CB1300 Kitted Out for Touring (pics)

[ceebie13]

I just thought I'd set the CB up in readiness for our sojourn around the N.Island next month. Mrs Ceebie is obviously commandeering the throwovers while I get a clean pair of pants and a toothbrush in the tank bag.
Got to say that despite the CB looking like something out of Star Trek I am well pleased with the Oxford stuff. And the silver colour just sets it all off nicely don't you think dahling! At least any of you KBers will recognise us on the road now. I daresay the handling will be interesting. Haven't tried that yet. Might need a bit of reverse thrust to stop mind.

[terbang]

Looks nice. Guess you wont be doing much lane splitting.

[Cajun]

had a test of the seat yet ceebie??

[ceebie13]

Looks nice. Guess you wont be doing much lane splitting.

I know... jeeze it's wide aye??? But thats with the panniers extended for maximum drag...er, sorry, maximum usage!

[ceebie13]

had a test of the seat yet ceebie??

Ha!! Well spotted, Caj. It arrived this arvo so I'm waiting for Mrs.CB to get home, then we can go for a blat.
I sat on it in the garage (like you do!) and it felt solid to say the least. I'm hoping it will bed in.
I'm very pleased with the look and finish though. Thanks to you all at Riders. Brilliant job and fast too.

[Cajun]

Sweet as, fire us a email once ya road tested to let us know hoa ya feel.

And if ya can manage it a few good high res shoots of the seat on the bike from few angles

[ceebie13]

Sweet as, fire us a email once ya road tested to let us know hoa ya feel.

And if ya can manage it a few good high res shoots of the seat on the bike from few angles

No sweat. Sorted mate!

[Blackbird]

I sat on it in the garage (like you do!) and it felt solid to say the least. I'm hoping it will bed in.


Aha! That's what I said too and Mr Trimmit (Mac) said "solid doesn't mean uncomfortable". And he was dead right too. A sore butt will be a thing of the past.

[LilSel]

OOoooOOOooo Those bags almost look big enough for me to carry my bowling balls in?!?!.... hmmmm :innocent:

[gijoe1313]

Chuck a fruit salad pole on the back and I think you will have most cagers think you are Popo! Next trick is to add a sidecar? Better yet, get Mrs Ceebie her own ride (oh wait, she'll still need the same panniers and yours for all the kit!) The gear looks nice though, will be interesting to see how it holds up on your tour up here .. and there ... and everywhere :niceone:

[Sparky Bills]

Looking good mate!

Those colours really go well together aye.

[Hitcher]

Isn't it exciting planning a ride. Mrs H, the bikes and I will be in the South Island in two weeks' time. Canardly wait!

And when you say the Rider seat was "fast", what do you mean? Did you have to have some sort of "sitting" first?

[riffer]

Wow. Looking good there.

You do, um, realise that the bike may get dirty though, don't you? :mellow:

[Trudes]

Ahhh, so those are your new bags! Hey and the seat looks very cool, not as cool as mine though bro, I've got the hottest seat 'round here. (And yes that is hottest as in cool, not Phat as in lard like.)

[ceebie13]

Ahhh, so those are your new bags! Hey and the seat looks very cool, not as cool as mine though bro, I've got the hottest seat 'round here. (And yes that is hottest as in cool, not Phat as in lard like.)

I cant remember what yours looks like Trudi. We have just road tested ours.
Just got in from having dinner at Lake Ferry. Lyn is well chaffed..er, sorry, chuffed. So am I in reality. Honda could learn a thing or too from Riders.

[Trudes]

I cant remember what yours looks like Trudi. We have just road tested ours.
Just got in from having dinner at Lake Ferry. Lyn is well chaffed..er, sorry, chuffed. So am I in reality. Honda could learn a thing or too from Riders.

Good stuff, and yes they could!! Tell Lyn, she doesn't need to worry about the chaffing as she'll be on her own bike soon!!!:scooter:
My seat is in my profile pic, unless you were talking about my other seat, in which case, just as well you can't remember as you shouldn't have been looking!:innocent:

[ceebie13]

Good stuff, and yes they could!! Tell Lyn, she doesn't need to worry about the chaffing as she'll be on her own bike soon!!!:scooter:
My seat is in my profile pic, unless you were talking about my other seat, in which case, just as well you can't remember as you shouldn't have been looking!:innocent:

Hard to miss mate...hard to miss! Mwah!

[ceebie13]

Aha! That's what I said too and Mr Trimmit (Mac) said "solid doesn't mean uncomfortable". And he was dead right too. A sore butt will be a thing of the past.

Do you mean it won't bed in , Geoff. Or are hard ones meant to be better than squidgey ones?

[Blackbird]

Do you mean it won't bed in , Geoff. Or are hard ones meant to be better than squidgey ones?

It will bed in a wee bit but soft seats are worse than harder ones. The shaping has a big bearing on it too. When I first fitted mine, I did a 400 k run and setting off, I thought "Crikey, that's a bit firm", worrying about what I was going to feel like an hour down the road. The answer was that it didn't get worse at all. Best investment you can make.

Look forward to seeing your fine looking steed over the hols.

G

[Trudes]

"I like big butts and I can not lie,
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face......

So your girlfriend throws a Honda
Playin workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain't got a motor in the back of her Honda....

Baby got back
Baby got back'

Stupid song, but it reminded me of it.:shutup:

[ceebie13]

Look forward to seeing your fine looking steed over the hols. G

Ditto G, I'll call you a day or two before we get to Coro. How's that?

[Terminated]

I just thought I'd set the CB up in readiness for our sojourn around the N.Island next month.


Isn't it exciting planning a ride. Mrs H, the bikes and I will be in the South Island in two weeks' time. Canardly wait!

Hey you guys and girls, enjoy your rides over the next month or so. Ceebie your Honda looks really good there in the picks.

Mr & Mrs H, you've done the Sth Island quite a lot, and you each have marvellous bikes for the journey.

I figure twelve months out and I may be going on a tour, longterm goal is to do the Sth Island bit by bit over the next five years, [don't want to rush these things:scooter: ] Meanwhile as and when I move up to the next bike, I reckon will get quite a bit of the Nth Island in too before heading south.

Heads Up and Enjoy yourselves:rockon:

[ceebie13]

Isn't it exciting planning a ride. Mrs H, the bikes and I will be in the South Island in two weeks' time. Canardly wait!

And when you say the Rider seat was "fast", what do you mean? Did you have to have some sort of "sitting" first?

Yes, Hitch. My route planning has been positively meticulous. Lyn reads a novel in bed...I read a map!! Ooh I'm sooo romantic arenye?

Fast? Riders took basically three days to do the job. They worked from photographs I'd sent them in which I had comped an example from their website (GSX1400) onto the CB using Photoshop. Then I chatted to Mac on the blower and backed it all up with written instructions via email. And I got the KBer discount too. Sorted. I did think about photocopying Lyn's bum but Riders assured me that wasn't necessary!!

[Hitcher]

Interesting. I'm pretty happy with the FJR's stock saddle and I haven't had too many complaints from pillions. But if I still owned an ST1300, that would definitely have a Rider seat by now!

[ceebie13]

My seat is in my profile pic, unless you were talking about my other seat, in which case, just as well you can't remember as you shouldn't have been looking!:innocent:

My God!! You could have a bath in that seat, T!! Great job.
Next question...the mirrors? Where did they come from?
Bike looks great. Lyn says, "Wow!, it's lovely but I'll never be able to ride a 900"
I think she will one day. Bloody better! Maybe I should just steer her towards a nine and by-pass the two-fifty. Whatdayafink?

[ceebie13]

Interesting. I'm pretty happy with the FJR's stock saddle and I haven't had too many complaints from pillions. But if I still owned an ST1300, that would definitely have a Rider seat by now!

Well, funnily enough I was happy with my half of the stock Honda seat on the CB - except that since Riders were hacking it to bits to sort Lyn's problem out, I asked them for a bit of extra height in the pilot's seat too. Of course, now I'm finding a bit of extra buffeting over the screen aren't I? When will it all end? LOL

[Trudes]

My God!! You could have a bath in that seat, T!! Great job.
Next question...the mirrors? Where did they come from?
Bike looks great. Lyn says, "Wow!, it's lovely but I'll never be able to ride a 900"
I think she will one day. Bloody better! Maybe I should just steer her towards a nine and by-pass the two-fifty. Whatdayafink?

It is definately a comfy thing, I think it has moulded to my arse!
The mirrors are from a place called PJ Parts (google it) and they are Rizoma mirrors, lots of different ones to choose from.

Tell Lyn, it's a very easy and forgiving 900, not a t all scary, I went from a GN250 to it, so honestly, no probs aside from the weight and height of it.

[ceebie13]

Wow. Looking good there.

You do, um, realise that the bike may get dirty though, don't you? :mellow:

Don't worry, Simon, there's oodles of space under the seat for rag, a sponge, a shammy, WD40, Autoglym and chain lube. So when Lyn has her head in a book I shall be being completely and utterly anal and tinkering with the bike outside the motel room door.

[Kendog]

Those do look good and one day I will get my arse into one of those seats.

PJ Parts is a dangerous site, enter at your own risk.

here (http://www.pjsparts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=59_52&osCsid=98833ccfded4a929f7a54094bc0f2d04) is the mirror section, ours is the Impulse

[ceebie13]

PJ Parts is a dangerous site, enter at your own risk.

here (http://www.pjsparts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=59_52&osCsid=98833ccfded4a929f7a54094bc0f2d04) is the mirror section, ours is the Impulse

I read...I logged in to...I dribbled. You bastard!!

[ceebie13]

I thought "Crikey, that's a bit firm", worrying about what I was going to feel like an hour down the road. G

The mind boggles Geoff!!! What did Mrs B.Bird have to say about it?

[MacD]

Don't worry, Simon, there's oodles of space under the seat for rag, a sponge, a shammy, WD40, Autoglym and chain lube. So when Lyn has her head in a book I shall be being completely and utterly anal and tinkering with the bike outside the motel room door.

I hope you can fit a steam cleaner in there too!? I did the round trip to Invercargill from Auckland for the Munro rally recently and my lovely clean Bandit got absolutely filthy. There was a nasty gritty dust on every surface imaginable and it was in large part lime from road works and general road filth from riding in heavy rain. I'm still cleaning it 3 weeks later! :pinch:

However the trip was great! I used a set of Oxford Standard panniers (wife's gear) and a Ventura Bathurst pack for my gear, tools, tiedowns, etc. I didn't use a tankbag as I find them a bit annoying, although they provide better weight distribution I guess.

Make sure you protect your paintwork really well from rubbing by the various straps etc. I thought I had my bike well protected but I still lost paint on the pillion grabrail as the tape on it actually started moving against the paintwork as the adhesive came unstuck over the 10 or so days of travel.

I'd also recommend putting ScuffProof or similar plastic protective coating on forward facing surfaces including lower forklegs and frame downtubes. I covered the forklegs which saved them, but my downtubes took a battering from stonechips.

Anyhow, have a great trip! :)

[ceebie13]

All good advice Mac, although I prefer to use the rubbery blanket stuff to protect my side panels etc. Have never used the protectacoat stuff at all and never had fork leg damage in years of long distance touring. Always a first time though I guess. Especially as this will be my first big trip naked for a few years. Liked the pic.:niceone:

[MacD]

I was surprised at the stone damage I picked up too, but we hit several long stretches of roadworks in bad weather, so we were riding almost in grinding paste in places. I had thought of using rubber matting, but I was pleased I used tape as the grit couldn't get under it.

I really enjoyed touring on the Bandit, it was effortless compared to my RF900 in terms of body position. The standard seat was surprisingly comfortable too, I guess I have enough padding myself!? Only issue was buffeting from the airflow around the screen at times, but we were riding in some very strong winds at times.

Hopefully you'll have good weather for your trip. Are you coming up through Auckland at any stage (edit - OK, just found the other thread) ?

[NighthawkNZ]

I daresay the handling will be interesting. Haven't tried that yet. Might need a bit of reverse thrust to stop mind.


They actually suite the bike very nice... put all your weight in the saddle and smake sure the side saddles are evenelly weigted... once they are you should hardly even notice they are there...

I found with my ventura side saddles I have to use a bungy cord across the them on the setat to hold them down (thats cause I fo have a pillion) and another to link the bottom of them to the rear sub frame to stop them blowing out... only takes a 30 seconds to put them on...

I also recommend ScuffProof or similar... I now have minor scuffs from the panniers (I have it... I must get round to actually putting on...)

As for reverse thrust... I been trying to work that out for years... apparently there are things called brakes and gears... pffffs :gob:

[Blackbird]

Ditto G, I'll call you a day or two before we get to Coro. How's that?

Absolutely fine. My beastie is already lodged up there and waiting for me!

[James Deuce]

Another piece of unsolicited advice: the rain covers for the panniers won't last long. Make sure you pack all the gear in the panniers in plastic bags, preferably good strong rubbish bags.

[MacD]

Would a Kleensak be OK Jim?

(OK, I realise you stated plastic bag also, but it seemed like a good joke at the time!)

The best use I've found for the rain covers is to use them if you want to check your panniers in as luggage on a flight. Put them on upside-down so that the elasticated opening is at the top and the cover holds all the straps in place.

[shafty]

Oh the joys of awesome factory luggage! Pete, ST1300

[ceebie13]

Another piece of unsolicited advice: the rain covers for the panniers won't last long. Make sure you pack all the gear in the panniers in plastic bags, preferably good strong rubbish bags.



Absolutely right Jim...on a recent tour round France the rain water actually collected in the bottom of the rain cover forming a puddle (read reservoir) in which the pannier sat for a few hundred K. Result? Soaking wet stuff in the pannier itself! Perfect! Since then,as you say, we have been insulating our stuff with tough plassy bags.

[ceebie13]

Oh the joys of awesome factory luggage! Pete, ST1300

...not to mention every other cenceivable luxury eh Pete?

[paturoa]

Make sure you have some of that plastic stick on paint protector stuff between the pannier bags and any paint. They work real well as paint strippers!

I got some of the cheaper oxford pannier bags and they have (had) little rain-coat thingies to cover them with. Well they dont stay on long. Tie them on.