Any Stateside entrepreneurs out there who have connected with all those Japanese aftermarket parts manufacturers - and setting up a shop here in the US? I really dont like buying from someone overseas ... where there's an obvious gap in communication from the both of us using Google Translate?

I found this video early on in my CB1100 research and finally happened upon it once again. For the brief period where the CB1100 is the only bike running you can get a sense of the Mugen's exhaust note until it is drowned out by the CB1300 and the Harley. The CB1100 is fired up around 1:08 into the video.

I saw a pic of it in a thread somewhere on here and thought it looked badass!

After this video though... eh, I'm not really digging it.
I bet the red ones are faster anyway.




[/quote]

This is my first bike with a catalytic converter. I have to admit sometimes I miss the smell of non-catalytic converted exhaust. Anyone else miss the smell?

I'm enjoying the comments I'm getting on my bike from some of the most unexpected places. Getting gas today and a farmer in his pickup says "That bike sure brings back memories of the old days. I had a Honda 750 years ago". This happens a lot. So many people out there that share the appreciation of what this bike is about. Thats what I love about this forum.

Made this little chain guard extension today. I hate the little splatters of oil up on the luggage rack and bottom of my top box and rear fender, etc.

Cut it out and shaped it from some old aluminum flat stock I had lying around...JBWelded it to the underside of the guard and I'll paint it black to match when I get a chance and hopefully it'll blend it OK.

Looks kind of shade-tree but works good.

[url=http://s596.photobucket.com/user/pacwnc/media/001-8_zpsc777b0aa.jpg.html]

Pete C

Beautiful day today but spent it at home putzing around the house instead of riding. Gave both bikes a good clean, especially the Bonnie which has been washed exactly twice since I bought it a year and almost 10K miles ago; came away with it looking *almost* as good as new.

I have to confess to thinking about selling the Bonnie when the CB came home but have changed my mind. I was - naturally - comparing it to the CB and, in any objective way, it does come up short. But it's an honest bike and I really like it. In fact, I don't think it's really fair to either one to even compare them at all; they're different animals and, in terms of the all important 'emotive' pull, are sort of coming from opposite directions, really.

The whole 'retro' thing doesn't ring true with me anyway. I just want a classic ( in the sense of traditional ) air-cooled roadster that is spirited, reliable, comfortable, relatively economical, easy on the eyes and easy to work on and, when I ride it, will remind me of why I fell in love with motorcycling in the first place.

I've got that in both of these.


[url=http://s596.photobucket.com/user/pacwnc/media/005-7_zps21671e46.jpg.html]

[url=http://s596.photobucket.com/user/pacwnc/media/004-7_zpsd49e4fc1.jpg.html]

Pete C

After 20+ years on a Ninja with a small fairing, it seemed very odd at first on the CB11....actually I "think" I'm already to order a National Cycle Deflector as soon as they open Tuesday morning. But, just got back from an evening ride and am thinking maybe I should wait a few weeks to see how it grows on me......what do others do, fairing or not?
http://shop.nationalcycle.com/perl/cycle/N2594

After reading the thread and seeing the video about a slow return to idle, it occurred to me that I would never, ever notice something like that. (Short of the throttle sticking or having a bike where you had to roll off, literally, roll off ). I just tend to assume any new bike has it's own unique sounds (like an old house). After a month or so all the odd clunks, clangs, clicks, etc. register in my brain as normal. From that point forward, unless there is the sound of metal grinding against metal or I look in my mirror and see a part skipping down the road, I admit to being pretty oblivious to the cacophony of the bike. Not trying to offend anyone and it's great to have people hone in on the subtleties so that they can identify a potential problem before I hit it. I'm just not one of those types. So, on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is complete OCD and 10 is completely oblivious/ignorance is bliss, where do you put yourself? I figure I'm around an 8.

First long ride was 150 miles from home to Dahlanega up to Suches to Neal's Gap to Turners corner and back to Dahlanega. My wife joined me since my GIVI box and back rest pad came in.
[attachment=90]