If your daughter liked the Rebel and the cruiser styling of it, I'll second the suggestion of the S40. Also known as the Savage, Savage 650, and LS650, it's had quite a production run, has a well supported community of fans, a good low seat height, reasonably light weight, and the 650cc single had a lot of bottom end grunt.
If she plans a great deal of highway, a Shadow might be a better plan. Though the Savage has some 55 hp, it tends to run out of steam up top in the nature of most singles. On your other questions, I need to be somewhere other than my phone, so I can get at my former laptop drive. Kurt On Apr 26, 2012 1:18 PM, "Jason King" <[email protected]> wrote: > Rick, > > 1. As far as the center stand goes I do it by grabbing the left > handlebar with my left hand and right under the left turn signal light with > my right hand. Then I step on the center stand with my left foot and with > one pull/lift/press I lift it on the center stand. It takes a little bit of > leg strength but lifting woth the right hand and pulling with the left as > you almost stand on the center stand push pad. > > > 4. Rain traction varies at best just use caution. > > 7. How about a 250 Nighthawk for your daughter. > > Jason > > On Thu, Apr 26, 2012 at 12:56 PM, Rick, Scituate, MA, 82 650 NH < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Good afternoon. I read this digest everyday but tend not to write in >> very often. I’m a C+ shade tree mechanic, ok maybe C-, so I defer to >> the better experienced. >> >> I have a 1982 650 Nighthawk with about 22,000 miles on it. I’ve had >> the bike since 06 and it’s been great fun and way more reliable than I >> deserve for a 30 year old bike. >> Other than maintenance items, tires, brakes, fork oil seals, sprockets >> and chain my only big issue was hitting a deer the October before >> last. >> >> >> https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y3m6VKaRw635DLrLXZFADEacE5vr8hfSGu6ounjurXo?feat=directlink >> >> I’ve been meaning to write for a while and accumulated a few >> questions. >> >> 1. Center Stand – The bike has one but I cannot get it on the center >> stand without help. How do you do it alone? I’m always afraid the >> bike will tip away from me. >> >> 2. Speedometer/Odometer problems - As long as I’ve had the bike the >> speedometer has been pretty sketchy. Using a GPS, when I’m driving at >> 35 the speedometer reads 50. But the odometer was always dead on. >> Same cable operating both. Now the odometer and trip odometer stopped >> working at 20,947. It doesn’t appear to be at the wheel or cable so I >> looking for any insight before tearing the instrument cluster apart. >> >> 3. As you can see the bike was repainted by a PO. They did a good >> job but I’m seeing the paint bubble around the tank mouth. I think in >> part caused by gasoline. Last fill up after sitting out in the sun, >> the fuel expanded to where it leaked out and seemed to get under the >> paint softening and bubbling it. Any suggestions? >> >> 4. Traction in the rain - I started riding again back in 2006 after a >> 30 year break. I find I’m a lot more tentative riding in the rain, >> slow way down, very upright in corners, etc. How much traction do we >> lose in the rain? 30% on wet roads, maybe 50% in puddles? >> >> I know my age is showing, and I’m OK with that but I don’t like >> getting beat in the corners by bicycles either. >> >> 5. Sea Foam – Like everyone here, I love it. However at $9/pint it >> gets pretty dear. About a year ago there was discussion and recipes >> for a “home made version” that sounds like it would be about 1/5 the >> cost. Has anyone ever tied it? I’m will to give it a try, (on the >> lawn mower, gas trimmer, chain saw, etc. not the N’hawk) but wanted to >> know if anyone has experience. >> >> 6. N’hawk badges - There was discussion on N’hawk badges a while >> ago. Did they ever happen? Are there any around? >> >> 7. Any bike suggestions for a 20 yr. old woman - My daughter took the >> safety course and got her license last summer. However she finds the >> N’hawk too tall to ride safely. She took her course on a 250 Rebel >> and liked that but I’m looking for a few others we can be looking for >> as well. >> >> Thanks for any ideas, suggestions and guidance. Ride safe. >> >> Rick >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. >> >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
