Couple of Questions; Pullbacks, Tank Slappers and an Observation

I bought new handlebars for my XS2, they were advertised to be weighted just like the original OEM bars.
Still can’t use my mirrors! :laugh2:
G'day B-O-B,

Yup The only way for me to get a clear picture in the mirrors is to apply the front brake otherwise looks like everything is suffering from Parkinson's.

GeeDub
 
G'day again Thub,

These are what i put on my '76C, from an Aussie bloke who sells Mikes stuff, damn comfortable .
I do not know what Mikes sell 'em for but over here cost me 75 South Pacific Pesos (AKA Australian Dollars), they are lead filled also.

Bike still shakes like a dog shitting razor blades but they have a good reach and pullback, guess that is what you get from rubber mounting your handlebars, found NOS mount rubbers cheap from a local Yammama dealer so no slop in the mounts, mind you i kinda' like the vibrations, lets you know you are alive.

GeeDub
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G'day again Thub,

These are what i put on my '76C, from an Aussie bloke who sells Mikes stuff, damn comfortable .
I do not know what Mikes sell 'em for but over here cost me 75 South Pacific Pesos (AKA Australian Dollars), they are lead filled also.

Bike still shakes like a dog shitting razor blades but they have a good reach and pullback, guess that is what you get from rubber mounting your handlebars, found NOS mount rubbers cheap from a local Yammama dealer so no slop in the mounts, mind you i kinda' like the vibrations, lets you know you are alive.

GeeDub

Hi GeeDub. Yep, mike's wants about $70 bucks all total for a pair of "pullbacks". I like seeing and hearing about the options. I look forward to getting it out on the straight and level to see how the handling stacks up at speed and the way these bars feel after 20 or 30 minutes in the saddle. I got a little Spit Fire wind screen to go on but I want some Hi-way time on it first. I got my rubber replacement mount inserts from Mikes. Can't complain so far.
Thanks for the info!
Thu
 
Fredintoon, I read somewhere hear abouts that lead shot in my bars would dampen the vibration. But I have holes in the bottom of my bars anyway. If I add any more weight it will be crash bars and some saddle bags.
Thu

Hi Thu,
my bar-end weights did NOT appear to reduce 'bar vibration so it was an upgrade that failed. But WTF it cost me nothing but the labour.
The #7 lead shot & the plastic 12Ga shotgun shell wads (that are a perfect fit inside a 7/8" handlebar) used to keep the slurry fill at the 'bar's ends
came from my reloading supplies and the cold-set rubber I mixed the shot into was nicked from work.
Just perhaps a loose shot fill (tape the holes over?) would dampen the 'bar vibration? Nah, I doubts it.
I've never reckoned that crash bars worked except as auxiliary footpegs neither but YES for saddlebags, You gotta have somewhere to put stuff, eh?
 
I bought new handlebars for my XS2, they were advertised to be weighted just like the original OEM bars.
Still can’t use my mirrors! :laugh2:
Hi Mailman,
mounting my stock mirrors on little offset bars not only moved 'em outwards so I could see more road and less shoulder,
(saw those little bastards right here on this site and E-ordered a pair right away) it also changed the mirrors' harmonics so they shook less.
But even with the stock mirrors' vibro-vision you should still notice those flashing red and blue lights behind you, eh?
 
I read that some of these early bikes had wobbles, maybe for one reason or the other.
If I remember right, the frame went through about three revisions. I read probably the same thing you did, and before I got mine I made sure that didn't pertain to my year, '81. The Specials are best imo, in lots of small, evolved ways.

This bike feels rock solid, at least 45 and below. Haven't gone faster.
If you're going to have wobbles out of the blue, on most bikes they will happen around 30-40mph and be very small. They may come back at very high speeds, I don't know. My speedo only goes to 80 and I've had it buried a few times and it feels like 55. It was on deserted roads out west and it just snuck up on me.
 
Now that I own both, a Special and a Standard, it appears to me that the Special may be a more stable platform. I thought it might have something to do with the 16" rear wheel but after I swapped in an 18", it was still very good. Maybe it has to do with the more laid down shocks. Maybe they triangulate better and make for a more stable rear end set-up. I swapped a stiffer TX750 swingarm onto both bikes and it made a real difference on the Standard, the Special not so much.
 
If I remember right, the frame went through about three revisions. I read probably the same thing you did, and before I got mine I made sure that didn't pertain to my year, '81. The Specials are best imo, in lots of small, evolved ways.


If you're going to have wobbles out of the blue, on most bikes they will happen around 30-40mph and be very small. They may come back at very high speeds, I don't know. My speedo only goes to 80 and I've had it buried a few times and it feels like 55. It was on deserted roads out west and it just snuck up on me.

xjwmx,
...Deserted roads out west...How cool is that. Mailman knows too! Yeah, I think the wobbles were fixed by 77.
 
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Now that I own both, a Special and a Standard, it appears to me that the Special may be a more stable platform. I thought it might have something to do with the 16" rear wheel but after I swapped in an 18", it was still very good. Maybe it has to do with the more laid down shocks. Maybe they triangulate better and make for a more stable rear end set-up. I swapped a stiffer TX750 swingarm onto both bikes and it made a real difference on the Standard, the Special not so much.

5Twins, I have a set of mike's shocks. May be part of the rough ride. Like I said back there some place, they didn't come with the lower metal insert for the lower mount bolt to torque up to. What the hay...sell something you only end up bending the lower "L" mount trying to snug up the lower mount bolt. But hey, they did come with 3 sizes of rubber bushings.
 
they didn't come with the lower metal insert for the lower mount bolt to torque up to. What the hay...sell something you only end up bending the lower "L" mount trying to snug up the lower mount bolt.
Noticed that didya.... Have a read here. :doh:
 
Those Mike's shocks are reported to be very stiff with little damping. I can't say for sure, never tried them (and never will). Shocks are something you can't cheap out on. Wanna save some money? Paint the bike with a brush, lol.
 
Those Mike's shocks are reported to be very stiff with little damping. I can't say for sure, never tried them (and never will). Shocks are something you can't cheap out on. Wanna save some money? Paint the bike with a brush, lol.

5Twins, Those were a hundred bucks. Hahaha Define cheap. They are still head and shoulders better than the 40 year old ones that were on it.
 
I got 'em from a guy on Ebay years ago for 20 bucks (I think) but I'm pretty sure they're from Mikes originally.... and yeah, I can confirm that for my 160lb butt, they're way too stiff... about one step below a hardtail.... :yikes: I've got some better ones from Randy (machine), just haven't got around to changing 'em yet.
 
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