What did you do on or to your CB 1100 today

[Gone in 60]

My method is to squirt some kind of rubber preservative like Armor All inside the RLET, grip it with a rag to get some grip and just shove it on.

Same way I'm putting grip cushions on all of the worn grips on the BMW work bikes. Lube it, grip it and rip it.

 

[Cormanus]

Yeah ... but is it as much fun as using this contraption?

 

[HondaLou]

I suspect there's as many methods of installation as there are RLETs, but this was always a favorite, The CB1100 Community Forum

Poor sheep.  Happy Me

 

[LucienLeFranc]

Well the price is right:

[attachment=1774]

I wish I'd known a month ago....

I'm still thinking maybe it's worth buying?  In addition to Rlet install, I sorta remember times in the past that I needed to stretch something open on four sides like that, but can't quite remember what at the moment.

 

[pdedse]

Took the long way to the grocery store...

Crown Point, Columbia River looking west.

 

[Cormanus]

Beautiful, pdedse. Did you chant the going-to-the-store mantra so you'd remember what to get? "Milk, bread, toilet paper!"

 

[pdedse]

Beautiful, pdedse. Did you chant the going-to-the-store mantra so you'd remember what to get? "Milk, bread, toilet paper!"

I was riding my MC, so it was almost easy...milk and cereal.  If I had three things on my mental list I would have forgotten two.

 

[Gone in 60]

Wow, that's an awfully pretty ride to the grocery store!

 

[Nachodaddy]

Long, long ago (1961-63) I worked on a ranch in Northern California helping castrate lambs. I think that device would have made the job more difficult for us and the lambs. Much better suited to installing RLETS.

 

[pdedse]

Forecast calls for a 6 days of rain beginning tomorrow...need to take advantage of a dry day, today!  A 240 mile loop around Mt. Hood.  

For the last 6 weeks we've been dealing with lots of forest fire smoke...In my area, I'd guestimate 12 days with palatable smoke that you can taste, kinda stings the eyes after a while.  And the east side of Mt. Hood has the Grasshopper Fire, 94,000 acres burned, going on for 39 days, but nearly contained.  So I wanted to see just how smokey / hazy things look.  Route was hiway 14 on the WA side along the Columbia, cross back into OR at Biggs Junction, take 97 south to Grass Valley, then 216 to Tygh Valley, Pine Grove, and finish with hiway 26 back home.

WA side of the Columbia River

The blue sky looking white is the forest fire effect

Hiway 216 west of Grass Valley; there was nothing for miles around these horsies.  I hope someone is taking care of them.  Through the haze of smoke you can still make out Mt. Hood, but it should look much more clear

Hiway 216 heading towards Tygh Valley is a very fun, windy road

Indigenous fishing platform below

White River Falls: stopped to read a couple chapters of The Admiral of the Ocean Sea by Samuel Morison.  Very good.   

https://imgur.com/Xp6k1l2

Despite using natural tears eyedrops at nearly each stop, my eyes are tired!  Hopefully the 6 days of rain will clear out the smoke.

 

[Cormanus]

Golly, it's dry pdedse. Reminds me of home.

 

[pdedse]

Golly, it's dry pdedse. Reminds me of home.

Places on the coast like Cannon Beach receive 80 inches of rain per year, Portland 40, Maupin and the brown area on the map only 12. There's a coastal mt range that captures precipitation, then the Cascade range captures even more, and it determines wetside vs. dry side of Oregon.  Plus we're near the end of summer so it hasn't rained hardly at all for 2 months, so things are indeed dry.

 

[LucienLeFranc]

Since my topcase is on my CB, I guess the following qualifies for the "on or to" thread?

I very recently tried my hand at applying paint protection film to a few bare spots on my fuel tank that the PO missed (I particularly wanted protection added to where I might carry a tank bag now and then).

It was quite easy with great results, and that made me decide to tackle covering the lid of my Givi Dolomiti 46L top case with matte black, to protect the lid and also match the black/silver color scheme of my SW Motech side cases:



It doesn't look too bad from a distance, luckily it's matte, not gloss...



I'm not quite done working on it, but almost, I think. I learned a lot, including vinyl-associated humility. At some point, I'll probably strip it off, buy more, and take a second pass at the project, but good enough for now.

I do have a newfound respect for the professional wrappers out there.

 

[Cormanus]

That's a substantial top box @LucienLeFranc.

 

[LucienLeFranc]

That's a substantial top box @LucienLeFranc.

It is, though I think the camera angles in both pics are exaggerating the size somewhat.

I'll need to dig up or take a better picture to show the actual size with respect to the bike.

The top box doubles as a backrest when my wife rides pillion. I'm considering taking it off for most solo rides in favor of a magnetic tank bag (hence adding PPF to the tank) and only running the topcase when my wife is riding with me as well as when I'm doing a grocery run).

With the top and side cases all together, I've got 120liters = 4&1/4 cubic feet of storage, plenty of capacity to pack for multi-day trips where we'll be hotel hopping, hiking, dressing up to go out for dining and music, bringing camera gear, etc..

 

[Lunchbag]

I tested the maximum range on a tank of gas.

During the last leg of my return ride after the rally, the low fuel range estimator came on and began flashing "71" miles remaining. That suggested it was a very fuel-efficient leg (it was mostly ~55 mph). I parked the bike at home and resolved to ride until the tank was nearly empty before refilling, just to see what range I could get. I just did that on Sunday afternoon.



I carried a little gas with me so if I ran out completely I wouldn't have to hitch a ride. I rode until the range remaining indicator showed "--" which occurred around 15 miles remaining. I figured there was likely some margin in the estimator, so I road another 21 miles before refilling. A total of 262 miles on that tank of gas. I refilled the tank to full as always, and the pump said I took 4.49 gallons. The owner's manual says the DLX has a 4.62 gallon tank so I must've been very close to empty.



The guy across the pump walked around to admire the CB, splattered though it was with bugs and grime. I hadn't cleaned it since before the rally. He was riding an insect-like 900 something. He said he liked the 900 because it was easier to ride than his Hayabusa.

Before that conversation ended, another guy walked over to admire the CB and talk about motorcycles. He currently rides a 2023 BMW 1250 RT but he also showed great affection for the UJM layout. He talked with fondness about his 1982 GS450 which he rode to all of his Navy training assignments at age 18: from Connecticut to Florida, from Florida to San Diego, and from San Diego to San Francisco. He said while crossing Texas he met two Germans on 250cc motorcycles. They had rented the bikes in Florida and were riding to California, then north to Canada, East across Canada, and south back to Florida. I hope they made it!

 

[the Ferret]

We have a distance to empty calculater?

 

[Cormanus]

Can you find your copy of the user manual, Ferret?

 

[the Ferret]

Probably under seat where its been for the last 12 years?

 

[Cormanus]

I was going to say:

• Make a thermos of tea
• Ride the CB1100 to a peaceful spot
• Retrieve user manual from under seat
• Pour tea
• Sip
• Read instruction manual on fuel calculator

Then I realised I had access to on-line manuals — here. Of course there isn't one for any 2014 bike, but I thought the 2017 is unlikely to be too much different.

So, here you go ...