The end of a long saga with the front end of my 2017 CB1100EX has thankfully finally come to an end. From the start, I had an annoying front end vibration that appeared around 35 to 40 MPH, and smoothed out around 50. Numerous trips to the dealer mechanic, then changed to a mechanic at another dealer, as well as numerous calls to Honda U.S.A.. The second mechanic found my front rim ( spoked ) to be out of true-out of spec both up/down and side to side. A flat spot on the front tire was also found. The rim was trued to spec, front tire replaced, wheel assembly balanced. Vibration gone.

When I am not riding it, I keep the bike on center stand. Recently I bought a Pit Bull front fork lift stand, which when used in combination with the center stand, keeps both front and rear wheels off the ground. Using the center stand, I had always been able to hand spin the rear wheel. Even dragging the chain, giving the rear wheel a hand spin resulted in 2-3 revolutions before stopping. Now using the front fork stand, I discovered that the front wheel would not even make 1 revolution, and disc drag was very audible.

The first attempt to reduce drag and produce a more free wheel was a complete hydraulic flush/new Honda fluid. It was time for new fluid anyway ( the original fluid was then about 3.5 years old ), and did the clutch as well. No change in free wheel. So, I bought all new front end caliper seals, and dropped my bike off at the dealer for a thorough clean and caliper rebuild. My hands are not as steady as they once were so I leave handling caustic brake fluids to someone with better hands than mine.

When I picked my bike up, the mechanic had a grin on his face. He held the rear end of my bike down on the center stand, elevating the front wheel. I gave it a hand spin, and the wheel spun 5-6 revolutions, with only the normal ever so slight hint of disc contact. He said when he took the calipers apart, they were clean inside, including in the grooves under the original seals, and that the caliper pistons did not have any build up that would cause sticking. The brake discs he found to be true, and not warped, which came as no surprise because my bike is low miles, and the only possibility there would have been an unlikely factory defect. He said that he was scratching his head trying to figure out what was causing the drag, and then tried something. He said he stuck a wire in the fluid passageway hole at the bottom of the master cylinder reservoir. When he did that, he said he felt resistance that he cleared and flushed. Something had been partially blocking that internal fluid passageway. Was it a manufacturing burr, or a piece of grit introduced during manufacturing? We will never know the answer to that one. He said he felt that the partial blockage was causing pressure in the system that prevented the caliper pistons from fully retracting. New seals installed, and brakes bled.

Could I have continued to ride with it as it was? Yes, I probably could have, but I knew it was not quite right. When I first discovered the excessive drag situation, I contacted my old riding buddy Jim, and asked what the wheel spin was like on his 2014 CB. When he replied that he was getting 5-6 revolutions with just the normal slight hint of disc drag, my suspicions were conformed. At the very least, a story that might be interesting, and a diversion from thinking about the Corona Virus mess. At most, if anyone else has a similar situation, and wants to correct it, I have passed on one potential cause to look at.

Not finding a fitting category but i wanted to share this with the group.
Not long ago someone pointed out that the starlink train of satellites were visible overhead and so i watched the new spectacle on a clear night, i thought it was fascinating, 60+ satellites in a line moving across the sky at low altitude and clearly visible conjured up a vision of Santa Claus on his sled with the reindeer ( i do have a wide imagination ), the whole show lasts about 5 minutes from horizon to horizon and it requires the twilight to illuminate the train but i found it fascinating to watch.
The next day i got the camera out and waited for them to appear, which they did but the timing was such that the sun was not in an optimum position and i only got the first 2 minutes of the pass before the train went into the earth's shadow.
here are the two pictures, the train is roughly in the middle, click and click + again.



and this one;



To be on time i used an app from the play store called: starlink, basic but it works.
There are ongoing launches like these for a chance to see them in the future.

I could get used to this "working from home." It was quite chilly on my Self Isolation ride this afternoon and I would have appreciated a set of heated grips.

This looks neato: https://www.rideapart.com/articles/40594...-overview/

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This thread has no purpose whatsoever except to make a few of you, and especially Cormanus, laugh. Admins should feel free to delete it at any point.

I hope you all are maintaining 6' of distance between you and any other human being, but more important, maintaining a similar distance (a little less in The Ferret's case) between your head and the pavement.

Be well.

Matt

Ok, so much for my “no riding for the duration of unpleasantries”.

Going stir crazy, beautiful day, and I had to move my cocooned CB to retrieve something from the trunk of my car.

I suggested to my wife that I go on a brief ride to survey the neighborhood and how the stores looked. She said “Ok, Omega Man, just be careful.”

No pandemonium outside the grocery stores or Costco. People out walking and riding bikes.

I paid attention to what businesses were and were not open. Some cell phone stores were closed, others were open. Oddly all of the Asian massage places looked open. Of the open stores, some had “No cash accepted” signs. Restaurants made efforts to promote take-out availability with signs and balloons out on the sidewalks.

Wonder how the massage places are still open...

So I had an old pair of expensive cashmere socks that developed a hole in one toe. Kept wearing them, hole getting bigger, but they're so comfy and warm I don't want to just toss them. Back in November, I'd been looking for another pair of gauntlet gloves to keep the 50 degree air from coming up the sleeve. Got to be January, then February, had still not bought any. I need some kind of air dam to keep that air out.... I spotted the aforementioned socks. Idea. I slit the toes open, slipped them over my hands and folded a bit of the elastic part onto my wrist, put my jacket on, and viola! Cashmere wristlets! They work great!

Hey all, poking around Craig’s, some slightly damaged ‘14 standard parts for sale in Fallbrook, which is north San Diego county.

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/mpo/...40820.html

In case anyone can use this stuff.

With all the extra time at home and normal activities interrupted, I'm interested in some MC stories. The ferret's recent post about where he rides and animals he regularly sees intrigued me.

What's the top animal you've encountered while riding a motorcycle? A quick encounter of something exotic, a top five list, a personal mc story involving an animal while riding. I'm in the mood for some stories.


[url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=15279&pid=262355#pid262355]Post: #32 from RE: Uphill battle....not!

Hi all from lock-down UK.
A couple of months ago I got a set of chrome Fehling crash bars for my 2013 cast-wheel and I thought to use this enforced period of stay-at-home to actually fit them.
Now for the life of me I can't see how the right hand side is fitted as no matter what I do, the bar that is supposed to go on the forward engine mount bolt is an inch away and there doesn't seem to be any way to manouevre it into place.
Has anybody got any step-by-step instructions please (the ones provided consist of a parts list and two photographs of the left hand side of the bike, neither of which help).
Thanks in advance and stay healthy.
Cheers
Chris