01-10-2018, 01:55 AM
pdedse, according to mickey's rpm vs road-speed numbers, no, you shouldn't have encountered any excessive engine buzz during your trip through Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. At the speeds you were going you were well below 5k rpm in top gear, even if you have an older five-speed.
This is why I'm not really worried about the engine buzz on the freeway. According to mickey, and Dirck at MC Daily, the CB is one of the smoothest I4s they've ever ridden, and has no issues whatsoever at freeway speeds. I've read reports from a few other people that said their hands were numb by the time they rode home from the dealer, but I discount such reports as being irrelevant outliers. I've ridden enough I4s, both large and small, to know I won't have that problem. If I can handle freeway slogging on a five-speed Bandit 1200S or FJ1200, or even a GSX-R750, I'm sure the CB will feel like a CBR1100XX Blackbird to me.
Now that was one smooooooth I4.
What I do worry about is whether the thing is too buzzy during sportier rides in the canyons, where I will most certainly zip right on through 5K on my way to redline. Supposedly this is where the CB can pose issues with excessive vibration, in that 6-8k range. Many reviewers describe the same issue with the Ninja 1000, that it's smooth as silk below a certain rpm, but annoyingly buzzy in the sportier RPM ranges. I've also heard the new Z900 described this way.
mickey, or anyone else who knows, how many gears are affected by that 5K rev limiter? Is it just fifth and sixth, or does it also include fourth gear?
This is why I'm not really worried about the engine buzz on the freeway. According to mickey, and Dirck at MC Daily, the CB is one of the smoothest I4s they've ever ridden, and has no issues whatsoever at freeway speeds. I've read reports from a few other people that said their hands were numb by the time they rode home from the dealer, but I discount such reports as being irrelevant outliers. I've ridden enough I4s, both large and small, to know I won't have that problem. If I can handle freeway slogging on a five-speed Bandit 1200S or FJ1200, or even a GSX-R750, I'm sure the CB will feel like a CBR1100XX Blackbird to me.
Now that was one smooooooth I4.
What I do worry about is whether the thing is too buzzy during sportier rides in the canyons, where I will most certainly zip right on through 5K on my way to redline. Supposedly this is where the CB can pose issues with excessive vibration, in that 6-8k range. Many reviewers describe the same issue with the Ninja 1000, that it's smooth as silk below a certain rpm, but annoyingly buzzy in the sportier RPM ranges. I've also heard the new Z900 described this way.
mickey, or anyone else who knows, how many gears are affected by that 5K rev limiter? Is it just fifth and sixth, or does it also include fourth gear?