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As stated in my new member post, the CB11 is my first bike. As in, first ever. Naturally, there is a learning curve to climb and here is one early lesson among many that have come my way: I was commuting to work and riding just a bit cocky this morning for no earned reason and I came around a corner to a yellow light. I didn't realize how fast I was traveling until I hit the brakes, and my front brake a little too hard at that. My bike slipped on the plastic white arrow in the road and I watched over my right shoulder as my rear wheel began to catch up with the front. I noticed that the driver in the intersection waiting to make the left had noticed the trouble I was in and, thankfully, was no longer interested in beating me through the light. I released the brakes and hit the throttle and my bike straitened up and glided through the intersection. This was my first real close call and I was shaken, but made it to work unscathed. In the parking lot of the office I grabbed for the brake instead of the clutch while parking and ran away from danger as my bike slammed to the ground. I rode home cautiously with a bent brake lever, and that weekend went to work because as they say on tv, a man never lets another work on his motorcycle. I'm no mechanic, but I think I learned to love working on my motorcycle through this simple task. I know I learned to pull over after a close call.
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The CB1100 is not an appropriate motorcycle as a first bike.
I'd recommend taking some courses, MSF, AMA, whatever is available. Some track days have a really, really good new rider school.
Many will give you pat on the back, happy to have yet another CB1100 rider in the club, and tell you you'll be fine, it's a nice mellow ride, just take it easy. No.
You're lucky your first incident was very, very minor.
Forgot to ask, you have a non-ABS bike? Or did it not work as expected?
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JMA, my buddy has a key fob with the round end of a bent lever. He took and cut it off...ground it down and rounded/smoothed it on a grinder and drilled a hole through it...looks good...
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I'm not one to preach to others about what is right for them, but I would agree the CB is probably inappropriate for first-time riders, primarily due to its weight. Glad your incident was minor -- it happens. I sincerely hope it'll be your last.
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Did you get a set of engine guards? I got them for my first big bike and they saved the engine when I threw it down the road the first week I had it. It was my third bike, I crashed it twice in the first year I had it.
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JMA
I sent you a PM. (Private message)
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Glad you and the bike are OK. My first bike was a V45 Magna, similar weight and more power than the CB1100. I survived and only went down one on a country road when a corner was sharper than I anticipated so I tried a panic stop.
My suggestion would be to slow down and learn your limits sooner than later (you already have the bike so that's not likely to change). Find a deserted area to test panic braking. Learn how your bike will handle under different conditions so you can prepare earlier. No one has more to lose than the person on a motorcycle.
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JMA, sorry to hear of your trials, but glad to hear you're OK.
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You know, a little time on Youtube will show you quite a few experienced riders making mistakes so don't let it get you down in the least bit. They warned us about those plastic road markings in the MSF class I took a few years ago after my CB was delivered and before I rode it.
I also echo what was already said, for new riders, not especially you but anyone reading this thread, that it is important to take the class even if you rode some years before. It gives you the ability to make mistakes with their school bikes. Then, after you get on your bike, spend some time in an empty school parking lot early Sunday morning practicing 20-30 quick stops to get a feel of the bike's balance and her braking and when you get to the point just before she lock's up.
Finally, if no ABS (like me) and the back locks then ride it to a stop so it does not flip the bike (it is called a "high side" wreck, see Youtube). Actually lock it in practicing, again keeping the brake locked and riding it to a stop till you release the rear brake, and get a feel for that so it does not panic you when it's time to brake hard for real.
