SoloTSi97

I could see that happening if you carried a passenger since they would mount from the left side. (stop) But mine is stock, never had a passenger, and the left pipe is still closer than the right. The tire seems centered in the swingarm so I don't think it's because the chain is on that side. I think Honda made it that way. Shifter clearance on the pipe? Engine not symmetrical? Yeah, I frequently have a passenger and she always mounts from the left. So, that could likely be the problem. Any idea if anyone make any beefier exhaust/passenger peg mounts for the bird? I mean, my baby's by no means big! I'm surprised she would have the ... uh ... heft to bend something that was designed to support a person's weight. Thanks! -Bob

Ah, more useful info, thanks! I peeked down as best I could while riding into work this morning, and there's definitely contact with just me on the bike. I'll take a look at the mounting hardware when I get a chance. Thanks!! -Bob

Yeah, I guess I'll look into doing that. The exhaust has been on there since the bike was new, though, and this has never happened before. Maybe the 2-up trip just compresses the suspension that far for the first time ... Thanks for the replies. -Bob

Nothing looks bent, but it's pretty clear that there's been a lot of contact between the swingarm and my Yoshimura exhaust. The wife and I did a 2-up trip a month or so ago, during which I made a mental note that I really need to have the suspension rebuilt, and I haven't ridden it much since due to battery and flat tire issues. But, as I was taking the back wheel off to change the tire, I was surprised to see how much metal has been worn away on the swingarm, apparently from the exhaust rubbing. I took some pictures of the rubbed areas on the swingarm and also tried to take a couple so y'all can tell me if something looks bent or just not quite right. The bike hasn't been down in a year or so, and even then it was a right-side tipover. This problem is on the left. The suspension is certainly overdue for service ... is it simply a matter of the fact that my 220lb. @$$ is asking too much of a tired old suspension and things shouldn't get as close as they are? Thanks!! -Bob

Interesting ... I'll have to look at that. I assume there is some funky brake bleeding procedure, then. I'll have to dust off the service manual. ;-) Thanks! -Bob

So I bled the brakes on the XX before wifey and I headed to Deals Gap back in September. At that time, I noticed that applying the front brakes has no effect on the rear caliper. The front brakes work fine, but apparently they're not actually linked. Applying the rear brake does, however, operate both front and rear calipers. In looking at the parts fiche this morning, it looks like the likely culprit is the "second master cylinder" in front. Any been there, done that's that anyone would care to share? I honestly don't know how long it's been this way, since I'm sure I wouldn't notice. But, I tend not to use the rear brake lever at all, relying on the fact that the front lever is supposed to be applying both brakes. -Bob

Here are a few more pictures. In one of them, I tried to show why I think it is a better fit for a tall rider ... the "saddle" is farther away from the tank than stock, based on my limited experience with a stock seat. Without helibars, if I sat in the "saddle", I was stretching too far for the bars. With helibars, it's better but I'd still prefer to sit a little closer to the tank. I talked with the previous owner about the seat when I bought the bike, and he pointed out that he had the seat made this way to make it more comfortable for him (given his longer reach). http://hodge.photoshop.com/?galleryid=de71...GC&wf=share At this point, I have had several PMs on the seat. The first (and one other) were for $200 and I pay to ship the seat. Honestly, that's about what I was hoping to get for it since it's about in line with what a Corbin sells for and this could be a better fit for a tall rider. If the first offer falls through, I'll go down the line in the order that I received PMs. I have no desire to start a bidding war, I'm just trying to cover part of my Corbin. Thanks to all for your interest. -Bob

When I head out at lunch, I'll take snap a few pics with my phone. If those turn out like ass, I'll take some with a real camera when I get home after work. I just bought a Corbin Gunfighter/Lady, which is more for the wife than myself. As this seat is designed as a solo seat, it's not terribly comfortable for 2-up riding (which we've been doing a lot more of recently). If it weren't for the frequent passenger, I wouldn't be replacing it. Unfortunately, I can't make NEXXT. But, that's a great idea ... if I still have it then, I'll see about sending it with one of the local guys who I'm sure are headed up. To those that sent PMs, I'll be in touch. -Bob

Like the Corbin, these things are expensive new. I have no idea what to expect for one used. It's a leather solo saddle, no wear that I can find ... it really does look perfect. I put a couple pictures I already had in a photoshop album, I can take closer ones if someone wants 'em. The seat came on my XX when I bought it. It was custom made for the previous owner, who is (I would guess) about 6'2". I'm just a hair under 6', and it worked okay for me with helibars (which weren't on the bike when I bought it). If you're much under 6', I don't think it would be very comfortable. I've never ridden an XX with a stock seat, but I have sat on a couple. I find this seat to be much more comfortable (based on that limited basis for comparison), it doesn't force the jewels into the tank at all like the stock one tends to (IMHO). Here's a pic of it on my bike: http://api.photoshop.com/home_3850ece78748...170c3e7e0d3411a Hi-res shot of the bike with the seat: http://api.photoshop.com/home_3850ece78748...e1894b2bf848160 -Bob

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=270264641406 I figure it'll end up here sooner or later, may as well be me. I've been looking for one for a dragon trip the wife and I are making in a few weeks, so good luck to me. ;-)

I'm in the area, too, if you need me to take a look. Also, I just took my track bike outta Grandma's garage (in Cincinnati), so I know where it could get stuck for a period of time if necessary ... if she takes it out, she'll keep it under 35 for ya. -Bob

Sorry, once I found out that the setup isn't compatible w/ my beetle bags I'm afraid it isn't going to work for me. Looks like a great price to me, though. Given that you only have the top case & wingrack left, are you still interested in splitting? I suppose I could price out that other mount that is beetle-compatible ... -Bob

I'm not familiar with the Wingrack vs. just a monokey top mount. Would the wingrack interfere with beetle bags (I suspect yes, but can't tell in the pic)? I've got beetle bags, and am looking to add a top case to the mix. Thanks. -Bob

Grr, so I just dropped my 2002 Bird on its right side in the garage a little while ago. Got it back up, and it looks like the damage was very minimal ... just some scratches on the right lower. Given that the bike was pristine beforehand, I'm pretty pissed ... and will need to replace the piece. Anyone out there have one? I'm in Ohio, in case anyone nearby has one. It looks like Ron Ayers gets $269 for that piece, am I correct in assuming that that price would NOT include decals? Thanks!! -Bob

I think you mean your 4th don't you? You've had a carb'd one, an '01 and '02......I believe. 4th is the charm! And you just bought a VFR and you'll NEVER sell it....it'll be with you forever... In the unlikely event that the bike buyer doesn't want the corbin seat, please let me know. -Bob

Drat, just getting back to the web. I'll call seconds, in case it's needed.

Doesn't N-R make a few different Defender models (400, 500, 600, 2000, etc.)? Which is it? I have one for my XX already, but wouldn't mind covering my 600RR over the winter, too.

I have both. I bought a canyon dancer a long time ago, and when I got a second bike and needed a second tie-down, the local shop had the cycle cynch and no canyon dancer. So, I bought one. I like the cycle cynch much better than my canyon dancer. Due to the way it is designed, it does not pull inward and mess up the grips on my bikes like the canyon dancer tends to. Since I rarely tow both bikes at the same time, I still have (but rarely use) my canyon dancer ... otherwise I'd have two cycle cynches by now. -Bob

I couldn't find anything specifically, but a quick Google turned up several links about why not to jump start your bike from a running car. I assume that the reason you don't want to jump start a car from your bike is the same. For example: http://www.shadowriders.org/faq/jumpstarting.html http://motorcycle-maintenance-repair.suite...intenancerepair Maybe someone else will chime in with more specifics. I've jumped my bike from my truck plenty of times, but never when it was running. Of course, that was just because it worked without starting the truck, not because I actually knew not to. -Bob

Will this work on an '02?

Okay, so this is the first oil thread I've seen since joining here. Is the consensus that using "car" oil in a bike will cause clutch issues, or is there more to it than that? Just curious, as I've used Mobil1 Syn in my F3 for the past 4 years/20k miles with no issues to report. I'll be doing the fall oil change on the 'Bird here soon, and if I hadn't seen this thread I'd have done the same for it as well. -Bob

With mine, I opened it and looked closely at the locking tabs. There were marks where they had been rubbing on both tabs. Given this, I figured that moving things around wouldn't necessarily help. Had only one tab been rubbing, I might have tried to loosen, move, and retighten. For anyone looking to fix this problem, it would probably be worthwhile to take a close look and figure out what's rubbing (it was pretty obvious when you really looked at the tabs). Personally, I would have preferred to simply realign the cap instead of filing material away. But, ultimately it solved my problem so I'm happy with the result. :-) Now, on to why my right heated grip isn't working ... gonna be 40 degrees tomorrow morning and I'd sure like both of 'em to be working for the ride to work! -Bob

This is what I did today. I had to take off more than I had expected (still only a few thousandths, I'm sure), but now it opens easily every time. Thanks for the suggestions. I have some general-purpose lock lubrication spray that I use in the outdoor lock on my shed, trailer coupler lock, etc. I hit all the applicable spots on the bike just to keep things working well (and hit the beetle bags while I was thinking of it). -Bob

I'll try some graphite in the lockset, that's a good idea. I always push down on the cap when I turn the key, habit since it makes the cap on my F3 much easier to open. Unfortunately, pushing down on the cap doesn't help with getting it open. Let me be more specific. The key turns easily all the way to the open position. However, the cap will not pull up freely (in this case, it wouldn't pull up at all). So, it's not friction in the lockset that bent the key ... it was the fact that I was awkwardly trying to hold the bike key in the open position on the gas cap while prying around with the beetle bag key. Hopefully I explained that better.

When I picked up my XX a couple weeks ago, the previous owner said the only trouble he'd had with it was that the gas cap was sometimes a little 'touchy'. 'You have to wiggle it around a bit sometimes.' First time I put gas in it, I wiggled it around a little bit and it opened right up. No big deal. I went to put gas in it for the second time today, and I couldn't get the cap open! Long story short, I ended up using the key for my beetle bags to pry the cap open while turning the bike key to unlock the cap. In the process, I bent my bike key to the point where I had to lay it on the ground and stomp on it to straighten it so I could start the bike. Good times. Any ideas? I can't really tell what the problem is ... it looks like the tabs are retracting properly (at least when the cap's open) and it doesn't look like there's anything down in the filler neck that's bent. I guess I could take a file and try to file down the locking tabs a little bit, being careful of course not to get any shavings in the tank. I think the die grinder's out for obvious reasons. ;-) Any other tips? -Bob