Women CB1100 Riders?

[Gypped_imp]

The CB1100 is not a big bike. It's not tiny like a Bonneville or some 500cc or smaller bikes, but compared to a Victory, Star, or most HDs it's very managable. There are aftermarket low seats such as the standard Japanese market seat.

I think its very easy to maneuver in tight spaces, handles bumpy dirt roads with ease, and can be ridden at very low speeds without stalling.

People will always do whatever they want in the end. The lady asked for opinions and on the Internet that's about all anyone will get. I have to wonder whether the post about laying the CB1100 down on the grass and letting her try to lift it is some kind of joke because I did inwardly chuckle at the prospect. Even if it is lifted successfully, the fuel will run back into the evaporative emissions controls and likely create rideability issues if not a fire hazard. The CB is well over 500 pounds and when it falls it goes completely horizontal, so anyone planning on lifting it has got a real job of work ahead of him/her. My wife dropped her Sportster a couple of times; on pavement one can pop it into gear so it won't roll and use the traditional lifting technique, so we got it back up alright. One episode was on a dirt/gravel shoulder and if some folks hadn't been around, we'd have been in trouble as the rear tire just tends to slide around in a circle, providing no fulcrum point and necessitating a dead lift.

There are just all kinds of folks so excited about bikes in general and their own bike in particular that they'll heartily recommend it to anyone and everyone regardless of experience, stature, or other factors. It's just so great to see other riders on the same bike. I would say in my experience of 30 years riding (about 700,000 miles) that I've come to find out unbridled enthusiasm pretty much always results in some kind of unpleasant lesson. It has sure happened to me. I got my first street bike (1983 V45 Interceptor) after only a couple of months of riding dirt bikes. It weighed just about exactly the same as the CB1100 with about the same power. I dropped it twice within the first week. However I had the good sense to have installed the engine guards, and the good fortune to have had help both times, so no damage except to my pride. Had this happened in the middle of nowhere, I would have been sitting until help arrived as this was long before wireless phones. Some of the places I went were pretty remote so I'd have been there for a long time.

As far as it being about leverage, indeed, but first of all it is about skill, then strategy, and finally leverage because without the first two, leverage cannot be brought into play. Certainly the CB1100 is not as heavy as some of the heaviest bikes, like the large cruisers and tourers, which weigh in at 800+ pounds. But it is no lightweight, either.

I believe any rider should be able to handle all the tasks that motorcycle presents to him/her without any help, such as managing the machine under any conditions of off camber surfaces, U-Turns, tight maneuvers to park or turn around, putting the bike on the centerstand, and so forth. I would say if the lady can pass the California or equivalent DMV test, which includes some very tough clutch-slipping low speed maneuvers on the CB1100, I fully support a recommendation of owning this great bike. If not, I cannot personally come out in favor of it.

People will always do whatever they want in the end. The lady asked for opinions and on the Internet that's about all anyone will get. I have to wonder whether the post about laying the CB1100 down on the grass and letting her try to lift it is some kind of joke because I did inwardly chuckle at the prospect. Even if it is lifted successfully, the fuel will run back into the evaporative emissions controls and likely create rideability issues if not a fire hazard. The CB is well over 500 pounds and when it falls it goes completely horizontal, so anyone planning on lifting it has got a real job of work ahead of him/her. My wife dropped her Sportster a couple of times; on pavement one can pop it into gear so it won't roll and use the traditional lifting technique, so we got it back up alright. One episode was on a dirt/gravel shoulder and if some folks hadn't been around, we'd have been in trouble as the rear tire just tends to slide around in a circle, providing no fulcrum point and necessitating a dead lift.

There are just all kinds of folks so excited about bikes in general and their own bike in particular that they'll heartily recommend it to anyone and everyone regardless of experience, stature, or other factors. It's just so great to see other riders on the same bike. I would say in my experience of 30 years riding (about 700,000 miles) that I've come to find out unbridled enthusiasm pretty much always results in some kind of unpleasant lesson. It has sure happened to me. I got my first street bike (1983 V45 Interceptor) after only a couple of months of riding dirt bikes. It weighed just about exactly the same as the CB1100 with about the same power. I dropped it twice within the first week. However I had the good sense to have installed the engine guards, and the good fortune to have had help both times, so no damage except to my pride. Had this happened in the middle of nowhere, I would have been sitting until help arrived as this was long before wireless phones. Some of the places I went were pretty remote so I'd have been there for a long time.

As far as it being about leverage, indeed, but first of all it is about skill, then strategy, and finally leverage because without the first two, leverage cannot be brought into play. Certainly the CB1100 is not as heavy as some of the heaviest bikes, like the large cruisers and tourers, which weigh in at 800+ pounds. But it is no lightweight, either.

I believe any rider should be able to handle all the tasks that motorcycle presents to him/her without any help, such as managing the machine under any conditions of off camber surfaces, U-Turns, tight maneuvers to park or turn around, putting the bike on the centerstand, and so forth. I would say if the lady can pass the California or equivalent DMV test, which includes some very tough clutch-slipping low speed maneuvers on the CB1100, I fully support a recommendation of owning this great bike. If not, I cannot personally come out in favor of it.
Seriously, we get that you think the CB is too big and bad for a little lady to ride... but you recommended a sportster as a better option, and that's actually heavier and certainly doesn't handle as well.

I have no idea how you've managed to go 30 years without learning proper technique to pick up your bikes, but it might be time to put that on the schedule. I accidentally dropped my cruiser on a gravel drive, front wheel caught in a rut, facing downhill on a slope in the dark after being awake for more than 24 hours. It was loaded down as I was going from Florida to Iowa and camping along the way. Using the proper technique I got it up again by myself. I'm 5'9 and about 190 lbs, the warrior is 650 plus luggage. It's possible that if it were a fully loaded Goldwing that I might have needed help, but probably not.

As I mentioned before, my g/f is using my CB to get used to street riding. She took the MSF course to get her license recently, and we've gone to a parking lot where she's put it through the paces with no issues. Unfortunately, she did just drop it in the garage today because she forgot to put down the kickstand. Once we got her leg out from underneath, she had no problem standing it back up. She had a slightly easier time (and there was no damage) because I do have bags on it. If she can do it, I sincerely doubt many people would have an issue with it.