Helvet

I.M.O. the best bars are the Gilles Tooling VarioBars (www.gillestooling.com). They are fully adjustable in all directions, so you can set them up the way you like them. The VFR-bars are good, but they can not be adjusted..... Gilles is expensive however, but well worth the money (I bought them...). Also a cruise-control to relax your hands now and then could work for you...

I believe they are all the same, it is just the map you load that would distinguish the euro from us models. I have bought a few PC's from the USA, and installed them on Dutch and German bikes. They work fine (after remapping). The only difference is the O2 sensor that is supplied here for the bikes with a Catalyst.

You got some pictures of it? Where did you buy it, and how much was it?

I asked the factory in England for pricing directly. This was their answer: Black hugger – GBP 69.99 Carbon hugger – GBP 115.00 Black fenda extenda – GBP 17.45 The carriage charge will depend upon the size of the box. We will probably start a group buy soon. Let me know if you are interested....

LOL! Like you buy a new car when the ashtray is full?

It's not just the English bikes, but all over Europe..... It is just in the USA (and maybe Canada) they don't have them. Also you can not switch the (head)lights on and off..... I don't know why that is. It is rather stupid, because it will kill your battery a lot sooner.... And makes starting a bike with a bad battery a lot worse.... Is it possible for a USA bike to do a jumpstart? We can: in 6 feet the bike is running again....

You'll have to explain that to me. The force upon the spring will be the same at any speed. I guess if you get the correct rate I would prefer the straight rate springs such as the RaceTech as would most riders and racers. Yes, and no..... In a straight line you are correct, but when cornering the force on your spring will increase with the speed. That is why you can tilt your bike a lot further at low speeds, and never touch the ground, and at high speeds you will touch the gound a lot sooner.... The choice for straight rate spings is the most common. It is the easiest to adjust (for adjustable shocks). That is why racers use them.... But they are not interested in comfort at low speeds. They don't have to deal with very bad roads. A progressive spring is better for road use. That is why most road bikes (and off-road bikes) have a 2 or 3 stage linear spring. The first part being soft, the second part harder, and the third part very stiff. The problem with linear springs is that the have a frequency they vibrate in. 2 Stage linear springs have 2 of these frequencies.... You will find that those springs will become unstable at certain speeds. The damping will decrease this, but if you would not have damping, the whole bike would be jumping up and down at certain speeds.... A fully progressive spring does not have this at all. Check out the story at: http://www.hyperpro.com

Didn't they used to be Cheng Shin (sp?) ? :roll: I don't remember.... They change names all the time, but yes, it was (and still is) an inferior Chinese or Taiwanese brand....

Why are you considering Maxxis? They have a very bad reputation here in Europe.... Cheapest tires you can buy though, but it comes with a problem: they stink! We had a few guys overhere buying Maxxis because it is so cheap. All of them have thrown them away and bought other tires..... Too slippery, too dangerous...

Yes, I got the same thing.... 75 Kilo and 1.83 meters....

Did you heighten the rear of the bike with a ring on the shock (or any other way)? In that case, when you have the bike on the centerstand the rear wheel is lower. That means the chain should be given more slack than normal, because otherwise it will be too tight under load. Yes, it will touch your centerstand when it is on the sidestand, but it will not touch the centerstand when you are sitting on the bike. Ask a friend to check when you are on the bike. By the way, did you check if your rubber centerstandstop on the left slip-on is still in place? If you lost that one, or have replacement slip-ons you can also encounter this problem...

You can tune the PC2 for more performance (this will kil your fuel economy), more rideability (makes not much difference in F.E.), or better fuel economy. Up to you (and a good Dyno guy). Don't know the slip-ons.....

You can always move the clip-ons back up on the forks. Leave the setup like it is, just move the clips.... It is easy! Also I advice to buy Hyperpro springs, and not racetech..... Why? Hyperpro is the only one with fully progressive springs, not 2 or 3-step progressive springs. This will make the bike more comfortable for a ight rider, and have it perform also great under full load or high speed cornering.

Hyperpro! The only fully progressive spring available. It works great, at all speeds and loads. Not like Racetech only at high speed or load, they are very comfortable when cruising, and stiff when speeding... You won't be sorry, the best investment you can make on the bike...

CCT = Camshaft Chain Tensioner

If anyone wants the X11 CCT, I can ship them for cost-price to you... We (the Dutch Blackbird Owners Club) sell lots of parts all over the world. It is just that parts are more expensive here than in the USA...

Yes it is.... Try it with someone lifting up the front wheel. Try by turning the yokes, not the handlebars. If it doesn't go easy and smooth, you have a problem. I could not turn mine at all this way, and no problem when I gripped the bars..... When I replaced the bearings I was shocked to see what they looked like. All over the bearing house you could see and feel the imprints of the bearing-balls....

I have driven over 40 Blackbirds, on almost all tyres.... (don't ask why...). There is a huge difference between these bikes. Some is because of the tyres, some the springs or just worn out bearings. I have tried a lot of tyres on my XX, and of the current models I choose the Michelin Pilot Roads. They will last long, give good grip and feedback, and are very forgiving. Yes you will feel pebbles, but that is just what I want! I am no racer (on the public roads that is), but à can use these all the way to the edge, and they still feel stabile. It is even possible to stand up on the pegs, no hands on the clip-ons, and still make the turns you want (even at the dreaded speed of 50MPH). I have no experience with Avons, because they are hardly any sold in Europe (and they are made here...). In the big tyre-test of the biggest motorcycle-magazine of Europe the Michelin was chosen as best (with a huge difference) for the heavier Sports-Touring bikes....

There is a locking pin (U-shaped) on the rear of the Corbin. This is held bu 2 screws, and by loosening these you can move this locking pin. Try moving it a little backwards (usually it is in the most front-position), so the Corbin will fit better to the gastank. This should eliminate the vibration for the best part.... I had the same problem with all of my 3 Corbins...

Check out: http://www.safetylights.nl/ Also available in English.... This is a flasher unit with a lot of options. Over 20 different flashing signals, operated by the brake-lights. It works great, easy to install and not expensive. I've sold a lot to my fellow XX-riders, and I use them myself!

The only one I am aware of that has a chainguard that is (close to being) long enough is the Pyramid. All others I've seen spray chain lube on the back end of the bike....

These lines look OK. Not a big dip in HP or torque, and a good top-end. Too bad they didn't include the mixture stats... It could very well be that you think the bike is sluggish in lower- and mid-revs, because it is so smooth.... It is like an elastic, starts a bit slow and than catapults through the revs.... With a PC you can finetune it, but it will not be a huge difference....

That is great mileage.... Most will not make 300km with a tank of fuel... I know of 1 rider who needs to switch to reserve after 170km...

You can order through airmail at Partmonster here. He is a member of this forum, and ships overseas. He is cheap, fast and relieable.... I don't remember the exact price for a powercommander, but I think is was $ 275,-- (or was it $ 375,--) plus shipping. Well worth the costs!

I'll take a guess too.... In S.A., do the 2001 BB's and younger come with a catalyst? If so, there is your problem... If you replace the original cans with a catalyst for other slip-ons, you will have to fool the machine in thinking it still has the catalyst. There is a sensor-plug available for that. This will mostly affect the mid-range... Also you can try disconnectimng the battery for a minute. This will reset the computer for the fuel injection. It is very possible the bike is running in the safe-mode.... Happened to mine without showing a lit F1 light... (the first few times...).