Impressions from 1st short ride

[Pete Erickson_imp]

Picked up CB1100 on 08/20.

Went on a short ride down to the coast for lunch. Total mileage was about 280. Here are some impressions from that ride.

1. The thing gets terrific gas mileage. Now it was on a group ride and the speeds were moderate, but over 50mpg WOW.

2. I need to get a windscreen. I haven't ridden a bike without one for years. I missed not having one. Thinking maybe a Comet II.

3. The seat is killer. I already knew that. It either has to be replaced or maybe improved on by the custom auto upholstery shop a few miles from my house.

4. For group rides, I could drive it like a Valkyrie. Get it into the cruising gear and leave it there. The engine is like an electric motor. It will pull from almost zero rpm. Seems like the bike could get by with only 2 or 3 gears. A couple to get it moving and one for everything else.

5. For the way I ride, it handles as good as my 2012 BMW R1200R. That was a real surprise. Oh, the BMW is for sale.

What I don't like so far.....the dash does not show ambient temperature. Both my Moto Guzzi and BMW do.

 

[the Ferret]

Pete, yea it's a pretty terrific bike as you are finding out.

What is it you don't like about the R1200R. Always thought that it would make a terrific solo sport tourer.

 

[Cormanus]

Pete, there's a couple of work arounds on the forum for an ambient temperature thermometer. Ride4now has a very elegant one; another member uses a kitchen thermometer.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Pete, there's a couple of work arounds on the forum for an ambient temperature thermometer. Ride4now has a very elegant one; another member uses a kitchen thermometer.

Here is the one I have. The End | My Website

The thermometer I got mounts on the handlebar and is chrome. I'd post a pic, but I'm not at home right now.

 

[Cormanus]

Oh ... and Popgun has a fancy one too! :beerchug:

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Have that clock (Popguns) on my Ural, takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Also sold my BMW for the CB, no regrets. More I ride the CB the more I realize I'd been sucked in by the advertising hype surrounding the over-priced fancy engineering brands. Everybody else had one so it must be good, right?

Give me a bike that runs all day, handles well, and I can work on when I want to - at a reasonable price. Prefer to spend my money on gas.

As to the ambient temp, I'm sorta reluctant to have proof that I am crazy for being out on a day like this.

 

[Lord Popgun]

To clarify, I got the clocks4bikes thermometer since the bike has a clock. Would be nice to have a factory accessory for it though.

 

[the Ferret]

Never had much use for a thermometer on my bike although the ST has one in the dash. I like knowing what time it is, and what gear I am in, but never needed to know exactly what the temp was. I know if I'm hot or cold lol.

 

[Krupator_imp]

Never had much use for a thermometer on my bike although the ST has one in the dash. I like knowing what time it is, and what gear I am in, but never needed to know exactly what the temp was. I know if I'm hot or cold lol.

+1 on that. I don't think a thermometer would convince me to keep a layer on or take it off if I didn't feel I needed to do so.

 

[HikerToo_imp]

Comet 1

 

[Rocky_imp]

Pete, there's a couple of work arounds on the forum for an ambient temperature thermometer. Ride4now has a very elegant one; another member uses a kitchen thermometer.

Here is the one I have. The End | My Website

The thermometer I got mounts on the handlebar and is chrome. I'd post a pic, but I'm not at home right now.

Here is the one I have. The End | My Website

The thermometer I got mounts on the handlebar and is chrome. I'd post a pic, but I'm not at home right now.
I like those, but have a couple of these on my bikes.
http://www.marlinsclocks.net/
I bought the Marlins before I learned about clocks4bikes.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Those look nice too!

 

[veech_imp]

Comet 1

Oh no, not the Comet 1 vs. 2 debate again... I thought it was already clarified that those with no imagination go with the Comet 1 and forward thinkers go with the Comet 2!

:hello:

 

[treytexag_imp]

Pete, nice succinct review.

This also strongly attracted me to this bike (the part in 4Paws comment below in red) - plus I've only ever owned Honda's.

Have that clock (Popguns) on my Ural, takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Also sold my BMW for the CB, no regrets. More I ride the CB the more I realize I'd been sucked in by the advertising hype surrounding the over-priced fancy engineering brands. Everybody else had one so it must be good, right?

Give me a bike that runs all day, handles well, and I can work on when I want to - at a reasonable price. Prefer to spend my money on gas.

As to the ambient temp, I'm sorta reluctant to have proof that I am crazy for being out on a day like this.

 

[the Ferret]

Comet 1

Oh no, not the Comet 1 vs. 2 debate again... I thought it was already clarified that those with no imagination go with the Comet 1 and forward thinkers go with the Comet 2!

:hello:

Oh no, not the Comet 1 vs. 2 debate again... I thought it was already clarified that those with no imagination go with the Comet 1 and forward thinkers go with the Comet 2!

:hello:


:rofl:

Oh boy, this place is starting to feel like home

 

[Pete Erickson_imp]

Pete, yea it's a pretty terrific bike as you are finding out.

What is it you don't like about the R1200R. Always thought that it would make a terrific solo sport tourer.

The R12R is a great bike. Rode it to Yellowstone, Sturgis, and Glacier National Park in 2013. About 3500 miles total. Rode it to Abilene, Tx this year for my grandson's HS graduation. About 5000 miles total. It has the best engineered mounting system for OEM saddlebags I have ever seen.

It does not, however, look like the CB1100. To my eyes, the CB looks like a proper motorcycle. The R12R is a naked version of a sport bike. It looks OK, but not as good as the CB. I should also point out that I own a 2009 Moto Guzzi V7 Classic.

The R12R also has a couple of minor issues. For me the biggest one was low speed throttle response. It is real herky jerky. The other issue was changing the bevel drive fluid. You have to remove the rear wheel, to access the filler port. To me that was just stupid engineering. The self cancelling turn signals were a bit a bother also.

So all in all no real major issues with the R12R. I just like the looks of the CB better. It looks like the best bike I ever owned, a '72 CB750.

 

[the Ferret]

Ahh gotcha. I rented an R1200R dor 2 weeks in Germany and thought it a pretty nice motorcycle, but then I didn't have to service the rear drive.

 

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Good review Pete. I'll look forward to an update in the future. Maybe at 5000 miles or so.

It's funny that, despite the overwhelming weight of advanced technology being against us (forum members), we are drawn, initially, to the CB by its classic looks and then learn to love it for its elegant simplicity. Despite being a long term Viffer man I turned my back on an 800 for the CB. I knew the Viffer was a "better" sport tourer and would suit the majority of my riding but I just couldn't help myself. And, best of all, many kilometres later, I don't regret it.

Cheers, and enjoy the ride.

 

[Cormanus]

Good review Pete. I'll look forward to an update in the future. Maybe at 5000 miles or so.

It's funny that, despite the overwhelming weight of advanced technology being against us (forum members), we are drawn, initially, to the CB by its classic looks and then learn to love it for its elegant simplicity. Despite being a long term Viffer man I turned my back on an 800 for the CB. I knew the Viffer was a "better" sport tourer and would suit the majority of my riding but I just couldn't help myself. And, best of all, many kilometres later, I don't regret it.

Cheers, and enjoy the ride.

How very elegantly put, Pterodactyl.

 

[Wisedrum]

Good review Pete. I'll look forward to an update in the future. Maybe at 5000 miles or so.

It's funny that, despite the overwhelming weight of advanced technology being against us (forum members), we are drawn, initially, to the CB by its classic looks and then learn to love it for its elegant simplicity. Despite being a long term Viffer man I turned my back on an 800 for the CB. I knew the Viffer was a "better" sport tourer and would suit the majority of my riding but I just couldn't help myself. And, best of all, many kilometres later, I don't regret it.

Cheers, and enjoy the ride.

Yes, indeed yes, and what's not so unimportant for this love is a good portion of uncompromised reliability.
Something I gladly found out with the Honda and Kawa W.

A bike I also dig is the Royal Enfield Bullet EFI and I spend some time gathering
information about it, which was nicely rounded out by a test ride.
In addition to it I did a lot of forum reading and was shocked by the fact,
that there's hardly one driver around, who didn't have to fix some major or minor problems to keep his bike
alive, wether new or old, it doesn't matter. Astonishing.

Both of my early mentioned bikes always run! The Honda 22.000km and the Kawa over 36.000km and
they'll keep on going for sure! Of course, some basic maintenance involved.

And what should I say 'bout the Enfield? The quoted words above surely belong to this bike
and it really pulls my attention, but and there is always a but, I could not
subscribe to a quality, that is handcrafted, whatever this means, in India.
Or in other words, I'm not, somehow expensive, really willing to experience a realistic assumed risk of
how reliable this bike behaves on the longer run. But it got my vote in a certain way.

The japanese bikes got it anyway, 'cause there isn't this kind of risk apparent. I assume.

Nevertheless I don't really need a third bike, or do I?, although it 's nice to have a 1, 2 and 4 cylinder
with these classic looks, feel and simplicity.

Wisedrum