The CB1100 Community Forum

FYI only:





Just like your kid's bicycle!

are you worried about what other people think, or about what works ?
PS: this Olight is anything but a kids toy, no kidding !

(01-20-2021, 08:11 PM)j3gq_imp Wrote: [ -> ]are you worried about what other people think, or about what works ?
PS: this Olight is anything but a kids toy, no kidding !

People's opinions are not my concern.

One or two questions after reading the entire thread:

Is one side of the fuel tank better than the other to run unswitched power wires from the battery to the handlebars?

If anyone has run wires like this, did you use anything to secure the wires up under the tank, or did you just pull the wires up, and they slid up into the gap between the tank and frame and stayed there?

Thanks much for any advice!

(05-17-2026, 12:32 AM)LucienLeFranc Wrote: [ -> ]One or two questions after reading the entire thread:

Is one side of the fuel tank better than the other to run unswitched power wires from the battery to the handlebars?

If anyone has run wires like this, did you use anything to secure the wires up under the tank, or did you just pull the wires up, and they slid up into the gap between the tank and frame and stayed there?

Thanks much for any advice!

Your 2014 DLX makes this task much easier than my 2017 EX. It takes two people to remove the tank on my motorcycle because of a change Honda made to the retention bracket and the tubing connecting the gas tank to the motor!!

You should be able to remove your tank easily on your own. Although some may find the tank removal excessive, I find it easier to keep the cables tidy and avoid crimping something if I have a clear overhead path.

I believe the actual frame, battery placement, and cable routing are identical between our models. When I connected my Quad Lock Mount to my battery, I opted to run the cable on the "right" or "brake" side of the motorcycle, threaded it through existing cabling runs, routed it up and over to the handlebar, and attached the USB-C cable with a soft hook-and-loop velcro cable tie. See pictures below. Hope this helps, and we look forward to you sharing a picture when the job is done.

Thank you!

Is there anything that I should watch out for in removing the tank?

I'm more used to old carburetor bikes with just a fuel line connected.

There must be wires for the fuel gauge and maybe other stuff? Is the fuel pump attached with its own wires? I'm guessing, you can't just lift off the tank and set it on a workbench like my XR650L or GB500.

Apologies if I'm a scardy-cat. I want to be a caring steward of this rare bike and leave it--as much as absolutely possible--in the same excellent condition that I received it.

Thanks again!

You are not a scardy-cat. Rather, you are an adult who rightfully so does not want to render his motorcycle unrideable or even worse cause damage to it. All good.

A few items:

Remember that I have a different motorcycle and no direct experience with a DLX. If someone else on the Forum has that model, defer to them.

No shame whatsoever asking a local motorcycle shop to complete the install. They need our support, too.

There is a post on our Forum that has a video detailing the removal of a gas tank for a 2013 CB1100. I am reasonably confident that motorcycle matches your DLX.

Here is the YouTube link:


PekingDuck, PeterBaron, Lord Popgun, and countless others have mentored me on my projects. If you give it a week, one of the OGs of the Forum who has actually owned your exact model will weigh in and provide definitive guidance.

Many if not most people would simply remove the mounting bolt on the back of the tank and lift the tank up to allow for slipping the cable under. That approach does not require removing the tank but it does require making sure nothing can rub against your electrical cable. We do not want to damage the insulation and short anything. I tend to over engineer things but I also am rarely surprised. For me, it is worth the peace of mind.

If you do remove the tank, time it such that you have less than 1/4 of a tank’s capacity of gas. Gas is heavy: the mostly empty tank is not. David

Thanks again! Particularly the tip about reducing the amount of gas in the tank.

Also for the video. I will watch!

I have several projects underway, so I may take a deep breath on this one and work on the others for the time being to give opportunity to anyone you've mentioned above (or anyone else) to kindly weigh in.

For sure, next step is watch the video. Maybe seeing it done will inform me enough to instill confidence.

Lucien, I'm the lazy sort. When I first installed a USB outlet on the handlebars, I just lifted the back of the tank and ran the cable along the left (clutch) side of the bike. It just sat on the heat-resistant tray with other cables. I've once managed to get the tank off the bike, but it was a pain in the neck (for me, anyway) to disconnect the fuel plug. That worked well, but after a time, I decided I'd rather have the plug switched and so I connected it into the spare connector in the headlight bucket. If you wanted a switched connection, I'm sure Lord Popgun has previously found the connector that Honda used. You could buy the opposite, connect into that and then not have to disturb the bike's basic wiring. If I were doing it again, I think that's what I'd try to do.