RodeRash

Thanks for the info Pete. This is a new problem. I am thinking that I may have a little gummy fuel in the pilot jets. I have only run a couple of tanks of fuel through the bike this winter. I am going to first try adding some BG44K cleaner to a tank of fresh gas to see if this will clear things up. If not, then I will pull the carbs, clean them, use your pilot jet settings as a starting point, sync the carbs, and then check the settings with an exhaust analyzer. If that doesn't work, I'll trade the bike for a newer one with FI

If they make their own springs, maybe we could get them to make us some springs in the 16.8 to 17.0 range. The 16.0 spring is pretty weak for the BlackBird.

I'm having problems on my 97 BlackBird. I get a stumble just off idle. The bike runs and idles just fine, but when I start out easy, it feels and sounds like it drops to 3 cylinders, then picks right back up. If I have the bike in neutral, and rev the throttle, there is a hesitation right off idle, then it clears out. The exhaust system is stock. The plugs have around 6000 miles on them. I noticed this problem before I replaced the air filter. Replacing the filter did not help. Could this be a carb sync problem? Any other ideas?

Oops. The chain was a ZVM not ZVX.

After my OEM chain exceeded the wear limits, I replaced it with a DID 530VM chain. I trashed this chain completely (uneven stretching and kinks) on a fast trip from Colorado to California and back. I lubed the chain every third tank of gas on this trip. I replaced the chain with another DID (but this time I got the ZVX chain) I have had no problems with the ZVX chain at all. I recomend you buy the strongest chain you can find.

Oh Yeah. Thanks for posting

A stock BlackBird does not need high octane fuel (check your owners manual). But, if it makes you feel better, use the best you can afford. Same with the steering damper. Unless you have messed with your steering geometry by raising the rear end, or lowering the front, you don't need it. Adding one will only make the steering feel heavier.

I took my Hot Air Balloon pilot flight exam from a FAA examiner that used to work for the North Dakota Hiway patrol. He used to patrol in an airplane, and track speeders from above. During our flight, I asked him if he had any good traffic stories to tell. He told me that they used to track speeds by measuring the time it took to go from one paint marker on the road to another. (A distance of one mile). He was tracking a guy in aCorvette that was in the middle of a top speed run, when suddenly, the Corvette blew a motor. Even with the engine destroyed, the guy still coasted through the second marker quickly enough to give him an average speed of over 100 mph. I'll bet it really sucks to trash the motor of your car, and while you are sitting beside the road trying to figure out what to do next, have the hiway patrol pull up and write you a ticket for speeding.

Hookman, Congratulations on the weight loss. Let us know if eating high carbs over the weekend eventually leads to you getting past your weight stall. It's been know to happen. TJ can tell you why. Mike

Actually, that machine measures surface finish, not stiction.

This data used to be posted, but was lost when the database died. I am copying this from an article that was written by Carlos (Swampnut) Shock The early and mid CBR900RR's had the same length shock as the XX does. This means you can transplant a shock very simply--it's just a bolt-on. However, the spring from the 900 is far too light. RaceTech steps in with a spring that is still not as stiff as I'd like, but very close. The spring has to be replaced by someone with a press or heavy-duty spring compressor. In one case, one of our readers made his own. This may be an option, but there is some danger involved and you'll need a couple of odd pieces of metal. I preferred to have a local dealer do it for me for $30. Once you have the right spring on there, the swap is simple and is detailed in the service manual. You'll then need to mount the remote reservoir. I found that it ended up right next to a very large wiring harness, so I zip-tied it to the harness. This results in a solid mount where it is accessible for adjustment but up out of the way. I bought the 900 shock from a local shop for $50. Many others have reported paying anywhere from $50 to $125, which is still reasonable. You will need a shock from a '93-'95 model; the later years won't fit. This will carry one of the following part numbers: MWO-003 MWO-0132A MWO-0132B MAE-0032B The Showa part numbers starting with "MAS" are the wrong part and will not fit (it is 3/4" too short). And here is a little more info from a later article. Ok, we did some tuning today. When you read this, keep in mind I'm 220 and I have the Beetle Bags on my bike (17 pounds) with about 10 pounds of stuff in them. This applies with the suspension modifications which are detailed here. Unfortunately, the rear spring is still just on the soft side (at least for my riding style), though it's the stiffest that RaceTech makes. I'm waiting to talk to Traxxion Dynamics about what they have. RaceTech recommends a 16.5 kg/mm spring, but only makes up to a 16.0 spring. So I have the preload set to max (7) and would still like a higher rate. The rear damping settings are probably going to seem odd, but I swear this is what makes the compression and rebound even and about right. Rebound is 1/4 turn from full soft, and compression is 1/4 turn from full hard. This was double-checked by a very experienced shop owner and racer, so it's not just me going nuts. The rebound might be a *little* soft, but probably not even by 1/4 turn. I need to ride it a bit more. Having the compression right has made a huge difference in accelerating out of corners (or acceleration in general), and wheelies. I definitely need more ride height in the rear. I'd say 3/8-1/2 inch. I never got a call back from the people who make the height adjusters. I might try again, or might just stack a few washers under the mount. I could lower the front, but I already scrape pegs too often. The stock 900RR shock spring is WAY to soft. (The stock 1100XX spring is to long) RaceTech no longer has any of the 16.0 Springs available, but someone did find another shop who still had a few of theses springs available. Hopefully, someone will add that information in another post.

I am changing fork oil and upgrading to .95 springs today. I'll let you know what I think of these changes after I get a little seat time.

Has anyone read Lyle McDonald's book, The Ketogenic Diet? If so, do you recomend it?

LOL If you had mentioned CBR900RR rear shocks, and problems with the CCT lifter, you would have pretty much said it all.

How are your tires? Worn or cupped tires (along with out of adjustment steering head bearings) can cause a wobble. Never seen it go to a tank slapper. The really stupid thing about finding out that the front end wobbles when you let off the gas and let go of the bars......You'll keep on doing it, just to see if it still happens. :grin: