Q for all those who have RC51's (and a hawk at some point)
 

Q for all those who have RC51's (and a hawk at some point)...

how's the steering compare? i have a hawk and tested out an RC today, the steering was OMFG heavy, like riding around a parking lot with lots of parallel bumps i felt like i was almost fighting the bike at times, after it got speed it seemed to sort itself out though...

superbling?

Sounds like the tire pressure is low.

Funny, I rode my buddy's RC and had the same experience. Tires were 20 psi. Recheck and ride it again.

yeah thats what i thought too...did the foot to wheel squeeze test real quick, didnt notice anything too low, but it TOTALLY sounds like low psi hmph

didn't have a damper installed, did it?

Well you found the place were a Super Hawk is better than a RC51.... Slow speed maneuvers... Slow speed parking lots and stop and go traffic are not one of the RC51's strong suits... I owned a Super Hawk for 6 years and 20K miles and now have a 04 RC51 for the past year and a half and 7k miles and both bikes have there good and bad points.

If you are thinking of getting a RC51 look for a SP2 and if you just plunk around town most of the time stay with your Super Hawk.

Sassage, no didn't have the damper. Wait do rc's have a non triple mounted damper? This bike has the mounts for the damper but no damper.

Ohio hawk, I'm trying to pickup n rc as a part time garage queen I love the history behind them. Build it up to PRISTINE condition haha and keep for random rides. Or I'll get one for the odd canyon run and track day. It's be nice to have another twin but with way more sporting adjustability.

Huh... My RC feels like the steering is better than my hawk. My hawk had a CBR 929 and later an RC51 front end, so I never really experienced it stock, so I may not be a good judge. Even with a damper on my RC, I still think that the steering is better at slow manuvers. The one area where I do notice a difference is turning under braking. The thing seems to get heavy until you get on the gas again. Just my 2 cents.

yeah seaton, hawks in stock form are generally "lacking" in cornering, but i put air in the tires on the rc, fixed it right up. the rc still feels quite heavy at slow speed maneuvering but the nice thing about it is that the wheelbase is shorter (or feels like it) so maneuvering is actually pretty responsive (much more so than the hawk)

For parking lot manuevors the RC feels like a truck, despite what ever you may do to the tires or what not... But once you start rolling it's quick and nimble if a bit heavy at low speeds... My .02

yeah tweety agreed. for some reason i had that "feels like im fighting it" feeling from the front end again, didnt get a chance to bust out the tire gauge, but i used my thumbs and it didnt feel like it was really low on air hmph maybe its down to like 30 or 25 psi or something i just cant tell the difference using my hands haha

anyways the main problem im having is that my gauge cluster is acting squirrelly as hell. it was acting up earlier, but i fixed it today (found out the last dumbass or his mechanic put in the wrong fuses -_-) so i busted out the spare fuses from my big box of spare goodies, properly placed the proper ones in, then i took it for a spin. forgot to bring up the kick stand when i put it into first and the bike turned off. started it back up again this time the gauges didnt turn on -_- argh. wtf!

any ideas?

Well... with a dumbass PO and electrical problems I'd tear it all apart and find the cut&patch or loose wire in there... I have seen the most stupid things, so I'm a bit vary...

So on my beautiful ride in this morning in 38 degree temps, I realized something else. I have CycleCat clipons for my RC. I have them raised a little, rotated a little forward and have them flattened out. With this configuration, I think that I have additional leverage from stock which may be why it feels lighter to me than my Superhawk... just another 2 cents so you guys are up to 4 in the kitty.

That could definetly change the feel yes...:D

Altough I though the steering on the RC was very precise, it felt heavy at low speeds... Once fast a fast trott though it was very sharp and nimble...

Mine's coming into my garage in January, so I haven't had the chance to try it first hand yet. But my understanding is that the handling on the RC51 responds well to steepening the head angle, by lengthening the rear shock.

A stock front end on a VTR has too much sag, so the head angle is already steeper than the chassis design. Putting springs in and raising the front will make the steeering heavier, but most people that are serious about it, raise the rear on a VTR as well.

It's been a battle of wills, but The bike is coming home with me...

glad to hear rcvtr. ill check out the suspension settings and config hopefully soon as well.

for the mean time though, please check out the log book im keeping of the progress of the bikes! :D h t t p : / / heymynameisfred.blogspot.com i'll be posting detailed logs of the work im putting into the bikes as well as PICTURES haha (for those who don't know, i bought both bikes for a damn good price, see my other post)

suspension is a little further on the list, im trying to sort out the wiring on this bike first as well as ordering parts to rebuild the second bike.