2014 vs. 2013 Gear Ratios (Especially 6th)

[davidsargee_imp]

Can't believe Honda hasn't released a brochure or anything anywhere on the web with the 6th gear ratio by now.
I rented a BMW R1150R once and that was a real overdrive--I'm doing 75 with the rest of San Diego traffic with the engine ticking along barely awake at a little over 3000rpm.

One of the least intelligent metrics US motorcycle magazines focus on is the top-gear roll-on. The mfr's think that's what we all want, but I want a real overdrive. Downshifting to 5th (or 4th) for a little extra squirt when needed ain't that much trouble.

And if the CB edges out the Bonneville, I'll most likely be changing the rear sprock back to a 39. (Heck, OldF7's right; one tooth on the rear ain't even enough to notice, maybe even a 38. If the ol girl's speed sensor is located at the drive shaft, that might even be enough to trick it into 120mph.)

True enough, but I sure appreciated that roll-on when the nice person in the Tahoe entered the freeway and crossed three lanes in an apparent effort to bank me off of the concrete divider. A car was behind me, I had nowhere to go but straight ahead.

You're getting lazy if you expect top gear roll-on to save you from a Tahoe-assault. Gosh-heck, I instinctively downshift and cover the brakes whenever my spidey-sense tells me there's a Tahoe-ho driving within a 500-yard radius.
A good rule-of-thumb is "An infantryman never turns his back on a tank."

If Tahoes are the Panzers, Escalades are the Tiger-tanks. I think I saw an Escalade driver not texting once, but only because she was too busy going after a booger while rooting around on the floor for her cellphone and putting another SpongeBob DVD in the player for her stupid kids.
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12K1pUOmApY&feature=youtu.be]Boycott Mitsubishi IMO. (Click.)

I apologize for the length of this post, I tried to shorten it, but there was a lot to say, I guess.

I live near a trio of municipalities in the suburbs NE of Fort Worth: Trophy Club, Westlake, and Southlake, TX. These are among the wealthiest communities in the U.S.A. (The Vaquero Club in Westlake is, per capita, the wealthiest neighborhood in the U.S.A.)

Most of the residents are members of the elite in Dallas-Fort Worth. There are professional athletes, CEO's & board members of international corporations, big oil, politicians, celebrities, old money, the movers and shakers, they are all there. These people are the "Alpha's" of society, and that personality trait shows loudly and clearly in their driving habits.

Hwy 114 is a 6-8 lane freeway that passes through those municipalities from Texas Motor Speedway and points west, to DFW Int'l Airport and points east. Driving/riding on Hwy 114 can be like a NASCAR race, the participants are mostly in high end SUV's of all types, LandRovers, BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches, Escalades, Lexus, Infiniti, etc. You see Ferraris, Maseratis, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, the occasional Rolls-Royce, Limos of all sizes and shapes. I saw a couple of teenagers in a Shelby Cobra last Friday, they were playing cat and mouse with a couple of teenage girls in a 2014' Vette. Oh yeah, it's Texas, did I mention the giant monster style pick up trucks? (I call them Tonka trucks).

A large portion of these drivers are texting, primping, talking on the phone, reading the financial pages, all of the things you would expect, at 75 mph and beyond. Many of them think they are indestructible, you very often are all that's between them and the spot in the road that they currently wish to occupy. I've seen more than a couple serious crashes on this road, usually someone doing something stupid. I once saw a pair of Hummers sideswipe each other,...twice...., at high speeds, in snow and ice, each trying to move to the center lane from opposite sides of the road. They both thought they were above the laws of nature, the elements, and physics.

When riding a motorcycle here you are truly invisible, and you better ride that way. Riding your bike or driving a car on this highway, is always an exercise in defensive tactics. I've employed every defensive maneuver I know at one time or another on this freeway. The torque, power, smooth shifting, and maneuverability of the CB1100 are all very much appreciated when riding here. Sometimes, If I want a low stress day, I just take the service road, (65 mph is survival speed there).

If you are on a Texas road, and you see "big hair", (any color), with a pair of giant sunglasses swept back, atop the hair, (or a large Stetson Hat) and this person is driving a vehicle of any type, be prepared to evade. The odds are strong that something bad is about to happen. If there is a cell phone involved, you may as well start planning your maneuver.

I know these are common problems in most densely populated urban areas, I have observed them in many places across the country. But.... it just seems to be a little worse on HWY 114 in Tarrant County.

Be alert, defensive, anticipate, stay safe.