HIGHLY recommended!

[VLJ_imp]

Brought my bike back to the dealer today to have them install the one and only modification I'll do to my new '17 EX...







Those are the Honda factory heated grips, and they are so much hotter than the factory Yamaha grips on my XSR900, or the Oxford heated grips I tried before switching to the Yamaha grips. These are also much hotter than the BMW grips I had on my Roadster. Maybe the factory grips on my Street Triple R were as warm as this set, but they would be the only other ones, and those things looked hideous, plus they had a separate, giant control module.

This set looks as clean and 'factory' as can be, like the set on the Triumph T120. It has three heat settings, and it shuts off automatically when you kill the ignition. The highest setting is just crazy-hot. Even through my winter gloves they were warm enough that I backed them down to the second setting. On a truly cold night in the mountains, these things are going to be a godsend.

Apparently they're quite a bear to install, so I'm glad I had the dealer do it. Where I live I can't see riding any naked bike without heated grips, and these things complete the CB's functionality. They even look pretty cool. They certainly don't detract from the bike's looks.

While they were at it, I also had them do my 600-mile service, and lower the brake pedal a bit. I thought the brake pedal was too high on Eric's bike, and mine was the same. It's much better now. I no longer need to stay on the ball of my foot to avoid pressing the pedal and possibly activating the brake light.

So, that's it, my bike is done.

Two interesting notes about this bike...

While I was walking around the dealership, I moseyed on out to the service department to check out the other bikes back there. One of the mechanics was taking a smoke break. I pointed to the new Kawi Z900 that he was leaning against and asked him, "What do you think of those?"

He said, "Cool bike. Certainly does the job, especially if you're a nineteen-year-old kid who's going to thrash it for a year before totaling it. The thing is, I just can't stand Kawasaki Heavy Industries steel. The <expletive deleted> is just so soft. It doesn't last for <same expletive deleted>.

"Now, we have this Honda back there, getting serviced. It's one of those old-school retro bikes, an eleven hundred. The thing is air-cooled, and you can pi**-wind that thing to redline all day, and it won't care. You can live at redline on a Honda motor, and it just won't care. Try the same thing on this Kawi, on any Kawi with their soft steel, and it'll grenade soon enough. No thanks. I'll stick with Hondas."

He then asked me what I ride, and when I told him that the retro Honda they're working on back there is mine, he just threw his cancer stick down, stabbed it out with his foot, and said, "Killer bike. That thing will never break."

Gotta love it.

The other bit of news might prove a bit disconcerting to some here...

Hanging out in their waiting area, I flipped through a 2018 Honda full-line brochure. This thing listed their entire line-up for 2018, and any guesses as to which bike was conspicuous by its absence?

Yep, no 2018 CB1100. No EX, no RS.

I asked the sales manager about it. He just shrugged and said, "Looks like they're not doing them anymore. Our Honda rep was just here, and he said Honda isn't bringing in any 2018 CB1100s. We're getting this new CB1000 racy thing, but there aren't going to be any more of the retros, at least not this year."

Wow. If that proves to be the case...wow.

On a brighter note, they had two of the new Gold Wings on display, a blue and a red. If the gaggle of geezers that kept coming in specifically to sit on that bike is any indication, Honda is going to have a major sales hit on their hands with the new Wing. Two of those guys told the salesman they were ready to "talk turkey" right then and there.

I also sat on the Z900 and Z900RS again, back and forth, back and forth, for about a half hour. (I had a long wait there today!) I eventually decided that even as fat as the Z900RS's tank is, I suppose I'd probably take it over the Z900, but only with the optional lower seat. I did like how light the bike felt, compared to my CB, but that was literally the only thing I preferred about the Kawi. No matter where I looked on the Z900RS, every last detail seemed a bit cheap; or, maybe it would be more accurate to say that every last detail on the CB seemed classier, and just downright better.

Lighter and faster and smoother are certainly good things, and the Kawi likely has the CB covered in those three areas, but there isn't a chance in Hades that I would trade my bike for that Z900RS.

[emptysea]

Don't know and don't much care about the Kawi, but the heated grips are a good add for almost everyone. I had them on my previous CB1100 and used them even in the summer, particularly on those rainy, must-ride-because-we're-on-a-trip, days. I don't have them on my new bike and I'm here to tell you that they make a huge difference when it's 24 degrees out (the outside temp for my ride this morning). I was stupid not to have them installed when I bought the bike, but they will be going at the next service interval, which is fast approaching. Probably will be buying some hand guards as well.

[VLJ_imp]

One of the things I like best about heated grips is they allow me to wear lighter gloves in the morning and at night, and when it's warmer during the day I'm not stuck wearing big, bulky winter gloves.

I have heated gloves, as well, and when it's below freezing, sure, throw on all the heated gear. Most of the time, though, it's more about being cold in the morning, warm during the day, and progressively colder at night, and I don't want the hassle of peeling off all the heated gear and putting it back on, and having to pack it away when I'm not using it. Good heated grips with a good riding suit make most rides do-able, even on a naked bike with no windshield. I use them on a regular basis probably eight months per year, and even in summer I use them during cold, foggy mornings on the coast.

[emptysea]

Exactly. Heated grips come in handy (no pun intended) even when it’s relatively warm. Although in Chicago, it’s a rare winter day when one wouldn’t be mor comfortably with winter (heated or otherwise) gloves even with heated grips.

After I get the heated grips installed, I’ll be looking at heated vests, gloves, socks.

[VLJ_imp]

I have heated everything: jacket, pants, gloves, socks. I've worn the entire kit and kaboodle, oh, twice?

Just too much of a hassle.

Now, if I lived in Siberia, like you do for a month or two every year, yeah, I'd wear the stuff.

Actually, no I wouldn't. Who am I kidding? I'm from California, and not a snowy part of California, at that. I'd hop into the car, turn on the heated seats, crank up the heater, and listen to some more Joe Bonamassa.

[pdedse]

VLJ, would it be too much to ask for price of heated grips installed?

Brought my bike back to the dealer today to have them install the one and only modification I'll do to my new '17 EX...







Those are the Honda factory heated grips, and they are so much hotter than the factory Yamaha grips on my XSR900, or the Oxford heated grips I tried before switching to the Yamaha grips. These are also much hotter than the BMW grips I had on my Roadster. Maybe the factory grips on my Street Triple R were as warm as this set, but they would be the only other ones, and those things looked hideous, plus they had a separate, giant control module.

This set looks as clean and 'factory' as can be, like the set on the Triumph T120. It has three heat settings, and it shuts off automatically when you kill the ignition. The highest setting is just crazy-hot. Even through my winter gloves they were warm enough that I backed them down to the second setting. On a truly cold night in the mountains, these things are going to be a godsend.

Apparently they're quite a bear to install, so I'm glad I had the dealer do it. Where I live I can't see riding any naked bike without heated grips, and these things complete the CB's functionality. They even look pretty cool. They certainly don't detract from the bike's looks.

While they were at it, I also had them do my 600-mile service, and lower the brake pedal a bit. I thought the brake pedal was too high on Eric's bike, and mine was the same. It's much better now. I no longer need to stay on the ball of my foot to avoid pressing the pedal and possibly activating the brake light.

So, that's it, my bike is done.

Two interesting notes about this bike...

While I was walking around the dealership, I moseyed on out to the service department to check out the other bikes back there. One of the mechanics was taking a smoke break. I pointed to the new Kawi Z900 that he was leaning against and asked him, "What do you think of those?"

He said, "Cool bike. Certainly does the job, especially if you're a nineteen-year-old kid who's going to thrash it for a year before totaling it. The thing is, I just can't stand Kawasaki Heavy Industries steel. The <expletive deleted> is just so soft. It doesn't last for <same expletive deleted>.

"Now, we have this Honda back there, getting serviced. It's one of those old-school retro bikes, an eleven hundred. The thing is air-cooled, and you can pi**-wind that thing to redline all day, and it won't care. You can live at redline on a Honda motor, and it just won't care. Try the same thing on this Kawi, on any Kawi with their soft steel, and it'll grenade soon enough. No thanks. I'll stick with Hondas."

He then asked me what I ride, and when I told him that the retro Honda they're working on back there is mine, he just threw his cancer stick down, stabbed it out with his foot, and said, "Killer bike. That thing will never break."

Gotta love it.

The other bit of news might prove a bit disconcerting to some here...

Hanging out in their waiting area, I flipped through a 2018 Honda full-line brochure. This thing listed their entire line-up for 2018, and any guesses as to which bike was conspicuous by its absence?

Yep, no 2018 CB1100. No EX, no RS.

I asked the sales manager about it. He just shrugged and said, "Looks like they're not doing them anymore. Our Honda rep was just here, and he said Honda isn't bringing in any 2018 CB1100s. We're getting this new CB1000 racy thing, but there aren't going to be any more of the retros, at least not this year."

Wow. If that proves to be the case...wow.

On a brighter note, they had two of the new Gold Wings on display, a blue and a red. If the gaggle of geezers that kept coming in specifically to sit on that bike is any indication, Honda is going to have a major sales hit on their hands with the new Wing. Two of those guys told the salesman they were ready to "talk turkey" right then and there.

I also sat on the Z900 and Z900RS again, back and forth, back and forth, for about a half hour. (I had a long wait there today!) I eventually decided that even as fat as the Z900RS's tank is, I suppose I'd probably take it over the Z900, but only with the optional lower seat. I did like how light the bike felt, compared to my CB, but that was literally the only thing I preferred about the Kawi. No matter where I looked on the Z900RS, every last detail seemed a bit cheap; or, maybe it would be more accurate to say that every last detail on the CB seemed classier, and just downright better.

Lighter and faster and smoother are certainly good things, and the Kawi likely has the CB covered in those three areas, but there isn't a chance in Hades that I would trade my bike for that Z900RS.

Hmmmmm.....news like this makes me suddenly like red a lot more....so maybe my plans move up a bit.

[marvincon_imp]

It's good to know the Honda factory grips are that good now, on my previous Crosstourer they were ok but not as good as Oxford.

[Guth_imp]

From the sounds of it, the CB1100 will likely outlive the nineteen-year-old-kid as well. Cough, cough.

[max]

Those grips look the part, blend in and are basically invisible.
Not that i ride if it's that cold, but if i had to that would surely make for a much more comfortable ride, full marks!
Oh and we are all very happy that the bike hit the spot and more for you, i do remember that i liked it more the longer i had it and just quietly admiring the whole concept.....yeah i cannot imagine a nicer sculpted engine than the 1100, compare that to the recent 900rs kawi, which i actually had on the list, but so happy and confident i made the right choice here with the red 1100.

max

[Mscb1100_imp]

VLJ
If several of us have looked at/plan on looking at the new Goldwing does that automatically confer geezer status upon us (Rofl), even if we keep our 1100’s.
Also, I m also going by local Yamaha Honda dealer today and hope I can pickup 09 TMax . Since that is considered 1/2 scooter and 1/2 sport bike (according to one review I read) will that affect my geezer status, should I tear my membership card in half?

Ps, your new grips look great