Has anyone considered how feasible it is to fit a one-off skid plate? Took these pics at work today while wondering.
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Some more
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Bike is already quite low, the plate would be hitting often. I scraped my collector on a speed bump once, learned to stand up over those and keep the shocks at highest preload.
Not really the kind of bike that needs a skid plate.
God, I HATE scraping on those speed bumps! We seem to have XL bumps around here so I have to ride around them or I scrape every time. Grrr.
Reason I considered it is because I'm a fan of scramblers but also really enjoyed my test ride. I think that pipe is too vulnerable like that.
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Looks like a bash plate would do that frequently.
As low as it would have to be would it solve more problems than it would create?
Are there any less vulnerable/low pipe solutions?
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I'm thinkin' this is one of the problems folks have with the CB1100, is that a lot of guys try to make it into something it's not.
It LOOKS really cool, like it should be modded into a scrambler, a superbike, and so on, but the truth is, it IS WHAT IT IS. It's heavy, not especially fast, and just doesn't like being turned into what it's not.
It reminds me of the good, docile horse that knows when it's day of work is done, and heads to the barn. You can maybe get it to turn away but it'll always be heading back to barn, and you'll feel it in the reigns. You will be fighting the CB1100 if you try to get it to be something it's not. It's really a very narrowly-focused bike but if you like what it does, you'll stick with it.
Look at the guys who have put pretty big miles on theirs, how they ride. It's touring, or day rides just to get away from it all. It's the kind of bike that, if you're a pretty good rider, doesn't make you work too hard for the experience.
Try to get it work outside its envelope, you'll be selling it real quick. Many guys have done. Unfortunately it means resale value is terrible, but for the guys who know what they can get out of the bike and don't worry it too much, it'll sit patiently waiting until the next ride. And it'll be just as good as the ride before.
It definitely felt fast to me but I'm on a KLR
miles are something I love, did 11,000 to Alaska and back
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(11-30-2016, 12:32 PM)justinlself_imp Wrote: [ -> ]It definitely felt fast to me but I'm on a KLR miles are something I love, did 11,000 to Alaska and back
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Had 4 KLR's, but XL600R was my Alaska/Canada bike! But had a blast on all of them except the last one, just could not warm up to that one for some reason.
Seems like there was a time when I could ride the wheels off any kind of bike, didn't matter about the power, crappy brakes/suspension. Now, I don't know. What with all these bikes with Big Piston forks, and one-finger brakes, and gobs of power, don't know if I am spoiled or what. All I can tell y'all is my F800GS is a drastically better bike than my 2008 KLR 650, but I think my 1989 R100GS in many was better than the F800GS. It didn't have the brakes or power, for sure, but the airhead just kept the CG low, the shaft drive was very cool, and it was real comfy. But again that was back in the day when every bike seemed great.
Maybe that's why I had to get this Wolf Classic.
BTW, the CB1100 IS fast, just not gonna please anyone trying to make into the kind of machine the 1983 CB1100F was when built. Not gonna happen, ever, even if Honda puts "RS" after the name.
Back to the low exhaust, I bashed in the exhaust collector on my F800GT riding over a parking lot curb. $400 for a used but like-new OE collector and I was back in business. It was one of several stupid "expensive stunts" I've done in my life. I suppose a bash plate would have helped, but it would have looked way out of place on that bike.