Hi All:

After a lifetime of playing with Suzuki, Valkyrie, BMW, MotoGuzzi, I took your advice and also listened to my heart: I finally bought a 2002 R* 10500 miles for 4200.

It has Saddle bags and Cobra pipes. I still do not know what a midnight or a silverado means, but I like the bike a lot: truly high quality, or maybe it is the chrome that makes my jaws open. I just cant understand why they call it a rice cooker etc., to me it IS fu***in gold.

Now a tiny problem or may be a huge one: As a newbie to R*, when I lean the bike, even a tad bit, even at walking speed, it fights back, both ways, left or right, and fights back bad. The bike wants to return to the center.

Never experienced this on any bike.

Is this normal or my wheels are out of sync or something more sinister?

Regards

Pics later, it is night time, beer time.

M Khan

check your tires

Check your tire pressure. When I bought my R* (99) I left the guys driveway and could hardly turn it. I rode it about 20 miles home and fought it all the way. Was ok going straight. When I got home I checked the tire pressure and there was only 10psi in both front and rear. I aired them up to proper pressure and it was like getting power steering. All has been good since

ZZ, welcome!

Midnight Stars are black, and on the speedo "midnight star" is printed. Sliverado package is chrome goodies, bags, a windshield and more stuff I can't think of right now.

These bikes are cruisers and want to be upright. As long as it rights itself equally after leaning right and left, you are OK. If you can keep going straight without holding the bars (be careful), the back wheel is aligned OK.

Nice to have you here.

Paul

yea, the tires are low.

When we went to pic up my girlfriends, it had less than 10psi in the tires and had been sitting for about 5 years.

Make sure your tires are aired to the proper pressure. Do you use the push method when you are cornering? This is what they teach in the motorcycle classes push on the grip in the direction you want to turn. IE left turn push on the left grip, right turn push on the right grip. You don’t have to horse the bike like your bulldogging a steer. These bikes are really very nibble for their weight. If you use the push pull method it is very easy to ride.

Thanks for the advice. The rear tire is a bit long in the tooth.

Where to buy?
Thanks

M Khan

ZoomZoom wrote:
Thanks for the advice. The rear tire is a bit long in the tooth.

Where to buy?
Thanks

M Khan



That could be it as well. I had one not too long ago that was really ill handling (like I never felt in my life). I thought something was wrong with the bike. A couple new tires and WOW it was like new again. The original back tire tread was almost square. I find the best deals on tires on eBay. Good luck!

fireman922 wrote:
ZZ, welcome!

Midnight Stars are black, and on the speedo "midnight star" is printed.

Paul

Paul :
Mine is a Midnight Star. What does it mean. Is this a base or better?

M Khan