The 2013 Honda CB1100!!! A Psyco Road Test & Review!

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Motopsycho

2013 Honda CB1100

Today, I went for a fantastic ride on a great motorcycle! The motorcycling press has waxed semi-poetic (some get it & some don’t) about the new 2013 Honda CB1100, and when I finally saw one live & in the flesh at the Charlotte International Motorcycle Show, I captioned the picture, “finally the retro bike we’ve all been waiting for.” Well after riding it I can definitely say it is the retro looking bike that I was waiting for.

In the Florence Honda showroom.

Yes, I have lusted over so many motorcycles over the years, but no matter what I have logged more miles on Hondas than any other brand. I have actually owned, a CL125, XL500S, a 99 750 Nighthawk, and personally put over 100,000 miles on a 1980 CB750F. I sold the 750F after buying the Nighthawk which is the only new motorcycle I have ever owned. Oh yeah, I just remembered a few weeks ago I bought an 80 CB650 project bike that I’ll get back to work on soon.

Let me go ahead and give you my little disclaimer, this motorcycle was loaned to me for review by my former employer Rusty Davis at Florence Honda in Florence S.C. We parted company on good terms when I was ready to get out of working on motorcycles for a living, and I still consider him to be a friend and will tell anyone if you want a good deal on a Honda motorcycle, atv, or generator Florence Honda is the place to go.

For complete specs click here!

Enough nostalgic fluff let’s get down to my impressions of the CB1100. First of all it is not a modernized version of the original SOHC Honda CB750, The engine bears a remarkable resemblance to the DOHC CB750/900/1100 fours of the early eighties. But it is much smoother with almost no perceptible vibration even if you touch the engine directly while it is running. The power delivery is turbine like and smooth. Yes my old 750 had a 10 & ½ grand redline instead of 8500 rpm but I didn’t miss the extra revs one bit today.

To me the styling is more like the mighty CBX especially the shape of the tank, side covers and that broad comfortable seat. Homage to the Hondas of the 60s shows up in the tank badges which would not look out of place on a CA160 Honda Benly. The four into one exhaust pipes look like the typical aftermarket headers most of us installed on the old Hondas back in the day. I wish they could have mimicked the sexy pipes found on the old CB400F. Of course the fit & finish of all components was typical Honda, that is flawless.

Two big analog gauges flank a small digital display that handles all of the idiot light functions. Now I love technology & tend to be an early adopter whenever possible but give me a good old analog tachometer that is easy to read day and night, when I’m flogging a motorcycle.

CB1100 Speedometer & Tachometer

The best part about it is that it is not some super-sized pig of a bike. The seat height is actually lower than my old 750F was, and though this bike weighs in at over 500 pounds it felt very light & nimble at parking lot speeds. The fuel injected engine is responsive and ready to go time you hit the button.

Motopsyco on the 2013 CB1100

The chassis is a basic steel frame with a 41mm fork & pair of chrome shocks on the rear. Nice looking 18 inch wheels on both ends with conservative but competent steering geometry serve up decent handling when you want to dance a little back roads boogie. You can’t follow the latest liter bike repli-racers around a road course but for just plain fun riding at a surprisingly swift pace the big CB works very well.

After circling the parking lot a few times to get used to the surprising light steering and easy to modulate brakes, I rolled into the traffic on Palmetto Street in Florence and headed west a mile or two and turned onto Meadors Road. This two lane road has a few nice long sweeping curves at the end closest to Palmetto, but once you get past the golf course & it’s accompanying housing development it is an arrow straight 2 lane for the next few miles. The big wide bars, and the big wide easy to use mirrors made flicking through the traffic easy even when some bitch in a beater Yaris turned right across two lanes of traffic just to get in front of me. Not a problem, bleed a little speed with the predictable brakes, check my six in the mirrors, checked the right lane to make sure there was room, got back on the gas and just zoomed around her. You can’t slow a fast man down! I didn’t get to a really tight & technical twisty road with it but I can tell you with utmost confidence just from the few fast sweepers I rode that the handling is there and the ground clearance is superb.

Motopsyco on the 2013 CB1100 playing in traffic

The experience was rather sublime, sitting in a comfortable up right position, with the engine’s torque smoothly available at all times, and it just felt so right. I really hated to give this one back at the end of the ride.

In the world of retro bikes there is a bit of a paradox, the tendency is to try to replicate, or in the case of some companies maintain the character (read design flaws) of an earlier time. Even Honda got into this with the old Shadow ACE deliberately unbalancing the engine so that it would shake & vibrate to mimic the archaic engine design of the other Brand H. People have forgotten that Honda more than any other company put America on two wheels and they did it with smooth reliable motorcycles that didn’t vibrate, require excessive maintenance, and were fast and powerful. People bought the original CB’s & Gold Wings because they were so smooth, perfectly functional and superior to everything else in the world at that time. This means that to make a truly retro Honda it had to be as close to perfect as possible, with no “character flaws” allowed.

Back from the ride!

For the most part however I feel that this bikes biggest competition will not be from the other brand new retro bikes but from the earlier versions of itself. The old CB Hondas are still so good that even in the 21^st. century, it’s hard for their devotees to imagine anything better. Trust me on this one folks; you need to ride the new CB1100, it’s that good. A good original 83 CB1100F can fetch over five thousand dollars if you can find one at all, that makes this new CB1100 seem like a fair deal at $9999 ($10,500 w/ ABS). It has all of the things you loved about the old Hondas wrapped up into good looking thoroughly modern fuel injected package that runs even smoother than legendary Hondas of yesteryear.

This is Rusty’s all original UN-RESTORED 1976 Gold Wing

I would like to thank Rusty & the crew at Florence Honda for letting me borrow this motorcycle for testing & would like to mention that Rusty is ready to retire and that Florence Honda is up for sale. If you have the scratch and are interested in purchasing a fully operational motorcycle dealership, give him a call at (843) 669 7056.

Would you like to own this motorcycle shop?

Until next time

Peace Y’all

Psyco

DON’T FORGET THE FOG THIEF GIVE AWAY!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Motopsycho

Greetings everyone,

Don’t forget that I am giving away a free Fog Thief anti fogging device for powersports (& other sports) helmets this month. Click here to view the Fun Projex website for more details. After all this device really works! I know it is getting to be springtime and for some of us helmet fogging won’t be a problem for a while, but it’s never too early to start planning for the return of cooler weather or even for those cool spring mornings now.

Don’t Drive Blind! Click here to read my review

Either go and like the Psyco Facebook Page, and leave a comment under the Fog Thief post or post a comment to this blog with the words Fog Thief in it. The drawing will be held April 30th.

The Fog Thief A Psyco Product Review!

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Motopsycho

Hello Everyone,

I was contacted and asked to review a rather unique device designed to prevent face shield fogging. Since cold weather riding is the best test of anything that claims to prevent fogging inside of a helmet, I told the maker to ship me one to test and in their generosity they also sent me one to give away to a lucky reader. I’ll tell you how you can win a Fog Thief of your very own at the end of this review.

We start out on a chilly Good Friday morning, according to my local weather babe on t.v. my hometown was supposed to be at 34 degrees Fahrenheit, but I think whomever keeps that particular thermometer must keep it under a heat lamp. Here is a shot of my car’s rear windshield at 6:30 a.m. 34 degrees my ass.

thick frost on my car windshield this morning.

Yesterday when I got home from the office a fedex package from Montie Design the firm that is helping to develop and market this product, was waiting for me with two samples of the Fog Thief. It is a very simple design, imagine if you will an upside down snorkel. The mouth piece seems to be directly modeled from a scuba mouth piece, but instead of a hose leading to a tank there is a u shaped plastic snorkel that simply points down and out of`the bottom of your lid. Such a simple seeming idea you wonder why you have never seen it before.

Now if you are not used to using a snorkel or scuba gear this will take some getting used to. Initially it would trigger my gag reflex after a few minutes, but I got used to it. The mouth piece is top grade neoprene rubber and very tough, I am sure you could eventually chew through it, but you can really clench your teeth on it without any damage to the mouth piece or your teeth.

The company brochure claims that it will work with all helmet designs and it worked with mine but it was a very tight fit, that shifted the position of the Fog Thief in my mouth. On the plus side the tight fit meant that it was not necessary for me to keep my teeth clenched to keep it in place.

: A product of FunProjex!; For this test I decided to try a different approach and go offroading instead , this mint condition ’99 Arctic Cat 300 4X4 just happened to be sitting in my shop this week. This is as fine a utility atv as you can find on the planet and makes a great trail crawler.; With your helmet on the Fog thief is barely visible.

the Motopsyco on a 300 4×4 Arctic Cat

With your helmet off or open the Fog Thief looks kinda ridiculous.

Can you spot the walrus in this picture?

Does it work as advertised? Yes it does, as long as you remember to breathe through your mouth. A couple of time I got excited and forgot to do this & fogged up my shield. Readers with a sharp memory will remember that I used this helmet to test an anti-fog spray a few weeks ago, but to make this test fair I cleaned the shield with plain soap & water to remove the anti-fog spray. After about twenty minutes or so I was able to relax & get used to it but occasionally did have to stop and wipe away some saliva that leaked out around it. Chances are that if you use an open face helmet with a shield, or any other helmet that has enough room for the Fog Thief to sit squarely in your teeth this probably will not be a problem for you. I really think the fitment and usability will be different for each individual and the only way to find out is to try it for yourself.

It worked well for me but I did not always remember to breathe correctly, every now and then I’d have these little moments and forget. You know how it goes, you spot a little hill & get a little air, Yeehaa! Then you forget and exhale through you nose, oops fogged up again. Oh well you can’t do too much playing like that on this kind of atv anyway.

coming home on the Arctic Cat ATV

Every new item has it pros and cons, let’s start with the cons;

1. Definitely requires some getting used to especially if you have never used scuba or snorkel gear.

2. Fits better under some helmets than others

3. Requires a certain amount of self discipline or nose plugs to use successfully

Now let’s go with the pros;

1. If you do your part it works as advertised!

2. Top quality materials

3. Made in the U.S.

If you are a serious cold weather rider, snowmobiler, or or any kind of racer and you have trouble with the face shield fogging this just might be the solution you are looking for. For more information or to purchase one to try see the Fun Projex website

Now for the give away; I have here a brand new never used Fog Thief that I will be giving away on April 20th 2013. All you have to do is click the Facebook link at the upper right hand corner of this page and like the motopsyco.com Facebook page and leave a comment with the words Fog Thief in it. Alternatively if you do not have a Facebook account or don’t want to use it you may leave me a comment below, but please remember that comments are moderated and may take a day or two to appear. If you have already liked my FB page & would like to enter the drawing, you can just leave a comment as described above.

On April 30th my lovely assistant will draw one lucky winners name from a hat and I will send that person a Fog Thief of their own to try out!

Peace Y’all

‘Psyco

Peace Y’all

I took this shot while out test riding the Fog Thief & wanted to share it with you.

The 2013 Charlotte International Motorcycle Show Part 2!

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Motopsycho

Nicky Hayden #69 Ducati Corse 1000cc

Welcome to the second installment of my pictorial review of the Charlotte International Motorcycle Show. For the second post I have actually decided to treat this as a product review, because in a sense that is exactly what the IMS series is, a product produced to entertain and inform motorcycle enthusiasts.

I thought Mahindra made tractors

Danny Webb #99 Mahindra 250cc

There were displays from all of the major manufactures except for Kawasaki & Yamaha. This did lead to a lot of Facebook grumbling from fans of these two marques. Yes I wish they had arranged to be there, but in this economy it is understandable that some companies have had to curtail such activities. Still there was plenty to see. Harley Davidson even brought in their “demo bike on a treadmill” setup for people to try. The Polaris Corporation set up a display for their recently acquired Indian brand. Of course the first one I made a beeline for was the Ducati display!

One of those stunning Ducati Girls

The boys from Ton Up N.C. had a fantastic club display with a couple of Tritons and some other fine vintage iron, for everyone to admire. On the other side of the hall were the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, and the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club.

Moto Guzzi V7 Racer

Honda CB1100

Two of the vendors there were for the new lithium technology batteries. I was so impressed with this technology that I have actually become a dealer for the Shorai LFX line so be sure check back here soon as I will be setting up an online store to sell them and will have a link and review posted here.

There were some leather & t-shirt vendors, & of course lots of insurance companies. We got to check out a lot of new lids jackets etc.

Finally the retro bike we’ve all been waiting for!

The XDL Street Jam show was worth the price of admission all by itself. I greatly enjoyed trying the “Pit Stop Challenge” contest which involved changing the rear tire on a Grand Prix race bike, my time was 24 seconds by the way. And of course as you can tell from my pictures the custom bike show was awesome.

Whiskey Tango 650 Yamaha Chopper

Tennessee Rose 650 Yamaha Chopper

Details,details, details!

Arlen Ness Digger

another Whiskey Tango XS650

So many super cool details on this BSA.

When was the last time you saw one of these?

And now for my favorite group the custom crotch rockets.

one of 2 Suzuki Hayabusa Sweepstakes bikes!

The other Suzuki sweepstakes prize.

Speedworx Enterprize 2009 Honda CBR1000

Fantastic from any angle

Black Widow Suzuki Hayabusa

Now this is a Kan-o-tuna. The 1100cc motor turns it into a shark.

Out of all the Harleys there my favorite was this give away Sportster built by Roland Sands.

I’ll take mine in flat black please…

Regardless of what a few whiners on the net have said it was well worth 15 bucks. Hell earlier this year I paid $20 to go to local show that was so dead I left after 20 minutes so to me this one was fantastic. Yes it could have been better; I personally would have liked to have seen more club or custom shop displays, and since there was plenty of space left in the Convention Center an open custom & vintage motorcycle show in addition to the invitation only J&P Cycles Ultimate Custom Builder show.

Mrs. Psyco & I actually sprang for the VIP tickets. It worked out great for us since we are early risers anyway. We got in early & had a little guided tour & got a preview of the XDL show so to me it was definitely worth the extra money, especially since I was pushing my lovely wife around in a wheelchair due to a very badly sprained ankle. We’ll be going back next year.

Even with the giant insurance commercial that dominated a large area of the floor (don’t bitch if Progressive didn’t sponsor this event it probably wouldn’t happen at all), this was still a great way to kill a few hours & meet lots of interesting people and learn about new motorcycles and accessories. So it was worth the few bucks to get in & I am happy to recommend that you try to attend one near you next year.

Blaze Anti Fog Spray & Wax Another Psyco Product Review!

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Motopsycho

twas a dark & cloudy morn

Good morning everyone, it is 8:05 a.m. on a cold grey morning here in the hinterlands of Hartsville, South Cackalacky. The temperature is just above freezing (mid 30s) with the occasional light spitting of sleet & rain. I just got back from a motorcycle ride and have a report for you. Everyone knows the best way to keep your motorcycles carburetors clean and ready to go is to ride the damn thing all year round whenever possible. I am not as hard core as I used to be but even in the bleak midwinter I try to keep it on the road enough to keep it running. Besides when the engine is sucking in really dense cold air it seems to scream at me with a whole new level of ferocity that makes me want to twist the throttle harder & harder, damn the frostbite to fingers it feels gooood!

Where I live the winters are generally mild and most of the time the midday temperatures range from 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit But to take advantage of the afternoon temps on my commute home I sometimes have to leave the house while the thermometer hovers around the freezing mark and the frost is thick on the ground. and most of the time this means I have to ride with my face shield up because it fogs up so much. So picture this, a 30 mile commute, in 30 degree weather, with your face shield up and old Jack Frost gnawing on your nose like a puppy on an expensive pair of handmade leather shoes. Even I am not enough of a masochist to say I enjoy this.

This story starts off innocently enough last week at the International Motorcycle Show in Charlotte when I heard this natural born snake oil salesman calling out offering to clean my glasses for me. He did the little routine where he cleaned one lens and put them on a humidifier to show how great the stuff was at preventing fogging. Normally I ignore these people but all of these cold mornings have affected my brain so I decided to listen to him and actually purchase a kit to try.

The Blaze Antifog cleaner kit with microfiber cloth with my glasses & helmet.

To be totally honest my glasses have never actually fogged up during my morning commute. The helmet I use is an HJC CL-Max modular helmet that I have owned for several years now. I have been very happy with it so far, but I did cheap out & get the plain Jane face shield with no tinting or antifog properties.

Following the manufacture’s instructions which can be found here

I cleaned my glasses first

Then did the exterior of the helmet with the spray. In the past I have always used Pro Honda Spray Cleaner on my helmets. It definitely is the best thing I have ever found for dried bug removal and is safe on polycarbonate plastics unlike most household glass cleaner. But it has no antifog capacity at all and is actually meant to be uses as a cleaner/detailer product for your bike not your lid.

The Blaze spray worked really well for cleaning the optics, but it took a little more work to scrub away the dried on bugs than I am used to.

removed face shield for thorough cleaning

After all of my lenses were nice & shiny I put it all back together to wait for morning.

Then today I got up nice and early put on my riding gear, went out to the barn and coaxed the Minimum Ninja into life. While walking to the shop I was able to fog the shield by deliberately blowing air upward toward it. Not perfect but hey normally time I step out the back door on a cold morning it is completely fogged over.

a little foggy but not bad

Riding out the long dirt road that I live on to get to the nearest asphalt I was able to leave the shield closed and was not blinded by the fog.

This is not a fun curve for a sportbike when it’s the least bit wet.

When riding very slow or stopped for more than a few seconds I had to crack the shield open to keep it completely clear, but never had to raise it up more than a smidgen.

further down the road

Here’s a shot of that gloomy overcast sky. Normally I would have preferred to try this out for you on a super bright sunshine filled, but freezing cold clear morning, when the glare from the low hanging sun reveals every flaw in your shield but it didn’t happen that way.

a gloomy morning at the crossroads

My final verdict on the Blaze Antifog cleaner products? Well it’s actually positive but mixed. I really need to check it out in a variety of more conditions, but normally this morning I would have been riding around with my faceshield open just to be able to see, so that alone is a great thing. It’s not perfect, I still had a little fogging when stopped or at very low speed but as soon as I began moving it went away. Perhaps with continued use it will improve more, at this time I only have applied it to my shield once. At 25-30 bucks a pop for the kit, it is rather expensive, & I would like to see it around $19.99 or so myself, but it does work. It’s up to you, if you were blind what would you pay to see? I do recommend removing the face-shield and using something made for painted surfaces to clean the rest of the helmet. Not because this stuff will hurt it, but because it is expensive and there are other products such as the Honda cleaner, that do a better job of removing thick caked on bug guts.

If you are a year round rider and do not have a factory anti-fog coating on your face-shield or goggles you might want to try it out.

Let’s Ride Y’all

I had to include a picture of the Minimum Ninja!

Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table Update

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Motopsycho

As longtime readers will remember last August I purchased and reviewed the motorcycle lift table sold by Harbor Freight Tools. Several months later I am still happy with my purchase. But since 90% of the time I just use my table for general maintenance and cleaning (plus I removed the centerstand from my motorcycle), I decided to modify it slightly by adding a different wheel chock and placing 2 eye bolts closer to the front tire end of the table to use as tie downs. Here are some pics for you.

from front end

side view Harbor Freight Motorcycle lif table modification

This was mainly done for conveince as I can just roll a motorcycle right up into the chock and strap it in for minor work. It is ironic however that for my first serious job (a GL1200 Gold Wing) right after installing this I may have to remove it so that I am able to work on the front forks & brakes.

Peace Y’all

Lining a Fuel Tank with Kreem Tank Liner

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Motopsycho

Kreem tank liner kit

This is sort of a combo how to and product review. I will admit that my review is a little biased because I have been using this product for over 20 years and have always been satisfied with the results. I wont repeat the instructions word for word but I will give you a few tips to help you get better results. First empty your tank and remove the petcock and filler cap if it is bolted to the tank.

Remove the Ninja’s locking fuel cap

The next step is critical to getting good results especially if working with the tank from a 2 stroke engine. You must completely degrease the inside of the tank with a good industrial degreaser. Do not use dish liquid because it often contains oils to protect skin. Be prepared to wash it more than twice if needed to get the oil out.

Wash & degrease tank thoroughly

Now open up the kit and get out the bottle labeled “A” wash & cleaner. Use duct tape or a blocking plate to block all of the holes in the bottom of your tank. I like to use a piece of metalized tape first and then cover it with duct tape.

Kreem Kit Part A Use proper precautions for mild acid.

The instructions say to use warm water and I agree it does help the acid work much faster. Please note the standard kit shown here is for smaller tanks. Normally for a 5 gallon tank like this I would buy the larger size, but I had some left over from a previously restored tank, that I added in after using this up according to the instructions. The cleaner part A can be saved and re-used a time or two.

Warm water is reccomended to mix with cleaner

Warm water is recommended to mix with cleaner

After the tank is full seal off the top and let it sit for at least the minimum time given in the instructions. Since this was an old tank with some rust inside I let it sit overnight. At this stage some people will put in rocks or nuts & bolts and shake the tank to help remove thick rust. If you need to do this I recommend that you use steel nuts & bolts so that you can retrieve them easily with a magnet. Some fuel tank designs make it difficult to remove rocks after you are finished cleaning out the rust.

Next remove all tape from the openings rinse the tank well until the water comes out clean. and then thoroughly dry the tank on the inside. Since I had plenty of time I placed the tank in a hot sunny location to air dry. In the winter time or if you are in a hurry use a hair dryer or a hot air gun to speed up the process.

fuel tank drying in the sun

I do need to warn you about one thing if you are trying to fix a tank with a nice paint job or if you are coating a new tank as a preventative measure you want to be very careful with this stuff, especially in the next two steps.

Seal up all the holes again and get out part “B” the conditioner. This bottle contains MEK which can remove paint faster than tequila removes panties. If you have a nice paint job & spill this on it, you wont have a nice paint job anymore, so be careful. I am re-painting this tank so I don’t really care if I spill some. After sealing the tank back up shake all around the inside of the tank & the carefully drain it out protecting your paint as needed.

This is highly flammable & can destroy paint so be careful.

Since the petcock on this one bolts into place before going to the next step I put two screws in the bolt holes to keep the threads clear. To me this is just much easier than cleaning out the holes afterward.

I like to put bolts in these holes to keep them clear

Now you are ready for the bottle of fuel tank liner. All the same warnings about paint damage apply to this bottle as well.

Kreem Part C liner

Here is a shot of how I use the metal tape first & then cover it with duct tape to seal the openings in the tank. It works well for me, but I make no garuntee that it will work this well for everyone.

Red Green is absolutely right about this stuff! (Duct tape that is)

Then pour in the whole bottle of liner, and then seal up the filler hole as I did in the next picture.

pour in Kreem Tank Liner

then seal up the filler hole with duct tape

Then spend the next 30 minutes or so slowly rotating the tank end over end and sideways until you are 100% certain that the entire inside of the tank has been covered with sealant. Next (and this is very important) open the tank back up and drain the excess sealant back into its original bottle. Do not leave it in the tank as it will greatly increase drying time. If too thick it may skin over on the top and take nearly forever to dry all the way through, causing you to have problems later. I usually save the excess to use on the next project. I am usually able to do a lawnmower tank or two with the leftovers.

Like I said if you follow the instructions in the kit and the hints that I gave here you should be able to tackle this job yourself at home. Just give yourself a couple of days if your tank is rusty, and be sure you drain the excess sealant out of the tank and give it time to dry really well. This stuff aint cheap at approximately $50 a pop (November 2012 price) so you want it to work right the first time. I have used other tank sealers with varying degrees of success, but I always come back to the original Kreem brand. Plus it is usually in stock on the shelves in most motorcycle dealerships. Besides have you priced a new gas tank lately? It’ll give you a coronary!

Peace Y’all

The 2012 Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 A Psyco Road Test and Review!

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Motopsycho

a real1956 Royal Enfield Bullet

a real 2012 Royal Enfield Bullet

Let’s take an adventure, a time machine trip of sorts if you will. Imagine if you could take a trip back to 50’s, the golden age of the British motorcycle industry, snag yourself a snazzy new 500cc sporting machine and bring it back to your garage. Since we are dreaming big, now pretend that you have your hand crafted real steel motorcycle back in your fully equipped garage with all the latest and best machine shop equipment you could want. Then while your “friends” in the gasket industry make you a set of the finest modern gaskets and seals, you tear down the engine and re-machine and re-assemble it using modern tolerances and technology. While you are in there update the valve train to hydraulic lifters, so you don’t have to spend any time adjusting valve lash ever again.

A genuine 1954 Royal Enfield Clipper

A genuine 2012 Royal Enfield Classic 500

Next load it into your private jet & fly it to Japan for an electronic ignition. While you are there have Kehin to custom build you a fuel injection system and calibrate for your engine. No more tickling the carbs, or cleaning them, or gas dribbling all over your garage from a 1950’s Amal trying to cope with our 21st century imitation gasoline.

How ’bout a fuel injected thumper?

Oh well it is a nice fantasy, but one part of it is true. You can get a brand new hand built “British” (in name and style anyway) motorcycle that looks like it fell out of a time capsule from 1955. The first Royal Enfield motorcycles were produced in 1901. In 1967 the factory in England closed but the Indian made Enfield Bullets soldiered on and have evolved into the reliable, oil tight and modern emissions compliant machines we have today. While these are not fantastically powerful machines compared to our modern machinery they are much better in so many ways than an actual antique motorcycle.
Immediately when approaching the Classic or Bullet 500 you are struck by its relatively compact looking dimensions. Today so many “retro” styled machines have turned into larger than life caricatures of the machines they are trying to imitate. This is one of the reasons I dislike so many of them, being a fan of 50’s-70’s bikes such as the CB400, XS650, or old Triumphs and Enfields, to me the new “retro bikes” look tacky compared to the real thing. The 2012 Royal Enfields are not retro replicas; they are still the real deal. An upgraded genuine vintage motorcycle that is available right now with a 2 year warranty, imagine that.

See what I mean about the size of modern bikes?

When I threw my leg over the Classic 500 and hoisted it off the kickstand the first though that went through my mind is whoa this thing feels substantial. Not overweight & porky but definitely dense, solid, and hefty feeling. You can feel the steel in this one. With my 29 inch inseam I can sit on the saddle with both boots firmly on the ground.

motopsyco on Enfield Classic 500 with Desert Storm paint

Just hit the magic button and you’re ready to go!

Rolling it round a little bit.

Bike; 2012 Royal Enfield Classic. Rider; Motopsyco

Hit the starter button and the fuel injected single starts up with a nice thump-thump-thump idle note that is a characteristic of a big slow revving single. Yes it vibrates a little but it’s a pleasant soothing feeling not annoying. Pull in the clutch, snick it into first gear, and ease out on the lever. Just remember that you are working with authentic 1950s horsepower (27.5hp @ 5250 rpm) so don’t pull out too closely in front of that sports car that is barreling down the street at twice the speed limit. Even 1950s horsepower is more than enough to stay ahead of most traffic from stoplights around town. Plus people look. These are good looking motorcycles that are different from the mundane and commonplace Hogs and crotch rockets that litter the streets around here.
In addition to thanking LA Motorsports for allowing me to borrow a couple of their motorcycles I really want to thank general manager John for pointing me towards Jamison Road in Summerville. While it had too much traffic to really cut loose it is the kind of road that is perfectly matched to the feel and great handling of these bikes. It was just a couple of miles of nice sweeping turns that let me roll the bike from side to side in a most enjoyable fashion while the engine played a slow bass drum beat as I rolled the power on through each curve, and slowed back down just so I could do it again & again. This is the kind of handling that comes only from classic British motorcycle architecture. No high tech suspension and wheels, just good frame design and a nice wide handlebar. Sure I could probably run that same road at 3 times the speed of the Enfield on any late model plastic covered crotch rocket, but to be honest with you, I would not have been any happier, nor had a better time doing so.

leaving LA Motorsports in Summerville S.C. for a ride on an accessorized Enfield

The Accessory exhaust sure sounds good on a Royal Enfield 500

I did not try any interstate trolling or top speed runs, and quite frankly as the top speed is around 85 or so I would not be afraid to, but this is a bike that really belongs on twisty country roads. The suspension is basic stuff but competent. The single disc front brake & rear drum brake are well up to the task of handling what this bike can dish out.
One selling point of this machine is its 85 mpg fuel economy. Folks, that is getting close to moped territory, but on a real solid steel motorcycle that can haul 2 people around with aplomb and looks damn good doing it.
As India becomes more and more of a manufacturing powerhouse the fit and finish of these motorcycles is now much better than when they were first reintroduced to the western world back in the early ‘80s. They have always had the right look, but now they have the polish and refinement to go with it. Plus this is probably the most comfortable motorcycle I have ridden in the last ten years.

one good looking classic motorcycle

The Royal Enfield 500 engine is the epitome of classic style

: the 2012 Royal Enfield Classic in red

If you want to turn curves at reasonable speeds in the country and turn heads like a rock star in town, and you don’t care about being able to run 150 mph, or looking like a rich yuppie poser, then this is the bike for you. My road tests are not about outright performance, but about how a motorcycle makes me feel, and this bike makes me feel damn good. It’s not badass, does not have exotic cachet, power, and is not a status symbol, it is just a motorcycle without all that extra bullshit. Plus you can get a brand new one out the door tax, title, tags & all for around 7 grand.
And I can see myself owing one….

Peace Y’all

Tha Misfit! A Psyco Road Test & Motorcycle Review!

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Motopsycho

Tha Misfit!

I first read about Tha Misfit a few months ago in my favorite print motorcycle magazine, and immediately found it to be intriguing. It has a very old school standard/cafe racer look, and is a super lightweight with a single cylinder 250cc engine. At the time I just filed it away in the back of my mind as being something cool to look at should I ever happen to come across a real one, then I promptly forgot about it.
Later as I trolled the internet looking for good things to point out to you, I ran across the Cleveland Cyclewerks website, and decided to post it as a website of the month just because I liked the website and the company’s edgy attitude. Of course I had to see where the nearest dealer was and it turned out to be Carolina Fun Machines on East Independence Blvd. in Matthews N.C. a mere hour and a half away. So I emailed the owners and Mr. Tim Juntgen & I corresponded briefly setting up a demo ride for this past Saturday.
When I arrived at the place they were busy but Tim took the time to show me around the place and there in the clean well lit service area was a freshly serviced Misfit sitting on a lift ready to go out for a ride.

Cleveland Cyclewerks Misfit on Harbor Freight motorcycle lift

All serviced up and ready to ride!

The first thing that struck me was the stunning appearance of the little machine, the fit and finish was much better than I expected especially on the Lifan engine. I have repaired a few machines (mostly atv’s) with these engines, and while the engine was never the problem the appearance of them was unfinished and cheap looking. This engine looked as good as it ran. In fact the outer covers have some of the best looking black chrome I have ever seen.

Cleveland Cyclewerks black chrome engine cover

Mr. Juntgen brought it around front and went over it with me and my wife snapped some pictures of the two misfits together.

Floyd Finch motopsyco.com Cleveland Cyclewerks Misfit

the 2 coolest Misfits you’ll ever meet!

For you to get a better frame of reference as to the size of this motorcycle I am 5’10” tall with a 29″ inseam and weigh 230 pounds. With my legs fully extended I was just able to straddle the bike while having both feet flat on the ground. One thing that was immediately comforting was that the suspension sagged, but no more than any other “normal” production motorcycle when I climbed aboard. That was definitely a sign of good things to come.

cleveland cyclewerks misfit starter button

Starting Tha Misfit

Now my own Ninja 250 is a really lightweight motorcycle, but it feels much heavier than this bike. When I say lightweight I don’t mean like a current 250 street bike from the big four. Think early 70’s XL175 for comparison purposes and you will be right on the money. Since the engine is basically a modernized XL clone it just adds to the great vintage illusion. It also has two of the handiest vintage features that seem to have disappeared from most motorcycles today, a fuel gauge and a centerstand!

motopsyco.com Cleveland Cyclewerks Misfit gauges

Tha Misfit’s instruments

As you can see from the picture above the speedo is on the left with the fuel gauge and indicator lights on the right, and the tachometer in the small pod at the top center. As a traditionalist I might prefer a the tach to be in the big pod on the right and the fuel gauge to be in the small pod, but from a functional point of view all is great, because in this style of bike, at this price I am pleasantly surprised to see a tachometer at all.

Cleveland Cyclewerks Misfit starting out.

and we’re off!

After starting the engine I took off for a few quick laps of the parking to get acquainted with the brakes and handling before heading out onto Hwy 74. Immediately I was impressed by the neutral handling which was a lot more stable than I thought it would be on such a light motorcycle. The front brake lever does have quite a bit of travel and requires you to grab it with all of your fingers for a hard stop. If you are a beginner, or just one of these unfortunate souls whom has heard that you shouldn’t use the front brake because it will throw you over the handlebars or make the front wheel slide then you need to A. buy a Misfit and learn to ride a motorcycle the right way and B. get some smarter friends. If you are a crotch rocket jockey and are used to being able to pull the rear wheel three feet off of the ground with one finger on the brakes, it aint gonna happen on this bike, sorry. You just put four fingers around the lever and pull it back for safe easy to modulate stopping power. The rear disk actually works very well and was easy to handle as well.

Cleveland Cyclewerks Gas Tank Emblem

I pulled out onto U.S. Hwy 74, a nice busy six lane between Monroe & Charlotte on a busy Saturday afternoon with nearly bumper to bumper traffic. Now this bike is no speed demon, but it is fast enough to stay abreast of the 65 mph traffic I encountered. When I crossed the overpass over I-485 the upside down fork and piggyback reservoir shocks just soaked up the bumps in a most impressive manner. In fact the suspension did a great job of handling all of the bumps that I encountered with none of the bouncing that I expected from such a light motorcycle. Swinging off of 74 to ride some of the twisty backroads this little bike came into its own. The handling is terrific and totally natural, just point it where you want to go and ride. You won’t necessarily be going that fast but you sure will feel good at the speed you are going. Just remember to keep the little engine on the boil, it does not require manic rpm to make forward progress like a 250 sportbike but it does let you know when it’s not spinning fast enough. 55 mph was never this much fun on anything else, especially around 35 mph curves. 😉 This bike is a throwback to a time when motorcycling was simpler and a throbbing single cylinder engine and a twisty road were all you needed for a good time.

a classic looking single cylinder motorcycle engine.

The light flickable handling, flexible powerplant and great economy of operation also make this a great machine for dodging through traffic on your daily commute to your job. Plus you can pretend you are heading out to the Ace Café while dodging potholes, and cellphone addicted car drivers, because this bike has the right look and feel to let you indulge your inner Walter Mitty. After all even commuting by motorcycle is still way more fun than driving a car.
There are a few little nits to pick. The front brake lever could stand to have a little less travel, and the turn signal, neutral and high beam indicators are nearly impossible to see in bright sunlight. My right leg was resting on the kickstarter while riding, this did not really bother me but it might bother some people.

Cleveland Cyclewerks Forks and Flyscreen

Upside down forks & a flyscreen, how can you possibly beat that at this price?

Speaking of the kickstarter since I am an old guy with an artificial knee I just had to see how hard the bike was to start with it. At least when it is warm, with a little throttle it fired right up on the first kick. I bet this engine would respond well to the same modifications used to perk up old XR/XL Hondas. You still wouldn’t have a ton up special but with the right work I bet you could actually make it snarl a little bit.

Cleveland Cyclewerks Misfit left side

In summary what we have here is a really cool looking little bike that is not too small. It is very light and handles well. The build quality is just as good or better than anything else new in it’s price range. And it would be a fantastic commuter for anyone looking to save some dough while still looking Rebel Without a Cause cool doing it. It’s not perfect but it is a barrel of fun. If you are a rank beginner, an older re-entry rider, or just looking to get a great value for your dollar, go for it. You’ll be glad you did.

Cleveland Cyclewerks Misfit right side

Peace Y’all
Floyd

Review of the Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Motopsycho

I’ve been wanting one of these for a long time. For years I used a wooden table or a chain hoist to lift motorcycles up for repairs when I just could not bear to get down on the floor to work on them. As I’ve gotten older the combination of a weaker back and a fatter wallet has made this purchase a lot easier to justify. So when the September issue of my favorite motorcycle magazine arrived on my Kindle with a coupon to purchase this lift for $299 I bought a print copy ASAP & clipped the coupon.

Ironically enough it took me 2 weeks to purchase this from either of the 2 nearby Harbor Freight stores. Unfortunately this led to my first real negative experience with a company that I have enjoyed doing business with for years. Last Saturday I went to my closest store in Florence S.C. and they were out of stock, so I called the store in Dillon an hour drive from here and they were also out, but told me they were expecting a shipment on Thursday. Yesterday, I was in Florence and they were still out, so I called the Dillon store and gave them the item number and was informed they had some in stock. So I gassed up my van and rolled up the interstate to that store, imagine my shock when I handed the clerk my coupon and was told that they were out of stock. When I mentioned that I had just called and had been informed that they were in stock. Then she went back to the computer and “found” one for me. Probably just a human error but if you are using a coupon to buy one I would verify stock in your nearest store before driving very far to pick one up. Don’t mention the coupon until you get there.

The shipping guys helped me load it in my van with the forklift. This worked out for me okay but if I had to do it again I would have taken a trailer for easier loading and unloading. If you have a long bed pickup truck that’s the best thing to use.

lift in crate in my Astro van

Since the completed crate was far too large and heavy for my beautiful assistant and I to remove from the van I simply opened where it was and slid the contents out into the door of my barn.

motorcycle lift crate open

I am not going to do a step by step walk through of the assembly because in all honesty the instructions that come with it are perfectly adequate to help you get it together. I will touch on a couple of things that I think you should know about. First I got all of the parts laid out and read the instructions from beginning to end.

Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table w/ parts & instructions

Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table oil fill plug

One of the things that you are instructed to do is to check the level of oil in the lift cylinder. The fill plug is in the location shown in the picture below.

Be sure to use a decent grade of jack oil. If you do not have some at home go ahead and pick some up at Harbor Freight while you are there. The best way to fill a jack cylinder like this is with a squirt can. Mine turned out to need a pint of oil to fill it.

oil I used for my Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table

The instructions seem to want you to install all of the parts and accessories before you check the oil and raise the lift. I personally installed the wheels, then filled up the jack and raised the table all the way up to install the wheel vise, tie downs, & the ramp. You should do whatever seems safest to you.

Installing accessories on my Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table

Here it is altogether.

my fully assembled Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table

After double checking the assembly of the table I lowered it back down and drove the Minimum Ninja up on it so that it could receive some long overdue TLC.

Look Y’all it’s the Minimum Ninja!

Yesterday after strapping the bike down I raised the table to its maximum height and left the motorcycle sitting on it with the safety bar properly installed. When I went back this afternoon it was still all the way up. A lot of people criticize the design of the wheel vise but I think that it is okay. Unlike the larger vises I am certain that one can perform most fork and front wheel service without removing it. When I was a dealership mechanic most of the time the wheel vises from our heavy duty air lifts spent most of their time lying under the workbenches because they got in the way. Plus my bike still has a centerstand 🙂

Kawasaki Ninja 250 on my Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table

Don’t forget to recycle the crate! It actually has a couple of large pieces of usable plywood, I know that you can always find a use for a good piece of wood around the house or shop.

Recycle this crate you know you want to.

This will be a long term review. Over time I will publish new updates or simply update this post as I get some miles and years put on this thing.

As for the Minimum Ninja, it will receive its own pages here covering the updates and repairs as I make them.

Peace Y’all

Welcome to the Asylum

Crazy About Motorcycles!

Category Archives: Psyco Product Reviews!

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Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table Update

Lining a Fuel Tank with Kreem Tank Liner

The 2012 Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 A Psyco Road Test and Review!

Tha Misfit! A Psyco Road Test & Motorcycle Review!

Review of the Harbor Freight Motorcycle Lift Table

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