When Armegeddon does arrive, and everybody's up in arms about the scarcity of good motorcycle reflectors...I am ready.

I've read that some people have used a rear only tire in the front. I was wondering if anyone has done it on the CB. I got the correct size but didn't realize that it was rear only. They are bias ply if that matters.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

I need to replace my fork pipes. I was not convinced they were bent after my accident a few years back and have ridden the bike a few thousand miles. The front end definitively doesn't feel right and seems to be getting worse. The right fork seal just went and the more I look at it, the more I'm certain it's bent.

This winter the front end is coming off and I plan to replace the head bearings to roller bearings and get the forks rebuilt with new seals and new tubes, just to be sure everything is tip top.

My question is - I can get OEM replacement forks for $225 ea but that feels really steep to me. The ebay special replacement is about $161 for both. Does anyone have any experience using ebay fork pipes? I know in a lot of cases, it doesn't make sense to buy OEM due to price when quality is similar with aftermarket. [url=http://https://www.ebay.com/itm/254915646704?fits=Year%3A2013%7CModel%3ACB1100&hash=item3b5a2814f0:g:EdoAAOSwItRdb8xm&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8E8S4eugIDgPiq%2FNpKIg2ePnVPZWF4GU2WlSBhtbhFPs%2B%2BCzS​vJTGoRWAgPPHd%2Bg1TQY1mWfk3mzawBllzkwvzhMa6eCxL34EJ6TbU9bftY8fey16%2B%2BAldxEy%2​FjbfdJ%2BMHClNmRa6%2FDLpOllxTsHVx5SvQN7vZp8exFewJ7cqXhRKmhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/254915646704?fits=Year%3A2013%7CModel%3ACB1100&hash=item3b5a2814f0:g:EdoAAOSwItRdb8xm&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8E8S4eugIDgPiq%2FNpKIg2ePnVPZWF4GU2WlSBhtbhFPs%2B%2BCzS​vJTGoRWAgPPHd%2Bg1TQY1mWfk3mzawBllzkwvzhMa6eCxL34EJ6TbU9bftY8fey16%2B%2BAldxEy%2​FjbfdJ%2BMHClNmRa6%2FDLpOllxTsHVx5SvQN7vZp8exFewJ7cqXhRKmL%2BksXiSeLGVNd6D%2FcqV​H8w1trMYSixASOh3734WoLwxzXkI36Mk%2B9OYyB6NgOedbWouB6%2F%2FzcgHokJHiZxn7aHHJvrc2e​uyJCf2rivFl%2BKwj0We5bD7dxhoUVydYtpDx%2FYwNLkpSrJlCVg82k2xw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMso​LvieJi]These ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyazo-LOung

Tires pressure front 36 psi rare 42 psi use the same or not?
Thanks

I purchased a new left-over '21 W800 a few weeks ago, and then it promptly rained for a week, but it hit 83 degrees this afternoon, barely a cloud in the sky...so a good chance to introduce "Blue", with Mt. Hood in the background giving the welcome:



Been a long time coming. One of the reasons I originally became interested in the CB1100 back around 2014 was that I had spent two years prior looking for a 2000 or 2001 Kawasaki W650. I loved both the 2000 silver / blue tank and the '01 green 'n cream. I just wasn't quick enough on a few nicely priced ones, and others were priced too high, or too far away...just never happened, so I turned my attention to the CB1100.



Just over two years ago, I bought a left-over 2020 W800 café (brown), and while it was fun for a year, the handle-bars were the forward ones, and not very conducive to all day riding. I was able to sell it for what I bought it for after 4 thousand miles. Tried the Royal Enfield INT650, wonderful bike, 7k miles. But both of these I knew were going to be short term bikes--and they were. Very fun to satisfy one's curiosity, but the standard W800 was still on my mind.



Only trouble was, nearly all the ones available were the 2020 or the 2022 models...which are both red. I just couldn't deal with two red classic motorycles, and what I really wanted was the 2021 blue.



There was one used blue '21 available at a dealership about 2 hours away. I went to look at it, and while it only had 350 miles on it, it looked like it had sat outside a lot, even some rusty spots on the chain. They wanted too much for it and plus I still had the RE and didn't feel ready mentally to pull the trigger. Looked and looked some more...plenty of red '20s and '22's, just a few blues but far, far away.



After a sublime trip to San Diego on the RE, I felt it was time to move on from it, and found a buyer. Now I had money in hand and I kept searching...Cycletrader, CL and Facebook market place. I ended up typing "w800 for sale" and the search brought up "motohunt"...never heard of it. But a few pages down and there was a brand new blue...4 hours away from me in Port Angeles, Washington.



A salesman confirmed for me they still had the bike, and I asked about the MSRP of 9200. He said he could discount that. I had already received a "best price" quote for a red one from a local Kawi dealer at $7300 and I told him that, but I preferred the blue. We agreed on 7 even. Two Saturdays ago, I was on the road by 530am, arrived at 930, bike loaded before 1030 and home by 3p. And then it rained a week sold, so I couldn't even ride it.

Gratutious Mt. Hood shot as I stopped for photos...


It feels good to be back on a W800. Parallel twin, 360 crank...I think that means 2 cyclinders go up / down and the same time...true? No matter...it's got a cool vibe and feels fun to ride.

Got an approving stare from this little guy as I stopped so we could admire each other.


Air cooled, classy lines, nice build quaility, similar to the CB1100 in a number of ways.



My career is winding down, and in 2-3 years--due to downsizing issues--I may have to decide between which to keep: the CB1100 or the W800? The plan is to put plenty of miles on them until then so I can make the "right" decision. Hmmm...it might come down to blue vs. red.

I've had a hankering for a classically-styled helmet. My commuter lids are practical, comfortable, and festooned with reflectorized tape and camera mounts. Not well-matched to my classically-styled bikes.

I was following Pdedse's experience with his Torc helmet, which didn't quite pan out, as they are round shaped. In fact, most vintage-style helmets are better suited to round heads than ovals like mine.

I have a Biltwell Gringo standard model, but without a flip-up face shield, it's not the most practical lid. However, it's a good head-fit for me. The Gringo-S, I imagine the S is for Shield, has a flip-up shield, and is now being blown out by most retailers for the updated VS, Vented Shield model.

I'm not hip to the available colors of the dwindling supplies of clearance helmets, like chocolate brown, for example. Quite a while back, they offered the S model in a rather fetching metallic blue-green color, and I had thought that maybe I should have snagged one while I had the chance.

On a whim, I typed Gringo S into Facebook Marketplace yesterday, and this lid came up, just a few miles from home. New in the box, in my size, for a steal. Huh...

I've never entertained the idea of buying a "used" helmet, but the seller explained that her brother and dad work in the custom motorcycle market, and sometimes come across new parts and gear. This was a new helmet that they acquired, and indeed, it was in the box with labels and no signs of wear.

Gave it a test ride on the way to work this morning, and it's very comfy. As with all vintage-style helmets, form follows function, and lifting the shield is a tad fiddly, but it has a shield. I'll keep the refectors and camera mounts off of this one and leave it be. No need to sully the color, even if it doesn't match any of my current bikes!

Hello!

I've just bought a 2014 CB1100EX and love it! However I am thinking of getting a new exhaust system och a pair of slip ons. I've searched the web and this forum but have not made up my mind yet. To be honest I would love a 4-4 system but I can't see myself spending that kind of money on this bike anytime soon so the next best thing would be a 4-2 system or slip ons. I would like to keep the price below 1000€ and would appreciate if it is available for purchase somewhere within the EU.
I like the look of the oem system but would just like it to be a little louder (but absolutely not overwhelming) and have a bit more "roar" to it. Chrome/polished is a must. What would all of you suggest?

Thanks in advance!

Herman
Sweden

Those of you who have installed a GPS (or a phone) on the handle bar, and routed a 5V cable from the battery, under the tank, up to the handle bar ... for permanent power supply,
did you need / use any thermal shielding to protect the cable from the heat generated by the engine ? did you care ? did it fail and damage the cable, and yo found a solution ?

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

(and to Max: I am sorry about NS)

This question may be more applicable to those of you who perform your own valve adjustments, especially if your like me, and not real quick at performing a repair that you have either never performed before, of maybe haven't performed in several years:

My bike has 32,000 miles, and while I have inspected the valve clearances once, they were all in spec, and I have never performed an adjustment. I plan to go to 50,000 miles before I perform my next valve clearance inspection.

The specification for our valve clearances are: Intake = .006 +/- .001, Exhaust = .011 +/- .001. How far out-of-spec are you willing to allow your valves to get before you perform an adjustment? It's a significant amount of work just to inspect the valve clearances on these bikes, but the labor probably triples, or more, if you actually have to remove the cams to perform an adjustment. I'm thinking about letting my valves exceed the maximum tolerance by .001 before I actually perform an adjustment. To clarify, if my intake valve measured .004 (.001 below the minimum recommended clearance of .005) I'll let it go. If it goes to .003, then I will definitely adjust it. What do you think? Am I risking engine damage by allowing the valve clearance to go .001 inch below the recommended minimum clearance? Some members of this forum have stated that they don't plan to ever adjust the valves on their bikes, but I definitely don't support this reasoning.

I have been deliberately adjusting the valves on my Toyota truck .002 tighter than the nominal specification for the past 200,000 miles with no issues, but that's a different story.