Hello everyone. My name is Fred and I drive a 2007 suzuki dr650 as a commuter to work 66 miles daily. I am considering buying a 2013 cb1100. I am curious if the cb1100 engine generates a large amount of heat to the legs as compared to the air/oil cooled dr650 which is tolerable. Also curious about the cornering and lean angle for spirited riding on curvy roads. Thanks.
Not sure if this is going to answer your question but here goes. In town, my Moto Guzzi Griso, in the summer, produces way too much heat off the jugs. Does not help that they are out there in the wind stream and my knees are right behind them. My XR650L does not do this and the CB1100 does not either. Both bikes are superior to the Griso for in town riding (quicker steering, lighter on their feet, no excess power and no boiling heat).
I don't push the lean angles. I'll touch my toes down on the Griso sometimes but that it due to lowered pegs and I tend to point the toes down.
The CB does not have the attitude the Griso has so I don't push it by any means. My pucker factor tends to kick in too.
I never noticed any particular heat on my CB 1100 either, at least not like the heat that comes off my ST 1300 on a 90 degree day. As far as handling it handles better than I can ride.
Hi Fred, I couldn't compare it to the Suzuki, but my CB1100 doesn't seem to generate a lot of heat. The only time I feel heat from the mill is when stopped a lot in traffic. The bike corners well considering what it is, the stock suspension is a little soft, but overall it handles quite well. It's not a sport bike, and the lean angle is not that of a sport bike, but it's much better than the average cruiser.
Some of the other forum members have fitted their CB's with aftermarket shocks, (Ohlins), and report good results, I'm mostly a casual rider, so I'm sticking with stock suspension until it's time to replace the shocks.
Cheers
Thanks for the reply. I have never ridden an inline 4 before and they dont allow test rides at the dealership. I love the standard look and riding position of the cb1100. I saw a you tube video from cager on two wheels and the guy was test riding the cb1100 and he complained that there was excessive heat as compared to other bikes. I have owned several parallel twins in the past that were air cooled and never found any uncomfortable heat wise.This is a large investment for me and I really love the looks and all the components look very high quality. I guess I just need a little re-assurance .Thanks.
The really nice thing about the CB is it is just such an easy bike to ride. The clutch is light and smooth, the transmission is slick, the brakes are awesome and the engine has plenty of torque, enough so that is can almost be ridden like an automatic once you get to 5 th gear. You really only shift in most instances because you want to.
It will feel a lot more " substantial" than a 650 single, but the low seat height, low CG and easy going nature will be very welcoming after the first few minutes on the road.
You can research some of the articles written about the bike here
http://cb1100forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=10
Hello Fred... I've never noticed any issue with heat from the CB. Maybe a bit sitting at a light here in Fla in the summer, but not really a big deal... the sun on my back is much worse. I notice much more heat coming from my Harley than I do the CB. As for the riding, it feels lighter than it really is... so if you're used to your DR you'll take to this bike just fine especially since the seat height is lower. It's a great choice for a daily rider. Good luck with your decision!
I feel more heat coming off of the 650 v-twin in my Hawk GT than I do from the inline four on the CB1100. While it's no sport bike, the CB1100 scoots along twisty country roads just fine.
G'day Fred. Unlike others, I am conscious of heat from the engine from time to time, but it isn't excessive. Certainly not enough to put me off the bike at all. Like Ferret, I find the bike handles a lot better than I can ride it.
Hi Fred, as far as I am concerned the CB1100 is far from perfect, but it's the only bike in resent years that
rides like it looks and to me it looks Great.
And the DR is in a leag of it's own, in Australia they sell for $8500 I was tempted. But the 1100 got me.