The Finished Chip Beck Spec CB1100-PHOTOS

[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