This bike slows me down

[pdedse]

I so agree with this! When I first bought mine six years ago, I bought it because I wanted to slow down a bit, and the test ride just brought a huge smile to face.

To be honest, at the time I did not think I would keep it for that long. Riding home from work today, I again kept telling myself that the more I ride this bike, the more I like it. And yes, it is perfect out of the crate. Any modification in my mind just upsets the perfection Honda achieved.

Then you haven't tried the right modifications.

I'd happily let someone ride my bike and then honestly tell me stock is better in any quantifiable way.

Then you haven't tried the right modifications.

I'd happily let someone ride my bike and then honestly tell me stock is better in any quantifiable way.
To each his own.

If I wanted a bike that handles better, or goes faster, or that can carry more luggage etc. I would get another one. There are many available.

To me it is exactly as it should be.

I didn’t tell you to get a different bike.

I said I have the same bike as you- yet the suspension is less jarring on road imperfections, the seat more plush, the engine not only smoother in response, with no glitches, but delivers substantially more torque all the way from idle to redline.

None of those are subjective like my choice of handlebars or mirrors, or muffler. They are quantifiable facts.

All improvements with no downsides.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All improvement$$$ with no downside$$$.

Sorry, couldn't resist

PowerDubs, I have no doubt you throughly enjoy the upgrades you made to your bike, and appreciate it all the more because of them. I certainly don't begrudge anyone wanting to make their ride better for them.

But if something is already "pretty darn good" for someone, the idea of paying more money to make it "better" loses its appeal--the rider is already happy with what they have. So while it's possible to quantify the improvements, that doesn't necessarily mean the improvements will bring about quantifiablly more happiness.

 

[Wisedrum]

I so agree with this! When I first bought mine six years ago, I bought it because I wanted to slow down a bit, and the test ride just brought a huge smile to face.

To be honest, at the time I did not think I would keep it for that long. Riding home from work today, I again kept telling myself that the more I ride this bike, the more I like it. And yes, it is perfect out of the crate. Any modification in my mind just upsets the perfection Honda achieved.

I agree but make a difference between accessoires that are helpful like saddlebags or a windshield and modifications like another exhaust system or a rider bank. I personally never saw an original bike including the CB that was modified in this way, that looks better with the afterwards changed parts. The line, the optical perfection the engineers build, got ruined in my eyes. But its all a matter of taste. Taste and need for modifications can be very different.

In my case it's more the experience of 3 years RE Bullet riding that slows me down with my other bikes. Also on the CB. In a way it's the discovery of an enjoyable riding slow. 70 -120km/h.

 

[Henrik_imp]

I suppose a the end of the day, any bike can be made better. Perhaps the question then is really, does it need to be made better? For the CB, I don't think so. Certainly there will be some changes that can be made that do not have any negative impact, does not upset the perfect balance I was referring to, but there are so many others that do in my opinion.

Yes, Wisedrum, some accessories can be helpful or practical. If you feel you need them, then that is a great enhancement for you. I had a Road Comet fairing on mine for years, and found it useful for deflecting the wind. Having removed it a little while ago in preparation for my technical inspection, I have somehow re-discovered the CB. It just feels a little bit smoother, which I think is because vibrations somehow reverberate through the fairing. It is not really noticeable at first, but over time now I just feel a difference. Maybe there are other windshields that have less impact, mind you the Road Comet impact is minimal, but for my riding I don't actually need it. Saddle bags can be great to carry stuff, and if you are touring it is a must to bring your gear with you, but they do modify a bit the balance of the bike. If I need to carry a lot of stuff, I would certainly prefer saddle bags to a top case that I feel totally upsets the look and messes with the balance by having the weight to high and too far back.

So. PowerDubs, if your changes provide you with the better results that you want from the CB, then great! I wont argue about them making it better, I just don't feel the need to do it. For me it is perfect the way they delivered it.

 

[Billie_imp]

I know I love mine stock.

 

[pekingduck]

It's strange that whatever car or truck we're driving, maybe the same one for 200K miles, we get in it and drive it, and rarely do we do anything about what we don't like about it - we just get comfortable with it.

But we get on our bike, and the mirror is too short or too big so we change it. Or the handle bars are too low/too high, so we change it. The exhaust doesn't look or sound right, so we change it. Or there's too much wind, or we need to carry stuff, or.....

So we personalize it, and can see and feel the difference immediately, a source of great satisfaction. We like our cars, but we LOVE our bikes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as far as the bike slowing me down, no, it was the opposite.
I slowed down, and the bike accommodated me.

 

[the Ferret]

It's strange that whatever car or truck we're driving, maybe the same one for 200K miles, we get in it and drive it, and rarely do we do anything about what we don't like about it - we just get comfortable with it.

But we get on our bike, and the mirror is too short or too big so we change it. Or the handle bars are too low/too high, so we change it. The exhaust doesn't look or sound right, so we change it. Or there's too much wind, or we need to carry stuff, or.....

So we personalize it, and can see and feel the difference immediately, a source of great satisfaction. We like our cars, but we LOVE our bikes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as far as the bike slowing me down, no, it was the opposite.
I slowed down, and the bike accommodated me.

Good points.

I view my truck as a conveyance. Nice truck, comfortable, powerful enough and it hauls the big things I can't carry on the bike, like mulch or furniture, but I don't love the truck. It's 10 years old and has 58,000 miles on it. My CB is 6 years old and has 53.000 miles on it, my FJR 2 years old and 32,000 miles and my ST 1300 before the FJR was 10 years old and I put 110,000 miles on it. I love my motorcycles.

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

It's strange that whatever car or truck we're driving, maybe the same one for 200K miles, we get in it and drive it, and rarely do we do anything about what we don't like about it - we just get comfortable with it.

But we get on our bike, and the mirror is too short or too big so we change it. Or the handle bars are too low/too high, so we change it. The exhaust doesn't look or sound right, so we change it. Or there's too much wind, or we need to carry stuff, or.....

So we personalize it, and can see and feel the difference immediately, a source of great satisfaction. We like our cars, but we LOVE our bikes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as far as the bike slowing me down, no, it was the opposite.
I slowed down, and the bike accommodated me.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

So, this post contains nothing new for you guys but I figure I’d share anyway: Four decades of frustrated speeding, overtaking and filtering has suddenly come to a stop, or so it seems. A string of Euro sportsbikes ended when I traded my R NineT Racer for a CB1100RS. Unsure why, maybe a nostalgic notion, but the great looks certainly played a part. The first week I seriously questioned my sanity – this lumbering barge with rubber band acceleration, zero wind protection and without gadgets was so not me. And two overdrive gears, what were they thinking? I spent the second week sifting through hundreds of posts and pages on performance mods. The third week I began to shortshift, exploring the range below 3000 rpm, steering through the pegs. To my surprise, I started to relax, ease up and enjoy the scenery more. A gap in traffic no longer equals overtaking; the need for speed is gone. Now I’m more impressed by this bike than I ever thought I’d be – it’s simply brilliant straight from the crate. No mods needed. This bike slows me down and it feels good. Never ever thought I’d say that.

I would agree with you Olof.

I thought leaving the CB1100 I would slow down because the cool-as-cucumber CB can really take off, if you want it. Turns out I went in the other direction, and certiainly did not expect that.

So the CB1100 is indeed

a nice, cool and mellow machine.

 

[Cormanus]

is quite cool too, AU2O3. Good to see you back.

 

[pdedse]

is quite cool too, AU2O3. Good to see you back.

There's good chemistry on these forums at times.

 

[Guth_imp]

It's strange that whatever car or truck we're driving, maybe the same one for 200K miles, we get in it and drive it, and rarely do we do anything about what we don't like about it - we just get comfortable with it.

But we get on our bike, and the mirror is too short or too big so we change it. Or the handle bars are too low/too high, so we change it. The exhaust doesn't look or sound right, so we change it. Or there's too much wind, or we need to carry stuff, or.....

So we personalize it, and can see and feel the difference immediately, a source of great satisfaction. We like our cars, but we LOVE our bikes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as far as the bike slowing me down, no, it was the opposite.
I slowed down, and the bike accommodated me.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.
I'm getting the impression that you've rarely been satisfied with pretty much every vehicle you've ever purchased, be it one with two wheels or four. I've got no problem with that and it helps me understand how you have such a hard time accepting the fact that others can be perfectly happy with a motorcycle like the CB1100 just the way it came from the factory even though many are.

You might feel that the changes you made are quantifiable improvements, but to expect everyone to agree with you is totally unrealistic (trust me, nobody is ever going to get a consensus on one seat being superior to another). Furthermore, when it comes to cars and motorcycles for many it is the subjective things that far outweigh the rest. My hunch is that despite your many modifications there are some who own stock CB1100's out there that are even happier with their own motorcycles than you are with yours. The working phrase here is to each their own.

 

[Charlie Bravo_imp]

I was surprised the other day, riding my CB along PCH, that I was very content to just putt along, rarely overtaking, rarely filtering, (except at lights. Legal in CA) I was just enjoying the ride, with no real destination in mind. Does that mean I'm getting old? I'd still like a bit more sound and am looking for a windshield, but that's it.

 

[the Ferret]

old = no (although it's a possibility") ... CB Mellow = YES!

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

It's strange that whatever car or truck we're driving, maybe the same one for 200K miles, we get in it and drive it, and rarely do we do anything about what we don't like about it - we just get comfortable with it.

But we get on our bike, and the mirror is too short or too big so we change it. Or the handle bars are too low/too high, so we change it. The exhaust doesn't look or sound right, so we change it. Or there's too much wind, or we need to carry stuff, or.....

So we personalize it, and can see and feel the difference immediately, a source of great satisfaction. We like our cars, but we LOVE our bikes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as far as the bike slowing me down, no, it was the opposite.
I slowed down, and the bike accommodated me.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.
I'm getting the impression that you've rarely been satisfied with pretty much every vehicle you've ever purchased, be it one with two wheels or four. I've got no problem with that and it helps me understand how you have such a hard time accepting the fact that others can be perfectly happy with a motorcycle like the CB1100 just the way it came from the factory even though many are.

You might feel that the changes you made are quantifiable improvements, but to expect everyone to agree with you is totally unrealistic (trust me, nobody is ever going to get a consensus on one seat being superior to another). Furthermore, when it comes to cars and motorcycles for many it is the subjective things that far outweigh the rest. My hunch is that despite your many modifications there are some who own stock CB1100's out there that are even happier with their own motorcycles than you are with yours. The working phrase here is to each their own.

I find your response to be quite hostile.

It's strange that whatever car or truck we're driving, maybe the same one for 200K miles, we get in it and drive it, and rarely do we do anything about what we don't like about it - we just get comfortable with it.

But we get on our bike, and the mirror is too short or too big so we change it. Or the handle bars are too low/too high, so we change it. The exhaust doesn't look or sound right, so we change it. Or there's too much wind, or we need to carry stuff, or.....

So we personalize it, and can see and feel the difference immediately, a source of great satisfaction. We like our cars, but we LOVE our bikes!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And as far as the bike slowing me down, no, it was the opposite.
I slowed down, and the bike accommodated me.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.

Not me. I've heavily modified just about every car I've ever owned.

Camshafts, ecu tuning, headers, high flow cats and exhaust, ported cyl heads, modified intake manifolds, bored out several throttle bodies, sway bars, mechanical differentials, you name it... even the occasional completely different engine install, made an automatic into a stick shift, converted drum brakes into disc with factory ABS install.
I'm getting the impression that you've rarely been satisfied with pretty much every vehicle you've ever purchased, be it one with two wheels or four. I've got no problem with that and it helps me understand how you have such a hard time accepting the fact that others can be perfectly happy with a motorcycle like the CB1100 just the way it came from the factory even though many are.

You might feel that the changes you made are quantifiable improvements, but to expect everyone to agree with you is totally unrealistic (trust me, nobody is ever going to get a consensus on one seat being superior to another). Furthermore, when it comes to cars and motorcycles for many it is the subjective things that far outweigh the rest. My hunch is that despite your many modifications there are some who own stock CB1100's out there that are even happier with their own motorcycles than you are with yours. The working phrase here is to each their own.

I never said that or anything remotely close to that.

A person can live however they want, drive whatever they like, ride whatever they want.

Doesn't mean there isn't a better way if they want it.

I look at things and see ways they can be better. Others take what they are given.

But hey- much of that is true for everything- your spouse, the job you go to, the car you drive, the house you live in, the food you eat.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

is quite cool too, AU2O3. Good to see you back.

Hey, thx. Just dropping in for a little while checking that the place hasn't been totaled, trashed, or sumthin'.

I was keen on following up on the 2020 Eastern U.S. CB1100 Rally. Also, I see the RLET is alive and well, and new Padawan graduates are still happening.

I help mod the fine Africa Twin site, but there is something special about the original CB1100 Forum. It is kinda like an ol' blanket sort of thing.

 

[Cormanus]

Yep. Does your AT wear an RLET or two? Are you spreading the word?

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yep. Does your AT wear an RLET or two? Are you spreading the word?

Heh, heh, ... it is a whole different breed of rider over there.

RLETs would be hidden behind grip guards. If the grip guards are Honda OEM, the RLETs would be ripped off and lost forever on the first fall.

Popular folklore obsessions tend to be things like:
[ul] [li]"napping" - When the Africa Twin is sleeping on the ground. This seems to happen often, and proud images are captured.[/li] [li]"bash plates" - There is some addiction to non-OEM bash plates.[/li] [li]"crash bars" - The more non-OEM, the better.[/li] [li]"offroad tires" - This is about as close one gets to RLETs. They are black, and they are rubber. But is it good in sand? In mud? As well as carving asphalt corners?
[/li][/ul] ... and so on.

 

[the Ferret]

It is only fitting that this site is the only one where Rlets mean anything special

Glad the AT guys (and gals) have found their " own" things to obsess about

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

It is only fitting that this site is the only one where Rlets mean anything special

Glad the AT guys (and gals) have found their " own" things to obsess about

I am in total agreement.

The RLET ... ahem, ... "THE RLET" is the VALUE ADD that makes the CB1100 FORUM UNIQUE.






Almost time to get back to the other forum.

 

[Cormanus]

Gee, Ferret, that statement might require some further thought. I recently watched a French series called The Forest on Netflix. One of the characters was a teacher who rode a green CB250 which was of an era to be fitted with RLETs I meant to start a thread on it titled "RLETs on the screen".

.

Back in the day they were standard fare on most Hondas. Why then should we have a monopoly on them? Unless, of course, it is that you can rightly claim credit for having caused an RLET renaissance.