Sorry but I have more questions......

[krooozn]

I know you all are getting tired of my constant onslaught of questions, but I have nowhere else to turn.....so if you will bear with me....sooner or later I'm going to get all my issues worked out.....

First off.....with the adjustable rear shocks on the bike, if I lower them to their lowest setting will if bring the rear fender down a little closer to the rear tire and by doing this, how will it affect the ride and handling of the bike?

Second.....I really need to replace my wheels and would like to find a set of the alloy mag type instead of the spoke......can anyone tell me what other model wheels will fit the CB250....I have mechanical brakes on both the front and rear.....so the wheels would have to accept this setup.


Thanx so much and I promise I am going to get myself a Clymer manual for this bike.....I do have a Honda Service/Repair manual that is actually a Honda shop version, but it is written such that a Tech would have to translate.....it explains nothing as far as how to take things apart, etc....

Anita

[happycommuter]

First off.....with the adjustable rear shocks on the bike, if I lower them to their lowest setting will if bring the rear fender down a little closer to the rear tire and by doing this, how will it affect the ride and handling of the bike?

Sadly short people (like me) usually weigh less and require softer springs.  Squashing a spring down to lower it makes it feel firmer.
By compressing the spring you are increasing pre-load.  Bumblebee will hopefully come in and give a coherent explanation of spring force equaling the product of the spring rate (constant) and displacement, or F=kx*.  Compressing the spring increases* x, and the force exerted increases, same as if you were carrying a load.  Hard bumps will compresses the spring past the initial pre-load point and it acts the same as ever.  In layman's term, it'll feel a but stiff for small bumps unless you weigh a a lot yourself.
Some other countries got mag wheels (and disc brakes) stock on the CB250.  They look like this, nice five-spokes..

* yeah, technically it's F=-kx as displacement is negative too; I'm simplifying here.

[detdrbuzzard]

you could measure your forks to see if some from an early cm 400 would work to get the disc setup ypu want but don't forget to make sure the rear wheel will fit

[Bumblebee]

Too many questions? What are you talking about? You only have a post count of 4. Go do a question count on hangman sometime...just make sure you have a lot of time on your hands when you do.


I'm not doing any theoretical physics tonight so ppfftthh. Maybe later. Happycommuter pretty much has the basics covered anyway.

Unloaded the bike will sit the same height regardless of preload. Height changes when you sit on it depending on the preload setting and how much weight is added. Preload changes spring compressability, not the full extended height.

How about some art instead of hard mathematics?

Setting the preload is somewhat personal preference up to a point. Too soft and it bottoms out and act all goofy in turns. Too hard and it'll skip around and try to dump you off on rough roads or steep turns because you're not compressing the spring and it's acting like there is no suspension. Some riders like a little harder spring, others like it a little softer.

The preload is based on the pilot/pax/payload weight and how the pilot likes the feel of things. I may set a 4, you may set a 2, someone else does a 1 or 5 or 3.
Think of it in terms of adjusting to a standard weight rider for ideal handling. Let's say a specific nondescript bike handles best with a 170lb rider for ideal maneuverability and handling. Problem is not everyone is 170lbs. Now if you weigh 110lbs there's a problem...so you counter that by setting a lighter preload to reduce the spring force by 60lb of and it'll now handle like you're 170lbs instead of bouncing you around like there's no suspension. If you're 200lbs, a heavy preload will give a 30lb lighter setting and handle like it's carrying 170lbs. It's about how much weight is required to break away from the fully extended spring position. The upshot of this is that going over the same bump at the same speed with correct the cooresponding setting for weight, a 200lb person will compress the spring the same distance a 170 or 110lb person will and the bike will handle the same way.

Oh, whatever you do, set the preload on both sides to the same setting. The bike won't be so grumpy at you if you do.

[krooozn]

Wow...Holy Cow....etc, etc. etc.....I had no idea that adjusting the shocks was so involved.....all I really wanted to accomplish by lowering the shock setting was to bring the frame of the bike down a little tighter on the rear wheel, so it doesn't look so much like a dirt bike setup.....wanted more of a cruiser look.....but now I got all of this other stuff to take into consideration....I certainly don't want to set it too low that the bike dumps me, nor do I want it set so rigid that the bike dumps me......I just wanted to make the appearance a little more acceptable to me.....I guess I'll just have to play with this setting until I find what is right for me.....I am a fairly small woman, 5'4" about 140 lbs.....so I wouldn't think that I would need them set in the number 4 or 5 position and that is where they are currently set....so maybe a 2 or a 3....heck I don't know....but it isn't rocket science so I should be able to find a comfortable setting......but first I got to get the bike running before riding becomes and issue! (teeheehee)

Thanx for any and all help......I am still in search of wheels that will fit my bike....so if anyone can or will chime in on that I would really appreciate it.....

Anita