Another motorcycle I had in the eighties was a Honda XL 125
S. This was an excelent small trail bike, it showed good performance
when being ridden on gravel roads, it had a very well dimensioned suspension
and a very economical engine. I could enjoy thoroughly this motorcycle,
and by that time I had the priviledge of having two different bikes: the Honda
XL 125cc for dirt tracks and my cherished Honda CB 400 for trips.
My Honda CB 400 gave me a lot of satisfaction during a
decade (the eighties). In this bike I was able to cover the distance
between Curitiba and Goiania (1.270 km) in one day, and I did it in two
different occasions. This is an achievement if we consider the fact that
in order to cover such a distance we have to cross the states of Parana, Sao
Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goias. This is achievable only by very
experienced motorcyclists, because we have to bear in mind that there was
traffic and speed limits along the roads I had to ride. Furthermore, my
bike was fully loaded.
We couldn't omit the three times Goiania hosted World
Motorcycling Championship races (1987, 1988 and 1989) when highlighting
important facts for the Brazilian motorcycling panorama in the eighties.
Goiania attracted people from all over Brazil and from other countries as well.
It was wonderful to watch and to hear those bikes revving at Goiania
International Autodrome.
Some hints for "work an
engine", or how to break in an engine properly:
In order to get a proper performance,
power and durability from a brand new engine it is necessary to take some
precautions.
Consequently we should pay attention to
the following:
the engine oil is usually changed
after 1.500 km ridden, unless the owner's manual specifies otherwise;
it is better to ride the first 2.000 km
in road trips, instead of doing it in urban traffic. Acting this way you
will get a better output in the future, regarding performance and durability;
when hitting the road don't forget to
alternate acceleration, speed and gears accordingly to the engine's requests.
Don't forget to watch carefully what the speedometer and tachometer shows.
It is wise to follow what it is recommended by the motorcycle's maker;
allow your ear to be your master - the
engine's noise will tell you when it is necessary to change gears. It
will dictate when it is the time to put on a lower gear, in order to get more
power (and rpm) from it; or when it is wise to put on a higher gear to get
more speed, thus lowering the rpm.
don't allow the engine to work "loose"
neither allow it to work too "tight", remember that your ear is your master,
so don't be affraid of utilizing the gear lever to change gears how many times
it is necessary;
when in constant speed allow the
engine to retrocede from time to time; to achieve that simply loose your grip
in the accelerator for a while, then begin to accelerate again slowly and
carefully, keeping the same gear. Acting this way you will get an engine
with smoother cylinder internal walls, thus favouring performance with less
internal noise (because of the lesser friction);
be patient in the first kilometers ridden to exercise
what was said above. The benefits will come to you in the future as a
bonus: your bike's engine will get a higher mileage with better economy.
