New convert: T100 to CB1100

[kvdv_imp]

Hi again everyone!
Thanks so much for all the comments and advice. I can tell that this forum is a lot like the Triumphrat forum...full of great folks and lots of knowledge and experience.

A few of you nailed it right on the head...the push/pull/swaying effect turned out to be the jacket I've been wearing, and specifically, how I was wearing it. For the big 10,000 mile tour, I wore an Aerostich Darien on the Bonnie...sometimes with vents open, sometimes closed. No matter what speed, no instability at all.

Fast forward to returning home. The Darien is in the closet, and I've been using a regular old Firstgear leather jacket that looks WAY cooler, which is important if you're on the CB1100, am I right? It's been hot, so I've had the shoulder vents and back vent wide open. Anyway, yesterday, I zipped up all the vents on that leather jacket prior to another freeway run, and guess what...NO pulling or swaying action at all, even up to 80! On my way home, just to confirm my observations, I opened the vents and I was getting thrown around again. Interesting. The Darien's vents don't do anything like that.

The bars... honestly, with the grip puppies on, my palms are much happier, and I'm not so worried about the extra pressure on my wrists. It's actually helping remind me to keep my torso and lower body muscles active and engaged a bit more when I ride instead of just sitting there like a lump. With just a little more mindfulness toward my posture, my wrists are ok.

Looking forward to some fine times on this CB1100. I've never owned anything quite this nice in my entire life. It's an honor and a privilege.
- Karl

 

[CA200_imp]

Karl I put 1 1/2" risers from GenMar and a big Wind shield on mine and could not be more happy , but then again I am a little old man.

 

[the Ferret]

Glad you got it figured out and it was your coat and not the bike. Had me worried for awhile there, because as you have discovered this is an amazing motorcycle.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Happy things worked out Karl. Enjoy your new ride.:clap:

 

[ClassicVW_imp]

Wow. Glad to hear it was that simple.
I got one right. I was afraid people would be calling me crazy for suggesting it possibly was the jacket.

 

[Cormanus]

Hi again everyone!
Thanks so much for all the comments and advice. I can tell that this forum is a lot like the Triumphrat forum...full of great folks and lots of knowledge and experience.

A few of you nailed it right on the head...the push/pull/swaying effect turned out to be the jacket I've been wearing, and specifically, how I was wearing it. For the big 10,000 mile tour, I wore an Aerostich Darien on the Bonnie...sometimes with vents open, sometimes closed. No matter what speed, no instability at all.

Fast forward to returning home. The Darien is in the closet, and I've been using a regular old Firstgear leather jacket that looks WAY cooler, which is important if you're on the CB1100, am I right? It's been hot, so I've had the shoulder vents and back vent wide open. Anyway, yesterday, I zipped up all the vents on that leather jacket prior to another freeway run, and guess what...NO pulling or swaying action at all, even up to 80! On my way home, just to confirm my observations, I opened the vents and I was getting thrown around again. Interesting. The Darien's vents don't do anything like that.

The bars... honestly, with the grip puppies on, my palms are much happier, and I'm not so worried about the extra pressure on my wrists. It's actually helping remind me to keep my torso and lower body muscles active and engaged a bit more when I ride instead of just sitting there like a lump. With just a little more mindfulness toward my posture, my wrists are ok.

Looking forward to some fine times on this CB1100. I've never owned anything quite this nice in my entire life. It's an honor and a privilege.
- Karl

Nicely put, sir. I hope it gives you great pleasure.

 

[dave]

I have experienced a similar condition of being blown around on my CB1100. I experience it when it is windy, traveling about 65 mph. I discovered that wind entering at my sleeves caused pressure to build in my jacket which contributed to the blowing around effect. Try securing your sleeves so the wind does not enter them and this may reduce the blowing around effect, but it will not eliminate it.

 

[Hedge_imp]

Hi Karl - I also have a 2007 Black Bonnie and the CB is everything that the Bonnie isn't. As like you, my hands also hurt and even get numb. I have loosened up the bars and rolled them back an inch to make them more like Western bars which worked really good on my Bonnie but doesn't seem to help much here. Now after reading what AndyHe said maybe I need to re-adjust mine.

 

[hxd148_imp]

I'm a former bonnie owner as well and was surprised to read you had issues with wind buffeting. I'm glad it was just the jacket and not the bike. You might want to look into the Dart Marlin flyscreen for the the CB because it seems to make quite a difference with pressure relief on your chest. I have one and it works great. I ended up taking it off however because I just love the way a naked bike looks lol. That being said it did work well.

 

[Cormanus]

Hi Karl - I also have a 2007 Black Bonnie and the CB is everything that the Bonnie isn't. As like you, my hands also hurt and even get numb. I have loosened up the bars and rolled them back an inch to make them more like Western bars which worked really good on my Bonnie but doesn't seem to help much here. Now after reading what AndyHe said maybe I need to re-adjust mine.

Somewhere, forum member JustPassinThru talks about packing his bars with lead shot to ease the vibration. Try here and [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6433&pid=98700#pid98700]here

 

[metallyguitarded_imp]

Wow. Glad to hear it was that simple.
I got one right. I was afraid people would be calling me crazy for suggesting it possibly was the jacket.

Good call George. You're crazy for other reasons. This time, you were spot on!

 

[ClassicVW_imp]

Wow. Glad to hear it was that simple.
I got one right. I was afraid people would be calling me crazy for suggesting it possibly was the jacket.

Good call George. You're crazy for other reasons. This time, you were spot on!

As much as I'd like to protest... you're right!

I just got home from a 175 mile ride for lunch with a Meet Up group I ride with. I wore my BMW one piece summer suit with very short gloves, and after lunch I was a bit sloppy in sealing the sleeves at my wrists. Guess what? Yep, too much extra air was forced up my sleeves and into the body of the suit and it was like being in a strong crosswind, back and forth. I didn't expect that to happen with this particular suit since it has openings for air in several places, even wide open forearm vents.

 

[DaSwami_imp]

I dunno, today did a 230 mile trip and there was wind, most of the time a crosswind. I felt like I was in a bad wind tunnel getting pushed, pulled, shoved to the side, buffeted about. Wind was steady 10-20mph but nothing too serious.

I'm big, tall and wide, but I've never had this problem with the Scram and its Dart flyscreen, while wearing a stuffed backpack. Maybe it's the Marlin screen, maybe it's the bikes ergos, but at times I struggled to keep a line on the CB.

 

[Pterodactyl_imp]

^^^^. Mate, maybe "struggle" is the key word. Relax on the bars and let it go. Just let it go. Strong, gusting and variable crosswinds on a wet road don't seem to be any more of a problem on this bike than any other I've ridden. The harder you work the harder the bike makes you work. If I have a problem with directional control, whether in bad weather or on a twisty road, or even on dirt, then is the time for me to relax and release the tension in my forearms and try the old finger-tip technique. For me it works, maybe not for others.

Cheers and hope you sort it out.