From: kent@stanley.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk)
Newsgroups: tx.motorcycles
Subject: Re: PC800 Mods: Phase 1 Completed (Also Dunlops)
Date: 11 Nov 1992 23:23:41 GMT
Organization: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
Distribution: tx
NNTP-Posting-Host: stanley.nde.swri.edu

In article <1drrm3INN22i@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> mparsons@fleming.csc.bcm.tmc.edu (Mark Parsons) writes:
>
>In article <1drkrrINNsaa@swrinde.nde.swri.edu>, kent@stanley.nde.swri.edu (Kent D. Polk) writes:
>|> 
>|> I just completed Phase 1 of my attempts to turn my PC800 into a real
>|> motorcycle.  Consisted of:
>|> 
>|> 1) ME33 CompK front
>|> 2) ML2 Rear
>
>
>I thought you were going to put something psuedo sticky on the rear . 
>. . .and a ML2 is definitely not sticky!! ;-) ?????????

Unfortunately, Metzeler doesn't make a 15" ME55... But this ML2 is supposedly
their entry in the 'sport-touring' category, and is much stickier than the 88
or 99. Supposedly is a good rain tire also. So far, I've ridden it about 20
miles, all in the rain (never got a chance to scuff it up) and it behaves
better in the rain that the old Dunlop did when it was dry. A lot softer
compound than the Dunlop.

I still think that until I get a fork brace, I won't be pushing past where
this ML2 can get me in trouble. Maybe not even after that.  Remember, if you
got your front tire locked in, that back tire can go all over the place
without causing too much of a problem. It's when the front tire fails to
track where you want that you're in an unstable condition.

Heck, I lost the tailend once on my 700S while racing a 750 Interceptor
through some INCredible backroads in West Va. and recovered. It was a sharp
climbing, right hand turn with gravel at the top... The ME33 kept it's ground
while the ME99 that I was running at the time completely broke loose (about
80mph) and was on it's way around. I planted my right boot down and yanked
the rear back around ala Dirt Biking. The guy on the Interceptor couldn't
believe it :^) He was about 50 yards behind and thought I had lost it. I
couldn't believe it either, but certainly wasn't going to admit it to him.

>As for the fish oil in the forks . . .have you ever smelled hypoid
>gear oil . . . . especially when you get a little bit of water mixed
>with it!!!! PEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! ;-)

Yep. But this stuff Looked worse too. Looked more like cutting oil mixed with
metal oxide and water and dirt and grease and... I mean... I really think it
was fish oil :^). Seriuosly, there have been numerous reports through the
years about Honda actually putting 'fish oil' (don't know if it really is or
not) in their forks.  Supposedly this is why Honda often recommends replacing
the fork oil after the first year in many of their bikes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BTW, got some info from a Dunlop sales rep. Dunlop knows about the problems
with their tires on heavy bikes under what they consider 'abnormal
conditions'. Remember my problem with the front end 'skipping' or not
tracking upon hard cornering? Well, That was the tire, not my suspension.
(tire induced fork wobble). My experiences fall in what Dunlop considers the
"10% who can really push the big bikes", thus they don't publicly admit there
is a problem with them.

What is happening is that the tread cannot sustain the track and momentarily
'releases' and then regrips, causing the tire to crawl sideways under heavy
cornering. Made me feel better knowing what was causing my problem...

Kent Polk: Southwest Research Institute (will disavow any knowledge of me)
Internet : kent@swrinde.nde.swri.edu
(DoF #)  : If there's one thing in life I've learned, I've forgotten it.
Newsgroups: tx.motorcycles