Posted by DDD on June 02, 2000 at 05:29:21:
In Reply to: First time owner/rider posted by Cousin Briar on June 01, 2000 at 05:21:42:
Hi Cousin,
Welcome to the club!
Let's see now ... questions ...
>How many miles can I go on a tank? I figure about 100 miles between fill-ups. The actual milage is about 50mpg, so with 2.5 gals you have a range of around 125 miles before pushing.
>What is the Reserve for? The reserve saves you from pushing. In the normal petcock position you'll run out of gas after about 110 miles. Switching to the the reserve gets you about 15 more miles.
>Do I have to worry about overheating and what is the max safe continuos speed? If your bike is out of tune or you are not moving it is posible to overheat. Check your plug for a clean burn and avoid long periods at idle. Cruising on the interstate at 70mph, my longest sustained trip has been six hours. I think a small windscreen helps a great deal with stability at highway speeds.
> What is the advantages/disadvantages to one big cylinder(that I really don't understand). Probably the bigest disadvantage to a single is vibration. Regular maintenance is required to make sure bolts, etc. don't vibrate loose and get lost. The advantages? Low-end torque, fewer engine parts to maintain, a ride that lets you know that you're on a thumper, an exhaust note that is music ... you get the idea.
BTW, The single best thing you can do for yourself and your bike is take the Motorcycle Saftey Foundation's rider course. You'll learn how to do things that you hope you'll never have to do! It's worth every penny they ask.
Good luck and be safe!
DDD