So it was low to mid 50s this weekend.. I registered and insured it last week... yesterday went for a short ride.. maybe 10 miles.. then went through the craziness of my fuel tank/airbox woes...
Anyway.. my buddy and I went out for a ride early this morning.. wow.. put about 35 miles on it...

first impressions..
going from my Ninja 250 to this.. wow.. I was short shifting mostly.. keep it low and it feels very similar but much more solid.. I leaned into the throttle a little, never got about 6-7000rpm mind you.. wow.. this bike really hauls.. my buddy on his Intruder 800 was worried about keeping up... and I stayed below half throttle.. it revs so much nicer and lower at highway speeds.. 70mph in 6th gear was like 5000rpm.. the N250 was around 9000 or so..

So.. what is wrong.. you might ask.. when you apply the front brakes I feel a shake... its not earth shattering, but there is definite movement.. not just the lever.. the whole front end seems to be moving.. at 75mph without brakes there is nothing.. apply some brake and it is there.. and it is only the front brakes.. so I'm thinking maybe rotors.. they 'feel' okay without any deep grooves... but I can't tell if they are warped.. I have also read about some on here with steering bearing problems.. and one post mentioned bushings.. are these caliper bushings?

Also... is the low fuel light supposed to flicker when you start the bike? Mine doesnt.. now it has a full tank (minus whatever fuel I used for 45 miles). The service manual says to pull the two female terminals from the low fuel sensor and jump them.. I did.. and the light didn't go on then either.. Is there a way apply power directly to the light (which I have read on here through a search that it is an LED soldered on?) to test that it even lights up? Yikes... sounds like a major PITFA! The manual also says to check the grounds on one of the harnesses....

I guess I will just fill up at 100 miles and see how much gas it takes.. then see if I can comfortably go 125 or maybe 150 miles before I fill up again.. my N250 I used to go about 180ish and then I would fill up.. but then again I had a reserve on the petcock just in case..

my final question.. granted this was my first real ride on this bike.. loved it.. but the sound.. wow.. at highway speeds it wasn't too bad (had my ear plugs in of course) but my Micron full system.. wow.. it is loud especially riding around the neighborhood.. am I crazy to consider putting a stock header back on it with a stock muffler or maybe a milder slip on? I love the tone of the exhaust, but man it feels so loud.. has anyone gone from an aftermarket slip on or full system to a stock or quieter setup?

so there ya go.. my long winded post..

1) front brake shake
2) Low fuel light
3) Exhaust

If you are still reading.. thank you.
Adam

 

Brakes, could be a warped rotor. But before you go there, check the brake pads and bleed the brake system. Cheaper than buying a rotor may not need.

If the brakes are applying pressure unevenly, it could cause head shake too.

 

shoot me a PM when you decide to sell that slip on

 

I agree about the brakes. For the exhaust however, I run D&D and it can be annoyingly loud if you're behind me. but I live in on post housing(ARMY) and i just keep it at a real low RPM on my way out of housing. I also asked my neighbor if they could hear it in thier house and he said he could hear it warming up but it didn't wake or bother them so I'm not bothering to change it. Besides if it's hard to be seen it's good to be heard.

 

When going home late at night I just haul *** coming into the neighboorhood and then kill my engine and coast a good 1/4 mile to my house

 

Glad you got your first ride. It must have been hell having that nice looking bike in your garage & not being able to get it out on the road. ;-)

Tell your buddy not to worry...your bike can keep up! ;-D

+ 1 on what Kuroshio said on brakes. Always check the simplest solution first. Hope you solve the problem easily.

My fuel light only comes on when its time to get fuel. It does not "flicker" at all. If the bike is low on fuel when the bike is started, it will come on but not flicker.

As for mileage, I get 150+ per tank easily, upwards of 170. Perhaps back around 130-140 for fill-up would be better if you're going to do alot of city riding & want peace of mind.

Yeah, those Micron exhausts sound great. Glad you liked it. :-)