Side reflectors

CB4ME_imp

Road warrior
Thread starter
I dispensed with the red rear side reflectors when I copied Chip's license plate mod. What about the yellow side reflectors on the forks? They appear to be glued on. (Does the service manual say different?)

Bikes in the Japanese market don't have them, and I think the bike looks a lot better without them. I know US manufactures are required by NTSB / DOT regulation to add them, but as an owner/operator do I need to keep them on the bike? Is this something the police are going to focus on?
 
Focus on? Not likely. BUT.....in the event that you get pulled over those missing items can be called equipment violations and the fines will add up.
 
Parked in the sun and one of my front ones fell off... Double sided tape peels off with a little heat. Used a hair dryer on the other one.
 
Thread starter
Deanohh_imp said:
Parked in the sun and one of my front ones fell off... Double sided tape peels off with a little heat. Used a hair dryer on the other one.
Good to know.

"But Officer, those pesky old reflectors kept falling off. I promise not to speed anymore and I'll get new reflectors right away!"
 
It doesn't matter if they know exactly where they are supposed to be mounted, but they do know that by law they need to be there somewhere.

I'm in no way telling you what to do with your bike, just a "be aware" that if stopped that it's something you could conceivably be ticketed for.
 
Deanohh_imp said:
Parked in the sun and one of my front ones fell off... Double sided tape peels off with a little heat. Used a hair dryer on the other one.
Was the fork finish ok after removing them?
 
rakpak_imp said:
Deanohh_imp said:
Parked in the sun and one of my front ones fell off... Double sided tape peels off with a little heat. Used a hair dryer on the other one.
Was the fork finish ok after removing them?
Was the fork finish ok after removing them?
yes... Pull off with fingers. No marks show at all on finish of forks. Hair dryer and its just like peeling off a strip of electrical tape.
 
Deanohh_imp said:
rakpak_imp said:
Deanohh_imp said:
Parked in the sun and one of my front ones fell off... Double sided tape peels off with a little heat. Used a hair dryer on the other one.
Was the fork finish ok after removing them?
Was the fork finish ok after removing them?
yes... Pull off with fingers. No marks show at all on finish of forks. Hair dryer and its just like peeling off a strip of electrical tape.
Was the fork finish ok after removing them?
yes... Pull off with fingers. No marks show at all on finish of forks. Hair dryer and its just like peeling off a strip of electrical tape. Thanks for the info, I have been wanting to remove all the reflectors, byt wasn't sure about the front ones.
 
Gentlemen,

I have debated taking those reflectors off. I've taken them off all my other street bikes and I'll probably take them off of the CB as well. Sometimes I think I like the way they look and sometimes I don't. They are easy to take off and, if you change your mind, easy to put back on as well using 3M two sided rubber tape. Seeing how clean the forks look on bix's bike with the aluminum fairing has pushed me over the edge. I'm taking them off.

Chip
 
I always find myself being the wet blank, but why would you make your bike less visible? :huh:

With 3M body molding tape you could hang pianos from the ceiling.
 
meowguy_imp said:
I always find myself being the wet blank, but why would you make your bike less visible? :huh:

With 3M body molding tape you could hang pianos from the ceiling.

I've said before you can tell when a guy starts getting old when he starts putting reflective tape on his motorcycle ( you should see my ST..lights up like a Christmas tree when headlights hit it lol )

I used to always remove the reflectors. Now I add em. Go figure lol
 
Thread starter
If you do a lot of night riding, then it probably makes sense to keep them on. I don't, and 5 minutes with a hairdryer and a firm twisting motion lengthwise popped them right off. Goo gone finished the job and you can absolutely not tell they were ever on.

If you think you might unexpectedly find yourself heading into high patrol/high congestion areas at night, reapply double sided tape and keep the reflectors in your tool bin. It'll take no time to slap them back on.
 
I have taken them off every bike I've had for some years but will leave them on the CB1100 as they really make the bike look truly retro, like you found it in a crate somewhere. I had three old guys want to know "what year" was my bike. They were pretty surprised when I told 'em "2013".
 
I took mine off last night and didn't even use a hair dryer. Just pulled them off. They came off cleanly and you can't tell they were ever there. Those reflectors now sit in a box with my original rear license plate bracket. If I'm riding at night the front turn signals are lit along with the head and tail lights. When my sweetheart wears a bikini she is less protected than when she's wearing jeans but still, I like the way it looks!!!

Chip
 
Summer in Phoenix. Peel off is no big deal. :)

I'm keeping mine. I don't see them but others will. :shrug:
 
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