IN COMING!
RC readers write, rant and rattle on...
Summat to say? Send your comments, hints, tips, tales of woe and derring-don’t to: RCHQ@RealClassic.net
TIGER RIDES
I agree entirely with Frank’s views on Triumph 500s. Poor little ‘Muddy’ had to spend over 14 months in the shed after I had some surgery. Fresh oil and fuel and she started (literally) first kick, couldn’t wait to go. I didn’t even charge the flat battery as with the Boyer setup she doesn’t really need one. Happy days.
Keep up the sterling work, team!
Garron Clark-Darby, member 11,711
I’ve just enjoyed reading the real road test of the Tiger 500 Daytona. Many testers only use half the rev range available, shying away from the throttle when they meet the usual obstacle of vibration around mid-range revs. These are only half road tests and completely miss the point of the Daytona and the most exciting half of the ride. The late unit 500s are indeed ‘bombproof’ and must be one of the rare British bikes which can be thrashed without breaking. I used to sing a well-known Doors song inside my full-face crash helmet, when pushing through the bumpy patch at around 4500rpm – ‘break on through to the other side’ – where the engine really came alive and often drank the float chamber faster than gravity could refill it. It’s no surprise that our cousins across the Atlantic have fully explored the limits of this fine design. I was told on an American chat group many years ago that you need to rev a Tiger beyond 9000rpm in order to get ahead of the competition!
Robert Murdoch, member
Hurrah an issue with a road review from Frank, it seems ages since he reviewed anything; more please!
John Harmes
MORE TYRE TIPS
I was interested in the letter about tyre age and performance in RC176, which made some very good points. However, it misrepresented how a tyre grips the road and how the coefficient of friction works. The coefficient of friction is independent of surface area and speed of contact, so it’s incorrect to bring tread patterns into the argument.
Tyres grip the road by ‘moulding’ to the surface. They grip better on a rough surface and less so on a smooth surface. This means that tread does actually reduce grip, but only in perfect
