Riding the 920

worntorn

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Dec 22, 2006
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I'm still a bit tentative with the corners as handling is a big question mark being such a bitsa.
So far it has behaved perfectly. It really excels on the extra twisty stuff where a heavy bike can be a lot of work.

I should have mounted the camera higher to allow for the windscreen.
Still learning the GoPro ins and outs.

Glen

 
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Sound like she running well and nice and smooth Glen and seems to stick in the corners pretty good.

Ashley
 
Last week I rode thru the s bend at 5.45 at about max lean on the Egli. Right in the middle of that bend were about 15 parked Harley's, pointing every which way. One or two had crashed so they all stopped. You couldn't see them from either end of the S.
I came smoking around on a line about 2' inside of the centre line. One had his rear wheel hanging over about 18".
Nothing you can do at that point, lean over any further and lose it then slide into them, hit the brakes and it will stand up and go straight into them. I just scraped by.
Very dumb move parking all over the road in a blind spot.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
I'm still a bit tentative with the corners as handling is a big question mark being such a bitsa.
So far it has behaved perfectly. It really excels on the extra twisty stuff where a heavy bike can be a lot of work.

I should have mounted the camera higher to allow for the windscreen.
Still learning the GoPro ins and outs.

Glen

Click to expand...

Nice machine Glen !
 
Well done Glen!
You might want to sort an external lapel mic for less wind noise, more grunt sound. I've had good results with an el cheapo mic, foam cover placed in my back pant pocket. Closer to the noisey end of bike.
 
I've got one but neglected to use it. The long cord on it has a tendency to come loose so I need to do a better job of securing it.

Glen
 
74Norton920 said:
My 920 really rips. Much faster than my old modded 2014 Bonnie!
Click to expand...
I really notice the 920 difference when shifting into 4th.
The 850 is quite strong in the first three gears, but doesn't exactly tear the arms off in fourth.
The 920 leaps forward in 4th much like the 850 in 3rd.
Not sure how much of that is down to the weight reduction and how much is coming from the 920.

I suspect it's about half and half.

Glen
 
worntorn said:
I really notice the 920 difference when shifting into 4th.
The 850 is quite strong in the first three gears, but doesn't exactly tear the arms off in fourth.
The 920 leaps forward in 4th much like the 850 in 3rd.
Not sure how much of that is down to the weight reduction and how much is coming from the 920.

I suspect it's about half and half.

Glen
Click to expand...
With wide ratios, your bike will always be a bit sluggish as you come up through the gears. For fast acceleration, you need to keep the heavy crank spinning high, but that is probably not what a 920 would do best. With all of these things, the law of diminishing returns applies.
I have not ridden a motorcycle slowly and sensibly in the last 60 years. So I cannot really relate to what you do. It looks good, but if I tried to do it, I would be booked. I hate long straight roads. In a car, they are bad enough. Where I live, I have to drive 80 kilometres before I can find a piece of road which is even moderately interesting.
With your video, can you imagine riding the bike with the motor always spinning between 5,500 RPM and 7,500 RPM while changing rapidly up and down between the 3 higher gears ? It would be a different experience and highly illegal. You would have to be stupid to do it.
I still intend to do some on-board video of my bike on Winton Raceway. It would be impossible to ride it on public roads. I do not think I have ever seen anybody really fang a Commando on Youtube. When I do it, I think you will get a laugh. It is surprisingly quick.
 
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This one is not what I would call sluggish thru the gears, just the opposite.
I can't give it full beans yet as only 400 kms on the engine, so revs are kept to about 5k.
Even at that it's still lots of fun.
It should be more fun yet when it can run it up to 6k.
 
32mm Amals, Rh10 , 9.8 to 1 , analog Boyer. 314lbs
 

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Al asked "With your video, can you imagine riding the bike with the motor always spinning between 5,500 RPM and 7,500 RPM while changing rapidly up and down between the 3 higher gears ? It would be a different experience"

This engine uses stock cases, cam and crank. At 7500 rpm it would have a very short life.
The cam makes max torque at 5300 and max bhp at 5800.
Why would anyone in their right mind try to run it at 7500 rpm, even if we pretend that it would stay together?


Glen
 
... and really well executed. Not usually a fan of "customising", but that bike is a beauty. More photos plse.
 
worntorn said:
I should have mounted the camera higher to allow for the windscreen.
Still learning the GoPro ins and outs.
Click to expand...
I'm interested in your GoPro set up as I was looking to get one myself.
 
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