What did you do on or to your CB 1100 today

[pdedse]

70 mile ride on the CB1100, the 50 degree temps felt much cooler as I was in some forests at slight altitude, and much of it was along a river...brrr.  

I'm into year 3 with my cheapo grip warmers that cost $28.  They work well for the price.

Actually, mine were more like this, even cheaper, black material wraps around grips.

[Gone in 60]

Huh. Do those warmers go outside the grips?

[pdedse]

Huh. Do those warmers go outside the grips?

Yes, they wrap around the grip and are secured with velcro.  


I snipped off the connectors above and added the type compatible with the battery tender.


Since I have "grip puppies" on the bars, the wrap-around heating element's velcro doesn't reach, so I use 3 rubber bands to hold in place.  With normal size grips, the velcro should reach ok


I ran the wires along the right side of the frame to the battery tender terminal.


They work pretty well.  Three settings, green, blue and red.  On a 45-55 degree day, green is mostly used; 40-45, blue and maybe red.  Below 40 and red will help in that my fingers aren't numb, but cold is cold.  When it's really cold the red setting will allow me to ride longer.  At 35-40 degrees, without any heat I'll last 30 minutes, with the red setting I can go 1.5-2 hours.  But if I go above 60-65mph with 40f or lower, I notice the effectiveness, not surprisingly, decreases.   I'm not sure if they draw on the battery in the "off" setting so I disconnect from the tender cable each time I stop.  For $28 I thought they might do good enough, and they have so far.   But it is a cheap product.  Some Amazon reviewers wrote they didn't even last a full season, others were quite happy.

[Gone in 60]

Thanks for the detailed description! Might be worth looking into for my cold morning rides.

[pdedse]

Thanks for the detailed description! Might be worth looking into for my cold morning rides.

It's an option; I thought about the high-dollar ones, but liked the price of these.  And come summer time, the wrap around element can be disconnected right at the bars, the wiring stays so it's no hassle.

[Gone in 60]

On the way home from the museum Saturday evening, I stopped off in La Mirada to take in the famous Griswold House. Couldn’t get my CB in the pic as the street is blocked off for this very famous annual event.

This family (or maybe just the guy… I think his family might have disowned him over his obsession with Christmas Vacation) has put an incredible amount of Christmas Vacation stuff in the front yard of their otherwise normal, single story ranch style California suburban home. Each year, they add something new to the display. 

Here’s the short list:

House painted same colors as the Griswold movie house with a false second floor added (which is not to any code, and they gladly pay the fine to the city each year)

Thousands of lights 

Year and model correct Condor Eddie motorhome

Wood paneled early Taurus wagon with uprooted tree on roof

Era-correct Chicago police car

Year-correct Dodge crew cab truck from the opening road rage scene

12 snow blowers

All of the characters from the movie

The hot girl from the department store 

Gift store 

I spotted the new addition this year, a churro stand. On the roof is Clark on the saucer sled rotating.

Definitely something worth adding to the holiday cheer list!

[Nachodaddy]

Epic, Dude.

[Easynow]

Just wandered around the city a little today, as the bike is new to me. Got a coffee at a bike poser cafe. 

Was nice to have a 'proper' bike and chat with some other people.



Really used to the bike now - came straight from a 125 so it was a little daunting at first.

[Cormanus]

There's something so much more elegant about the pipes on the 4 into 2 models.

[Cormanus]

Rode it back home from the friendly local mechanic. It had been in the workshop after 163,000 kms to have the front forks rebuilt, the steering head bearing and clutch plates and springs replaced. I'm assured the last of these jobs will stop the problem I've been having of the bike being almost impossible to get into neutral when it's hot and stationary and creeping slightly in gear with the clutch pulled in.

The charming young man at the workshop told me he'd test ridden it and it was in amazing condition for a bike with those kilometers.

I'm just pleased to have it back.