Christy,
Welcome!
Regarding the slow leak on the tire - it would be worth going to a
different tire shop and asking for a second opinion. There are only a few
things that can cause a tire to leak that aren't damage to the tire (ie, a
nail stuck in it) but some just aren't obvious.
Regarding the tire pressure - I would caution that the
manufacturer's suggested pressure is for the rim and the tires pressure (on
the tire somewhere) is often for the tire. Usually these will be close -
but I tend to take the lower of the two - over inflating a tire will cause
it to have less surface area in touch with the road and increase the wear
on the part that is in touch with the road. Less surface area can cause the
bike to be slippery and particularly if its wet, unsafe. Increased wear
will mean you replace tires more often.
Regarding your height, weight, and the bike feeling small to you -
there isn't much one can do about that I'm afraid, aside from the shock
adjustments already suggested. Personally, I think that a person intending
to do any kind of highway riding - either at highway speeds or at highway
distances - needs to consider that a bike under 500ccs displacement may not
have enough power to allow them to accelerate out of danger in the event of
something bad happening on the road around you, or even to pass the
slow-poke in front of you. At 5'9" - assuming you have a relatively
proportional inseam, that shouldn't hold you back from too many bike
choices. A good upgrade from a 250 Nighthawk would be a 750 Shadow - three
times the displacement, still a Honda, and I daresay a bit taller although
I wouldn't swear to that. Certainly with many performance upgrades
available, and I'd guess it probably has stiffer suspension than the
Nighthawk. Anyone here ridden one of each?
I'm afraid I can't offer any additional wisdom regarding the
backfiring - save one - I once had a mouse build a nest in the air filter.
Caused all kinds of weird issues - if you're riding it regularly, I doubt
that is your problem.
We have many people on this forum who are relatively new to
motorcycling and there are many others that have had more motorcycles than
they currently have hair on the top of their heads. (Come on - you know its
true!) No question is too 'dumb' and not many questions are too hard for
this crowd. Ask away - the only way to know is to ask.
I would reiterate the question about where you're located - we
have many people on here who have met, gone on group rides, tormented
Graham's Wife and generally had a good time, both before and after
wrenching on each others bikes.
Again, Welcome, we're glad to have you on the road with us!
-Joey
On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 1:37 PM, Christy Deering
<christydeer...@gmail.com>wrote:
> Hi folks!
>
> I just stumbled on this forum, and thought I'd ask a few questions while
> I'm at it. Correct me if I should make separate posts about these three
> issues I've been having. :)
>
> 1. First off, I'm riding a 2007 Nighthawk 250. I noticed a slow rear tire
> leak shortly after I had the tire replaced about 8 or 9 months ago. I took
> it in to the shop that replaced the tire, they exhaustively searched for a
> leak, but couldn't find one. They told me the tire was safe to ride on, and
> that I should just keep an eye on the pressure. Ideally, what should I be
> keeping the tire pressure at? I feel like that's a dumb girl question, but
> let me explain - is it better to overfill the tire a bit so I can go longer
> in between trips to the air pump, or is that a terrible idea as far as
> traction/handling?
>
> 2. I'm 5'9", and I feel too tall for my Nighthawk, as much as I love it.
> The whole bike has always felt rather "squishy" under me, and I don't
> really trust it in the corners not to slip out from under me to some
> extent, even on dry, happy pavement. Is this something that could be
> adjusted, or am I stuck on a bike I don't fully trust because I'm too
> *gasp* big for it? My self esteem is doin just fine, feel free to give it
> to me straight if you have any input. :)
>
> 3. Gladys (the Nighthawk) has been backfiring lately. Could this be a
> dirty carb issue? Should I attempt to clean things/do this on my own, or
> would you recommend a trip to the shop? I've never done anything to a bike
> other than change the oil, though I would love to learn more as I go. Being
> self-sufficient with bike repair is my ultimate goal, I just haven't had a
> lot of chances in the year I've owned the Nighthawk. Which is probably a
> good thing, ultimately.
>
> Thanks, fellas!
> - Christy
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to nighthawk_lovers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en-US.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>
>
>
--
-Joey Kelley
JoeyKelley.com - My Life Online
JoeyFixesComputers.com - Its What I Do!
JoeyKelleyPhoto.com - Photographing Today, For Tomorrow
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to nighthawk_lovers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en-US.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
