So this is my first sportbike(00 CBR 929RR), I had a 81 Honda CB 650 right before this and before that I had a 95 Yamaha Virago 750. Here are some things I noticed and I went to the honda dealership to discuss but they kinda blew me off. When i get off the freeway, or just braking and any somewhat high speed, I can hear the air going through the rotors. It sounds like a buzzing noise when i hit the front brakes. Is this normal? It has steel braided brake lines.
The ride is super bumpy. I asked the guys at honda to tune the suspension to my weight and they said its not worth it if I am not racing. I weigh 260 so Im on the heavier side of things. They just told me to click down the front adjustments one by one till it feels cool. Any other ideas?
I have no idea whats going on with this stuff but, I have a aftermarket muffler, ART i think, the brake lines, fender eliminator, blah blah. I was wondering how to look at the air box to see if there is a k&N or if this is the original sproket. My speedo reading is very high. Thanks all!
Josh

 

OK... dont take my word as golden, but heres what I got to offer:

Braking Noise: sounds normal for a sportbike w/ aftermarket pads. Your bike being a 2000, its likely that someone put sintered pads on or something... as long as the braking is smooth and doesnt sound like metal to metal, should be fine...

Suspension: You kinda lost me... These bikes really arent the smoothest for just cruising around. You always have to give something to get something. In this case the harder your suspension (to a point) the better it grips and turns/handles. (i think)

You really shouldnt have to look at the air box to see a sprocket?!? You got me lost on that one... Anyway... look for stephygee's website. Theres a lot of online manuals, it will tell you how to get to the airbox. As far as your sprocket, look at what a stock bike should have (numerous places around the web selling aftermarket sprockets, just look what a stock setup would be) and then look at your sprockets. It sounds to me like you maybe have a bike thats been geared up (larger rear, smaller front) to make the speedo read higher than it should... If not... is it in Kilometers? just an idea...


hope you get it all sorted out, welcome to the sporbike side


take care,

Chris

 

sounds like some great customer service.. the honda dealership were i live is all bout $$ and not about people too. i would say you should adjust your rear shock as well. not sure to what setting though.

this is what the manual says:

POOR HANDLING
Possible cause
1 . If steering is heavy•
Steering stem adjusting nut too tight
•
Damaged steering head bearings

2 . If either wheel is wobbling•
Excessive wheel bearing play
•
Bent rim
•
Improper installed wheel hub
•
Swingarm pivot bearing excessively
worn
•
Bent frame

3 . If the motorcycle pulled to one side•
Faulty shock absorber
•
Front and rear wheel not aligned
•
Bent fork
•
Bent swingarm
•
Bent axle

 

thanks guys, that make sense about the brakes.
i meant that i wanted to see the airbox and then see if the sprocket is different at 2 seperate times.
I just wish I could find someone to look over the bike and point stuff out to me. I am thinking I am needing to change the oil to....

 

yea, that might do it... and I must comment on your choice of a forum name, Stanghater eh? fun
....
I own a 354hp Mustang GT, its good to see that everyone here is friends...
hello friend.

check the preload on the rear shock ***. too, that would help the riding part of your problem

 

I agree with BlindLoki regarding down loading a service manual from Stephygee's website (put it on a disc). It sounds like since your local dealer in a big Turd* you might as well roll up your sleeves and learn to work on your own bike. Here's a sight to cross referrence oil filters:

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/FilterXRef.html

The more you work on your bike the more intimate you will become - then you'll know when something isn't right with it. You'll know all the bolts have LocTite on them and are torqued down.

The 929 came with some of the best brakes of its time... and they are still quite good by the latest standards. Pull the pads/inspect the calipers (clean); make sure you don't need new pads (front & rear). It's a rather easy proceedure, even for the uninitiated.

Check the plugs whilst you're at it. Don't go with a K & N air filter - though they have a good reputation with car guys, they really haven't got bikes figured out; they often actually lose bhp! If you wanna go with the aftermarket (and I would/do) go with BMC air filters.

Check this guy's site for suspension help:

http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/introduction.htm

There are more places to look: http://world.honda.com/HRC/tech/result/all_s02.html
There are no magic numbers for setting your suspension, so don't even bother with another guy's figures (or what the fly weight magazine testers use). Youneed to do your own work (with the help of 2 friends). And set it up for your wants/needs. If you really want to have your suspension rebuilt than go with someone like: GP Suspension, Aftershocks, Traxxion Dynamics, etc.

Make sure your bike is in sound running order prior to making mods, then you'll know what you want and more importantly why. There are a tonne of resources here & on other RR boards, don't be shy about doing searches for Q's that you have, then coming back with more specific Q's. Someone here (there) will surely have an Answer forr you. Good luck... you have a great bike.

Cheers

 

vbh289: Sorry if my name hurt your feelings. I own a ford probe gt, the mustangs arch enemy. I think i saw a red probe gt in the background of one of your pictures.

Whippet: thanks for the great info. I pretty much dont mind wrenching on the bike, I just dont want to screw anything up. I want to do an oil change first, and inspect the plugs while im there. Do I have to take all the fairings off or just one side?

 

Just by looking at the bikes you ridden before, to me its just a matter of getting use to a sportbike.

 

I'm not a suspension expert, but I had to dial in more pre-load on my back shock because the bike was too bumpy. The back end would even bottom out sometimes. I'm about 200lbs and my bike is a 97 F3. The back shock was on the factory setup when I got it (#2). I moved it to #3 (which raised the rear end slightly) and it's a much better ride. There's more to a good setup than that though. It took me some time and adjustments before I found what I was comfotable with.

If all else fails, take it to a MC shop and let them set it up for you. The one's around here charge about $25.

 

The brake noise is normal, since you said your not getting any vibration, or tugging to one side. As for the air box, it's a little more difficult to get to so read your manual, but when you get the tank up you will need to open the air box and look at the filter. If it is white or off white it is a stock filter, if it is red(BMC) or purple(K&N) or even blue, then it is aftermarket. Now for your suspension you will need to do your research on here because you need to set your "SAG" before you want to make any other adjustments. Your dealer is an idiot for suggesting that it is a waste of time unless your racing. These bikes are built from the factory to accommodate riders weighing 150lbs, so us bigger guys need to adjust the set up to suit us. Don't worry that you are too big, the suspension has plenty of adjustably to suit your needs. It's not going ride like a caddy, but you can get it some where close to what you need. By the way, in order to set your sag your going to need a couple of friends over to help you hold your bike while you climb around on it and take measurements. I hope this helped you out a little.