Hey folks I’m looking for a little assistance with my 2017 CB. I ran over a nail or screw and had to have the rear tire and tube replaced at about 2300 miles or so. The tire and tube was replaced, and after riding it for a couple of days I noticed a new odd vibration that seemed to be coming from the rear tire. Hoping it was just because the tire was new I ignored it for a while, but it didn’t go away.
I brought it back to the mechanic and they said the new tire they installed was cracked and the front was scalloped, to get rid of the vibration both would need to be replaced with a discount due to the fact the tire they replaced was part of the issue. After a long wait I got the bike back and the problem was noticeable after a couple of hundred miles again.
I noticed the rear brake caliper seems to be loose but when trying to see if the bolts were loose it appears to be tight. Is it normal for the caliper to move slightly on the rear brake? Also the vibration is noticeable from 45mph-60 or 70, anything after that I’m getting blown all over the place and it’s hard to notice. Thanks for any guidance!

Hi guys,
Got a set of custom headers that came with my bike that I didn’t use. Confused on how and why the previous owner made them, very similar to the yoshimura system style, nonetheless they exist and need a home. If anyone has any use for them give me a shout! Located in Sydney


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I want to buy this fairing but would also like to buy an extra wind screen at the same time but can’t find any info anywhere for a replacement screen.

"Honda’s patents show that the bike is simply an electric-powered version of the existing CB125R and CB300R—the smallest models in the firm’s Neo-Sports Café range, with styling to match the CB1000R and CB650R. It shares the CB’s frame, styling, suspension, wheels, and brakes, but switches the original four-stroke single for an electric motor."

[url=https://www.cycleworld.com/story/bikes/honda-cb-electric-preview/]Story at Cycleworld

I just got the 32,000mi service wrapped up in my garage. Since this is the fourth time I've done this job on the CB1100, I've learned a few things along the way (usually the hard way) that ought be passed along to those doing their own service.

The Honda Service Manual is great, but to get started, it refers you to a prerequisite step, which refers you to another step, which refers you to another step, which refers you to yet another... it's maddening. I made a little sheet listing the steps as the manual presents them, but added little numbers on the left of each step in the order you actually need to do them (along with page numbers on the right). Now all I do is go (1) - (10). See the posted picture.

DO NOT take the cam chain tension off before turning the crank over by hand and measuring all the valve clearances as specified by the manual. Turning the engine over with no tension could cause you to skip a tooth on a cam sprocket, then you have to remove the cams even if all your valves are in spec. This is a redundant step anyway--it's listed later in the manual on in the cam removal process where it should be. Anyway, if you have no need to remove the cams because your valves are in spec, there is no need to do this step before taking measurements.

Next, I finally found the trick to getting the valve cover out of the frame without uttering dark oaths for 20min. It's the throttle cables and the main wire harness on the left frame tube that are making things difficult. A little pushing/nudging of the cables and harness while working the thing loose makes the job far easier. Be sure to put some duct or other thick tape on areas that interfere with the removal to avoid scratches.

Once the cover is off, locate the four tiny o-rings that go on the valve cover alignment dowels and take them off if they are not already on the floor. Leave these o-rings off until you have the cover back on later, then lift the cover a little and re-install them. If you try to install the cover with them on the dowels, they can (and will) fall into the engine! A bad thing, and huge waste of time to recover them so they don't clog an oil return passage or something worse.

There is no reason to remove the sprocket on the exhaust cam, ever. Leave it on. The intake sprocket has to come off to remove the cams because Honda didn't see fit to make the timing chain one link longer so the cams could come out whole after taking the chain tension off. Huh This leads to a lot of frustration when re-installing and trying to line everything up for proper timing. Anyway, you don't need to remove the exhaust sprocket.

Also, if the only valves that need adjusting are on the intake side, don't even remove the exhaust cam or loosen its holders. If the exhaust cam does have to come out, then both have to come out.

When reinstalling the cams, line up the exhaust cam timing mark "EX" first, then work on the intake side. Note there are 44 timing chain link PINS BETWEEN the "EX" and "IN" timing marks on the two sprockets when installed correctly. You can verify this before you pull the cams out. If you guess the position of the intake sprocket and then start to tighten things down in hopes of good alignment, you will guess wrong one tooth too far, then one tooth to close, about a dozen times. After you get the exhaust cam back in and lined up, you could even count off 44 pins and make #44 pin black with a marker so you can easily put the intake sprocket in correctly the first time. Don't worry, the ink will be long gone by the time you open the engine up again 8,000mi later.

Speaking of cam holders, they come off easy but during install you are invariably fighting a number of lobes pushing against valve springs, so you can't turn the bolts with your fingers and using a ratchet takes all day because of the tight work space and the gradual criss-cross pattern you have to use to avoid breaking something. Use a bit driver with a long extension and a swivel joint just above a six point 10mm socket. You can work from above the frame and have the holder bolts all tight in minutes. Be sure to final tighten with a small torque wrench.

Before putting the valve cover on, be sure to look at the cam lobes on cylinder 1 one more time to make sure the lobes are facing away from each other when #1 is TDC (compression stroke). See the second photo attached. It is possible to put a cam sprocket on 180 deg out of phase. Doing so will give the correct timing mark positions, but the bike wont run with both cams in exact phase (intake and exhaust valves opening and closing at the same time). I learned this on the 8,000mi service and got to remove EVERTHING a second time, including the cams, for extra credit.

Finally, the spark plugs are very easy to swap while everything is off the top end. It's a tight fit otherwise.

If I think of anything else, I'll post a reply to this thread.

Of note, four intake and two exhaust valves were at the loose end of the service limit so I put the next thicker size shim in all 6 to bring them back to the center of the range. It sounds like a precision instrument now--perfect.

   

            

Wrong head photo. I'll look for the correct one.

I was just installing a new air filter on my 2014 STD and noticed the wire harness directly below the air clearer housing was being scrubbed by the swingarm and worn through.

After some investigating, I found that the harness stay that is located a few inches below the air cleaner housing had popped out of its bracket and was allowing the harness to relax against the side of the swingarm which, as you are aware is a moving part... If the wrong wire gets worn through and grounded, the engine could stop mid-turn, and that would certainly be bad.

Anyway, when you have the right side cover off, check your wire harness stay to make sure its still attached to the frame and that the harness running down from there isn't contacting the swingarm.

Had this "hand numbness" problem after long rides of an hour or more. I guess the engine vibration/buzz were causing the numbness.

Since I could not go to the root cause (redesigning the engine for less vibration) of the problem, I reinforced the handle bar (path of engine vibration transmission) rigidness by installing a crossbar across the handlebar.
By doing so the issue was resolved, I did not feel any numbness anymore after a few long rides.
The crossbar served 2 purposes (multipurpose application):
1: Reinforce the handlebar
2: A point of attach for the DashCam

Regards
Alain Lee

Anyone have insights or experiences with the speed master ? Been looking for a more relaxed riding position.

The Cormanus Chronicles—Central New South Wales

Compared to other countries, Australia has had it easy during the COVID-19 virus; our infection and death rates have been relatively low and strict restrictions have, in most states, been brief. That’s not to say that it mightn’t all get worse. For a brief moment we thought things were easing then one state (Victoria) suffered (and continues to at the time of writing) another major outbreak. Restrictions have again tightened.

One of the ways we’ve managed is controlling movements between states. My state, Queensland, has been one of the strictest, shutting its border early. So far, touch wood, so good, although we continue to prevent access to folk from other states. As I write it seems likely the border will remain closed to New South Wales and Victoria until the end of the year.

During July there was a happy moment when the infection rate fell to an insignificant level. The Queensland Government re-opened the border. Pterodactyl and I decided a ride would be agreeable and that we might even be able modestly to augment the tourist incomes of some small towns while we did so. We set a date and place to meet and agreed we’d make a final decision the day before departing.

Victoria erupted and Queensland again closed the border to Victorians or people who’d been there. That was okay because we weren’t going anywhere near the place. Then there was an outbreak in Sydney and Queensland prevented people from greater Sydney from entering the state. Still OK, although there were concerns about the NSW situation and an expectation that the border might again be closed. I wasn’t keen on that because, if I got caught away from home, I’d have to pay for mandatory quarantine for at least two weeks.

On the afternoon of Sunday 2 August, there was no evidence of COVID-19 in any area we proposed visiting, so we agreed to meet as planned in Wauchope, Central New South Wales during the afternoon of the following day. The broad plan would see us riding three days together before heading home on the Friday.

The Map
[url=https://postimg.cc/Ty8hV1Tn]

As usual there’s a [url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J95cccxJbxG_-4on9_J-l-x993_aLNEU&ll=-28.85084708370312%2C151.94526961087857&z=7]link to the map of the route here. Days can be toggled on and off.

Day 1
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[url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J95cccxJbxG_-4on9_J-l-x993_aLNEU&ll=-30.685099491068453%2C153.047554011794&z=7]Link

I had slightly more than 600 kilometres to ride, so I left home just after 0600 on a crisp morning. It was cool enough to warrant thermals for which I was very grateful. I’d hoped to stop for breakfast at the Sphinx Rock Café just over the NSW border, but it’s closed permanently. Maybe a casualty of COVID-19. So I kept going, thinking to stop a little further on at [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimbin,_New_South_Wales]Nimbin. Should you follow the link, you’ll see that Nimbin is well known for its ‘cannabis counterculture’. I decided stopping might give a whole new meaning to ‘hash brown’. Even were I keen, it was a little early in the day, so I pressed on to Casino where I’d need to refuel.

It was chilly, but it’s a lovely ride from Murwillumbah, through Nimbin to Casino. It’s less appealing, but not heavily trafficked from Casino to Grafton. I kept going over the new road bridge in Grafton and followed the quiet Orara Way to Coramba where I detoured for a few quick kilometres up and down the splendid Ulong road. I felt I deserved it as a small consolation for a relatively flat, straight day’s riding.

Joining the highway at Coffs Harbour, I found another pretty detour south of Macksville, but it was only about 30 kms long and I was soon back on the highway. Can’t complain though. It was a lovely day and I made good time. It was very unlike the last time I’d headed along that route to meet Pterodactyl when it had rained intermittently and I’d been punching into 30-40 km headwinds.

I arrived in good time. We took pre-dinner drinks in the Wauchope pub and then wandered around the road to the country club for dinner.

Over dinner we did some planning, agreeing that organising to ride up the Gwydir highway from Grafton to Glenn Innes was a must. That firm agreement was shaken about an hour later when I looked at the weather forecast for the rest of the week and saw that Friday (the day we were to ride to our respective homes) promised rain from north of Brisbane to south of Sydney. It took only a few minutes to decide we’d cut a day off the trip as the prospect of a full day’s riding through what threatened to be solid rain did not appeal to either of us.

Day 2

[url=https://postimages.org/]
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J95cccxJbxG_-4on9_J-l-x993_aLNEU&ll=-30.685099491068453%2C153.047554011794&z=7]Link

Many say the Oxley Highway for 50 or so kilometres from west of Long Flat to the top of the Great Dividing Range is the best motorcycle road in Australia. It ticks a few boxes: generally, it has an excellent surface, the road is well marked and there are plenty of advisory signs, the bush is very attractive when the motorcyclist can find a moment to look at it, it twists and turns constantly as it climbs, and it’s plain good fun. Sport bike riders may contend that the speed limit is ridiculously restrictive; for my part I couldn’t ride most of it at much more than the posted limit. It also boasts the Gingers Creek Café, which I feel obliged to visit as it’s in the middle of nowhere and can only survive on passing trade. It sometimes has petrol too which can be a lifesaver. We were a little worried that the combination of bushfires earlier in the year and COVID-19 might have forced it to close, but our host at the Wauchope Motel assured us it was open.

Thus is was that the plan to find our way north to ride up the Gwydir was thwarted by the fact that it was a glorious day, the Oxley beckoned and we could have breakfast at Ginger’s Creek.

[url=https://postimages.org/]
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J95cccxJbxG_-4on9_J-l-x993_aLNEU&ll=-30.685099491068453%2C153.047554011794&z=7]Link—this is the fun bit of the Oxley with the Gingers Creek Café shown at point B.

It was a glorious ride up to Gingers Creek and as we passed the rest area at Stockyard Creek, just over a kilometre down the hill from the café, I was really looking forward to breakfast and a cup of coffee. Which, I suppose, is why the café was firmly closed with a sad, abandoned look about it.

It’s another 81 kilometres to the Walcha Royal Café with the first 24 kilometres being fun and the rest being a long, straight, undulating run across the plateau. At least it has a speed limit of 110 kph (about as good as it gets in Australia) so it’s possible to make good time.

When we came out of the tree line and onto the plateau, it was glorious and sunny but there was a stiff and very cold westerly wind blowing straight at us. By the time we arrived at Walcha, I was cold and hungry and contemplating life without motorcycling.

A hot breakfast, coffee, and a seat in the sun cheered me up. An agreeable bloke on a snappy R9T arrived and told us Gingers Creek Café was always closed on Tuesday. Harrumph!

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A fearsome dragon-like creature, made of old bits and pieces of agricultural equipment, inhabits the garden at the Walcha Royal Café. It’s not nearly as flash as its cousin at Deals Gap.

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CBs at the Royal Café

Warmer, happier and with a plan, we set off west on the Oxley Highway. I wanted to refer to a ride Pterodactyl and I did in early 2017 when we rode the same road, but I couldn’t find it. Apparently, I never wrote it. Anyway, the 2017 ride was on a very hot January afternoon and we thought to ride to Bendemeer. The road was so uninteresting we turned off for Woollun near the [url=https://goo.gl/maps/8CQyW4Wm6MMkTudm8]Walcha Road Hotel, thereby missing a most agreeable stretch of road. Not this time.

Refuelling at Bendemeer, we set off into the countryside not sure what we would find, but having agreed that, if we found gravel, we’d turn around and find another way. The road started most agreeably, winding its way alongside the Macdonald River. We made good progress but it soon, turned to gravel and looked awfully like it was going to be like that for a goodly distance. We turned back and then up another road that Google said would get us where we wanted to be. More gravel.

We retraced our steps to the New England Highway which we took to Uralla where we again turned left in search of the Copeton Dam. It was a pleasant, quick ride through bush and farmland. There were no truly memorable stretches of road but it was way more fun than a highway.

Just after 3 pm we found ourselves at Bundara where we stopped for fuel. It was a tiny town, but there was a pub and the smoke from the chimney looked attractive. It was cooling down and stopping for the night appealed. But the pub was full of shearers. That was, I confess, slightly surprising, but a good thing, both for the publican and the local community. We decided to leave Copeton and make our way to Bingara (where we’d been heading after Copeton) before Skippy and his relatives came out to play.

The final kilometres into Bingara, down through the hills and alongside the Gwydir River was a great little ride to end the day. The Imperial Hotel had a room, undercover parking for the bikes, beer, an excellent fire and was serving food. What could be better?

Day 3

[url=https://postimages.org/]
[url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J95cccxJbxG_-4on9_J-l-x993_aLNEU&ll=-30.685099491068453%2C153.047554011794&z=7]Link

The plan was to get breakfast and then spend the day mooching around ending with a night in Walcha. That was derailed when we saw the forecast overnight temperature in Walcha was to be -5ºC. That may not be cold to those of a North American persuasion, but it sure is to me. It also carries a risk of early morning frost which, with a long ride ahead needing an early start, is not attractive. Pterodactyl and I displayed our usual commitment to the plan and decided it was back to Wauchope for the night. I rang David, mine host at the [url=https://wauchopemotel.com]Wauchope Motor Hotel, and booked a room.

Pterodactyl rode along the street and checked his tyres as he was complaining of a slight leak in the front.
[url=https://postimg.cc/1gZ5gdKH]

I stared wistfully up the frantically busy main street of Bingara.
[url=https://postimg.cc/z3dBd0Jz]

We took coffee and a snack at the local bakery, reflecting, as we sat in the sun outside watching the activity, that country folk deal much better with constraints than their city counterparts.

Retracing the previous evening’s delightful ride we came to [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copeton_Dam]Copeton Dam It’s pretty spectacular, although there wasn’t nearly as much water in it as I’d hoped. The authority that manages it reported it was at 15.7% capacity.
[url=https://postimg.cc/KRRYCBzn]

[url=https://postimg.cc/t7RJtLGv]

We stopped only to take photos and then pressed on to Inverell where we stopped for fuel before heading again for Bundarra, after which we retraced our steps from the previous day. There was a reasonably stiff westerly again, but it was largely behind us. Even so, once we left Uralla for the 40-kilometre ride to Walcha the temperature dropped appreciably.

Fuel and coffee and food (an excellent home-made pie) in Walcha.
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Outside the Walcha Royal Café again

After lunch there was nothing for it but to retrace our route to Wauchope. I can report that it was much more agreeable crossing the plateau with the wind at our tail. I can also report that the Gingers Creek Café was open and sold us a cup of tea and an enormous [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_biscuit]Anzac biscuit. There were other bikes there, including an early model 4-cylinder 250cc Kawasaki. The young bloke didn’t have much money and had lovingly restored it, including an excellent paint job all done with rattle cans. Did I take a photo? Nah.

We then had a good run down the wonderful Oxley Highway, passing our man on his Kawasaki who had reported to Pterodactyl that he was having a problem with it. His mate on a new-ish Honda CB500F was pulled over waiting for the Kwaka, but he found it necessary to give chase and show a couple of old men he was quicker. Then he stopped again.

While we enjoyed a couple of beers in our room, news arrived that the Queensland border would close to New South Wales at midnight on Friday, confirming the wisdom of starting for home a day early. I’d have a day up my sleeve if something went wrong. Then it was out for good pizzas at an Italian restaurant, The Terracotta Trattoria. A nightcap at the Hastings Hotel capped off yet another excellent day.

Day 4

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[url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1J95cccxJbxG_-4on9_J-l-x993_aLNEU&ll=-30.685099491068453%2C153.047554011794&z=7]Link

I continue to be pleased we made the trip to Wauchope. The price of a less interesting ride home was well worth paying. It was hovering around 0ºC at the bottom of the hill in the morning and was said to have been -7ºC at Walcha.

I downloaded and completed the documentation I’d need to get back across the border. We took coffee and food at the local café and walked outside to gear up and say farewell.

[url=https://postimg.cc/gL00z6Kb]

Frankly, this is not what I want to see when I approach the bike. It meant I had to make an undignified descent to hands and knees to make sure it hadn’t fallen off the bike. If it had, I still don’t know where it came from. I hope it was someone else’s vehicle and that they found it where I left it: on the edge of the gutter at Wauchope.

After that we said our farewells and headed for home.

There’s little to say. Day 1 backwards to Casino. Then I followed the Summerland Way to the border where I hoped (rightly) that there’d be less traffic. Plus it’s a good fun ride from Kyogle to Rathdowney.

I stopped at the border as directed by the police officer. He looked at me and then at the bike.

“CB1100,” he said, “nice bike.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

He then asked me the questions he needed to; inspected the declaration on my phone and waved me on.

I stopped once for fuel and was home just before dark.

Some statistics

I was away for 4 days, rode a total of 2,123 kilometres, used 103.39 litres of fuel at a cost of AU$124 with average fuel consumption of 5.07 L/100 kms.

I got to travel interstate, a rarity in Australia in the midst of COVID-19, and ride once more with my mate, Pterodactyl.

And … it rained solidly for much of Friday.

OK, so Im about to buy a new set of tyres and looking at the very small selection here in South Oz I'll probably go either the Bridgestone T31's or Pirelli Angel GT's.

(Also found Dunlop RoadSmart III avaliable in 120Fr 150Rr )

Ive seen some of you guys put wider fronts and rears so Im considering my options:

Standard 110/80/18 Fr 140/70/18 Rr

Larger 120/70/18 Fr 160/60/18 Rr

Mixed 110/80/18 Fr 160/60/18 Rr

The Pirellis Angel's only come in a 120 Fr and 160 Rr at my local tyreshop

Any one have oversized or oversized combos they like or dislike?

Cheers
(Thanks for the PM help Corm)