The Finished Chip Beck Spec CB1100-PHOTOS

[the Ferret]

I went on a tour with a friend who was riding his 1200 Sportster modified with mid controls and 1 1/2" longer rear shocks (trying to make a standard out of it). I was on my 13 CB 1100. At one point we switched bikes for about an hour. When we pulled back over and switched back I said "what do you think?" and he said "The only thing those two bikes have in common is they are both motorcycles. The CB is better in every measurable way. It's like an electric motorcycle. It accelerates better, brakes better, it's smoother, it's handles better, what a nice motorcycle". Then he had to ride his Sportster again for the next 6 days and 1500 miles. As soon as we got back home he sold it on Craigslist to a guy in New York and he bought a Kawasaki Versys.(he has since sold that and now rides a GS1200A BMW lol)

Now I must admit, his mid mount pegs suited me better than the CB's slightly rear pegs (his was like sitting in a chair) and the rear brake on that Harley was great (powerful) compared to the rear brake on my CB, but other than that, he was right on every point.

[ChipBeck_imp]

Mick,

I have installed Progressive Suspension cartridges in my Sportster forks that raise them 1.5 inches and provide 2 more inches of travel. I also have Progressive Suspension rear shocks that are in an inch and a half longer as well. So my Sportster is standard height on both ends now. I removed the forward controls and installed mid controls. I've changed pipes, air cleaner, plate mount, handlebar, and a ton of other items. And after over $5000 in mods to this $10,000 bike I think I've got about $3000 to go. When I'm done it still won't be a bike I want to take on a long ride. It's a pretty crude brute but it's so beautiful.

I bought this bike because it takes me back in time. 0 to 1979 in 5 seconds flat when I fire it up and ride off to one of our many biker bars. Nobody likes Sportsters. Harley guys snub them as starter bikes. Non Harley guys correctly view them as crude throwback motorcycles. But to their hard core fans and a few old men like me who had one "back in the day", they are a happy diversion. Riding a Sportster is like hunting with a bow. Part of the allure it that it's harder and takes more dedication than the more modern alternative.

That's my take on it. Cheers.

Chip

[the Ferret]

" Riding a Sportster is like hunting with a bow. Part of the allure it that it's harder and takes more dedication than the more modern alternative."

LOL I understand that ( says someone that has made his own bows and arrows and hunted with them since 1990)

I had 2 Sportsters. My first was a 59 in 1969. My second a new 94 that my wife bought me for Christmas that year because she knew I liked them. Have always liked Sportsters not for what they could be, because they can never be anything but what they are. Raw, primitive, unsophisticated and stubborn (well my 59 was...kick start only and you'd better know the drill and follow it to the letter). The elemental motorcycle.

If I could only have one motorcycle in the garage... it sure wouldn't be a Sportster lol

[Chapomis_imp]

Cheaper than a Sportster: https://classes.folkschool.org/class_det...x?pk=18499

[ChipBeck_imp]

" Riding a Sportster is like hunting with a bow. Part of the allure it that it's harder and takes more dedication than the more modern alternative."

LOL I understand that ( says someone that has made his own bows and arrows and hunted with them since 1990)

I had 2 Sportsters. My first was a 59 in 1969. My second a new 94 that my wife bought me for Christmas that year because she knew I liked them. Have always liked Sportsters not for what they could be, because they can never be anything but what they are. Raw, primitive, unsophisticated and stubborn (well my 59 was...kick start only and you'd better know the drill and follow it to the letter). The elemental motorcycle.

If I could only have one motorcycle in the garage... it sure wouldn't be a Sportster lol

Agreed Mick. Having a Sportster as your only bike would be akin to having a topless Jeep CJ-5 as your only car.

Chip

[davidsargee_imp]

Hi All,
I'm not on the forum all that much, I stay pretty busy and just never seem to get in everything that I want in the limited free time I've had lately.

Just want to tell Skip that his bike is definitely first class all the way. I like that he has modified it to fit what HE wants it to be. IMHO, Chip has significantly improved his bike functionally, and while it is better aesthetically, he has maintained those great lines this bike was designed with, (improved them in some areas), without losing the identity of the CB1100. Looking at his bike, I see a bike that truly is better than the one he started with, not just different. Awesome!

BTW, we share a common interest in the CB400F, the CB1100 initially reminded me of the 400 four as well, particularly the pipes....

[Toddman_imp]

I was 13 years old and just too light to kick start my uncle's 1000 sportster (believe me, I tried),,,,so he bought one with electric start and he let me ride that thing all over the place. Of course my mom didn't know but I truly fell in love with street riding and what 13 year old wouldn't. I remember taking the 1000 to 90mph and it would start up a high speed wobble and wouldn't stop until it stopped. hahahaha. Good Times.

[zippooriginal_imp]

Impressed with your mods. But I'm most interested in how you have kept the header/exhaust pipes looking so good? That's considering the discoloration common to CB's. Thanks.

[Cormanus]

Welcome to the forum, zippooriginal. See point 20, I think, of Chip's original post, here http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....pid112599.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I have five bikes I ride regularly and I wash each of them maybe once a year. Most I do is to spray Honda cleaner or Protect-All over the parts with the most bug guts, like the headlight, mirrors, fork legs. Don't like getting water all over the bike because then it must be ridden at least a few miles to dry it out.

Wheels get cleaned, usually but not always, when I replace tires. I put gaffer's tape over the weights.

As far as the exhaust pipe, I appreciate the way they look on any bike after it's been ridden long and hard. That patina is attractive to my eye, it tells a story. I am getting older, I don't look new any more, neither do my bikes.

I recall one crazy buddy of mine, who owned a Yamaha dealership for quite a while, said "A dirty bike is a happy bike." He took it to an extreme for a while but I sort of go along with that thinking; water is pretty corrosive and messy, so I saw his point.

I don't spend much time looking at my bikes unless I am doing a safety inspection, lol

That (having been) said, the CB500 bar modification and better shocks alone make the bike into practically an entirely new experience.

As far as shocks, look no further than the Australian "Ikon" brand, they'll make them to your weight and riding style. Stunning difference in comfort and handling.

I think from 20 feet (6 meters) away my bikes look pretty good. I can't see them while I'm riding them anyway and I ride in areas where there are very few humans to interrupt my meditations. I did have to engage a couple of guys in flights of nostalgic fancy when I made the error of riding the CB1100 to a coffee house last week. That is the only problem I have with that bike, too many old guys who used to have a bike want to come up take a trip down memory lane, lol