mattrosswalker

If you're brakes were dragging make sure and put your rotors on a lathe and check the tolerances on those...brakes take motion and dissipate that energy into heat to provide stopping...however...too much heat and those rotors will warp which can screw with you bad. Also...check the caliper pistons and seals...make sure they're clean and not pitted/damaged and are clean. Check your master cylinder...that relief hole is CRITICAL for relieving your brakes...if it's clogged even partially...it will mess you up! Regular brake maintenance is a necessity...these birds can build up some speed quick...and you need to be able to stop it eventually Change your pads...and don't forget to change the fluid and bleed those brakes!

My bird has 21k miles on it and I still haven't gotten around to getting my valves checked...how bad is it to do really? And how necessary is it at this mileage as I've heard of these bikes runnin way farther. I've got a 1982 CB900 that I have done the shims on before so it's not a big deal...everything is just a bit more compact on the bird and I'm not really looking forward to it. However...if that bank ever comes back into play I might need to borrow it.

yep sounds about right...she'll take off like a cat shot in the butt with a pellet rifle but the gas mileage is going to considerably drop! Make sure and keep your air filter clean!!! I have a k&N that I clean usually with every oil change as a habit...these birds suck a LOT of air and need it. Also make sure to have your chain within specs and tires up to pressure as they will also greatly effect your gas mileage. On the highway I can usually pull 38-40mpg...in the city to redline I can go down to 25-28mpg easy