- Joined
- Jan 31, 2010
- Messages
- 3,087
I have read as many of the "isolastic" threads as I can find here but didn't really find much on the subject of other than stock clearance settings.
I know that the book calls for .010 and I have seen somewhere - though I can't recall where - that the police in the UK adjusted them for .006. Fred Eaton, (Old Britts) sets his racer to .001. The Norton Owners Service notes suggests .005 "or less" - as long as there is some clearance.
Frankly, I'm wondering if it makes much difference at all, Back in the 70's I raced my '71 Commando with the isos at .010 ('cause that's what the book said). I was working on becoming a professional bike racer and decided I'd be the next Mike Hailwood. I routinely grounded parts on curves with the oem 4.10 tires on both end. So, since I, and lots of other folks managed some pretty decent lean angles, is all this "better handling" stuff a bit overdone? Of course, I would not even attempt those same lean angles now but that's my age/fear kicking in and, of course, when we were in our early 20's, we had neither of those things!
I wonder the same thing about the various aftermarket headsteadys. Again, if we were able to drag the pipes with totally stock stuff - including the original head steady that was prone to crack - how much practical handling "improvement" can there be with any of this? I have read plenty of posts about how X headsteady made a stunning improvement in handling. But what is the stunning improvement? If you can drag the pipes in a turn with a completely oem suspension setup, what "improvement" can you make with "better" parts?
Anyway - do folks generally use the .010 or is there major differences in handling/vibration by going to different settings?
Oh, yeah...after two years of racing I realized that although I was a racing legend in my own mind, the riding talent of folks like Mr Hailwood et all were so many orders of magnitude beyond mine that I decided to keep my day job!
I know that the book calls for .010 and I have seen somewhere - though I can't recall where - that the police in the UK adjusted them for .006. Fred Eaton, (Old Britts) sets his racer to .001. The Norton Owners Service notes suggests .005 "or less" - as long as there is some clearance.
Frankly, I'm wondering if it makes much difference at all, Back in the 70's I raced my '71 Commando with the isos at .010 ('cause that's what the book said). I was working on becoming a professional bike racer and decided I'd be the next Mike Hailwood. I routinely grounded parts on curves with the oem 4.10 tires on both end. So, since I, and lots of other folks managed some pretty decent lean angles, is all this "better handling" stuff a bit overdone? Of course, I would not even attempt those same lean angles now but that's my age/fear kicking in and, of course, when we were in our early 20's, we had neither of those things!
I wonder the same thing about the various aftermarket headsteadys. Again, if we were able to drag the pipes with totally stock stuff - including the original head steady that was prone to crack - how much practical handling "improvement" can there be with any of this? I have read plenty of posts about how X headsteady made a stunning improvement in handling. But what is the stunning improvement? If you can drag the pipes in a turn with a completely oem suspension setup, what "improvement" can you make with "better" parts?
Anyway - do folks generally use the .010 or is there major differences in handling/vibration by going to different settings?
Oh, yeah...after two years of racing I realized that although I was a racing legend in my own mind, the riding talent of folks like Mr Hailwood et all were so many orders of magnitude beyond mine that I decided to keep my day job!