pace

Not to be pedantic, but it's actually torque that is needed at the front caliper, not forward motion per se. In theory, you could lock the front brake from a standstill, release the clutch, and with enough traction and power you could cause the rear brake to engage. In practice, however this approach does not generate the torque necessary to activate the slave cylinder. I agree that it's a pretty clever design. -Pace

No boost fluid though, and my turbo is running low.. :???: -Pace

Right. That's the thing - I have a 30" inseam and I weigh 160lbs, so I can probably safely remove some preload and drop the forks a little without touching down any hard parts. -Pace

I believe the rear brake is driven off the braking torque present at the front calipers. So the harder you apply the lever, the harder the front brakes come on, which in turn generates torque proportional to your momentum which then applies increased force at the rears. In the opposite direction, I think there is some sort of proportioning valve that redirects hydraulic pressure to the front calipers when you apply the foot brake. That's from memory when I pulled it all apart, so don't quote me on it. I guess it's a pretty clever system, but all the extra componentry adds significant weight over a conventional system. You don't realize how much until you compare it all to the de-linking kit. -Pace

In stock configuration the odo has less error than the speedo. So if you recal so that the speedo is correct, then the odo will actually under-read such that it will report less miles than you've actually completed, not more. Therefore you may want to shorten your oil change intervals to compensate, and yes it will 'appear' as though your tires are wearing quicker. -Pace

Have you guys experimented with the rear sag (preload adjustment)? I'd like to drop about 3/4" up front and maybe a half inch in the rear. Do you guys think a 1/2" drop is doable by adjusting the preload alone, and would it adversely affect handling? -Pace

Well, it's had 7 years to prove itself and how many other streetbikes come so equipped? I think the jury is still out. There's good and bad points, both I agree. And like Redbird said.. some of us were low on poser points. :razz: -Pace

LBS is grounded on the premise that motorcycle riders are not able to independently manage the front and rear brakes in 'panic' situations. However, I believe that the 'cons' of LBS outweigh the 'pros' for all but the most inexperienced riders, who probably should not be on a Blackbird in the first place. :cycle: -Pace

If the LBS only functioned one-way, such that engaging the front partially engaged the rear, I could live with it. However, if I need to trail the rear brake through a turn I do not want the bike standing up because the system is applying the front brake for me. I've been riding many years on a conventional system and didn't want to relearn or change my habits for LBS. Likely others feel the same way. I found that de-linking gave me more clamping force on the front rotor, in addition to providing improved feel. Plus, I like fucking with shit and can never leave anything mechanical in stock configuration. -Pace

I'd concur. It certainly sounds like you're getting some kind of fuel starvation due to tank vacuum / incorrect venting. White smoke indicates coolant being burnt, which seems unlikely given the symptoms you described. I'd probably treat it as a red herring unless it's extremely pronounced and you're sure it's 'white' smoke. -Pace

I have the Magellan Meridian Platinum. Similar spec to the Etrex Vista 'cept it has an internal 3-axis compass in addition to the satellite compass, but conversely it's a bit more unwieldy. These are both fairly high end handheld GPS', but don't offer the route-finding features of the mobile GPS' like the Street Pilot. -Pace [Edit] Correction.

FWIW I have a 5.5% error on the stock gearing with a worn AV46. -Pace

Good point. :shock: -Pace

The speedo error is realized as a percentage, not a fixed offset. Therefore a re-calibratrion comprising a +/- percentage error correction will work regardless of speed. If you recalibrate at as high a speed as possible, then for all intents and purposes it will be spot-on at lower speeds. Regarding the comment about the speedo and odo discrepency. With the stock gearing, the speedo overreads but the odo seems to be pretty accurate. If they are driven from the same sensor, then it follows that correcting the sensor output down so that the speedo reads correctly, will result in the odo under-reading. I think this situation is preferrable (accurate speedo, under-reading odo). -Pace

I actually think the 46 is a little too sticky/soft for a 'sport touring' tire. I ran it once at the racetrack with very positive results. Only breaking the rear-end loose when cracking the throttle at near-full lean. It broke away very progressively and did not give me cause to clench sphincter. The front was planted. A couple of guys on slicks actually came over and commented on how well the bike was doing, given its size and tire selection. -Pace