Simviation Forums

Fozzer wrote:Buggar....

Well Fozzer..Ended up in almost a similar situation years ago. Sunday mornings the Missus and I would saddle the bike, ride out to meet our biker friends for breakfast, then afterwards hit the roads till late Sunday night.

That was through the years on various bikes, circa 650cc - 750cc. With two up, I would always feel these bikes a bit underpowered, not making for the best ride.
(South Africa is a land of many hills and mountains, and I have always felt somewhat uncomfortable being underpowered when there is no reserve power to "ride out" of a situation).

Then came the answer to it all. We bought this 1400cc Suzuki Intruder, and what a difference it made.







Top speed? Naaaw... 80 MPH given a tail wind and the missus at home.

Torque? Now we're talking. Hardly ever a gear change, up hill or down, two up or not.

On the side:
Went on the annual "Rhino rally" in South Africa one year, as you do, when I met a youngster with a seriously impressive and in-depth knowledge of bikes, acknowledged by all.
Encyclopedic really.

Everybody, friends and family, simply knew him as "Sprocket"..

Jan

Ta for the read, and the Photo's, Sprocket.... ...!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Intruder

Water-cooled and Air/oil cooled models, I always prefer the Air-cooled bikes!

Big bike/big engine v small bike/small engine...
Unfortunately, my house is on a Housing estate, with the only access being up a long footpath from the road, leading to my front garden at an angle, and no garage.
This would give me problems with a heavy machine. My present 1996 Honda CB 500R Twin gives me problems enough negotiating it in and out of my house, up the steps...(Insurance wont permit it being left in the front garden overnight; Theft!).
A nice Yamaha XVS 650 Dragstar would be ideal for me, but still too large and heavy, so for practical purposes, the smaller, prettier! Yamaha XVS 250 Dragstar would be better for every-day use (shopping), and week/weekend countryside tours...and absolutely everyone loves them!... ...!
The XVS 250 also has quite a narrow cylinder angle, (60 degrees compared with other models), together with a long-stroke motor, giving it plenty of torque, and a nice Harley-type sound at slow tick-over!
I can carry my little 98 kg Yamaha RXS 100 under my arm, and the XVS 250 is only 40 kg heavier, so easier for lil'-ol'-me to handle without dropping it!
I just need to be brave, and fork-out the money before its too late, and I die!

A nice example...>>>

...and a bit of info!...>>> http://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-revi ... star/2000/

Paul.....Looking forward to Summer ride-outs!... ...!

viewtopic.php?f=33&t=170020

Ta Buzz...nice read!

The Harley Davidson has the be the ultimate classic when it comes to Vee-twin, Cruiser Motorcycles!

Unfortunately, far too expensive for most of us, even second-hand!

The old Road King is very nice, but I rather like the either the 1200 '48, or better still, the 1200 '72 with its thin front wheel.

The 833 Iron looks too much like a Sports Bike to my mind...rather than a Cruiser... ...!

Either way, although the 45 degree angle sound is to die for, they are still far too expensive for we mere mortals!

...and what about an old, hand change, hard-tail, Knuckle-Head!...>>> http://sjacobsonfl.tripod.com/knucklehead.htm

Time to contemplate?...>>> https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Vinta ... 54&bih=800

Paul....Potato-potato!... ...!

One thing that I notice missing from all the "Rice-Burner" cruiser, Vee-Twins, is the absence of "Push Rods!
The Jap models all use "Cam Chains" for their "OHV" Valves!
I wonder if Push Rods add the the classic, mechanical clatter, of old Harley's?
Certainly more easy to adjust and maintain!

Remember the old "Flat-Head", side valve models?...(WA).... a Bike Mechanic's vision of Maintenance Heaven!.... ...!

Flat-Head, Pan-Head, Knuckle-head....2-valve heads...easy-peasy...just a set of feeler-gauges...!

Paul....Heading for Bed... ...!

Not quite true about the Japanese cam setups, Foz... the "twisted twin", because of the twisted heads ( to keep the inlet ports more inboard), use a chain driven cam that drives very short pushrods (buried inside the cylinder cases). Those Honda engineers were clever, but twisting a cam chain was asking too much, lol.
It makes for a very distinctive valve clatter and exhaust note. But it sure is a smooth and robust engine!

beaky wrote:Not quite true about the Japanese cam setups, Foz... the "twisted twin", because of the twisted heads ( to keep the inlet ports more inboard), use a chain driven cam that drives very short pushrods (buried inside the cylinder cases). Those Honda engineers were clever, but twisting a cam chain was asking too much, lol.
It makes for a very distinctive valve clatter and exhaust note. But it sure is a smooth and robust engine!

Hello Sean.... ....

Had peek at the Honda CX 500 Workshop manuals...>>> http://mybikemanuals.com/honda/honda-cx-owners-manuals/

High level chain driven camshaft, with short push-rods operating the overhead valve gear!

Whereas the Yamaha vee-twins use internal, direct chain drive from the crankshaft to overhead cams directly operating the valve gear.

The Harley OHV twins appear to use very long external push-rods spanning the length of the cylinders, from the crankshaft-gear-driven camshaft to the rocker boxes!

The Yamaha, chain-driven valve gear appears to make a whining sound, compared to the "clatter" of the Harley push-rods!

The heavier mass, slow inertia, of the push-rod design may suit the lower, maximum engine speed of the large cylinders and pistons in the big vee-twins, and the lighter, chain-driven overhead valve design in the vee-twins, allows for higher engine speeds without suffering valve-bounce...but they whine!!

..and of course, the simplest of all were the lovely-old Harley Flat-head, side-valve twins, with their plain heads, similar to two-strokes!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flathead_engine

All sorts of heads!...>>> https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Harle ... 42&bih=709

Paul....I have a sudden yearning for long-legged, slow-revving, big vee-twins, as a pleasant change from my screaming, frantic-fours...and two-strokes!... ...!

Hello Chums!

Motorcycle Touring in the USA!

http://www.orange-and-black.co.uk/index.html

I regularly perform these USA tours by aircraft, in my FSX Flight Simulator, especially in the Western USA, following the same road routes courtesy of my "Ultimate Terrain USA", "FS Tramp" and "Plan-G" and Google Satellite maps!
...and using Wikipedia to obtain details of all the scenery down below me.

The "real thing" on a Harley is far too expensive for me!.... ...!

I wonder if any of my FS Chums has taken one of the advertised Tours similar to the above, or travelled any of the routes privately on their bikes?

This would be one of my favourite Tours..."Wild, Wild West"!.....>>> http://www.orange-and-black.co.uk/html/ ... _west.html

...and how about Route 66...especially from Albuquerque to Barstow via Flagstaff!?

Paul....polishing the chrome on my Bike...waiting for some nice weather in England!

@Fozzer,
Since you like your food and your bike, here's something very special just for you..

A cutlery bike !






Jan

Very well done indeed. Quite the sculpture.

Anthin.

Blimey!.... ....!

That was a scary Photo!

I had to rush into my Kitchen, and open my Cutlery Drawer, to make sure that everything was still there!.... ...!

Phew...What a relief!!

Paul.... ... ...!

...what a fantastic model!.... ...!

Job for tomorrow: Fit a new/sticky rear tyre on my trusty Yamaha RXS 100 Bike to make the ride safer on the frosty morning roads!
Weather getting slowly nicer!

Just checked my cutlery and all is well.

A lot of work went into that sculpture.

Anthin.

Hello Biking Chums... ...!

Had my first long ride out of the year, last Sunday, 22nd March!

Overcast sky, cold temperature, 5*C, but didn't look like rain, so I togged up in all my winter underwear woollies, checked the bike over; tyres, chain, petrol, oil, etc, packed my luggage on the bike, and took off for a trip to Abergavenny (South Wales) to meet up with the bikers!

Freezing cold! with a terrible wind chill on the bike..no fairings or windscreen!

Arrived at Abergavenny Bus Park at mid day.
Loads of bikes, but too cold and uncomfortable to take any photos!

Had a cup of tea and made the return journey back home again, fingers and face numb, and shivering with the cold, which made the ride slightly dangerous!

All round trip 50 miles, and glad to get back home, and warm up, (central heating) to make Sunday dinner!

I'm going to have to wait a bit longer for the weather to warm up a bit, before I make any more longish trips!

Cold weather doesn't suit old Motorcyclists like me!

OK for trips to Sainsbury's and back...but any further requires much decision-making...trust me!... ....!

Paul....and a frantic Yamaha 2-stroke!.... ...!

My bike is still in storage. -16 c here this morning, a little too cool for me. But it is warming up nicely compared to the - 25 & - 30 that it has been for the last few months.

Keep smiling
Tug

Tug002 wrote:My bike is still in storage. -16 c here this morning, a little too cool for me. But it is warming up nicely compared to the - 25 & - 30 that it has been for the last few months.

Keep smiling
Tug

To tell you the troof... ....

I don't know how you Blokes up in the North-West, North, North-East, and Canada, cope with the cold!

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/03/23/m ... in-boston/

I would die in those sort of temperatures!.... ....!

Paul.... ...!

My only means of daily transport is my trusty Motorbike, so the cold always affects me!

I had a vibrator BSA 650 back around 1970 and have had a couple of Hondas, one being the Honda 150 cc Dream (That's metrics but back in the 60's that's how they measured displacement on rice grinders) This next one pictured below lends more to reality for me. I can be that old guy toodlelooing down the middle of the road.