Mikesblackbird

Hi Pete, I was planning on going to the Rotella Synthetic, but not now. It worked well for me in my other bikes. The PO of my bike used the Yamaha oil and to me the bike does not shift as well as I would like - a little "clunky". I guess based on this I should stay away from the Rotella. I might go for the Royal Purple or Golden Spectro. I have heard a lot of good things about both. Mike

Combined braking system. Check manual, then proceed. Over Got it. Over.

I'm changing out the clutch and brake fluid on my 97 Bird this weekend. Is there anything that I need to watch out for? I plan on using a MityVac at each bleeder screw and removing the old while replacing the master cylinder with fresh synthetic Dot 4 fluid. Thanks.

I just did mine last week on my 97 with 12,700 miles. The plugs were in great shape, but since the new set came with the bike I changed them anyway. I also added a K&N air filter while I had it apart. Doing it was a little bit of work since I haven't worked on it before, but overall was pretty easy. Follow www.superbird.com for installation tips. Overall, the bike does seem to run a little better, but it ran well when I tore it apart. Good luck. Mike

Brett, Where are you in South Joisey? I get down there a lot on business. I wouldn't mind giving it a shot when the weather turns, but I'm sure I'd get a lot of looks with the tire around my neck. May be better to strap it to the seat. Thanks for the offer. Mike

I had a Givi on my Concours previous to the el cheapo that I have now. The Givi was nice but for 3 times the price, not nice enough to justify the expense.

Throw it around you neck, and come over. We'll have it done in no time. Thanks for the invite; sounds temptiing. The bike is new to me so I need to get it inspected. I bought the tire just in case the inspecting shop says I need one. I thought for $75 I couldn't miss. Looking at the tire on the bike, I think it's fine for inspection or at best, good for another few thousand miles. Honestly speaking, how difficult is it to change the front with simple tools? I'd be willing to give it a shot, but really don't feel like struggling with breaking the bead if it is a ball buster.

Just to let everyone know, I just received the M1 tire from JC Motors from e-bay and the date code on the tire is "3605". From what I read that's the end of December '05, so for $60 + $15 for shipping seems to be a pretty good deal. Maybe not the lowest around, but nevertheless a good enough deal for me. Now, we'll see what costs to get mounted?

I have the Jaekal version that is sold on e-bay. Cost me $60 with shipping. I mounted it on the Renntec rack and I think it looks good. I like the truck because of the gloss black finish that matches the bike. It's small enough that it doesn't take away from the lines of the bike, but big enough for my helmet, gloves, etc.

Should've posted the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Metzeler-Sp...sspagenameZWDVW I contacted them before buying and was told that their inventory is always "fresh". Sorry for the link length; I haven't figured out the "tiny url" thing yet. Mike

I need to replace the front tire on my new to me 97 B'bird. There are a number of the above tires selling on e-bay that are apparently fresh inventory. The lowest I have found is $59.95 + $15 for shipping on a "buy it now" basis. Does anyone have any reason why I should not make a buy on this tire since I'm told that the inventory is fresh? Thanks.

Mine are tight also. Had them off a few times and never had a problem re-installing them.

Will disconnect the alarm. I plan to put the old rectifier back in and see.

I had the tender on it all day and the system light on the tender says that it is fully charged, but the bike would not turn over long enough to start. I put a 2 amp charger on and let it charge for about 1 hour and the bike kicked over and revv'ed and idled nicely. I also did the rectifier test in the manual and it looks like on the ohm test that all 3 yellow leads measure the same - 1 ohm. Funny thing though, all other threads where the r/r was acting up, the idle, speedo and tach were moving wildly, and even stalled. My bike runs perfect once it's running, so maybe it's not the r/r???? very puzzling.

ok I did the multimeter testing on my 97 BB and it looks like the rectifier needs to be replaced. Does anyone have a lead on where to buy other than dealer, Ayers, etc? Pricing, etc? Any help would be appreciated

Got it. I'm checking other posts and see a lot of stuff posted on the components. It may have been a problem when I bought the bike. The PO told me the battery was new. It looked new, but I replaced it anyway. I just printed the "electrex" troubleshooting flowchart and man do I hate doing electrics, but I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the guidance.

I'm new to the BB and I purchased my 97 this past fall with 12k miles. I installed a new battery and everything's been fine. I did not winterize the bike, but instead have been making a point to start it and ride for 20 minutes or so each week as long as the roads are dry. In the last few weeks the weather in the NE has been warm, so while the bike is sitting I did not have it on the battery tender. This morning I went to start it and after 5 seconds or so of turning over, the battery went dead. Any ideas? The only thing that is not stock on the bike is the PO installed an alarm that I don't use and is activated when the remote is pushed. Is there something on this bike that would wear down the battery when the key is off and left in the ignition? I'm stumped. Any help would be appreciated. Mike

Profile updated. I live in central Bucks County, just outside of Doylestown.

I got an early x-mas present today with temps in the mid 50's (eastern Pa), and I got a chance to try out the helibars. Intitially it didn't look like much of a change, but what a difference. For those who have been contemplating the switch, go ahead. It was worth the $150 that I paid. Much more comfortable. Also added the Renntec luggage rack and an el cheapo, gloss black top box and the bike is ready for the spring) or for tomorrow where the temp is suppose to be in the high 50's. Merry x-mas to all.

Following the supplied instructions, I installed the bars last night and now I need to find the right position to snug up the bars. Is it just a matter of personal preference? Thanks for the info.

I picked up a set of Helibars for my xx. I matched them up on the bike and there doesn't seem to be really any difference - not the 1 5/8" taller, 1" rearward and 1" wider - than what is on the bike. I checked with the PO and he says the bars on the bike are "stock". It is a 97. Is there anyway to tell whether they're Honda OEM or aftermarket bars? I don't want to go through the change if there is very little difference. Thanks.

Tomek, Not to hijack the thread, but what luggage rack do you have on your bike? I am looking for one and I like what you have. Thanks.

Sam's carries the equivalent for the YTX-12BS for $37.73 + $7.00 core charge in stock. It is an Exide/Champion battery brand. Bought one for my 97 and it works just fine.