re: trip report; rattling

[Jim Huber <jhuber@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>  From: Jconne6305@xxxxxx, on 09/01/2000 11:27:
>  I have just returned from the week late rally trip.  I rode the Blue Ridge 
>  Parkway for 300 some miles, did the Cheraloha Skyway, rode the Ohio scenic 
>  River Road, mucho Virginia Byways, and returned to Chicago by the long and 
>  scenic route.  The Sprint performed flawlessly and it's limits are much 
>  higher than mine.  I did notice that  twice it refused to start or once 
>  actually quit running, but opening the gas tank cap immediately solved the 
>  problem..Both times soon after refueling.

	Sounds like you enjoyed yourself thoroughly. Way to go!

>  I also noticed that under 3000 rpm 
>  while in first gear the engine rattles but upon reading the posts I saw that 
>  was just a characteristic of the engine.  I find it hard to alway keep over 
>  4000 rpm when in dense traffic or when in really tight corners when a 
>  downshift could be tough. Any reassurance that the rattle is normal would be 
>  helpful.  Anyway, I love the bike and am looking forward to more trips.
>  John Conneely

	Yeah, if I bog my ST down under 3k the fairing seems to have a bit of a
rattle to it. The obvious solution is to keep the rpm up. I used to upshift at
about 4k, now I find myself getting closer to 5k pretty often. I downshift at
no lower than 3,500 if at all possible. As far as corners go: when in doubt,
downshift. The bike has plenty of rev range and, like you, I'd rather not be
shifting mid-corner. I've also found that the shifting gets easier the more I
ride it and the harder I ride it. The rallye seems to have turned my
transmisson into greased owl shit - effortless shifting now!
	Beth Friday's Legend that I rode for part of the rallye (while she was
getting addicted to my ST) also exhibited the same behavior. As it's an 885cc
carbureted triple, I figure it's just part of the character of having three
cylinders. Of course, anything but a big twin or single probably shouldn't be
run under 3k anyway...

YMMV,

	"Jedi Dawg"  Jim Huber
	'00 blue ST  "Rhiannon" - 9k miles
	Spring, Texas, USA

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