01-15-2018, 05:30 AM
mickey, yes, I suspect it will be my last bike, but if it turns out not to be, I feel that I will still have benefited from the experience more than I would benefit from having owned yet another sportbike.
I'm 100% serious about a couple of things here. One, I truly, deeply love the CB1100. It appeals to me in non-spec-sheet ways that no other bike ever has, other than the original ST1100, back when I knew next-to-nothing about bikes. As it stands now, the CB1100 is probably the only bike that gives me the near-certain feeling that if I owned one, I would finally stop looking at other bikes. (I have a guitar buddy who is nodding his head in approval right now, having been through this same constant-swapping penchant of mine far too many times, regarding guitars. It wasn't until I took the plunge and grabbed a way-too-pricey-for-me Gibson ES-335 and a perfect white Suhr Strat that I was finally able to get off the guitar-swapping merry-go-round, which he absolutely hated.) I would accept the CB1100 and love it for what it is, knowing that I've already scratched the speed itch for many years. The second thing is that I absolutely see it as a benefit that the CB would force me to slow down and begin a safer, less retarded phase of my motorcycling life. EmptySea can say what he wants about the CB's ability to keep up with sportbikes on the types of roads and rides I favor, but I know better. I know it can't, and if I were to try to make it do so, I would be dipping too far into the margin of safety I try to maintain when riding those speeds on dedicated sportbikes.
At some point here I expect Eric to chime in with his thoughts. I suspect that after our little stint on Mosquito Ridge yesterday he will confirm that the CB would, in fact, slow me down up there; or, at the very least, that it ought to slow me down up there, if I value my hide.
I already feel that my XSR needs suspension work in order to maintain a proper safety margin under certain circumstances, at the pace I tend to ride. It's okay enough, but it could stand to handle stutter bumps better when leaned all the way over, hard on the gas. 10,000 RPM in second or third gear on the XSR equates to hellacious acceleration, and those roads are mighty narrow in spots, leading to cliff dives to the Point of No Return. Go over the edge up there, and no one will ever find you.
So, yes, a greater margin for error would be a welcome addition, if I'm going to keep ripping around up there.
Or, I could stop being a monkey and just slow the eff down, like a semi-responsible person ought to be doing by now...right?
The problem there is I can't stand cruisers, and I can't afford and probably wouldn't want a Gold Wing. If I'm to slow down, I still need something to keep me interested in the ride. For me, that something is my irrational love for the whole CB1100 concept, from the history behind the bike, to its painstaking execution, and definitely its unmatched beauty and pride of ownership.
I'm looking for a trade here: long-lasting love in place of short-term exhilaration; permanent satisfaction instead of fleeting competition.
I don't see the Z900 providing me with any degree of permanence. It feels strictly like another short-term affair. The CB1000R? Possibly. The pride of ownership would definitely be there, and it should certainly satisfy the exhilaration half of the equation. I just don't see it being comfortable enough for my neck, and I know I would go even faster on it, since it has a sportier riding position and better suspension.
Not good. Not what I need to be shooting for here.
The CB1100 is all good. Even its negatives are good, if I'm willing to be smarter about things.
I'm 100% serious about a couple of things here. One, I truly, deeply love the CB1100. It appeals to me in non-spec-sheet ways that no other bike ever has, other than the original ST1100, back when I knew next-to-nothing about bikes. As it stands now, the CB1100 is probably the only bike that gives me the near-certain feeling that if I owned one, I would finally stop looking at other bikes. (I have a guitar buddy who is nodding his head in approval right now, having been through this same constant-swapping penchant of mine far too many times, regarding guitars. It wasn't until I took the plunge and grabbed a way-too-pricey-for-me Gibson ES-335 and a perfect white Suhr Strat that I was finally able to get off the guitar-swapping merry-go-round, which he absolutely hated.) I would accept the CB1100 and love it for what it is, knowing that I've already scratched the speed itch for many years. The second thing is that I absolutely see it as a benefit that the CB would force me to slow down and begin a safer, less retarded phase of my motorcycling life. EmptySea can say what he wants about the CB's ability to keep up with sportbikes on the types of roads and rides I favor, but I know better. I know it can't, and if I were to try to make it do so, I would be dipping too far into the margin of safety I try to maintain when riding those speeds on dedicated sportbikes.
At some point here I expect Eric to chime in with his thoughts. I suspect that after our little stint on Mosquito Ridge yesterday he will confirm that the CB would, in fact, slow me down up there; or, at the very least, that it ought to slow me down up there, if I value my hide.
I already feel that my XSR needs suspension work in order to maintain a proper safety margin under certain circumstances, at the pace I tend to ride. It's okay enough, but it could stand to handle stutter bumps better when leaned all the way over, hard on the gas. 10,000 RPM in second or third gear on the XSR equates to hellacious acceleration, and those roads are mighty narrow in spots, leading to cliff dives to the Point of No Return. Go over the edge up there, and no one will ever find you.
So, yes, a greater margin for error would be a welcome addition, if I'm going to keep ripping around up there.
Or, I could stop being a monkey and just slow the eff down, like a semi-responsible person ought to be doing by now...right?
The problem there is I can't stand cruisers, and I can't afford and probably wouldn't want a Gold Wing. If I'm to slow down, I still need something to keep me interested in the ride. For me, that something is my irrational love for the whole CB1100 concept, from the history behind the bike, to its painstaking execution, and definitely its unmatched beauty and pride of ownership.
I'm looking for a trade here: long-lasting love in place of short-term exhilaration; permanent satisfaction instead of fleeting competition.
I don't see the Z900 providing me with any degree of permanence. It feels strictly like another short-term affair. The CB1000R? Possibly. The pride of ownership would definitely be there, and it should certainly satisfy the exhilaration half of the equation. I just don't see it being comfortable enough for my neck, and I know I would go even faster on it, since it has a sportier riding position and better suspension.
Not good. Not what I need to be shooting for here.
The CB1100 is all good. Even its negatives are good, if I'm willing to be smarter about things.