I just bought (eBay) a Vanson sportrider jacket on eBay. I can’t believe the weight and quality of this jacket. I had almost the same jacket many years ago in textile but the leather in this jacket is amazing. I plan on adding the streamlined vest for chilly days. The jacket has double leather in the elbows and shoulders but no CE armor. Vanson has several armor options so I have some questions.

Would you go with the hard armor or street armor which is more flexible and rated CE1? Clearly street doesn’t protect as well but it would be much more comfortable.

Would you get Vanson armor or buy from another company? I thought that the Vanson jackets had Velcro in them to accept armor but that appears to be true for the back only. So regardless where I get the armor I will need to fashion some pockets to secure the armor.

Let me know your thoughts. So far, love the jacket.

I've been wanting one ever since I sat on one couple years ago at a local dealership. But it was priced beyond my budget. I planned on getting a used one but these rarely come up for sale and when they do they usually have a whole bunch of mods I dislike. But luckily for me, prices have dropped enough on leftover 2014s to pull the trigger.





However it wasn't going to be that easy. None of the local dealers had one in stock and the nearest dealer with a leftover 2014 was 3 hours away. I considered just riding it home but previous experience (full story for another day) taught me well that new bike and new roads is not a good combination. After much googling and deliberation I figured a U-Haul trailer is the way to go. Not wasting another minute, I made a deal with the dealership over the phone, booked the trailer and sold the CB300F next morning. And then I had to wait three days for Sunday.





I never towed anything ever in my life before. I was very nervous about the whole thing, particularly given the precious cargo. U-Haul staff were super helpful as always. They hooked the trailer up in no time and I was on my way. Getting to the dealership was uneventful. Once paperwork was all done, I had the dealership staff load and tie the bike down for me as I didn't trust myself. And still I was so worried about the bike falling over on rough roads, I drove no more than 50mph all the way. I'm sure I annoyed a lot of other drivers on the road but I simply couldn't take a chance. Along the way, I developed a new appreciation for truck drivers and their merging skill. But I made it home, without any incidents. And trailer proved to be a very cost effective way to transport a motorcycle.



It was evening by the time I reached home and it was already a very long day. So I just got the bike off the trailer and parked in the garage. I went to work next morning but couldn't stop thinking about getting home and riding the CB for the first time ever. I was literally daydreaming all day. Not to mention, nothing got done at work that day. It was dusk by the time I reached home. I got the bike out, checked the tire pressures and turned it on. Odometer showed 8. I warmed the bike up and took off. The next 20 minutes of my life rank right up there with the one time I drove a Boxster Spyder in the mountains of Carmel and the time I drove a rental Gallardo for two hours.



What an experience it was, this bike is so unique compared to everything else I rode before. It just goes with absolutely zero fuss. No hesitation, not noise, no nothing. It just goes, with no effort, either on my part or engine's. I am not new to low end torque (owned a '04 VFR for many years) and I not new to speed either. But the CB delivers both in it's own unique way. And I am so glad I didn't buy one of those used CB's with aftermarket tail pipes because I adore how quiet this thing is. I am also glad I ignored all those reviews that said CB is characterless compared to Thruxton and such.

This one's a keeper.

Thinking about selling my Samurider fairing. IDK just like the look naked....

Sparky's CB got new S W Motech risers installed yesterday. Very simple install that only required cutting the right side plastic tie on the wiring cable. She now has a more upright position at the bars. So far, new seat, risers, highway pegs next (on order from Revzilla).

This project started out while we were camping. Most of the kids were riding around in electric scooters. Decided a gas powered minibike would be cool & different.

Frame was made from spare metal in the shop.
Bought a HF 3hp/79cc engine. Wheels, clutch, brake, chain, throttle, brake lever & pegs were bought through eBay.

Size is a bit smaller than a conventional minibike because one of my grandkids is kinda small for his age. The CT70 handlebars allows for larger rides (3 other grandkids).

some photos

[url=http://s1231.photobucket.com/user/VWMX5Ray/media/99FF01D1-F9CB-4D7B-951D-4A3F9D846471_zps73pavhf5.jpeg.html]

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[url=http://s1231.photobucket.com/user/VWMX5Ray/media/879A5404-956D-4D5E-803E-EDA095194E83_zpsuqxknatb.jpeg.html]

[url=http://s1231.photobucket.com/user/VWMX5Ray/media/EC22DA2B-89BF-477D-A305-840C76C74330_zpsux8hz4up.jpeg.html]

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I've been reading lots of posts lately where it seems the person posting is at least 70 years old -- and at least one (Rocky) into his 80's

I'm 74 years old and have been riding about 50 years -- even did the Iron Butt (1100 miles in 19 hours) a couple years ago. I expect I'll be riding at least several more years -- just sold my Wide Glide and bought a Honda Fury to go along with my CB1100.

How about all you old-timers taking a little time to give a little of your history, number of years riding, memorable experiences, hopes for the future, or anything else that pops into your minds...

Let's make this inspirational for those younger riders...

I will post here a collection of boring videos of a CB1100 hundred chasing a Mini Cooper all over the blue ridge mountains. there won't be any sound because I discovered early on that the sound consisted entirely of wind noise. cheap camera. what can i say?

first up: A CB in an environment not altogether suited to it. who needs an ADV bike?

https://youtu.be/xalyhRptLKQ
next up: A CB chasing a Mini Cooper up Hwy 276 at moderate speeds

https://youtu.be/cOdSKlGYOTA

Afterwards, some time was spent on the BRP. actually, A lot of time was spent on the BRP, but i wasn't about to record all of it. Here's a stretch of road we ran almost entirely uninterrupted by slow drivers.

https://youtu.be/RDZpAZ3WLzE
our run on hwy 80 (the Devil's Whip) was not recorded due to technical difficulties.
Finally, one of a couple of runs we did on 226A, the Diamondback. This was the only one that was almost entirely unencumbered. i'm not the fastest rider, but this felt really good.

https://youtu.be/mEGfQeJq5xA

Hi there,

I just bought a K&N air filter and I wonder if I received the right part…

It is supposed to be the HA-1301 but as you can see the inside diameter is smaller than stock:

[url=http://s1253.photobucket.com/user/npasquali/media/IMG_0399_zpss95szltq.jpg.html]

Is it the right one and if so what did you do to be able to put the snorkel back properly (or the TSR air funnel) ?

Thanks

Let's all wish the best for our friends in the Coastal Carolina! They're going to have a rough time in the next few days.

Hi all, In my search for highway pegs for my new CB1100 I discovered these Rivco Pegs. I mounted them yesterday and am very happy with the look, fit and quality. They come in black or chrome. They mount to the 1.5 inch diameter downtubes of the frame just below the engine guard mounting holes. I was looking for pegs that didn't require engine guards.
The model # for the black ones is HD004BK and the model # for the chrome ones is HD004