Can Clearance
So
whats this all about then?
So
much controversy on this one regarding what exactly the cause is.
The Blackbird, as you will know, is one of those bikes that have 2
of the largest exhaust cans of all Hyper-Bikes. If you take a look
at the back of your Blackbird, note the positions of the exhaust cans.
Is the left can nearer the swinging arm than the right can?
This
photograph has been taken to show the effect it can have in severe cases.
The bike pictured may not have this fault but the angle in which the
photograph was taken will give you an idea of what to expect
Pillions?
This was one of the original thoughts for the cause
You’ve got your bike, you grab your missus or a buddy stick him or her
on the back and set off. You get off the bike, so does your pillion, you
get on the bike so does your pillion, etc. This happens over a period
of time. It ain’t so much YOU getting on the
bike, but your pillion that causes this problem to appear eventually.
Well this is caused over a period of time through your pillion getting
on and off the bike. What happens is, in 99% of all cases,
your pillion mounts the bike by extending his or her left leg onto the
left pillion foot peg, and swinging his or her other leg over. Over a
period this can (and does) weaken small section the the
sub frame (although certainly not to Suzuki
Hyabusa extremities!). This results in the left exhaust
can getting closer and closer to the swinging arm…..until they foul each
other.What a bummer………
HONDA officially tell us a different story as to
why this happens…
What
do Honda say about it then?
HONDA offered this explanation ……“The Blackbird,
we recognise can sometimes have this fault,
as you know not all bikes are affected. The most logical explanation is
that the cause of the fault is the centre-stand.
The repetitive use of the centre stand can (in
extreme cases) weaken the sub frame area where the can is mounted. You
lift the bike off the stand and the stand hammers the centre
stand stop, when over a period of time can weaken and distort the sub
frame. We have heard cases where the can fouls the swinging arm. Obviously
it is covered under warranty”
Or was the bike just like that ‘straight out the
crate’?
Now we're talking....is it a problem
created, rather disappointingly, at the original manufacture stage. Very
much this is what Blackbird owners now look towards.
So What Can I
Do?
Well try and avoid the problem and here are some suggestions:
Always
get your pillion to mount the bike on the riders left foot-peg
not the pillion peg. Ask
your pillion to cut down on the cheese-burgers and dough-nuts! (errr..that was a joke!)
Try and control the centre stand return with
your foot, try and avoid that huge CLUNK as you lift the bike off the
stand. (That's if the Honda explanation is to be believed).
How
can I fix it? (Tried and tested method by other XX owners)
The rear sub-frame can pivot slightly on it's mounts if the bolts are
not done up tight enough in the first place. The loose bolts allow the
subframe to twist particularly if you carry a pillion regularly. Remove
the side panels and get a fiend to eye up the back of the bike and loosen
the bolts holding the sub frame to the frame. Adjust if possible and re-tighten
whilst your mate holds it all straight. Failing
that then you might be left with the brute force approach but unless the
pipe has always touched the swinging arm then it would be apparent that
something has moved out of line.
The jury is very much still out on this one - but we hope you've
found this both useful and helpful
I helped my can clerance problem by adding washers to the front mounting bolt
between the can and mount. The nut has now less thread engagement but still holds.
In the winter I will weld longer bolts on.
Robert
www.superblackbird.de
Simple addition but looks like it works well
Re the can clearance problem,
I found on my blackbird if you put a couple of thin washers between
the frame and the footrest hanger (bolt nearest back end) it has the
same effect as putting them on the front bracket on the can. and the
bolt is plenty long enough to take 2 washers. Hope this is usefull to
you.
Steviep
(July '07)
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information regarding the Can Clearance problem then please don't hesistate
to contact us so we can add it to this page:
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Last
updated August 07
|
