The CB1100 Community Forum

I don't know what hit me. I got home from work tonight and I de-farkled.

Yes, you read that right, I'm actually less farkled now than I was this morning. It's not like I was ever a major farkler. I ordered the factory rear rack when I picked up my CB1100. I didn't have to wait long before I had it mounted on my bike. Up next was a Staintune exhaust (rarely have I had a expenditure of this nature where my line of reasoning for the purchase was "just because I want it, I really want it"). Eventually the chrome instrument gauge covers followed. But after that, most of my bike related purchases have been standard maintenance items and various cleaning supplies.

For now, the rear rack sits alone, cast off in a remote corner of the garage separated from the CB1100. I like the look of the bike better without it although it is nice to have when I need it. I figure that I can always put it back on when the need arises. Now my farkle list is down to 2 items — 3 if you count each gauge cover separately (and a whopping 4 if you count the batter tender cable mounted to the battery). I suppose 4 items is almost respectable.

Maybe I should have seen this coming. The signs were there all along. I never worked up the nerve to order a set of the little rubber lever end cover thingies. I never bookmarked the Samurider website (blasphemy, I know, I know). I actually could have lived happily with my CB1100 just the way it came when I rode it off of the dealers parking lot that very first day. I can almost hear the sound of jaws hitting the floor over that last one. But it's true, and I'm trying to come to grips with it. Maybe I'll slowly re-enter the world of accessories at some point, but for now that's too much too contemplate. It's just going to take some time but I think that everything is going to be okay. Still, I'm almost reluctant to look at my own reflection streaming off of the CB's gleaming chrome surfaces.

All kidding aside, I rolled the bike into the garage after work tonight and just happened to think: let's go ahead and change the look back to what drew me to the CB in the first place. Honestly, I still feel insanely fortunate to own such a wonderful machine. Glad that all of you folks are along for the ride.

All the best,
Guth

Not sure how you are getting along without RLETs but sometimes I just like cheese pizza... same thing.

I'd love to not have a rack on my bike, it looks WAY better without it. But the CB is my only vehicle, so for now it stays. I did purposely go with the smaller tubing black Kajima rack, just to hide it better. The moment I get a vehicle better for carrying things, I will be removing that rack though.

Leave it plain for a few weeks, then go farkling crazy.

Personally I think your going in the right direction Guth. Minimalist is the purest form of a motorcycle and that's what makes the CB1100 so good. All those bikes you have or have had, have a soul underneath covered in some aesthetically appealing design. The plastic and farkles may have purpose, but they hide that raw form. You bolt enough stuff on there and you'll have "any other bike" and I'm glad your backing up a bit. Your CB deserves it.

Guth, you're my anchor, my rock, my foundation.

Guth, how many miles are you up to? maybe you do more riding than posting....?

It's very cool we have all these farkles to add to the bike, some more useful that others. I'm more into making the bike more useful, or easier to use, or just plain more comfortable. If I had the cash flow I may be more tempted to add bling for blinds sake because some of the things you guys have done are damn good looking.

Still, I lea more towards stock on bikes (except my XR650L, I seem to be in some sort of finical death trap with that one...... )

(06-27-2014, 12:31 PM)MFGUSA_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Personally I think your going in the right direction Guth. Minimalist is the purest form of a motorcycle and that's what makes the CB1100 so good. All those bikes you have or have had, have a soul underneath covered in some aesthetically appealing design. The plastic and farkles may have purpose, but they hide that raw form. You bolt enough stuff on there and you'll have "any other bike" and I'm glad your backing up a bit. Your CB deserves it.

(06-27-2014, 12:34 PM)Greg_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth, you're my anchor, my rock, my foundation.

(06-27-2014, 12:46 PM)HikerToo_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth, how many miles are you up to? maybe you do more riding than posting....?

If only that were the case. While I commute to work by bike every day, between my real job, my family and other pursuits (not long after I bought my CB I became addicted to fly fishing, more specifically steelhead fishing, and it sucks up a lot of what was previously weekend riding time), I'm just not racking up many miles on the bike. As my commute is short and I still ride my Hawk some days, I'm only around 2,500 miles or so last I checked.

In fact, only recently did I even manage to get the CB out of town for as long as I can remember, and that was to ride out to a fly shop to pick up some "fishing farkles". But it was a nice reminder of what I've been missing out on and I'm planning on changing that. — hopefully soon.