Got some miles on yesterday in white bear lake mn.
Half way to break in!

I have a '13 Standard. My "eye" isn't good enough to see where Honda added capacity to the larger tanks. Taller? Wider? Longer?

Are seats on any models interchangeable or does it depend on which tank you have?

77 miles tonight to stretch its legs. Tried out some luggage I had laying around to see if it fits.

There's not much I can say about this bike that everyone here doesn't already know but coming from a Ninja 250 you can imagine just how awesome and exciting the first ride is! It definitely lived up to my expectations. The power, smoothness, comfort, etc. lived up to the hype I had created in my own mind. What a great bike!

The weather was just nice enough to enjoy a leisurely ride home and even my wife decided to take a quick spin with me. She's been apprehensive about my new purchase but after today I think it's just a matter of time before she's a believer.

I know pictures of stock bikes can be anticlimactic but here are a few anyway:

[url=http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/kruegerhome/media/1EK_5587.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/kruegerhome/media/1EK_5590.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/kruegerhome/media/1EK_5591.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/kruegerhome/media/1EK_5599.jpg.html]

And of course we can't forget this one...

[url=http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/kruegerhome/media/IMG_1081.jpg.html]

I'm looking forward to many, many miles of awesome riding on this great machine!

Getting up to the 600-mile service point...I'm no longer babying the engine so much...learning more about it as I'm covering more ground.

First...this concerns me. I should advise, my contact with big, conventional, chain-driven Japanese cycles has been limited. I've had two BMW boxers; and before them, a GL500 - with a driveline that was anything BUT conventional. Also had a TU250. And an SR 500; but that was decades ago and I don't remember much about breaking it in.

The question is...putting the thing in gear when the engine is idling, warmed up. As at a light. The CB...going in, it does it with a THWAK! and the bike jumps. I'd say it's a dragging clutch, except that it doesn't show other signs. Doesn't shift hard; clutch play is normal; I can roll it easy, engine idling or off, with the clutch in and transmission in gear.

The other big bikes never did this. My little Kawasaki toy doesn't do this. I think I remember the TU doing this; but with a smaller motor, much less drama.

Have I got issues? It's going in for service in a week; now's the time to get it looked at.

Ok to refresh memories, I had bought a National Cycle Street Shield EX shield for my 13. Took 1 trip to West Virginia with it in 13 and experienced pretty much noise and buffeting. Since I only used it for that 1 week vacation I just put up with it. I had taken an earlier trip to North Carolina and rode the bike sans shield. Traded my 13 in on a 14 DLX. I took my fall 14 trip to Kentucky on the 14 dlx sans shield as well. When I went put the shield on my DLX I remembered the noise and thought I might need to cut the shield down some hoping to move the windblast out of the eye port on my helmet. CIP had gone thru the same thing with his Street Shield EX, and I basically mirrored his experiment. The shield measured 17" from NC. First I cut off 4", again as CIP had done. Tried it, no good. Still too much buffeting and noise.Then I cut off 3 more inches for a total of 7" (again as CIP had done.) Got it mounted up yesterday and today decided to take it for a shake down cruise this afternoon. Rode 44 miles altogether.

Here's what the shield looked like when I put it on the 14 Dlx last fall.

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/chasingcolor2011_zps2b8cce4f.jpg.html]

Short shield...warming up
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/March%2030%20ST%20and%20CB%20rides%20003_zpswmxtggl8.jpg.html]

Over by the lake

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/March%2030%20ST%20and%20CB%20rides%20004_zpsqyvdupwj.jpg.html]

Right curve

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/March%2030%20ST%20and%20CB%20rides%20010_zps7fg2atxj.jpg.html]

Left curve
[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/March%2030%20ST%20and%20CB%20rides%20011_zps2p4l289r.jpg.html]

S curve

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/March%2030%20ST%20and%20CB%20rides%20018_zpsx8qhjfbu.jpg.html]

Roller Coaster

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/March%2030%20ST%20and%20CB%20rides%20023_zpsju9bnp7h.jpg.html]

So, how is it? Well, it completely blocks the air from shoulder to shoulder from my waist to my neck. Wind starts hitting right at bottom of chin. Head is nearly in 100% clean air, but not quite. There is no head wobble and there is no flag flapping noise, but there is some noise (much, much less than before). If you stand up on the pegs just a little it gets clean air quiet.

Shield is now 10" tall. I have the shield sitting 1/2" over the headlight, and it measures 10 1/2" from ignition to top of shield. Could probably shorten it 1 more inch on a Deluxe, but I don't know if I'll bother. It's awfully good right now. I need to get it out on the freeway to make sure, but I am pretty happy with it the way it is. There is NO air pressure on the chest, you can move the palm of your hand from belly button to collar bone and not feel any air pressure at all.

Thanks to CIP for the legwork on this.

More testing to follow

I really like [url=http://www.samurider.com/?p=3804]this exhaust for the way it looks, sounds, and runs cooler. It is beautifully crafted and even though it is steel I expected the ceramic coating to be durable.

But in less than a year, garage kept, carefully cleaned and low miles, the coating has deteriorated and the two outside pipes have begun to rust.

I sent an email with pictures to Takashi, and he responded that “Yoshimura said the rust could happen even less than a year.” Yoshimura offers to recoat it for about $180 USD, in Japan.

My options aren’t “exhausted” yet, but if you are considering an alternate exhaust I would recommend it not be regular steel, regardless of finish.

Out and about yesterday and stumbled across this Curtiss P-40 Warhawk done up in AVG markings, and signed by Tex Hill, before his death.

Anyone else collect reference books on motorcycles and books on motorcycle travel?

Here are some of mine I've collected since the late 60's up through 2 I got this past Christmas. Many enjoyable hours of reading and great pictures to make a motorcycle nut happy.

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/image.jpg1_zpseha8rwyw.jpg.html]

Can a copy of the key be made at a Locksmith? Is there anything special about the key? Thanks.