Well, a year after acquiring my CB1100 the urge came to find something a little better suited to long trips. So I started looking for a Sport Touring bike. Looked at used Ducatis as I had a yellow ST in 2000 and loved it. But they are hard to find and complete service records are rarely kept. Next I took a look at Honda ST1300s as I had one of those in 2003. Again upon reflection I looked at why I sold it. It was beautiful but without soul. As well it weighed as much as a barge.

Okay the search continued and included a number of Yamaha FJRs and Kawasakis but none of them really attracted me. I decided to take a look at the Triumph Sprint ST. A bonus was I had never owned a Triumph. I wanted a post 2004 model as they used the 1050 engine. I saw a couple but they are not that numerous. I was on the verge of buying one from a dealer in Ohio. It was a nice blue 2006 with the usual scuffs and bumps of a 12 year old bike. It had 52,000 miles on it. I was slated to go see it this week when I got a notice from a forum member, on a Triumph forum that I joined, that there was a nice one for sale privately about 60 miles from me.

On Tuesday I went to look at it and "nice" didn't even come close. It was a 2008 in what I can only describe as showroom condition. Over and above that the owner had sprinkled the bike with at least $10,000 in tasteful upgrades. Things such as Ohlins suspension, Carrozzeria forged wheels with wave rotors, Carbon Fiber everywhere, Trident exhaust from England and so much more including brand new Michelin Pilot 4 tires. It also comes with Triumph tank and tail bags as well as the top box and pit stands for both ends.

Needless to say I bought it as the sale price was less than the NADA price for a stock bike. Looking forward to getting it home and riding it along with my CB.

A couple of weeks ago I chronicled my trip to Mendocino in my "Magical Mystery Tour" thread. As a result of a plumbing snafu at my hotel, I was forced to grab another room at the last moment. In recompense, the original hotel offered to comp my next stay there.

The weather forecast yesterday looked relatively promising, I had two days off from work, and Monica and I still had a score to settle with Skaggs Springs Road, so I decided to take the hotel up on their offer and head back up the coast.

First things first, while using my new bungee net to secure my tailbag to the bike, I noticed that it seemed mighty cold outside. I checked the temperature, and sure enough...twenty-eight degrees.

Ugh.

I went back inside and dug out my heated jacket, which I hadn't used for a couple of years. I plugged it into the bike, and...nothing. The switch wouldn't light up. No heat.

Serious ugh.

I thought about taking the car instead, but then, as most of us would do, I thought, WWmD? (What Would mickey Do?)

The answer was obvious. No way mickey pusses out, so neither would I. Monica would just have to soldier through, hopefully suffering no worse than a case of the sniffles from being out in the cold too long.

I do need to find out whether my heated jacket crapped out, or is it a bad connection on the bike? I used the same battery tender lead that was on my bike when I initially picked it up from the dealership. I know the connector worked for that application.

Anyway, I was sure to freeze. I threw on a balaclava, layered up, and headed on out.

Right off the bat, thank god for those factory Honda grips. Hooo-weee, are those things a lifesaver. I immediately set them set to Full Nuke. Between the balaclava, the warmth of my winter gloves, and those toasty grips, I was serviceable.

Anyone who read my first report will remember that Skaggs Springs Road gave me pause last time. I was noticing the tires beginning to squirm, and didn't have enough faith or gumption to stuff the front end in hard in the faster downhill corners. This time, I was determined to go for it.

Basically, WWUD? (Substitute Ulvetanna for mickey this time.)

Well, of course it was no problem. This time, however, just as I was really starting to go for it, I did drag a peg, but that was no biggie. The scarier issue was all the "Icy Road" signs I kept seeing, which normally mean nothing up there. On this day, however, I was genuinely worried about black ice, so every time I came upon a shaded stretch of road I rolled out of the throttle and played it cautiously.

Before long, I realized that I was no longer attacking the road. I'd surrendered to the fear of the conditions.

Okay, it's time for Plan B, I thought.

I didn't have a Plan B, so I made one up, on the spot.

For the rest of this trip, we're going to go Full mickey Mode. As best as possible, we're going to ride exactly the way mickey says he rides his CB. We're going to try to keep the RPM below 3K, and we're going to do our mickey-approved diddly-darnedest to stay within ten miles per hour of the posted speed limits. Let's see how this goes.

That last bit lasted all of, oh, three minutes. I'm sorry, but there is simply no way to ride a modern motorcycle anywhere close to the posted speed limits, so that idea immediately went out the window.

I did try to do all the twisty roads at 3K RPM or less, though, mickey-style, which proved downright freaky. The bike handled it, no problem, but it felt absolutely bizarre to me. Zero engine braking, zero sound from the motor, running wide everywhere, it felt like I was riding a runaway Soap Box Derby contraption.

It was a laugh riot!

Eventually I just sort of melded into the bike's preferred cadence, and the miles quietly ticked off beneath my beauteous spoked wheels. Even though I've owned an ST1100 and ST1300, I can't recall any Hwy 1 ride ever being as relaxing as this one was, once I settled into mickey Mode. There was simply nothing to notice, bike-wise. There was no sound, no vibration, no jarring bumps, no slowing down, no speeding up. Gently arc through this corner, gracefully swoop through the next, and float over hill and dale, the tires hardly seeming to touch the asphalt. It was nothing less than a first-class ticket on the Coastal Monorail.

Before I knew it, I was rolling into Mendocino, scarcely aware that I'd just covered a few hundred miles. I was colder than a witch's, errr...bosom...but that was it.

Dinner in Mendocino was fantastic. I ended up sitting beside a family from Humboldt, in a quaint, two-story converted house. The grandfather was a professor of linguistics at Humboldt State University, and he was holding court there in our charming little upstairs alcove. He was explaining how the Saxons and Angles brought their Germanic languages to the British Isles, which ultimately formed the foundation for the English language. Specifically, he was earning laughs from his family with his description of how the Angles got screwed, as only a scant few of their words survived, while the Saxons ended up contributing upwards of a thousand words that stuck around for good.

A wonderful dinner with strangers at a charming Italian bistro. It was all so very civilized. I half expected Woody Allen to show up, film crew at the ready.

Anyway, following My Continental Evening With Gandalf and Family, I was blasted out of blissful slumber at 5:00 a.m. the following morning by my friend in Chicago. As gorgeous and fun-loving as she is, apparently she still hasn't grasped the concept of a two-hour time difference between Illinois and California.

More importantly, as her sweet "Good morning!" voice filled one ear, my other ear caught the frightful sound of heavy rains lashing the windows of my little room.

Not good. Thirty degrees, and now it's raining too?

Eeeeash.

Forget that nonsense. After we concluded our call, I went back to bed. I was going to wait out the rain.

A few hours later, following an insanely fantastic home-made breakfast at the B&B—pancakes infused with mango? Awesome!—I went outside to check on the weather, and also to see how Monica had managed her first night sitting outside in a northern coast storm.

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself...



"Upon us all, a little rain must fall...." - R. Plant

A far cry from the 5:00. a.m. happenings, this is the morning scene that greeted me...



Stairway to Heaven

Taking a little hike, I couldn't believe it, but I actually ran into Guth...



He didn't say much, as is his wont. His entire demeanor was rather wooden. He does have that whole Thousand-Yard-Stare thing down cold, though. He was seemingly standing guard over this place...



...which I thought was nice of him. It was almost as if he felt sorry for all you poor saps who are locked away in your igloos for the winter, dying to see and feel a bit of warm sunshine.

Eventually it was time to head home, and I moseyed on back up the hill to check on Monica again...



She was doing fine, just chillin' in the morning sunlight, working on her tan.

The bungee net worked out great, so no dramas there. The tailbag never shifted, and Monica's fine bottom remains unscathed.

The ride home was more mickey 'Tude, and eventually it dawned on me that I hadn't thought about my lower back at all during the entire trip. I guess my body has already adjusted to this new seating position. I'm still splitting time between my car, the XSR, and Monica, but in just over three weeks of ownership she already has a tick under two thousand miles.

Here is what I now know for certain about her...

For one thing, I almost never think about her power, or lack thereof. She always gives me whatever I need. Oh, sure, there are still times when I compare her giddyup to the XSR's, and I have to admit that the XSR would have torn apart that just-completed stretch of S-bends with much greater alacrity than Monica ever will, but that's it. Those are the only times I ever consciously think about her lack of power. Otherwise, I constantly find myself thinking that her motor is basically perfect for her intended mission, which is to be the coolest, most sophisticated retro standard ever assembled.

She zips, she sings, she purrs, and she has a sexily coquettish growl. Effortlessly, seamlessly, utterly untroubled, she transforms time into space.

It's all about total control, with her. Every element is imbued with a calming composure, a certain poise, which transfers directly to the rider, providing a feeling of confidence that is truly inspiring, and downright surprising.

While no motorcycle can be all things to all people, this one comes about as close as possible to covering the most important bases. All things considered, she's nearly flawless.

I'm not sure, and I'll double-check tomorrow, but I think her brake squealing is gone now, too. If so, there goes her only flaw.

One thing about her that certainly is not flawed is her ability to lane-split like a champ on the freeway. Besides her perfect throttle response right off the bottom, which makes her the ideal weapon for slow-speed maneuvering, her headlight catches people's attention like nothing else I've ever experienced. Cars jump out of her way so often now, it feels like I'm a CHP motor cop.

Man, I love that.

The Four Horsemen...Forum members: Houtman, The A-man, SCCBrider, and non member Jesse. It was a great ride up to Mount Mitchell and a blast meeting these guys.
[url=http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/kenhardwick/media/IMG_6836_zpsxcpewl8h.jpg.html]

The Kawasaki W800 may be returning as a [url=https://kawasaki.com.au/shop/motorcycles/sport/2018-w800-se/]Special Edition in Australia.

Could some of our members from Canada confirm for me that all the models of CB1100 sold in Canada since 2013 have been fitted with ABS? I'm pretty sure the 2013 and 2014 models were ABS. What about the 2016 Special edition?

I found this on Wild Guzzi and thought I'd pass it on. I like it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWyRVs466NI

Hello, It's been a while, but I have not been hiding - on purpose. Just so much has transpired.

Purchased a TT , then traded it in for an RV - Too long to go through that history, but all I can say is if you have never done either, you are so fortunate. Not in the events, but the total lack of professionalism, collection of bullies, liars, thieves, ... Only thing I have discovered that is worse than our current political system. If any CB1100ers have one, I am sure that they have similar experiences. This is industry wide, not limited to manufacturers, location, price, or model - ALL and every! Pure Greed and crxp! Enough said.

I still have yet to install my 19/35 sprockets and redo my tank design and paint job, but it won't be too long.

What I have done is purchase a PCX150 - what a pleasant surprise! Absolute best scooter, moped, but in reality, small motorcycle. Rated at 70mph 100mpg - Actual 60-64 (depends on wind), 75mpg at 50+ mph, 150+ mpg around town 25-35 mph.

Reason for PCX150 is to not have a tow vehicle on RV. I am fabricating a dedicated platform that will attach directly to the chassis because the spare tire assembly I fabricated that goes into hitch uses 200 of the 500 pound limit. Again, I do not trust anything they do, design, ....

I can't wait to take it for a spin on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park before too long.

Enjoy the pics. I'll post MC platform when finished. BTW, this forum, its' members, and the forum software are the bomb! The other (rv) forums are the pits and I rarely post any more. Too many sm@@s!

I had a Kawasaki G31M Centurion when I was a kid. I believe that makes me just one degree of motorcycle separation from Steve McQueen. Pretty cool (Steve that is, not me lol.)

Okay, so this is just more Cabin Fever Shenanigans, but what the heck we got some snow here yesterday so why not?

Just thought i would explain what the Intake Air Control Valve is, what it does where it is and why it took so long to replace the thing.

This is a team effort and i only scraped some bits together, so thanks to the team!

This valve is actually an electric motor, it looks like a battery toy motor but works by making it step 8 precise times per revolution, hence the "stepper " motor.

In our cb1100 it replaces the idle screw that most of us are familiar with, it adjusts the idle speed of the engine, 1500 rpm when cold and as the engine warms up it gradually " steps " the idle back to 1050 rpm.

The Electronic Control Module does not know in which position the iacv is, so on startup it tells it to open up 168 steps divided by 8 is 21 revolutions.
The bike starts in this position and gradually steps to 72 steps ( 9 revolutions ).
From that point on the iacv keeps stepping the valve to maintain 1050 rpm at any temperature or altitude.

Here it can be seen mounted on the throttle body at the very top of the picture with 2 screws and a bracket



here is a picture of an iacv, notice the spring at the end of the piston.



Here is a fuzzy picture showing the piston in and extended.



here is an iacv in the throttle body with the two screws and bracket removed ( not a cb1100 but similar mounting and operation ).



And the same engine with the iacv removed, notice the pin in the barrel where the piston moves in and out to regulate idle air.


you may also notice that the iacv was replaced with success to remedy an idle problem despite the engine looking not very old hmmmm.

So why did it take us so long to fix it? it is not a trivial job and we wanted to be as sure as possible prior to advice replacing it, have a look at this post from Magnus in the idle instability thread.

[url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8120&page=22]http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....20&page=22

If you scroll down the page there is another picture.

We all knew it was the iacv that was not working correctly, the question is why?

max

Once the painters tape is removed and mounted on a bike- and the sun hits it- will probably look darn good.