GimPin Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 I just bought a 97 XX and had some questions 1. I am looking at getting a full exhaust... what does everybody recomend (what brand where do I buy it) anybody have any good links to buy stuff online.. (I want side packs so stock location of pipes is probably nessary) 2. looking to buy side packs ( hard or soft havent decided yet) again any recomendations and where is the best place to buy them 3. I have heard that some of the XXs had an insert in the carb the restriced HP is this the case in the US models or only european?? 4. any info other info I should know about this bike would be appreciated as well Thank You All Danie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlheine Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Hi Danie, Not sure which market (US, Europe, or other) you are in, so I'll defer to others for places to shop... On the cases, I'm partial to Givi hard cases (mostly cause the dealer put them into the deal... an offer I couldn't refuse!). :grin: Easy to put on and take off, are waterproof, etc... common good points that some other case makes also have. Regarding the restriction, this is a JP model issue, where the bike makers voluntarily restrict the bikes to avoid legislatively required power restrictions. As such, the blockage in the air box, collar in the exhaust pipe, and several other minor items (on the fuel-injected versions, don't know about carbed versions) including the ECU wiring and instrument panel soldering in effect lower the output of this fine motor. If you have a EU or US spec model (and I believe Australia/Oceania as well), then these are not concerns, me thinks... Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GimPin Posted May 13, 2003 Author Share Posted May 13, 2003 thanks for the advise I am in the US market I live in Colorado.. do you know what the going price on the Givi hard cases are? Thanks Danie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithrandir Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 For quality and cost it's hard to go past the Akrapovic exhaust if you want a full system. They seem to be about the same price as a pair of slipons at around $750 or so. 2Bros and someone else, who's name escapes me right now also did one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignick7777 Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Hey Danie Congratulaition on purchasing the great Honda CRB1100XX. By the way, what color, because you might have to get it repainted in "titanium" to enhance performance. I know it sounds weird, but it's a fact that the titanium carbed birds are the fastest! :cool: The Givi bags are of good quality..but top of the line...you gotta take a look at the "specifically designed for the bird" beetle-bags from Corbin (some pics in the mods section of this site). Speaking of Corbin...your butt would thank you for purchasing one of their seats, a definite must! The carbs inserts were also added in the "restricted european (France Spec) bird": limited to 100 hp. No chance that happened in Colorado. Pipes, I have a set of D&D slip-ons, but if your looking at a full system, AKRA is the only way to go. On the no-no side I was told by my dyno guy that the Yosh full would actually bring a significant loss in power at mid-range. Your 97, like my 98, will without a doubt show the typical 5500-6000rpm "flat-spot" in acceleration, which is instatly cured with a jet kit (Dyno-Jet does-it real well). You also might be tempted to look at a screen if you're a bit on the tall side...Zero Gravity's Dubble Bubble does it for my 6'1". If you're one to enjoy the twisties and tight turns, raising the rear-end by 5-7mm should make your bike more nimble and seem much lighter...I raised it 6mm and I love it! Quite possibly the best improvement for the money...total cost: about 1$ and 30min to install. Hope this will be the start of a long and beautiful love story for you, like it is for pretty much all the guys that roam these pages! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GimPin Posted May 13, 2003 Author Share Posted May 13, 2003 hey thanks alot... first of all the bike is black.. If you're one to enjoy the twisties and tight turns, raising the rear-end by 5-7mm should make your bike more nimble and seem much lighter...I raised it 6mm and I love it! Quite possibly the best improvement for the money...total cost: about 1$ and 30min to install. is this an adjustment or a kit you buy... I am not to familiar with mods on a bike... I have been into import car mods for several years now so I am fairly technical just dont know alot about the set ups on bikes... and no this is not my first bike... I cut my teeth on a 96 FZR 600 :grin: being in the import scene I learned it is cheapest to buy parts and upgrades online but I cant seem to find many sites that have XX parts any sugested links? Thanks again for all the help Danie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithrandir Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Nope. Just buy a three big penny washers and slot them. Put the bike on the centerstand, drop the top nut out of the shock (just under the two bolts that hold the rear of the fuel tank on), slide them in and do everything back up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignick7777 Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Mithrandir's version is pretty much the way to do it but could refered to as the "short version". There's a post by bhanxx called "6mm ride hight spacer installation gotchas" that's pretty explanatory and goes into a few "nice to know" details. :wink: As far as parts and goodies go, being in Montreal pretty much defeats the purpose and convenience of buying online (with the customs and money exchange and all), so I usually deal with my local parts shop. But one guy who's helped me out a lot is a guy in the UK called Jaws...he's got a few "Bird only" items, even manufactures some: his world famous "shrooms" (the bird's equivalent for frame sliders) You can reach him on the Brittish forum (superblackbird.org) or on his website (jaws-motorcycles.co.uk) and he ships to this side of "the pond". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokie Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 hey thanks alot... first of all the bike is black.. Well of course it is! All other colors are like taking a virgin to prom night! Not quite as exciting now is it? :cheers: Oh yeah, where in Colorado? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GimPin Posted May 14, 2003 Author Share Posted May 14, 2003 Colorado Springs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRB NW WA State Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 The carbureted one, eh? Some guys here swear by them. I test rode one extensively and was astounded by the responsiveness of the carbs, though the mid-range flat spot and horrid forks buried the idea. My ’99 has Micron carbon canisters. They look nice, sound nice, and haven’t cooked in 30K miles. They retain the stock positions and work with my Corbin bags. I have no idea or interest if they contribute to additional power: the sound and look say it all. As for bags, Corbin can supply a nice set for eight or nine hundred bucks, if you don’t mind a couple month wait. I find them aesthetically pleasing, though functionality isn’t nearly that of other bags like Givis or similar. Depends what you want: I wanted to maintain the flowing lines of the bike with a modest amount of storage for electronics, clothing, small groceries, etc. However, if you want serious storage capacity, say for touring, try another brand. I believe it’s unanimous that hard bags disturb Blackbird handling. I don’t think it’s weight, though the Corbins add 17 damn pounds to the rear end. I’m guessing either the airflow or the location of the mass slightly disturbs the front end. Mine’s never handled quite as well with hard bags, though with a full Race Tech front end the problem’s vastly reduced. Guess it comes down to: sport bike or sport tourer? I’d never use a ‘Bird as a true sportbike when one trip to Everett Powersports and a check for $10K could buy me the devil’s dragster, a.k.a. a silver 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000, which would leave a Blackbird for dead anywhere, anytime, on any racetrack. I love the ‘bird, but wouldn’t bring a knife to a gunfight. This does not stop some genuinely talented guys from scraping pegs on Blackbirds, and if handled correctly they’ll really get up and go even in the twisties. It just isn’t the “optimal” tool for the job. I wouldn’t know shinola about any “inserts” in the carbs to limit horsepower. Find a website for one of the many guys who drag-race carbureted Blackbirds. There should be a mountain of data there. Other info? I’d have those ’97 forks ripped off in a heartbeat and reworked by Race Tech or Traxxion Dynamics. Best $500-600 you’ll ever spend. The Gen I forks are waaaay too harsh. There are several avenues to a compliant rear shock. Traxxion Dynamics makes a nice Penske “sport shock” (8900-series body with compression adjustment blanked off) sprung to your weight for a decent price. I find mine extremely compliant and the back end went from “wooden” to “very sharp” in one fell swoop. Ohlins also makes fine suspension componentry, though I’m a Penske fan for various (somewhat superstitious) reasons. These things seem to run forever. I had my valves checked at 20k; all were in-spec. Most guys say they remain in-spec at 40K, too. Many say to do a pre-emptive cam chain tensioner strike at about 40K, a very simple job. I intend to do this at the end of ’03, roughly. The LBS on the ’97 isn’t quite as transparent as the later bikes, I noticed. EBC HH pads work well, though they bite hard and aren’t for the timid. I’m going to get something like 19K miles out of a set, astounding longevity for brake pads. I think these bikes eat chains, not surprising for something putting nearly 140hp to the ground (at the wheel). I put a DID 530ZVM on mine at 11K, still going strong twenty K later (with a Scottoiler). That’s the strongest chain they make, as far as I know, and it seems to work. Use the riveted link. I would not trust a non-riveted link on this particular bike. Think long and hard about the hard bags issue. If you can live without them, do so. If not, be prepared for a changed motorcycle. Mine’s a commute and sport-touring rig, so I could give a damn. You may have other intentions for yours. Good luck, you’ll do fine. Blackbirds are incredible motorcycles, as you’ll note from Honda quality if you do any digging around inside the bike: very logically designed and superior fit and polish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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