Major Tom to Ground Control...

[Hotblack]

I was out a couple days ago with my friend for a ride and had a most unusual experience. He made a left turn at a light and I then let an oncoming car pass before I followed through. After I made the turn there was all this open space with no one around (except my friend already around the next turn off) so I gunned the little 550, I mean I twisted the SNOT out of it for two gears worth. As it happens that day my left ear was plugged up from some nasty allergy-drippy stuff going on. The bike pulled hard enough that it did something to my inner ear and I actually got vertigo, the bottom seemed to drop out from under me, it felt like I wasn't even on the bike anymore. I rode and made the turn fine by visual input, but it was like flying by remote control - I was definitely floating in a most peculiar way. It took a second or so for everything to settle down, then I was fine for the rest of the ride. That was definitely the high point of the trip, though I won't repeat that trick again.

I think of the 450s and 550s as the 'little guys' around here, but I guess after all is said and done even they will accelerate roughly with a quick muscle car... Hmmm I wonder where to get some (stock) performance numbers on these bikes? I have an '81 650G road test and that thing would crack off a low 13 second 1/4, there weren't too many stock muscle cars that could touch that, probably nothing made in the late '70s/early '80s. Talk about cheap speed!

[Anonymous]

The nice things about bikes is the way you can gear them. My budies little honda night hawk 450 is a little ball of power. Its gearing makes it almost as fast as my GS700 but only up to like 80MPH were as mine goes to at leaset 120 (all i had it up to) So wich chages in sprokets you could get a fast little bike outta a 250 from 0 to 60 but no top end... but you could smoke alot of factory cars in your little street racing. Of course cars can always be geared lower as well lol. but its super cheap to change on bikes

[argonsagas]

The nice things about bikes is the way you can gear them. My budies little honda night hawk 450 is a little ball of power. Its gearing makes it almost as fast as my GS700 but only up to like 80MPH were as mine goes to at leaset 120 (all i had it up to) So wich chages in sprokets you could get a fast little bike outta a 250 from 0 to 60 but no top end... but you could smoke alot of factory cars in your little street racing. Of course cars can always be geared lower as well lol. but its super cheap to change on bikes

I can promise you that the "little" 450 will pass the 100 mark.

All it takes is to ignore the supposed "red line" and let it rev.

Mine will quite easily hit the 160kph/100mph mark, but with the handlebar-mounted fairing, it is a bit touchy at those speeds. I have not done it, but I have been told it will hit 200kph/125 mph....using all the revs.

[Hotblack]

Wow so what's the indicated redline on the 450s anyway, and what's a safe redline? Do they rev about the same as 550s?

[skip]

My friend bill had a gs450e with an after market v@h 2 into 1 and a jet kit. we raced every sunday at the local srip and his best was 14.20 altough I dont remember the MPH it was in the 90 mph range

[Anonymous]

I remember back in the early 70's, the guy I got my GS from had a Honda 175 twin, think it was a 72 model that had a 10,000 rpm red line. I raced him on my 69 Yamaha 180 and he beat me 2 out of 3 runs. That was the first performance Honda of that size I'd seen. Looked like a scaled down CB350, aqua green and white. Prior to that Honda 160's and 175's were pretty whimpy as jap bikes went.

[mdole]

I remember back in the early 70's, the guy I got my GS from had a Honda 175 twin, think it was a 72 model that had a 10,000 rpm red line. I raced him on my 69 Yamaha 180 and he beat me 2 out of 3 runs. That was the first performance Honda of that size I'd seen. Looked like a scaled down CB350, aqua green and white. Prior to that Honda 160's and 175's were pretty whimpy as jap bikes went.

Michael,

I wonder if you had the stock gearing on your 180. I had one back in the late 60's and found that after I dropped the counter shaft a tooth or two that the performance really improved both acceleration and top end as it could actully use fifth and accelerate in it. I managed to beat most all of the 175s I came up against though I do remember one that beat me consistently. It had been reworked piston, cam, valves, and exhaust system.

There are times I really miss my two stroke street bikes.

Mike

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys,

Just curious. I have a 1980 GS450 and my speedometer only goes up to 85 mph so how do you know you are doing more than that? I have maxed it out a number of times but I don't really know how fast I was going. I have never red-lined it. I am to afraid to make it go boom. 8O I usually run it out to about 8 or 9 to get some fun. Now only if it didn't shake so much when it was at top speed. I did just recently notice that my front weights to balance the tires are off so I want to have it rebalanced. Can I just have that done at any tire shop or do I need it done at a motorcycle shop. I would think that latter but I keep forgetting to make a call to find out.

Char

[Dink]

Charlo
take note of the engine revs at two different speeds in top gear(i suggest 50 and 75 mph) then it is a relatively simple calculation to work out your speed past the naughty zone(85mph)
Dink

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I assumed it was something like that. I also wanted to thank Hotblack for the title of this thread because I had this damn song in my head all night! Yikes! 8O

Take care and happy 4th! I was going to get some riding in this weekend but unfortunately I have been sick with pneumonia this past week and although I am feeling better it is suppose to be 90 - 95 with high humidity so I think it will be a no go for me this weekend. Hey maybe I can find an air-conditioned helmet! That would work!

Char

[Hotblack]

7...6...5...4......

No problem Char. Why don't you go skiing instead? Just strap on a refrigerator and a sausage grinder and do it the Wile E. way. 8O

Anyway I'm going to ride if at all possible. I'm thinking I need to get something a little lighter than the police jacket soon though, I've been considering the Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket. In something other than black.

[Anonymous]

Michael,

I wonder if you had the stock gearing on your 180. I had one back in the late 60's and found that after I dropped the counter shaft a tooth or two that the performance really improved both acceleration and top end as it could actully use fifth and accelerate in it. I managed to beat most all of the 175s I came up against though I do remember one that beat me consistently. It had been reworked piston, cam, valves, and exhaust system.

There are times I really miss my two stroke street bikes.

No mine was stock. We didn't know nuttin about no tooth gearin' back in dem days. What I miss more than the bike is some of that pre Geritol youth and the fact that back then I only weighed 140 lbs!