12-26-2019, 06:45 AM
(12-26-2019, 04:50 AM)E11even_Hunnit_imp Wrote: Holiday greetings all,
I recently came across a '14 ELX for sale and will be going to see it this weekend to determine if it's a worthy upgrade of my current bike, an 81' CB900F, with that said, I did have a few questions for you current owners..
My first impression: I love the looks of the bike, for the most part anyway. The bike carries that classic CB style and offers modern day technology to an extent. The downside for me, the powerplant upgrade support/options are lacking when compared to the old CB- I was planning a 985/1123 rebuild and modern 17" suspension setup to get the old F where I'd really like it to be, but my lack of spare time to wrench these days seem to be pushing that vision further and further away.
I love the character and raw power that the old F offers, and I'm not 100% sure the newer FI ELX is the screamer that puts a grin on my face every time, the bike looks the part, but does it play the part?
With the understanding that some of these areas are very subjective, I'll do my best to stick to factual questions:
Where is the bike lacking?
-Whats the common consensus on the overall powerband? Paper says the bikes down to ~89HP despite of the 1140CC engine(when compared to the 95HP/985CC 900F) But how is it really in motion?
-6th gear advantage but how well is the bike really geared with the factory ratios for city/hwy riding? Any common F/R sprocket swap upgrades?
Handling
-<5Yr old forks/cartridges are expected to perform and feel better than 40yr old stocks but how responsive is the stock suspension and what's the front tire feedback at higher speeds? Stabilizer/fork brace options? Any common front end/fork swap candidates? Are the OEM rear shocks any good?
Stopping power
What's the breaking feedback for STD owners and ABS owners? I personally wish the bike was a non-ABS version but it is what is is..
Call me weird, but I'm just not a fan of the ABS feel on my bikes. For context, my old '14 crossplane R1 stopped on a dime with non ABS when compared to same generation GSXR1k/Fireblade1kRR's(both equipped with ABS)
Misc./commonly asked questions
-Any worthy performance upgrades?
-Full range on a full tank?
-Handle bar diameter?
-Best tire offerings/setups on the stock 110/140 18"s?
-Common Rear-set options?
-Common issues to address/upgrade from the factory?
-Anything in particular to look out for when considering a '14 ELX?
-What would be considered "cheap" for a bike under 10k miles?
Any and all insightful input is welcome, thanks in advance folks
Welcome E11even_Hunnit!
Point of clarification: I believe the two options for year '14 in the U.S. were Standard (black) and DLX (Deluxe) (red with dual exhaust). I'm assuming you mean the DLX.
(12-26-2019, 04:50 AM)E11even_Hunnit_imp Wrote: Holiday greetings all,
I recently came across a '14 ELX for sale and will be going to see it this weekend to determine if it's a worthy upgrade of my current bike, an 81' CB900F, with that said, I did have a few questions for you current owners..
My first impression: I love the looks of the bike, for the most part anyway. The bike carries that classic CB style and offers modern day technology to an extent. The downside for me, the powerplant upgrade support/options are lacking when compared to the old CB- I was planning a 985/1123 rebuild and modern 17" suspension setup to get the old F where I'd really like it to be, but my lack of spare time to wrench these days seem to be pushing that vision further and further away.
I love the character and raw power that the old F offers, and I'm not 100% sure the newer FI ELX is the screamer that puts a grin on my face every time, the bike looks the part, but does it play the part?
With the understanding that some of these areas are very subjective, I'll do my best to stick to factual questions:
Where is the bike lacking?
-Whats the common consensus on the overall powerband? Paper says the bikes down to ~89HP despite of the 1140CC engine(when compared to the 95HP/985CC 900F) But how is it really in motion?
-6th gear advantage but how well is the bike really geared with the factory ratios for city/hwy riding? Any common F/R sprocket swap upgrades?
Handling
-<5Yr old forks/cartridges are expected to perform and feel better than 40yr old stocks but how responsive is the stock suspension and what's the front tire feedback at higher speeds? Stabilizer/fork brace options? Any common front end/fork swap candidates? Are the OEM rear shocks any good?
Stopping power
What's the breaking feedback for STD owners and ABS owners? I personally wish the bike was a non-ABS version but it is what is is..
Call me weird, but I'm just not a fan of the ABS feel on my bikes. For context, my old '14 crossplane R1 stopped on a dime with non ABS when compared to same generation GSXR1k/Fireblade1kRR's(both equipped with ABS)
Misc./commonly asked questions
-Any worthy performance upgrades?
-Full range on a full tank?
-Handle bar diameter?
-Best tire offerings/setups on the stock 110/140 18"s?
-Common Rear-set options?
-Common issues to address/upgrade from the factory?
-Anything in particular to look out for when considering a '14 ELX?
-What would be considered "cheap" for a bike under 10k miles?
Any and all insightful input is welcome, thanks in advance folks
If "screamer that puts a grin on one's face" is high on the list, I'm thinking you will be disappointed in the Honda CB1100. If "nice, smooth accelerating ride that puts a grin on face" is acceptable, then you should be OK.