first ride in a while

[iwannadie]

well the bike has been stuck in upgrade mode for a while. got the new oil, filter, brake fluid, tires and spark plugs all done finally. took it for a ride this morning((3am no traffic)... the first 10 miles or so were pretty unsettling. the bike would like to lean very very easy but didnt feel very solid at all. the first few intersection turns i had to make i took as slow as i could and kept it upright. i had to take a long sweeping down then uphill turn, usually i lean Way over for that, had to go real slow felt pretty sketchy. after about 60 miles of mostly straight riding with some minor turns it felt glued to the road. just got to slowly build up the leans i guess from now on till they are all worn in.

the new tires make a huge difference. the bike likes to lean easy but hold the line so smoothly. the new oil made a noticable difference as well, shifting is smooth as can be. i was pretty worried taking it out on the first ride having done all the work myself. working on the brakes and tires makes me nervous lol but all went smooth as could be and feels like a whole new and improved bike now

[DreKat]

good job it always feels good to do it yourself even a simple oil change makes me feel good. What brand of tires do you put on and what size?

[iwannadie]

good job it always feels good to do it yourself even a simple oil change makes me feel good. What brand of tires do you put on and what size?

diablo stratas, i got in on the buy the rear get the front for free promotion. i forget the sizes, 160 i think rear, standard front.

[WildKat]

Yeah depending on the brand type of tires you put on, you'll notice a huge difference in the way the bike handles. You dont have to feel like your muscling bike around corners anymore. She'll lean alot more easily for you and once you get used to it, it'll be a big confidence booster for you to be able ride the twisties with good sticky tires that allow you to be a more aggressive rider with confidence.

As far as not holding the line smoothly that could just be a combination of the new tires and getting a feel for them, but also maybe being alittle rusty on your skills depending on when you rode the last time till now.

[md86]

You make sure your chain was aligned properly ? Can REALLY unsettle a bike . I bought a tool to check mine .

[iwannadie]

You make sure your chain was aligned properly ? Can REALLY unsettle a bike . I bought a tool to check mine .

ya i used the chain alignment tool also. the bike become much more stable and settled through turns at the end of the ride once the tires got some wear on them. was just bad during the first miles on the new tires.

im going to take it out again and get some more turns in. also going to check the alignment again just to be certain but it looked good to me.

[md86]

Strange . Were you pushing it on new tires ? New tires=ride like you're on ice .

[WildKat]

Thats for sure, and even after you get to scrubbing in those new tires and you get alittle more confidence..be careful as you get more confidence and start leaning more... those edges on the tire are just as slick as the middle was before you scrubbed it in.