Getting used to the Skorpion - is this normal?

[Frog]

Hi

I'm very new to big jap singles. The skorpion seems to need lots of revs - certainly over 2.5k to pull snatch free. Under hard acceleration (to 6 k) there is a fair bit of noisy drumming from the tank - is this normal? Engine is very low mileage and sounds fine at tick over and at steady speed / gentle acceleration - I think it is the cycle parts rather than the engine. Is there any way to suppress this noise?

Other than the drumming the bike is really quite nice - not a chugger and feels better when pushed on a bit - need to change gear a lot to really keep it shifting - not really what I expected but not bad all the same.......

I think it'll take a bit of getting used to as I ride a ZZR600 most of the time!

cheers

Frog

[bullet350]

that all sounds quite normal. you've got to remember that there is one fairly big piston pumping up and down.

with a 600 four the engine takes many small gulps of air on each turn of the engine, on a single it takes on big gulp each time. give it a wide open carb and it'll start to choke, wheras a four with smaller carbs doesn't have this problem.

my skorpion sport used to drum when you nailed it, its just the vibration of the engine moving through all parts of the bike.

get a silencer that makes a bit of noise and you can enjoy that drumming, accompanied by a great sound.

350bullet

[beeman]

Ear plugs help!!!!!!
 

[Frog]

Thanks People - that is just what I wanted to hear - "they all do that".

I'm realising that this thing is deceptively quick  - hacking down a small 'A road' yesterday I think I covered the ground about as fast as I ever have. This partly because the riding position does not make sense below about 60 when the wind takes some pressure off of your wrists..... it does encourage you to go faster.


Cheers

Frog

[guest18]

Yup 2,500 is actually quite good
My Mastiff didn't really want to pull cleanly below about 3,000 for the first 20-25,000 miles...

They are deceptively quick though aren't they

[steveD]

I have a DR750 andf an SRX600, both will not respond very effectively below 3000rpm. I have put a line on the DR rev counter at 3k, for lively acceleration you really do need to be in the 4k area and I regularly rev both of mine quite hard. Forget the mith of these bikes being 'Thumpers', they are not and do prefer to be revved, they do not have the flywheel and stroke properties of old brit thumpers and are usually oversquare.
Keep her buzzing along on the edge of the powerband and you'll find it very smooth, just takes a bit of time to feel the characteristics of the bike and then you really don't even need a rev counter.

Cheers SteveD

[Steffan]

There is a similar discussion over on the MZOG yahoo group. like Steve says they are not really thumpers in the traditional sense, they lack the flywheel momentum, which also means they lack the sort of flexibility one gets out of older designed engines (eg: Bullets). I have come to the conclusion with my Skorpion that it is at its best ridden like a 2T ie on the thottle and keeping the rpms above 3500 preferable over 4000. Ridden like this they really do encourage you to ride faster but unlike my beloved Kwak multis the frame and running gear is more than up to it.

At the risk of panic mongering I would check the bike over thoroughly as I have never experienced anything I would describe as drumming, even when droning up the M6 to Scotland at 80-85mph.

[Frog]

Thanks All

the 'drumming' is only under hard acceleration - once up to what ever speed it goes away. I have a feeling it may be the top fairing that is resonating or throwing noise back at me but then again maybe not and is tank as I first thought. Bike has 9k kms on it so should be OK I hope and will pull 95mph+ and it actually pretty smooth at 80 odd.

Ear plugs and ignore it for now - I have given the bike a complete service and other than one exhaust valve being 2thou less than it should be (but still with clearance) all was fine except for the leaking radiator cap - silly thing to be off the road with:-(

regards

Duncan