with compression adjustment blanked off) sprung to your weight for a decent price. I find mine extremely compliant and the back end went from “wooden” to “very sharp” in one fell swoop. Ohlins also makes fine suspension componentry, though I’m a Penske fan for various (somewhat superstitious) reasons. These things seem to run forever. I had my valves checked at 20k; all were in-spec. Most guys say they remain in-spec at 40K, too. Many say to do a pre-emptive cam chain tensioner strike at about 40K, a very simple job. I intend to do this at the end of ’03, roughly. The LBS on the ’97 isn’t quite as transparent as the later bikes, I noticed. EBC HH pads work well, though they bite hard and aren’t for the timid. I’m going to get something like 19K miles out of a set, astounding longevity for brake pads. I think these bikes eat chains, not surprising for something putting nearly 140hp to the ground (at the wheel). I put a DID 530ZVM on mine at 11K, still going strong twenty K later (with a Scottoiler). That’s the strongest chain they make, as far as I know, and it seems to work. Use the riveted link. I would not trust a non-riveted link on this particular bike. Think long and hard about the hard bags issue. If you can live without them, do so. If not, be prepared for a changed motorcycle. Mine’s a commute and sport-touring rig, so I could give a damn. You may have other intentions for yours. Good luck, you’ll do fine. Blackbirds are incredible motorcycles, as you’ll note from Honda quality if you do any digging around inside the bike: very logically designed and superior fit and polish.

This weekend I intended to install front and rear pads on my ’99. Mileage is 30,750. Pads were replaced at 16K with EBC HHs. My plans also included measuring the rotors for wear with a micrometer. I used an online resource suggested by someone in the forum for EBC HH pads. They were about thirty-three per pair U.S., plus a small shipping charge. Works for me. Apparently I first took caliper thickness measurements at 27K miles, not 16K as I originally thought. Taking them again only 4K miles later isn’t much of a delta to detect disk wear. Nevertheless, front and rear disk thicknesses were within a few thousandths of last time. If EBC HH pads eat rotors, they aren’t eating mine very fast. My rotors remain well within specification, based on shop manual values. Pulling two sets of front pads, lo and behold if the bike doesn’t need new ones quite yet, my initial assumption notwithstanding. I’ll examine them again at about 35K miles, when they’ll probably be due. That’s remarkable: roughly 19K miles from a set of high-performance sintered brake pads. Equally astounding, they’re the greatest I’ve ever used on a street bike. Sintered pads plus stainless-steel Honda rotors: “Buckwheat say, “EBC O’Tay!””

I think Rockme's got it right: the bike does not respond well to top racks, or side bags for that matter. My '99 was a real handful with Corbin bags. The 17 extra pounds or change in aerodynamics upset the bike. The dying front and rear suspension did not help. I've Race Tech'd my front, and Penkse'd the rear, with heavy springs for my amble girth (230 lbs). This vastly improved compliance of the front and rear. Static sag's about 1.25 inch at both ends. Compounding the issue, I am deeply suspicious of BT010s and 020s on these bikes. Mine's never been quite right running them. I thought we decided these tires were not "recommended" for Beast Bikes due to insufficient sidewall stiffness? When the current 010/020 combo dies, they go in favor of something else more up-to-date. The 010 front is cupped and doesn't feel right, and never really did. The 020 rear is wearing fine, but almost gone (no complaints). I'm thinking the bike killed the tires, asking something of them they could not give. I don't ride the 'bird like a little girl. I stole this from the Michelin website, the blurb for the Michelin Pilot HPX. Guess who they had in mind? • Evolved from the Pilot Sport, but specifically designed for hypersport bikes like the Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki ZX-12 and Honda CBR 1100XX. • Engineered with a particular emphasis on high-speed stability, The rear Pilot Sport HPX has been certified under stringent European requirements atspeeds up to 200 mph* (320 km/h). • Special tread compound developed for sustained high speeds. • Rear tread pattern combines large tread blocks and uniform distribution of the tread grooves, for excellent grip, efficient water evacuation, and optimal wear pattern. • Front tread pattern similar to that of the rear tire, for powerful braking, grip on wet roads, and even treadwear.

Ah, now we have guys quoting "Disturbed" in their taglines. (Where have I been, right?) Well, the 'Bird is an iron fist in a velvet glove. Disturbed are just the former. On to brake pads. I'm about to install replacements. Total mileage on the first set of HH's will end up about 15K miles, which is stupendous IMO from a sport pad. I've had EBC Greens last 3K miles or less at comparable braking power. At 16K, I ran a micrometer over the calipers. I'll do the same tomorrow and check the delta. Current mileage is about 31K. I'll report those results maybe in a separate thread. I doubt the HH's are eating the rotors, but we'll let the numbers tell. I wanted a baseline back then in case the rumors of HH's eating rotors were true. This side of EBC Greens, the HH's are the best pads I've ever used. They work exceptionally well with stainless steel rotors, like most modern sintered pads. They do come on strong and hard, almost like a stainless steel brakeline-equipped bike. They are not for the noob or timid. (No one riding a Bird is a noob or of timid mind by definition, though there are always exceptions.) In a seperate matter, someone here recommended the Motorcycle Online Store for these pads. I'll second that: I bought three pair for a good price, and they arrived quickly. Thumbs up on them, too.

Let’s talk a little about the Throttlemeister. I won’t break any new ground: it’s been said before, but might be worth saying again. I could not make a Vistacruise work. My bad. It just didn’t cut the mustard. If you can, and like the idea (for about twenty bucks), have a good time. I bought the Throttlemeister for a long trip, an annual run I make Seattle to Monterey (World Superbike). The unit helped on the stupid freeway droning sections a lot. As another guy said, they look nice enough. I have standard-sized. Not sure the purpose of the bigger ones, though some swear by them. You don’t have to be an acrobat to engage the standard, with my Irish peasant-paws anyway. Think about what they do: freeze the throttle position. They are not cruise controls. If you’re on a constant slope, this works great. Few roads this side of Nebraska are. Any change in elevation, you begin to accelerate or decelerate. When this happens, I tap the throttle lightly with the Throttlemeister engaged, either to give a little more or less gas. A pain, but I’ve gotten good at it so it works. There may be some use to partial-engagement settings, though I haven’t found any. You’d be nuts to use one in the city. The urban freeways I usually ride, some fruit cup cager or trucker is like as not to do damn near anything at any time. Only in the lightest traffic, me on the far side of the commute lane, do I use it. And only then for a couple minutes, tops. Really these things only provide relief for short spells. That helps quite a bit to relieve hand fatigue, but it isn’t a remarkable wonder-device. As I said earlier, it helped a lot on a couple 800 mile days to avoid finger cramps, thus paying for itself. I can engage and disengage quickly. With a little practice, it’s no great shakes. They’re pricey, but if you understand the limitations and still want one the quality’s good. Installation took just a few minutes on my ’99. Recommended, since the Throttlemeister fulfills its (limited) mission adequately.