"That was a CB1100! There is no way that dude was up on one wheel!!”

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Although I understand and have embraced power, speed, handling, and performance on a motorcycle with exuberance, there is one aspect of hooligan behavior that has absolutely no allure for me: popping a wheelie. I have popped more than one in my day, but the experience doing so always left me flat. I felt like a clown in a circus, riding a unicycle.

I was also distracted by my natural concerns about the pain and suffering inflicted on whatever motorcycle I owned at the time. Forks, chain, and sprockets not to mention oil starvation and engine damage are at least possible outcomes of riding a wheelie too far or landing too harshly.

In the East Bay of California, I believe I may be the exception, not the norm.

Motorcyclists are popping wheelies on streets and highways much more frequently in my locale. A recent event in Hayward, CA vividly reminded me of that reality:



This kind of behavior concerns me because it exposes pedestrians, cars, cyclists, motorcyclists, and anything else sharing the road to a needless hazard, in my opinion. As I prepped for this Thread, I was surprised to learn that many motorcyclists claim that popping a wheelie is the greatest moment they have on a motorcyclist.

If wheelies are the reality of street riders, I went looking for someone who had a tutorial about popping a wheelie on a CB1100. I was quite certain there would be nothing to find. Humbly, I have posted the link in this Thread. 

If you are going to pop a wheelie, I hope you select a location that is safe for you and others. The author of this video is clearly skilled, thoughtful, and shares the love of the wheelie on a CB110. If this speaks to you, please be safe.  I hope this video reinforces any technique you may already use or enhance your approach. Take care, "Two-Wheels-Down" David

I know this has come up before, but I don't remember details and my quick search didn't bring up anything obvious...

There's a guy who wants to buy my Kawasaki W800.  He's in Nevada, and thought about driving up here, but is concerned about weather now.  He has an ebay store called "Nevada Cycle Parts" and he's been on ebay since 2000, with all positive reviews during the last year and overall very good.  His name he texted me matches the ebay store owner's name, not that this means much, but perhaps it's something.    

He suggests using a title company / bank of my choice that we agree on to serve as escrow company.  We both sign their contract; he deposits money, I turn over title to the escrow company.  Once escrow company confirms validity of title and funds, then we sign off.  Funds are released and verified, he gets title.  Only then does his shipping company stop by to pick up the bike.  He's offered to facetime me with his wife to help out as he claims he's a little hard of hearing.

One hears of all sorts of online cases of fraud involving shipping vehichles, and so I'm throwing out feelers to see if anyone here has actually done a bike purchase out of state, and how that went down.  

If memory serves me well, I recall one forum member refusing to sell out of state to another forum member a few years ago.

Today, I set aside time to ride my CB1100 to the Niles Canyon Train Station in Sunol, CA.

Here is a brief history of the Niles Canyon Train Station:

• The first railroad construction through Niles Canyon was started by the Western Pacific Railroad Company in 1866.
  
• The Central Pacific completed the transcontinental link to the San Francisco Bay via the Canyon in September 1869.
  
• This line was the final segment connecting the San Francisco Bay Area to the rest of the United States and was considered a major engineering feat upon completion.
  
• The rail line running through Niles Canyon was the primary route for overland traffic to and from the San Francisco Bay.
  
• The decline in San Francisco's status as a port and the advent of Interstate highways left the railroad through Niles Canyon with little business.
  
• In 1984, Union Pacific deeded the remaining tracks, locomotive, rail cars, and depots to Alameda County. All had been neglected during the slow death of the railway.
  
• The Pacific Locomotive Association (PLA) leased the right of way from the County and began working to reconstruct the track in 1987 to build a "living" museum.
  
• All work is done by volunteers and funded through donations.
  
• Diesel and Steam Power Locomotives operate throughout the year, carrying passengers from Sunol to Fremont. PLA continues to work on restoration of the track with hopes of extending the line to Pleasanton.
  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope you all have a great day with family and friends.  One of the things that I'm thankful for today is all the great information, entertainment, and fellowship that I get from this forum!

Here's a fun little video that's making the rounds in the Royal Enfield community. 
It details a "major service" of an Enfield twin, which mainly seems to consist of blasting something at parts of the bike that would not normally like that.

Question is, what exactly is he shooting at the wet side of the engine and bearings... steam, degreaser? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlA-h4XbsMo

Incredibly charismatic and insightful motorcyclist. Hope you enjoy his video as much as I do.

Although I am a “One Motorcycle, One Man” kind of guy, I do flirt from time to time. Harmlessly, of course.

I noticed this custom 2014 CB1100 Deluxe. It has been tastefully converted into a classic cafe racer.

Click Here for a 2014 CB1100 Deluxe (Cafe Racer Setup)

I hope you also find it engaging. Enjoy your week. David

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Hello all!

I used to be a member while this was http://cb1100forum.com/ . After an absence, had to re-register here, fortunately the same username was available. Is there any way to resurrect my posting history?

“They are proper, proper “Retros.” There is no plastic anywhere. An incredible thing to get on and enjoy.”

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Standard disclaimer: This thread is not intended to be an endorsement of the use or ownership of firearms. I'm not about to mount a shotgun holder to my CB1100. 

So, back in May, the Orange County CA Distinguished Gentleman's Ride ended at a location in the city of Westminster called "Hotrods and Handguns". I was curious. Other than training in the service and a few casual times since (our my honeymoon, in fact), I had never really given much thought to the use or ownership of a firearm. Hot Rods and Handguns turned out to be an ideal location for the DGR ride gathering. It's a private shooting club that is also an event venue. On one side of the street is a large building housing the owner's private museum of muscle cars and dozens of vintage Triumph motorcycles, with a bar, food service area and dining section. Outside is a large lot that was used by the DGR sponsors and organizers. A great place.

On the other side of the street is the shooting club, and the staff was offering tours to the DGR riders. Taking the tour, one got the impression that if Ernst Stavro Blofeld owned a private shooting club, this would be it. Upon entering the lobby, you are greeted by a waterfall with steel and brass surroundings. As you pass through the meandering property, you come upon the "1911 Room" featuring a vast collection of collector-grade pistols, a luxury shooting supply store, a courtyard smattered with motorcycles and hot rods, a two-story firing range, and a restaurant. Heading upstairs, you come upon another private restaurant, the billiard room, cigar lounge, whiskey room and a few conference and meeting rooms. 

It is opulent to say the least. After the tour, we were given a one-day pass to come back and take a closer look at the club. Mrs. G and I went recently, and she asked more questions than I did. Her main question was:
"Who would be your main customer base here?"
"People who don't golf, mam."

We were shown the price list to join the club after our tour. Eye-watering to say the least. It was a nice place to visit. Walking past the Range Rovers and BMWs in the parking lot on the way to our Honda, Mrs. G and I talked about firearms in general, and she mentioned, without endorsing, "You know, I can see you enjoying something like that, being a mechanical object that demands respect and care."

A few days later, I met up with a good friend for dinner. I pulled up on my Triumph as he stood outside the restaurant. He is incredibly inquisitive about everything, and my motorcycle guided much of our dinner conversation. 
"What would you say gives you the most joy when riding?" he asked. 
Thinking for a bit, my answer was "Ya know, I know I must have some kind of adult ADD. My mind goes all over the place, but when I'm riding, my mind is focused on one thing. Particularly when I'm lane-splitting in traffic, I feel a sense of laser-focus that nothing else gives me. I really enjoy that feeling."

He mulled a bit and said "You know, you should join me at the firing range on Sunday. I'll bring the pistols and ammo, you pay for the range time, we'll see what you think."
I did, and very interestingly, I felt that same level of focus. Everything narrowed down to my eyeball sighting down the length of the pistol at a target. I was drowning out the distraction of other guns being fired in the neighboring lanes (yes, I was wearing hearing protection). It was as if I was sighting down the opening between lanes while splitting gridlocked traffic. Everything else rolling around my brain... my job, whatever else I needed to do later that day, just melted away for that brief time. 

We had lunch afterwards, and my friend and I discussed our experience. He gazed at my CB1100 gleaming in the parking lot. 
"I imagine that motorcycle requires a lot of care, and you obviously treat it well. I imagine you'd give the same level of care to a pistol." He didn't give any statement of "You need to go get one right now!", but he knows how I think. 

Needless to say, I've done some shopping, and now have something that needs care and respect, but that I can take to my local range and get that laser-focus. My riding has changed with my job change, and I'm not riding in traffic every day. I try to find time to ride whenever I can, but that built-in brain exercise went away, and this new hobby puts some of it back. I didn't join the Blofeld club.... I joined a club near my house that is much more austere, but hey, I don't smoke many cigars anyway and my whiskey lounge is my living room.