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What's going on here ... handling sucks !

bagger

bagger

Moped
Haven't ridden the C14 since last fall.  Winter here in New England sucked this year.  Spring has not been much better.

But, put the snow plow away in the 'other garage' today and decided to take the Connie out for a romp around the block.

I must say, I was surprised at how crappy the C14 handled.  I think it was like this last fall, too.

Now, I have Traxxion front cartridges, and have never changed the suspension settings (whatever they are), and the original tires ... with about 8K on them.

I'm wondering what made this wonderfully handling bike such a handful?  The front tire is cupped on both sides, but both the front and rear seem to have lots of tread left.

So, what's your diagnosis?  Cartridges screwed up (bike seems to bounce around on uneven surfaces), bad tires (takes lots of input to steer this baby), tire pressure is only 38/40 (usually run 41/41), or what?

I hope to figure this out.  I love this bike, but can't ride it as I once did for some reason.  BTW, I have new sneakers in stock ... Michelin Road Pilot 3s.

What do ya think?
 
Go with some new skins for her. It was a gradual onset of poor handling as they wore and now you jumped in cold turkey with them shot. I find at 80% life it's like a new bike every time new tires go on.
 
How cold was it? I rode the other day in 35 degrees and my suspension felt very stiff and rebound was super slow due to cold and I recently up the oil wgt.
 
before you think about tires, which surely could be the issue, think temps.

i took a class with a K-Tech suspension guy for my race suspension and he hit us with why our finely tuned race bikes would handle great in a warm afternoon, but for those earlier practice runs mid morning, they would feel like crap.  temps...more specifically, the temps of the the oil in the fork and shock.  for our race bikes, it was taught that we open up the valving to full soft for those first sessions to get the oil moving within the shock or forks, then work our way back to the setting that we were racing with.

for the C14, i see similar issues.  when commuting in the colder mornings, my bike feels like i am riding around on billiard balls, its harder to turn, and it beats up my man-region like crazy.  but when i am coming home, and the temps have risen to the 70s or so, everything is ay-ok again.  its the temps.  plain and simp.  since the connie doesnt have fully adjustable suspension, there isnt much we can do with twisting screws.  if you live in colder climates, and have the time and money, you may want to go with a thinner fork oil to solve this problem, then adjust it as the seasons are more solid warm or cold.

For me, i just grin and bare it for now.  in the Wash DC area, if i simply wait 10 days to two weeks, the temp range wont be that great, and i wont have any cold-weather concerns until around Oct.    :great:
 
Patrick ... good advice and info.  I had not tho't about the oil in the suspension.  But, it makes some sense.

Last fall, I was riding in the 40s with heated gear.  But, yesterday, it was 54* and pretty nice out.  Still, the bike was a handful.

I also have a Wing and a HD Street Gllide, so I have the gambit in suspensions.  But, I don't remember the C14 being this tough to ride.  The front tire has this high part in the center and the sides are obviously worn down. 

I have to have a warranty issue delt with, so I'll change out the tires and see what difference that makes.
 
+1 on the tires.  A cupped front tire will give you the feeling the bike is falling when start to lean into a turn.  Mine did this badly when I first bought her.  New shoes and voila, very comfortable in the lean.  :motonoises: 
 
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