it finally arrived.
Only had time for a quick 20 mile ride after taking photos to post.
More firm than the stock seat in a good way, Seat is just over 15 inches at widest and pocket is 14 inches nose to pillion.
That allows for about 2 inches of front to rear movement.
Will try for a 4 - 5 hour trip this weekend to test all day comfort.

On another motorcycle site I had mentioned that my wife surprised me and got us reservations for the 6th annual 'Longmire Day's Festival in Buffalo, Wyoming. One of the site frequenters mentioned that one of the Longmire shows principle actors (Katee Sackhoff) looked like a Guzzi Gal. Actually, she's not and rides this custom built Honda .



Bike specs at this link

http://www.classifiedmoto.com/motorcycles/katees-kt675/

Hey all,

I am brand new here and looking for help. I recently purchased a 1980 CB900 which was in fantastic shape, But... the headlight was HORRIBLE at night. Being concerned about safety, I purchased a new LED headlight replacement. The install went super easy, plugged right in to the factory harness and worked perfectly. Except now the turn signals dont function properly. They do turn on, but either just stay on steady burn, or blink VERY slowly. Now I am somewhat familiar with 12v electrical systems, and I would assume there is not enough resistance from the headlight being LED and that is causing the problem with the turn signals? Either way, I am unsure of how to rectify the problem, and dont want to go poking around if I dont have to. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!

-ColdSteel-

Finally got my 2014 cb delivered today and after riding a while freezing my tail off got to checking the bike out and I think I may be missing a plug or cover what goes rite under the dipstick lol adjustment screw looking deal with nothing covering it wish I could post picture but haven't been able to get that to work for me yet always say to large or some crap.

Hey guys , been trying to find replacement tinted lenses for my black 14 but have had no luck whatsoever. I don’t feel the need right now for full light replacements so I decided to take action in my own hands . I’ve been plasti dipping stuff for a while so I had at it . I did 2 mist coats of black and then used a heavy coat of glossifier to give the lens a gloss look with an even clear coat texture like auto paint . I think it came out great and the light comes through like stock , the one picture shows lights on ( flashers and rear running ). So for now I’m happy without breaking the bank










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Gonna redo the front a little lighter even though they work ok , did them the other day as an experiment but will tweak to match the rear as I like the results better




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The thread on "how dealers lose the sale" located elsewhere on this forum has proven to be rather entertaining in my opinion. We've found ourselves going back and forth a bit about whether or not the "N" (for Neutral) lights up on the gear indicator display. Well guys, in my mind a gear indicator is just one more thing that isn't really needed and almost out of place on a retro motorcycle. Nice to have? You guys tell me — I've actually never had one*. I guess that I've never needed such a thing. How big of a deal could the "N" not lighting up like the rest of the numbers really be? That answer is pretty obvious, not a big deal at all. Honda only added this sort of thing later on to appease people who had grown accustomed to such conveniences on other bikes they've owned. Which led me back to thinking about the true beauty of the CB1100 and why I'm grateful to Honda for creating it.

I have to laugh just a bit at a gear indicator discussion. I know that no one really thinks that how the the "N" is displayed is a big deal. But let me be clear, I'm not laughing at the guys discussing such matters. I'm laughing more at the thought of how nice is it to own this motorcycle (or any vehicle for that matter) where we end up focusing on something like how neutral is indicated on our bikes with so little else to go on about. That might be true of many Hondas, or many modern motorcycles in general (I've heard many people hear say things to the effect that they just don't make a bad motorcycle any more). But when you stop to think about what kind of motorcycle the CB1100 is perhaps this thought is just a bit more significant. That's not meant to make light of some of the other problems that some people have actually experienced with this bike. Ironically, I alone have probably experienced a total of more problems/issues with my CB1100 than any other person on this forum (just read through the entirety of my [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=11859]LONG post). And I know that we've already covered that it's nice to have little to complain about many times over in the past. But when I stop to think about just what kind of motorcycle the CB1100 really is I start to realize the true significance of such thoughts. This got me thinking about the true beauty of this motorcycle. Ponder this with me for a moment if you care to do so (heck I'm surprised that you've read this far, lol).

Honda created this machine as a homage to it's own motorcycling heritage in general and to their CB line of motorcycles in particular. They went to great lengths to deliver to us a modern motorcycle that replicates as many of the qualities of their CB series of motorcycles from the past as possible. But the resulting bike also had to pass muster with regards to the regulations placed upon the motorcycles of today. Just think about what a huge undertaking that was. Just as motorcycles themselves have evolved over the years, so too have the skills and knowledge of the people working within the motorcycle industry. It's not just the bikes themselves that have changed.

Engineers working on rame designs have grown more accustomed to making use of a number of that weren't part of the makeup of the CBs of the past. Things that are at the the modern engineers disposal like aluminum spar frames, steel trellis frames , monoshock configurations and more are now all at the disposal of today's engineers for creation of nice handling motorcycles. Engine designers have long made use of water cooling for a variety of reasons. In many cases today, what appears to be the fuel tank of a motorcycle is actually something else. Now I realize that a all of these things have been around for quite some time and are no longer considered modern innovations. But that's exactly my point. Honda actually made the effort and found the right team of people to assemble a bike that made as much use of old-school design (not styling — not the way it looks, but the way it functions ) as possible. Sure they blended it with a significant amount of modern engineering prowess and there is plenty of modern technology that exists on the CB1100. Honda's engineers still had to deliver a certain level of safety and performance and they still had to ensure that the bike could pass modern regulatory standards. But when I stop to actually think about the great lengths that they went to in order to make the CB1100 a retro machine it still kind of blows my mind. From the all-new air-cooled mill, to the double downtube steel frame with the twin shocks in the back. This was a big step backwards for them. I could almost be convinced that they would have made this bike carbureted if they could have gotten away with it and found a way to still pass modern emission standards. Aside from the advanced technology at their disposal in terms of computing power, etc., I'm guessing that more than a few engineers at Honda felt like they were in a bit of a time-warp when designing this bike. There were probably a number of engineers and the like who worked on the CB1100 project that wouldn't even have been familiar with the CBs of the 60's and 70's if they didn't work at Honda. I'm guessing that I'm not the only one who ponders these things. I know that Honda really wasn't concerned with marketing this bike, and I came to grips with that long ago. While I love the end result of all of their efforts: the CB1100 itself. The story that I wish Honda did a better job of telling is the story of the effort they went to to provide us with this bike.

I know that many of us poured over these types of thoughts when the CB1100 was first released. Things like how Honda even spec'ed out tires of a certain cross profile to match up perfectly with the 18" wheels for the overall type of experience that they wanted to provide the rider with. But I think a lot of people have lost sight of this sort of thing over time. Not people on this forum, but folks elsewhere in the motorcycling world. I feel that the guys who are wanting to compare the CB1100 directly with something like the Kawasaki Z900RS really don't understand the true beauty of the CB1100. Nor do they understand the intentions Honda had for this bike to begin with. It's a bit of a shame that so many people have lost sight of this story (of course many of them were probably never aware of this story to begin with). If someone realizes all of this and they just don't care, that's actually fine by me as that's a different matter. I'm not one of those guys however and every once in a while I'm happy to be reminded of what a beautiful and meaningful motorcycle the CB1100 truly is. All of which has nothing to do with the actual styling of the bike which I also happen to think is a thing of beauty as well. I still remain grateful that Honda went to the lengths that they did in order to provide us with a bit of their past wrapped up in a machine that is still available to many of us today.

Alright then, enough of my rambling. I'll now return you all to our regularly scheduled programming. And if you've read this far, I might just have to think about re-issuing the CB1100 Forum decoder rings once again (sorry popgun) as they might be needed just to help people navigate their way through my incredibly lengthy posts. I never start out with the intentions of carrying on for so long. I'm proud to own a motorcycle that still brings so many positive thought to mind for me.


*Now that I think about it, in all of the years since I've owned my license to ride/drive, the only illuminated gear indicator of any sort in/on any of my vehicles has been of the "PRNDL" variety that currently resides in my Tundra truck. Every other vehicle that I've ever owned has been a manual gearbox of some sort and none of them have had gear indicators of any sort. The lone exception was my old 1967 Camaro Convertible — it had an automatic transmission, but even it didn't have any sort of indicator on the instrument cluster. Man, the CB1100 is cool being retro and all, but I guess that I'm truly an antique.

Finally have some time to finish the second half of this ride report:

So, I rode the 68 miles south to the ferry with each 5 miles or so getting a degree of warmth, gassed up at Bullfrog and then rode a few more miles to the ferry port. Got there and it was low 40's and sunny.
The fee for motorcycles is $15 and the ride across is approx. 25 minutes.

All that with pics is covered in the first half of the trip.

I'm now heading south and east on a road for 78 miles that will bring me out at a junction where I have the option to go east towards Natural Bridges or west towards Hite Marina and the northern terminus of 100 mile long Lake Powell.

One last look at the lake and where I came from.



This is pretty much your standard vista for about 10 miles after the ferry with the road rolling and twisting through undulating countryside punctuated everywhere with red rock.



Eventually you drop down off a small plateau into this area where the road begins to meander through a small, low canyon that begins to constrict on both sides.



You roll through this terrain for a number of miles and again come to a descent, this time of several hundred feet as you drop off another plateau. This happens right here. the road twists and turns and heaves as there is a lot of geological action going here. I've see it under repair many times due to slides.



This picture shows the drop involved in the previous section of road as I came off the very top of the ridge in the distance.



Looking back from where I came from. On this 78 mile stretch of road from the ferry dock to the junction of 95 I saw ZERO cars.

Bears Ears Buttes, as in THE Bears Ears Monument that has been all over the news.



I came to the junction of 95 and had to make a couple of decisions. It was around 2:30 and I had limited riding time left during daylight. t was noticeably colder here and I knew I had to still ride through Fry Canyon on the way back. I really wanted to head to Mexican Hat and ride the Moki Dugway switchbacks on the way there and back. As I sat there at the intersection contemplating my options I noticed a strip of white frost in the shadows on 95. That was enough. I decided to head west to Lake Powell where I anticipated the temps would hold close to mid 40's until I climbed out of the canyon and got closer to the Henry Mt's.

Looking somewhat north at Cheese Box Butte. A few miles to the west on 95 in Fry Canyon.



Looking west from that same spot towards Lake Powell



A mile or two from the Hite Marina looking west. I know this area very well having hiked, camped, ridden, kayaked etc. here for many years.



Turn off to Hite with the bluffs of Glenn Canyon National Recreation area overlooking it in the distance, and behind it all the Henry Mt's (whose east side I would be passing in about an hour).



The boat ramp at Hite Marina. This ramp is almost 3/10ths of a mile long and notice it is still out of the water by a couple of hundred yards. I should also point out that the water at this time of the year is the highest I've seen it in a decade. Hard choices are coming for our part of the west, and probably sooner than later.



That same ramp in the previous picture but from the other side looking down from a scenic pull out that's about 700 feet above the
lake.





One last picture as I was heading north to my campsite after having ridden a hair over 400 miles in 2 days.



I left a lot out but the pictures speak for themselves. It was a superlative ride I'll probably do again around late February with my daughter. I might let her ride the Guzzi V7R as tank range is an issue with her Sportster.

Wayne finally realized they needed a real CEO. It's all about marketing. Smart guy. He knows his limitations.

COSTA MESA, CA (January 4, 2018) – MotoAmerica has hired entertainment and media marketing executive Alec Marshall, formerly of Apple (AAPL), Roku (ROKU), and Avid (AVID), to help the series execute a vision of motorsports for new audiences and a new millennium as the California-based motorcycle racing organization’s Chief Marketing Officer.

“We’ve created one of the most exciting racing series in motorsports history, and we’re thrilled to bring Alec Marshall in to help shape it for new audiences and a whole new sports landscape,” said three-time 500cc World Champion and MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “Alec has a history of bringing new media stories to market, and MotoAmerica is poised to be right at the front of this shift in sports.”

On the evening of Dec 30, we got our first major snow. It came a little earlier than normal and it wasn't crushing, less than 2 inches, but the private road I live on which is curvy and dippy doesn't get cleared well. They salt the entrance and a couple of the curves. The cars driving in and out on the snow crush it and it freezes to ice underneath, especially when the temperature like we have been having don't allow for melt. Plus there are two long sections with giant pine trees which block the morning sun from getting to the road. So even though the main public roads get salted and plowed and are ok to ride, I end up getting stuck for days waiting for a track to open up I can ride on to get out to the main roads.

Everyday this week I have taken the truck and driven out to the main roads. Then my wife and I discuss whether it would be safe for me to try and escape. New Years Day..nope. Jan 2 nope. Jan 3 nope Jan 4 nope but it's getting close. We can see dry tracks developing. My wife thought I could get out IF no cars came the other way forcing me off the track in the middle of the road, or no deer crossed in front of me causing me to swerve off that line. Too risky.

This morning we went out and it looked like there were enough clear tracks that I would have options if necessary, so about 2:00 I suited up, pushed the ST out and fired it up, turning the heated grips on 50% and plugged in my heated jacket liner at about 75% (it was 16 degrees out). Once the bike hit 2 bars on the heat gauge, I snicked her into gear and headed up the drive, turning left at the top. No cars came and no deer ran out and I made it out to the main road with no drama, which was clear and dry. About an hour later I arrived back home, safe and sound with a doggone big smile. It felt so good to ride! Anyhow, first day and first 35 miles of the year in!

I’m looking for advice or relatable experiences regarding video cameras. I really want to have video rolling while I ride…just in case. Living in California affords me the opportunity to ride almost every day, and I do. 70 miles of daily commuting (more if I take the long way home), plus leisure rides means I ride at least 400 miles per week. My daily commute takes me from back roads of the rural foothills to the battle field of a freeway in the big city. That puts me up against a lot of different drivers, intersection types, and road scenarios. Primarily, I want a video record of any traffic incidents whether they’re they my fault or not. I also would like to capture and preserve some of my rides.

I’m exploring the pros and cons of bike-mounted cams vs. helmet cams and learning what features available and which are important to me. On one hand I like the idea of a bike mounted camera system that is wired into the bike, on the other hand I like the idea of a helmet camera that follows my head movements.

Bike Mounted

Pros:
• Powered by bike
• Multiple cameras possible

Cons:
• Fixed perspective
• Susceptible to vibrations

Helmet Mounted

Pros:
• Records from riders POV
• Follows head movement

Cons:
• Have to charge batteries
• Protrudes from helmet

Anyone have thoughts or experiences with video setups?