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Post by jm0406 on Sept 10, 2017 0:07:07 GMT -5
This guy looks familiar to me. I will check the pics at the post office of people wanted. This over polished, bad color bike probably had no engine internals, so no wonder he made it look easy to put on the stand. Jeff
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Post by Jess on Sept 10, 2017 12:06:11 GMT -5
I agree... The guy looks familiar... HMMMMMM. He certainly is a handsome devil...
My thoughts on what is happening here in this video are as follows:
Over polished (chrome) makes it lighter, the slicker/smoother surface reduces wind resistance as the air molecules slide cleanly over the uber slick surface making the bike MUCH faster...
However, the amount of Metal flake in the paint adds at least 10 LBS. Not to mention the 20 coats of clear to cover that amount of metal flake, so the chrome and the paint negate one another...
Therefore, the REAL secret... is hydraulic rams in the center-stand. There is a 2000 HP pump located underneath the seat that provides fluid pressure to lift the bike. It must have belt driven fuel injection as well for smooth and quiet operation. (as you can't hear it in the video...)
That fellow is a sneaky bast@rd... LOL.
Best
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Post by jm0406 on Sept 10, 2017 12:54:07 GMT -5
That lift system sounds pretty sophicated. More like a rope attached with a guy off camera pulling would be the hillbilly version that I suspect. The guy in the video looks like someone who still has a radio that uses tubes. Total hillbilly. Jeff
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Post by h2e Al In Aus on Sept 10, 2017 16:52:17 GMT -5
thats great Wayne but I think both wheels are still touching the ground ??, so if you have a flat tyre out on road would still be a problem and hard to get wheel off !
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Post by jm0406 on Sept 10, 2017 17:09:57 GMT -5
If you have a flat tire on the road, the least of your worries is finding a board to place under the center stand to give you more clearance to remove the wheel. Jeff
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Post by Framitron on Sept 10, 2017 21:49:57 GMT -5
Wow. That video does make it clear that a longer rear shock makes all the difference. I just measured my stock RE5 shock and it seems to be almost exactly 12 inches. Not sure what type/length of the shocks in the video were but if they are in the 13 inch range then I am sold. My inseam can accommodate an extra inch of height. But two inches higher would definitely be too much unless it sags a bit. There are few sets of late 70's GS1000 shocks on Ebay that might fit the bill. (Nice Lester wheels too)
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Post by wayne on Sept 11, 2017 1:17:46 GMT -5
thats great Wayne but I think both wheels are still touching the ground ??, so if you have a flat tyre out on road would still be a problem and hard to get wheel off ! Not sure if I should be flattered or insulted............ That ain't me Al.................what Jeff said, some hillbilly (and he definitely still uses tube radios).
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FC Zach
3rd Gear
Eagleville, TN
Posts: 335
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Post by FC Zach on Sept 11, 2017 1:56:09 GMT -5
No idea who this guy is but he seems to have the whole centre stand issue sorted (or he weighs 300 pounds......) LIES! ! That bike was on a slight incline!
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Post by Framitron on Sept 11, 2017 14:35:01 GMT -5
So I have found a bunch of used ~13 inch rear shocks on Ebay (either GS1000 or Honda Nighthawk 750) and am pretty close to pulling the trigger on one of the pairs. But then wondered about what the increased bike height does to the stability of the sidestand lean? How much does the angle change with a bike that sits higher?
(I guess I could tack weld a 1/2 steel spacer plate to the underside of the sidestand pad if it seems too precarious...)
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Post by Jess on Sept 11, 2017 17:40:30 GMT -5
So I have found a bunch of used ~13 inch rear shocks on Ebay (either GS1000 or Honda Nighthawk 750) and am pretty close to pulling the trigger on one of the pairs. But then wondered about what the increased bike height does to the stability of the sidestand lean? How much does the angle change with a bike that sits higher? (I guess I could tack weld a 1/2 steel spacer plate to the underside of the sidestand pad if it seems too precarious...) The world is full of trade offs... If you want the centerstand to be more useful and modify the suspension with longer shocks, the side stand will need to be modified. Not sure why you would buy a used set of shocks, when there are plenty of new units available that are reasonably priced. Just my opinion. I only use the centerstnd on my riders. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary. Best
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Post by wayne on Sept 11, 2017 20:03:50 GMT -5
So I have found a bunch of used ~13 inch rear shocks on Ebay (either GS1000 or Honda Nighthawk 750) and am pretty close to pulling the trigger on one of the pairs. But then wondered about what the increased bike height does to the stability of the sidestand lean? How much does the angle change with a bike that sits higher? (I guess I could tack weld a 1/2 steel spacer plate to the underside of the sidestand pad if it seems too precarious...) Yup, my sidestand is modified. There's a picture of it somewhere on the board. Found it:
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Post by timpa136 on Sept 12, 2017 11:25:39 GMT -5
Wayne said: Yup, my sidestand is modified.
I have a similarly modified stand too but not as nice as that.
As I like to take these posts sideways, how many remember the air shocks? Help me out here, were they modified Delco shocks made by ?
It was common to link the two shock air lines together and a loss of air (as these shocks had no spring) ...... Talk about difficult to put on the centerstand!
Tim
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Post by Framitron on Sept 12, 2017 21:16:19 GMT -5
So I have found a bunch of used ~13 inch rear shocks on Ebay (either GS1000 or Honda Nighthawk 750) and am pretty close to pulling the trigger on one of the pairs. But then wondered about what the increased bike height does to the stability of the sidestand lean? How much does the angle change with a bike that sits higher? (I guess I could tack weld a 1/2 steel spacer plate to the underside of the sidestand pad if it seems too precarious...) The world is full of trade offs... If you want the centerstand to be more useful and modify the suspension with longer shocks, the side stand will need to be modified. Not sure why you would buy a used set of shocks, when there are plenty of new units available that are reasonably priced. Just my opinion. I only use the centerstnd on my riders. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary. BestThat is a valid thought Jess. My reasoning for researching used OEM shocks is that I dont see many mid-range shocks on Ebay. The low cost imported shocks are of dubious quality and have no technical specifications. Most likely because they are copying a run of the mill twin-tube design and they don't even know the specs of the original shock. Nor would they spend the money on a shock dyno. And the high quality shocks (Ohlins, IKON) are around $500-$600. My thoughts are that at least the major manufacturers would require a low-ish bar (but at least it is a bar with actual specifications) of quality before contracting an OEM like KYB or Showa to build shocks for them. But "Used"? Yeah I agree, rust and unknown mileage does make it a bit iffy. So I am still hoping to find something lightly used or new and mid priced in the $150-$200 range. I just noticed a few Kawasaki bikes that had twin shocks in the 1990's through 2000's. They look like decent KYB's but will require more research. Otherwise I will just save up and buy the Ohlins eventually. My opinion is that quality is expensive, especially when buying new. But buying crap, no matter how inexpensive, just ends up being a continual disappointment in a lot of cases.I am all ears for other peoples opinions regarding what they consider decent quality shocks though. I have access to a machine shop so making a sidestand extension is not too big of a deal.
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Post by wayne on Sept 12, 2017 23:58:14 GMT -5
If you're going to spend the money, go the Ohlins. I've not been impressed with Ikons. They just can't seem to get the spring rate right and I've had 3 different bikes running them.
While the ones on my GSX are running very well, it took 3 sets of springs and experiments with preload collars to get them right. And then I found the top rubbers had completely collapsed with less than 12,000 miles on them. Spares are available, sure, but I do wonder what's going on with them.
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Post by Framitron on Sept 13, 2017 8:37:20 GMT -5
Ok, thanks for the insight! With Ohlins I will be able to get a part number for the spring rate that I need and also have adjustable compression & rebound. But the high cost will probably have me prioritize a few other improvements to the RE5 (Compression check, new tires, carb rebuild) before I make that purchase. The opposite end of the spectrum would be to put on a pair of used shocks from a GS1000/equivalent which *probably* have similar spring rate and *probably* have similar compression and rebound damping to what the RE5 needs. That is low cost but a bit of an unknown for internal condition and overall performance. FYI: Spring rate can be calculated by measuring the coil wire diameter, coil mean diameter and number of active coils. So if you have an unknown shock you will be able to find its spring rate without needing access to a fairly expensive spring rate testing machine. This website has the calculation: www.bluecoilspring.com/rate.htm (Note: they use the letter D for both wire diameter and mean coil diameter, so don't get that confused) So my stock RE5A shocks have a wire diameter of 0.300 inches, mean coil diameter of 2.195 inches, and (as far as I can see under the chrome cup) 13.5-ish coils. I calculated a spring rate of 124 in-lbs. If anyone has a stock Re5 spring by itself you can get a better count of the number of active coils. As far as I'm aware you cant accurately measure compression or rebound damping without a shock dynamometer. So if the shock has been made by a reputable manufacturer you can reasonably hope that they matched the spring rate to a damper with the right characteristics. This is why I am seeking either a company that can provide actual specifications, or a used shock from an OEM that, at least, *knew* the specs when they built the shock for a bike similar to the RE5.
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