1All my life, I have worn Levi 501, button-fly jeans. They fit me in all ways, including a silly delight I have buttoning them up as opposed to using a zipper like a grown man should. 

For all their virtues, abrasion protection during a motorcycle accident is minimal with Levi’s. The challenge for me was to find a pair of motorcycle jeans that were equally comfortable, gave me the same quirky delight when I put them on, allowed me to be comfortable entering a coffee house wearing them, and would protect me from nasty road rash. If I could also score some impact protection for my hips and knees, that would be great bonus. Finally, I did not want to be turned into a walking billboard because of excessive branding.

Roadskin was the answer for me. From their website:

“A UK family ran company, selling CE approved single layer and fully lined amoured motorcycle jeans with Kevlar. Our award-winning, classic biker gear is comfortable enough to be worn throughout the day but engineered to save your skin.”

https://roadskin.co.uk/

I purchased a pair of Taranis jeans:

https://roadskin.co.uk/products/taranis-...s-in-black

They are everything I had hoped for and more. The woven material has the feel of a traditional jean but has the strength and protection of Kevlar. The SATRA Technology Centre rated them AAA, which to the best of my knowledge is the highest rating.

They have a mesh lining which helps with ventilation as well as providing a buffer so that skin does not tear when a slide begins. There are sizing instructions on the website which are easy to follow. In my case, my Levi 501 jean size is also the size for my Taranis Motorcycle jeans.

I have tremendous respect for family owned businesses and often find they take a great deal of pride in what they do. Roadskin definitely reflects that commitment. Because I am a motorcycle-jean-knucklehead, I had a lot of questions. They were patient and even seemed delighted I was interested in the details. Customer service was outstanding when I managed to screw up my first order, too. 

Their packaging created a moment, harkening back to the early days of cruisers:



In my entire life, I have held only two garments which had Kevlar. Both were stiff and rough. The Taranis Jean is soft. The stitching is outstanding. The weight is “right.”





The weave contains

* 48% Cotton
* 26.8% Kevlar
* 19.4% PE
* 3.2% Cordura
* 2.6% Lycra

The lining is equally well done:



The jeans ship with Level 2 hip and knee armour. It is traditional armour which is a little stiff However, I upgraded to RHEON armour which is equally strong but much more flexible. When I rode to work, it was easy to get on and off the CB1100. Very comfortable. I wore the jeans in the office for the day. I completely forgot about the armour. It moves and bends with you but can be counted on to protect when something strikes you. Here are a few pictures with both armour types:





I have not researched the materials and manufacturing process for the “Smurf” inspired armour yet, but I did find this test impressive:

https://youtu.be/5hAxqSsE72U?si=ZyloAIaWVeVWG2oH

The jeans “work” with the rest of my gear:





I hope these jeans will be pristine for the next 20-30 years and never, ever touch the asphalt. Time will tell.

I have tremendous respect for everyone who has joined the CB1100 Forum and shared their riding experiences. It has inspired me to ride more. My recent purchases give me the comfort I need to feel like I have managed the risks well.

As always, I welcome your feedback and insights. Thanks for sharing. 

May 2025 be good for you and those you love. Be safe.

I may have errored on the side of caution and possibly over-reacted a bit. I am prone to both when it comes to my motorcycle. Here is my situation.

In my neighborhood, every piece of ground which is not designated as a park or a memorial will eventually have a townhome built upon it. The level of construction is both astonishing and concerning, because it appears that California no longer requires contractors to cover trucks or make any effort to prevent gravel and stone from falling onto the road and taking flight. Trash and nails appear to also no longer be a concern.

Between my home and work, it appears that COSTCO is building the Mother of all COSTCOs. A steady flow of trucks and workers are ripping up the streets, installing conduit, pouring cement, and doing all things which make for a great discount shopping experience but also adds plenty of debris on the road.

At my office, the landlord has opted to install solar panels in all the parking lots which surround our building. Although I will be delighted to park underneath them, I find myself now dealing with more gravel, more sand, more debris, and more stuff which could possibly damage the oil cooler on my CB1100EX.

Despite the taxes we pay to maintain them, California highways are often less than pristine.

As I review prior posts, there is a divide amongst the brethren of the Forum. Some believe that a modest investment in a mesh oil cooler guard is reasonable when the exposure merits special consideration or the aesthetic strikes a chord with the owner. Others are astounded that someone who has the good judgment to buy a CB1100 could be lulled into waisting money on an oil cooler guard which has absolutely no value other than separating a fool from his money.

Today, I may have been foolish because I did install a R&G Oil Cooler Guard on my motorcycle. It arrived properly packed and took about 15 minutes to install. It is made of pressed aluminum, has a lovely finish, and has been customized to fit the profile of a CB1100. It reuses the bolt currently holding the oil cooler along with some foam and zip ties to secure the guard and protect the oil cooler:











What follows are before and after pictures:





I welcome your feedback on the oil cooler guard. Do you think it has some practical value? Do you like how it looks? Does it enhance or detract from the appears of a CB1100EX? Have I yet again been foolish?  Or did I help protect a motorcycle from a road which can be unkind? 

https://www.rg-racing.com/browsetype/Oil...da/CB1100/

It is on the motorcycle now. I welcome your help in determining if it will remain so after all the construction is completed at year’s end. Feel free to have some fun at the expense of what little dignity I have left! Tell me what you think and please have a great weekend with friends and family. David

I recently purchased a Saddleman Roll Bag for my CB1100 EX. I wanted a nice looking bag which I could use for day trips to the farmers market, lake, overnight trips, etc. I also wanted it to be light and to have an adjustable shoulder strap. I thought other members of the Forum might also be looking for something similar.

The bag is reinforced and holds it shape, empty or full. It is made of synthetic leather and has good hardware. It is water proof as best I can tell, but big baby that I am, I avoid the rain when on the 
motorcycle. I will never know for sure. 

The bag routinely retails for $80. It ships with a mounting system, too, which places support mounts under the seat that use attaching straps and d-rings. I assert the bag is great and the mounting system is good:




Here is a link with detailed specs:

https://www.saddlemen.com/exr1000-access...rue&page=2

I opted to not use the mounting system because our CB1100s have a fantastic strap on the seat already as well as mounting posts on the side which can be paired with a ROK Strap, which has much better tensile strength and no metal clips that can scratch a finish. The ROK also has nice clamps which are easy to connect and disconnect:[/color][/font]






The storage capacity of the bag is 16.4 liters (1,000 square inches). For the non-nerds reading this post, that is the equivalent of a reasonably size grocery bag. I could place a dozen eggs, a 1/2 gallon of milk, and plenty of fruits and vegetables into the Roll Bag. Today, I picked up some wonderful vegetables, fruits, handmade granola, and a tasty treat at the Farmer’s Market, There was plenty of room to spare. 




My trip to the Market also let me try out a clamp I bought to enable me to attach my Shoeii Gt-Air II helmet to the helmet lock on the CB1100. My helmet does not have any d-rings. I used a Lidlox ran through the helmet clamp to latch on to the helmet lock on the CB1100:
https://lidlox.com/products/3014-helmet-...gn=general





I used the carry strap which ships with the bag when I returned home. 



I hope this post may help someone. I hope you can find time for a ride this weekend. Be safe. David

Everyone on this Forum loves their CB1100. We love walking and spending time with our loved ones even more! Those realities are why I decided to upgrade the engine / crash guards which were on my CB1100 EX. I have never gone down on the street in the 45 years I have been riding motorcycles, but stuff happens. 

The guards on the CB1100 when I purchased it were just okay. Although they were made of steel, they were a little thin. The welds were not as nice as they could have been. The finish was good, but the mounting relied too much on u-bolts. The attach points on the CB1100 were too few. I was concerned that if I had a bad incident which placed the total weight of the motorcycle and me on the crash bars, they may snap or bend.

I recently upgraded to SW-MOTECH crash bars:

https://sw-motech.us/p/4052572023358?sku...escription

The cost was $230 and resulted in a thicker, more sturdy, better finished set of bars. The mounting is also significantly enhanced relative to the off-brand bars I had previously. The welds were also much improved. Installation was straightforward. And most importantly, I have the peace of mind that I have a set of bars which can protect me and the motorcycle if something terrible were to happen. Have a great week and I hope you can sneak in a ride today!

My 2017 CB11000 EX is now properly accessorized:



It is my hope that curing this deficit will enable me to be truly embraced by the CB1100 brethren. 
I hope you enjoy the weekend with friends and family and find some time to go for a ride. David

1Rightfully so, I was strongly encouraged to install RLETs on my motorcycle. Finding the OEM part was easy enough, but I did have some trouble sourcing an installation procedure which did not involve cursing, heartache, and bloody fingers.

The procedure I used below was definitely improvised. I suspect there is a truly professional procedure which is better. Feel free to mock this improvisation and set the record straight. 

That said, here is how I managed to get two RLETs installed in about an hour.

Step 1: Order twice as many RLETs as you plan to install. It is easy to split a seam no matter how you install them. I ordered mine from Partzilla. The compatible OEM Part Number is 95010-16001. I recommend you ignore the warning about the part not fitting a CB110. This OEM part will fit.

https://www.partzilla.com/product/honda/95010-16001

Step 2: When you receive the RLETs, unwrap the package and confirm that all of the rubber seams are in tact. Take a 5/16 socket and insert it into the center of the RLET:




Step 3: Heat some water in a glass until it is almost boiling. Place the RLET into the glass. Let it it “simmer” for 15 minutes. Heat more water and replace the water in the glass. Let the RLET “simmer” for another 15 minutes. Be careful with the glass, water, and RLET. Everything absorbs heat and can burn you.






Step 4: Remove the RLET from the water. Remove the 5/16 socket from the RLET. Spray an aerosol based oil like PAM or something similar into the opening of the RLET. Try to keep the oil “inside” the RLET. Do everything you can to keep the oil away from the rubber on the RLET which faces outward. Oil on the outside of the RLET will make it difficult to push down onto the handlebar in the next step:






Step 5: Take a good pair of needle nose pliers and “pry” open the RLET. This task requires as much “feel” as strength. Open slowly, stretching the already softened rubber. When you have an adequate opening, slip it over the lever where you want to place the RLET. Note that you will only be able to get the RLET on partially. Once it is “halfway” on the handlebar, withdraw the needle nose plowers and use your hands to finish pushing the RLET into its final position. When the RLET cools, it will return to its original shape. Like all parts on our CB1100s, Honda used only the best rubber to make the RLETs. 






Hope these notes are useful. I welcome any suggestions for improving them or an existing post which has a better approach.

Take care,
David

In Northern California, riding a motorcycle is often a delicate dance between obeying the laws of the road and making pragmatic decisions about driving with the flow of traffic. Where I live, it can often look like a Mad Max sequel when car drivers and even motorcyclists decide that it is time to drive significantly over 70 miles per hour. Because I enjoy taking short day trips to pretty places where highways and interstates are my only options, I have often found myself making that calculated choice.

On my CB1100 EX, wind is a non issue up to 70 miles per hour. Above 70, I had to lean into the wind and brace myself by clutching the handlebars tightly. I still had control of the motorcycle, but I found it a little tiring at high speeds for an extended period. To offset that, I recently commissioned a build of a Road Comet Masqeroad bikini cowl. This current generation appears to reflect all of the great feedback from this Forum and has proven to be quite effective in lessening the stress and strain I felt by shifting the wind upward and to the side. It took me 90 days to receive the Road Comet Masqeroad from the time I ordered it. It was delivered on the exact day it was promised by Webike.net. The cost was $340 USD, including shipping. The color match and materials are outstanding. It is so good that I assert it meets an OEM Standard.
While riding my motorcycle at high speed, dare I say breaking the laws of the land, there was absolutely no vibration with the Road Comet Masqeroad. Nor did I detect any additional wind noise while riding with my Shoeii GT-Air II helmet. My motorcycle handles as well with the Road Comet Masqeroad as it does in its naked state. The mounting system is incredible and straight forward. See my pictures below.

Please remember to order fresh RLETs with your Road Comet Masqeroad. Otherwise, the RLET Police Force may cite you for failing to obey the laws of the CB1100 Forum!

If you live in a place where chaos rules the road and speed may be your only option, the Road Comet 2 may merit consideration. Regarding its aesthetics, I believe that it actually enhanced my motorcycle, not detracted from it like many after-market cowls. I do welcome your feedback on that assessment and wish everyone a lovely Sunday and an even better week for you and your loved ones. David

Clearly anyone who rides a CB1100 or reads this Forum enjoys the finer things in life. I love riding motorcycles. And I also love great coffee. It is wonderful to set a proper coffee shop as a destination, but there are some moments when I want to leave the city to take in the great beauty of the world. With recent advances in technology, it is now possible to create a perfect espresso or an Caffe Americano anywhere I park my motorcycle. For fellow coffee lovers on the Forum, here is one way to get it done.

The Outin Nano is a battery-powered, affordable, portable espresso maker which easily fits in a bag or a hardened case. It is small, compact, and incredibly well made. You can use coffee pods or ground coffee, although the pods are much easier to manage because there is no clean up. For those of you who tour, I can think of no better device to add to your equipment. For day trippers like me, the Outin Nano will easily fit in a small travel bag or backpack. 







See this link if you want the technical details and some lovely glamour shots:

https://outin.com/pages/outin-nano?gad_s...tjkF-rLjDV

I had a difficult week and decided to ride to a beautiful park in the hills of Northern California and eat a light breakfast. The sun was bright, no wind, a perfect 60 degrees for a wonderful ride. When I arrived, I become my favorite barista. In less then 5 minutes, I made the perfect espresso to pair with the almond poppy seed muffin I brought along to remind me that there is more to this world than stressful work. Here are a few pictures: 









If a “cup” of coffee is more to your liking, you could dilute the espresso with more hot water in a larger cup. Milk and/or flavorings can also be added to the coffee, if you have room to bring them. 

This is as good as it gets for me. 



We will see if anyone else considers the Outin Nano a motorcycle accessory!  Have a great weekend. David

Don’t know much about it other than there’s a BMW under there, but this is in the work shop at the Petersen.



On my Enfield 650, I’m doing a bit more to make it more practical for the long commute I’m asking it to do twice a month.

Pdedse will remember this tall couch of a touring seat, as he had one on his 650. Super comfy, super tall, and, right now at least, super cheap. About 2 inches taller than what I had on it before, but a better bend in the knees for an hour trumps being on tiptoes with my short legs when I stop.


My friend is dabbling in 3d printing and asked if I wanted anything. I had him whip me up a clock mount using a file intended for a Beeline GPS.
This moves my stick-on $3 clock up where I don’t have to look down to see how late I’m running.


Last but not least I put a larger sprocket up front to bring the revs down a bit at freeway speeds. I had quite a scare a few days ago. Pulled off the freeway for my normal gas stop, and when I pulled away from the station, she wouldn’t shift out of first gear. I panicked thinking something terrible had happened. Turns out the shift linkage had loosened up during the ride and the shift lever couldn’t move.

Whew! Finger tight got us home to a 10mm and some Loctite.

https://oem-bike-parts.com/en/parts/hond...0-abs-2010