Paulibiker sold me his RC2 and it arrived yesterday in 'as new condition'.

Some general comments:

Fit and finish...Exceedingly well made with flawless paint that color matches the tank perfectly. Silver stripe is under the clear coat. Appears to be all stainless steel hardware.

Install.... was straight forward. 3 bolts (two replacement bolts..1 for each side of headlight bucket. They're tapped for another screw to go into them that holds the sides of the fairing in place. Then a lower chin bolt goes into an angle mount which in turn ties into the bolt that holds the horns in place. So, the fairing is hard mounted at three points to the bike and doesn't touch anything else including the instrument cluster. I mounted the fairing without the smoked screen on it thinking I had room to get to hold the bolts in place but that wasn't the case. Removed the fairing. Mounted the smoked screen and then reinstalled. Added 15 minutes to the process.

What the RC2 replaced....I've had a Dart Fly screen and a one-off hand-made aluminum fly screen on the bike and been exceedingly happy with how both functioned and looked. I really don't need a fairing as wind 'blast' on my chest doesn't bother me even at speeds approaching triple digits. I used the screens more to keep the bugs off the instrument clusters and for cosmetics to give the front end a sportier look

Aluminum fly screen:



Marlin Dart:



The RC2 on the bike. I also have some red side covers coming for it with the old school Honda Wing as part of the CB1100 lettering.




Riding impressions: Doesn't vibrate at speed. Had it up to the ton today and didn't notice any additional turbulence coming over the screen or hitting my helmet (I'm 6 foot even). I do believe I heard some kind of harmonic resonance at 2K to about 2.8K As a result of this I placed two thick foam rubber spaces on each side of the comet between the inside of it and the gauge cluster. Went and rode and still there. The bike was laid down by my prospective son-in-law a year or two ago on black ice and as a result the gauge cluster cracked. I glued it with 2 part epoxy and clamped it tight but there may be something inside the cluster that's doing that and maybe I just never noticed it. I'm absolutely convinced it's not the fairing. The smoked windshield seemed to flex just a very small amount at upper highway speeds around the screen at the top end where it's least supported. The rubber spacers stopped that cold. All in all very pleased with it.

Lastly...The RC2 Aesthetics are top notch in my estimation.

I haven't been a photo posting hog in a while ... busy with a big work project, and then it was time to take some time off and ... RIDE!

Was waiting for a clear weather report after much rain and storms down here in Texas ... finally saw an opening in September 14th, so loaded up my top case, put my work email on vacation autoreply, and hit the pavement.



Starting in McKinney, Texas ... my usual country route to Heavener, Oklahoma, going through Van Alstyne, Whitewright, Monkstown, Direct, Arthur City, and then across the Red River to Oklahoma ... Hugo, Antlers, Clayton and the Talimena Scenic Drive.



I made it to Heavener in time for the all-you-can-eat catfish night at the Southern Belle, a restaurant railcar. Highly recommended, along with the Green Country Inn right across the street.





Didn't sleep well, so road out early through the mist and fog on 128 east, a lovely road ...





... to hook up with 71 to 23 north to Eureka Springs, and the famous Pig Trail. My favorite motel with retro 70s waterbeds and jacuzzi tubs was closed (sad panda) but Priceline'd a deal at the Apple Blossom Inn, which had a lovely view out the window into the woods behind it.



Some locals came over for dinner behind the hotel ...



The Eureka Springs area, for those not familiar, is an automotive playground, with lots of twisty roads and beautiful scenery, along with a very European historic downtown area.



Many car and bike clubs hold meets there (including, at least once, this one). The infamous 23 tends to get a bit crowded, so I like to play around on 21, 16 and 123 instead. I did this one route in a day ...



With tags in Missouri and Arkansas borders ...





Apparently Eureka Springs is popular with Shaggy and Scooby Doo ...



Eureka Springs attracts some other celebrities. She wanted to ride on the back, but insisted on juggling her infant along the way, so I turned her down.



Continued on next post ...
This funky old motorcycle shop is apparently for sale. Lots of interesting parts inside, and great service reviews on social media.



My Bridgestone front tire was hitting the wear marks at 5000 miles, but unfortunately they didn't have anything that fit in stock. Some calling around lead me to this Honda dealer in Springfield, Missouri (they were open on a Monday unlike most shops) ... highly recommended ... they had a Dunlop in my size in stock, and did the installation in 45 minutes while I waited for a very reasonable price. Very friendly folks, very clean shop, nice waiting area.





I stopped by Branson, Missouri along the way (aka The Flyover Vegas) ... did the Toy Museum, and found yet another Shaggy van ...



It was getting hot and humid, so I took a break underground for a cheesy and overpriced cave tour ...



After my tire install, I took 125 just east of Missouri south back to Arkansas ... a very fun, twisty road with barely any traffic. Plus you get a free ferry ride across the border to Arkansas.



Apparently a private charter ... no other vehicles were going across at the time ...



I ended up following 14 southeast, then hooking up to 5, and made my way to a cheap Priceline motel in Jacksonville, so I could meet a client for a free lunch in Little Rock. With some stops for pictures ...









Unfortunately, the good weather wasn't going to last ... so I had two days to high-tail it home. The client let me stay in a very swank lakehouse owned by her family on the west side of Hot Springs, so I flopped there before the last leg home.

From Little Rock I took 5 at Benton to 7, to 70 through Hot Springs (kinda touristy and too hot to walk around much), then in the morning I found 227 and 270 (break in Crystal Springs) then 27 to 8 back through Talimena Scenic Drive which I blasted through (empty except for an old Model T going the other way) ... then I stopped at the Choctaw nation capital for a little museum tour (I was the lone visitor) ...



... and pretty much made it back home through Texas the way I came.



Had to stop for 30 minutes in a gas station while a thunderstorm passed, but made it home somewhat dry. About 1800 miles total. Wish it could have gone longer, but maybe someday ...

Oh, and I lost count of how many times I had to answer the question, "What year is that bike?" It received lots and lots of compliments.

did anybody use this site?I would like to buy YYS rear shocks,
thanks.

https://japan.webike.net/HONDA/CB1100/YSS/311/856/mb/

What's the horsepower rating? 86-88hp?

Whatever it is, this bike delivers it nicely. When I first began riding the CB, I shifted at very low rpms. I mean, low.

And I probably still do, in contrast to how many owners ride their traditional in line fours from years past.

However, this engine isn't a 1980 design. It seems that rolling it up to approx 5000 rpm in first and second gets me to a respectable cruising speed quickly. And 2nd gear, at 6000rpm shows 60mph. Yet she'll move out smartly in a higher gear from 2000 rpm.

When I'm in a good mood, this bike is a hoot to run up in 2nd and 3rd gear. Unfortunately, in 3rd, I'm way over the legal limit! And over in 2nd as well.

By now, you've probably gathered that I don't have a history riding UJM fours.

This is a versatile machine.

Bob

Drove ( yea I know..still not cleared to ride), a great road today thanks to Sporster Doc. RT 14 in Utah between 89 and Cedar City. What a great road... Also drove 89, 148 thru Cedar Breaks, and 143. Every one a great motorcycle road.

Man I miss my motorcycle.

Another beautiful late summer day in wine country, had to put a few more miles on the CB. The crush has just begun to get under way, trucks with wine grapes sharing the road with me, smell of fermentation in the air, 3 counties and 4 valleys. Can it get much better?

I tried to purchase a 2017 CB1100 Factory Service Manual (FSM) from my Honda dealer and they were not able to find one to sell me. They contacted the factory to ask if one was available, and they were told the only FSM available was for the 2014 model. Has anybody out there purchased a 2017 CB1100 FSM by any chance? I am wondering if maybe the 2014 FSM has been updated to include information (like the Dual Bending Valve forks) for the 2017 models. Am I the only one looking for a 20167 FSM?

Hi,

Does anyone have experience with the c50t? I keep seeing nice ones at really low prices. I like the idea of a two-up cruiser that weighs less than 700 lbs.

This past weekend my wife and I visited the Portland Art Museum to catch an exhibit just before it ended. I'm really glad that we went. The exhibit titled "The Shape Of Speed", featured 19 vehicles that were part of the Streamline Design movement of the 1930s and early 1940s. Two of those vehicles happened to be motorcycles so I thought that I would post a few photos.

The first motorcycle is a modified 1930 Henderson KJ that was constructed in 1935. This creation was dubbed a Henderson KJ Streamline. It's powered by a 1200 cc inline four that produced 40 hp and featured a 3-speed manual transmission. The standard wheels were replaced with a pair of 10" wheels. The front and rear suspension were both heavily modified to accept the custom bodywork. The bodywork, created out of steel, was shaped by hand using a power hammer. The Streamline weighs in at an estimated 500 lbs. This bike was just one of one produced. This concept machine was obviously quite impractical.



The second motorcycle was a 1934 BMW R7. This is another one-of-a-kind concept motorcycle and I found it to be rather stunning. BMW showed this concept machine just a few times following its construction. But they realized that it would be simply too expensive to produce at that point in time. At some point it was crated it back up and forgotten, only to be rediscovered almost 70 years later in 2005 when it was restored by BMW themselves.

The R7 featured an 800cc twin cylinder boxer engine that made 35 hp. The transmission was a 4-speed manual. The estimated weight is a spry 350 lbs.






The cars that were on display were even more mind boggling. I'm sure that there are plenty of other photos of this exhibit floating around elsewhere on the web.

I’m sure people have noticed that the new CB1100 come with completely sealed (seamless/welded) pipes. Any suggestions on ho to modify the mufflers to make them a little louder??

I looked through the end opening and found an area that could have a hole drilled in. Anyone tried that?