Getting a small bit of riding in on the Nighthawk...

[Blok]

And it is nice. Very nice. This is the biggest motorcycle I have owned and what little bit of riding I have been able to do has shown me it has more power than I'll need.

Now I just have to find a MSF course that doesn't run on the weekend or on consecutive days so I can attend. In Florida you have to have completed a MSF Course before you can register a bike. Good idea but sheesh...I imagine a lot of people are out riding illegally since it can take weeks, if not months to get into a class.

[Rusty B]

Blok
We are in simular boats.
I am in Florida also and the only MSF classes in my area are fri-sat and the way my schedule rotates it will be a while before I get there. By the time that happens, I am scheduled for surgery, and I will have to wait till after the recovery time and then wait for it to come around again. So I'll be riding as much as I can without the endorsement till then
Rusty.

[Blok]

Yeah, I don't know what to do. I really want to practice riding my bike in quiet areas but don't want to run the risk of getting pulled over.

Like I said, I see the reasoning for the requirement and agree with it but it seems like it was haphazardly slapped together. I think it would be better if they had a 30 day grace period between registering your bike and/or getting a learners permit and completing a MSF course.

[Blok]

Ok, quick question:

On my previous thread, someone stated that the NH has a very nice burst of power at 7500 rpm. However, riding today and my son was watching so I gave it a bit of throttle and at 5ooo rpm, the bike felt like it doubled in power and was extremely suprising and fun 

Is there usually such a big power gain at 5k rpm or is my bike (83 NH 650) tuned badly?

[Rusty B]

Makes it hard on an old guy like me to get used to riding again after being off a bike for so long.
There are no nice quiet areas for me to ride in without getting out in traffic to get there.Unless I just want to keep going around the block.
My Tac is not working right now, so I can't tell you about RPMs, but she seems to get a boost on her own like you were saying.
Might be common to the breed.
Rusty

[Blok]

How far south is Port St. Lucie? We may need to organize a Florida breakfast run :)

I haven't ridden many bikes but the surge at 5k was huge. It was hard to turn into the driveway. I am off work tomorrow, too and may just decide to head over to the next neighborhood, which leads into the huge neighborhoods. I could probably ride for hours and see very little traffic...

[Zugzug]

Ok, quick question:

On my previous thread, someone stated that the NH has a very nice burst of power at 7500 rpm. However, riding today and my son was watching so I gave it a bit of throttle and at 5ooo rpm, the bike felt like it doubled in power and was extremely suprising and fun 

Is there usually such a big power gain at 5k rpm or is my bike (83 NH 650) tuned badly?

My 650 when it had the stock exhaust was tame below 5k and started showing signs of more power 5k-7k and really started kickin over 7k but it wasnt a harsh transition.

[Blok]

I don't mean to sound like it's a harsh transition, but it's a very noticeable but very smooth huge surge in power.

And I like it 

[niteman]

I'm in Tampa area, which is about half way between Tallahassee and Port St. Lucie. Tallahassee is 4 hrs to my north, and Port St. Lucie is 3 1/2 hrs SE. My parents are down in Port St. Lucie.

[Rusty B]

Blok
If you look at a FL map, find Lake Okeechobee.
From the very top of the lake go due East till you get your feet wet, and then back up just a mite and you are there.
Its about an hour north of West Palm Beach.
On the East coast that is.
A breakfast run sounds good to me.
Just give me a little time for these Doctors to do there thing, and let me recover a bit and you are on.
Sounds like Tampa or somewhere on the Turnpike might be the place.
Yall work it out while I get well.
Rusty

[Wahrsuul]

From a Cycle article in 1990:

"The tuning tactics give the 750 big jumps in torque and horsepower throughout the rev range compared to the Nighthawk S' 696cc mill--until the two achieve parity at the 750's 8500-rpm redline. The 750 posts whopping 12 and 14 horsepower gains at 6000 and 7000 rpm, and makes the same power at its peak--62.6--as the 700 at the same rpm. The 750 might actually have the potential to make the same 67.7-peak as the 700, but the rev limiter cuts in at 9000 rpm; the 700 revved to 10,750."

"From the saddle, power builds remarkably smoothly, predictably through the middle, with a satisfying boost in thrust at 5000 rpm, and again at 7000. Running off the carburetor needles--at higher speeds and larger throttle openings--engine response is sharp and immediate."

[gammer]

So how does the Canadian 84-85 750s fit into this equation?

[mazer]

You guys in Florida might want to contact the Safety school and let them know of your dilemma. The more calls they get, the more likely they are to provide weekday classes. Good luck.

[Rusty B]

Hey Blok, and Niteman!!
How are we on getting together for a run one morning to meet up??
Have yall made any progress?
I think the Doctors are through with me for a while.
Surgery is over and I am in the recovery stages.
Still can't ride for a couple of months, but I want to.
They ripped open my belly like cleaning a fish, but they said they have fixed all the problems.
I hope so, they sent me to every kind of Doctor, except an OB/GYN.  Glad we didn't go there!!  LOL
Hang in there and I'll be back and ready to ride brfore too long.
Still have to wait to get into the savety course and get my license to ride.  That is funny I am 60 years old, and started riding bikes in the late 60's and have had everything from little red CB50 to a Goldwing 1500, but I have to go take everything from the safety class to DMV road test in FL.

Rusty   

[niteman]

Hey Rusty! Glad to see that your recovering nicely. Must feel like a pin cushion at this point. lol
Hope you kep up the recovery and get back to normal soon.

To answer your question, no we have not made any plans for a morning run or anything. I would like to do that at some point though. Not sure if my old 450 will keep up with you guys on the faster roads though.

[Rusty B]

Thanks Niteman
Yes I am on the road to recovery, but it sure is a slow trip.
The Doc says I should be able to return to work by Sept 1st.
That will be the last of my sick time and vacation, after that I will go into short term disability, at 60% of my pay, which sucks.
It is Hell to get old.
Take care, and we will get together one of these days.
We will throttle back, and let you take the lead, that way no problems for the 450.

Rusty   

[flyingbrick]

Does Florida make you take the MSF course to get a Motorcycle license, or just register a bike? I moved down there for a year about 6 years ago and was able to get my motorcycle license added to my drivers license with no problem. I gave them my NJ license and just before they finished my Florida license I asked if she had added my motorcycle endorsement, and she hadn't. She looked at the back and saw that the endorsement listed on the front was for a motorcycle and just added it. No MSF course required. I didn't register a bike down there though.

[niteman]

To my most recent understanding, FL now requires MSF course to maintain Motorcycle endorsement.
When I took my MSF course, there were a bunch of guys and gals that were current experienced riders that were taking the course because they could not renew their licences with the endorsement without having done so.

[Rusty B]

I think the law changed about june of last year.
From what I have heard the fine for riding without a motorcycle endorsement is very steap.
Somewhere around 1000 - 1200 all together.
But I could be wrong for sure, that was juat what I was told.

When I moved to Alabama from Texas they Put a Motorcycle Endorsement on my license.
What I did not know was that they put it on everyone over 21.
When I moved to Florida they did not honor the Alabama endorsement.
So I was just out of luck.
Kind of like they would not honoe my LEO certificate in Florida.
I need to move back to Texas!!!

Rusty   

[jwomack]

i know this is a older thred but i wanted to comment on the power gains yall been talking about.

in the eairly 80's honda started messing with what we now call VTEC in cars. but it came out on there motorcycles first. and all that is is a set of vavles that open up after a set RPM range. which could be what you guys are talking about...i have noticed it but didnt think it was a big deal...atleast not to me..

[Laminar]

i know this is a older thred but i wanted to comment on the power gains yall been talking about.

in the eairly 80's honda started messing with what we now call VTEC in cars. but it came out on there motorcycles first. and all that is is a set of vavles that open up after a set RPM range. which could be what you guys are talking about...i have noticed it but didnt think it was a big deal...atleast not to me..

There's nothing like that on the 550 or 650. This is just a small displacement, high-revving four cylinder doing what they all do.

[Bumblebee]

in the eairly 80's honda started messing with what we now call VTEC in cars. but it came out on there motorcycles first. and all that is is a set of vavles that open up after a set RPM range. which could be what you guys are talking about...i have noticed it but didnt think it was a big deal...atleast not to me..

Possibly on some that I'm unaware of. Definitely not on all.

There are no extra valves to open on the VB44A/C that's on the 82 CB50/SC however there is a very noticable HP increase around 5500 RPM. That's about the point where the vacuum pistons are full up and have lifted the main jet needle as far out of the jet as it can go and the engine's peak efficiency RPM range has overcome total bike drag. Once everything is fully open and the needle is up, the main jet is basically a fire hose pouring fuel into the wide open breezy venturi.

[Rusty B]

Hey Blok
Compleated my MSF course today.
Will be able to go get the endorsement after tuesday.
Doesn't matter anyway, I can't get there till thursday.
Wasn't that hard, just need to practice some of the manuvering on my bike.
I'm sure it will handle different than the suzuki 250.
Learned things that I needed to know, and reminded me of things I had forgotten.
All together a great weekend.

Rusty   

[Blok]

Awesome! I got the Nighthawk cranked today (had to replace the solenoid) and found that the clutch needs to be looked at. I'm thinking I need to do a complete fluid change but I have next to no time to do anything!

[Rusty B]

I understand no time, been there, done that.
Way back about 1977 - 78, I picked up a 72 CB 750.
It had been rode hard and put up wet too many times, to say that it was abused, was an unedrstatement.
I got it real cheap, but it was a tough old bike, it had Ape Hangers on that were bent, one was almost straight up and the other out to the side.
The guy I got it from had bought all the parts that it neededto put it back right, but then he took on a second job, and had no time to work on it then he had to move and had no place for it. So I got it real cheap with all the parts.
Well I tore it all down and painted it and put it all back together. The old Girl came around like a champ, with just cosmetic changes and made me a great bike for several years, and I finnaly traded her in on a new 88 750 years later.
Those old Honda's are hard to beat, the only problem I had with her was somewhere between the starter button and the solenoid, sometines the button would not work, but a nickle across the terminals of the solenoid worked fine. I finnaly ran a new wire and it worked , but for about three years I had a washer hanging on a string near the solenoid, if the button didn't work, the washer did.
Sometimes it takes just the right kind of engineering to keep one working!!!

Rusty