I think my love for the CB1100 is actually a touch misguided. When I was very young, I always loved pretending to ride my dad's KZ900. He had such a cool jacket too. It was a Drospo/Taurus tan and oxblood cafe racer style jacket with tan piping and ribbed elbows.
My dad was very fit in his late twenties early thirties and his jacket was a 36 or 38. I tried it on when I was in my 20's but at 6' 215 lbs I wasn't getting into it.
Since I now have the bike which in my mind satisfies the bike I never got to ride (he went for a ninja 900 in 1988 and the to a soft tail in 1995 which he still ownes and rides btw) I just needed the jacket to complete the picture. I have found a few vintage made in Canada Drospo/Taurus jackets that would have fitted the bill, but they were all in these tiny sizes, 42 was about the largest I've seen.
Last night on Kijiji I found probably as close as I will get. A gentleman in his 80's was getting his son to sell his custom made Drospo/Taurus made in Canada suit with a size 52 Jacket. Now I'm somewhere between an XL and a XXL and in most suits my jacket is a 48. But I know these jackets fit quite small. I was at a store trying jackets a couple days ago and there was a 52 that was too small from one company and a 46 that was just right from another. Anyhow, I meet the guy and try the jacket on and it's perfect! I rode home with it and stuffed my old jacket (a 3xl that is too big because I lost some weight) in my side case. What a difference! My old jacket was always a touch bug even when I was heavier. The new jacket is really much better at keeping the wind out! New jacket, it's older than me! Ha! I don't know what to do with the pants, they are WAY too big for me, and I don't really like the look of matching leather pants. I may keep them as over pants for weather, or get them fitted, or I may get them made into matching gloves!
Anyhow, the jacket is practically brand new as the original owner only wore the outfit once or twice.
Still rockin', rollin', and ridin' after all these years
'67 BSA 441 VR, '70 Triumph Tiger 100, '02 Honda CB900F, '06 Triumph T100 Bonneville, '14 Honda CB1100A
06-06-2017 03:42 PM
Rolls
High Mileage
Belmont, CA
Posts: 971
Joined: Jun 2013
I had it set up at the advanced rider clinic by Lee Parks. It is set up to ride in the centre of the full range of motion with me in my most typical riding conditions. I don't recall the exact setting, but it was one or two off stock.