Sometimes ....or maybe always, I have no idea what some are looking for. My bike is still bone stock (except for rlets..which the installation still haunts me). To me every ride is “motorcycling” at its best. I can’t take it out without having to watch for the police. Air cooled inline fours still rock!
I have had mine for four years too, also stock with the exception of a Chic Design screen, but I wouldn't say I still love my bike. I love it more each day!
When I first bought it I was not entirely convinced. At the time I had been riding twins for a long while, and I really wanted a BMW R9T. The problem was there were no BMWs available, and so after having tried a number of other alternatives I had a go on the CB1100 and came back with a huge smile on my face. That sealed the deal, but I was initially a little underwhelmed by the engine response.
Over time however I have come to appreciate this engine so much. Granted it does not have the brute power of my previous bike, but it is just so pleasant to ride. Still always puts a smile on my face, and I always revel in the quality and workmanship that has gone in to this bike.
I did attempt a modification, by putting a lower handlebar on it. I felt the position was a bit too upright, and wanted to be a little bit more on the front. However, this modification taught me that Honda got this bike perfectly right out of the shop. Any change to it sort of upsets this perfect balance they have achieved, and so I went back to the standard bar.
So yes, this bike makes me love it more each day. Perfection?
I have spent (i.e. Lost) thousands of pounds over the last 29 years looking for the 'perfect bike'. I have owned 40 and ridden probably double that. I got divorced a long long time ago and it had a life altering effect on me, essentially I thought '---- it'. I didn't turn to drink or gambling I wasted money on motorbikes instead. If you have been through divorce you may understand. Anyhow......after all that I dont think it actually exists. However upon reflection I have honed in on what I like in a bike (which is clearly very personal) and what I want to use it for at my tender age of 49. My RS is going to remain bone stock (never done that before) and I really really like it. Its such a handsome bike, so so easy to ride and it has a crucial quality I often feel is missing from lots of mega power modern tackle. It is just so pleasant to ride at low speeds (i.e sub 70mph). In the UK we have thousands of miles of reasonably quiet single track country lanes/roads to explore that are perfect for the CB to waft about on. My last few bikes have been in this general area, I had a Rnine T racer which was nice but so uncomfortable that I just had to get rid of it, a T120 Black that was lovely but it had a number of quality control issues that spoilt owning it and latterly a Hayabusa because I thought i missed having the power. Great bike but no. I didn't. In 4 years time I hope to be where you are.
(07-03-2018, 04:20 PM)Henrik_imp Wrote: [ -> ]I have had mine for four years too, also stock with the exception of a Chic Design screen, but I wouldn't say I still love my bike. I love it more each day!
When I first bought it I was not entirely convinced. At the time I had been riding twins for a long while, and I really wanted a BMW R9T. The problem was there were no BMWs available, and so after having tried a number of other alternatives I had a go on the CB1100 and came back with a huge smile on my face. That sealed the deal, but I was initially a little underwhelmed by the engine response.
Over time however I have come to appreciate this engine so much. Granted it does not have the brute power of my previous bike, but it is just so pleasant to ride. Still always puts a smile on my face, and I always revel in the quality and workmanship that has gone in to this bike.
I did attempt a modification, by putting a lower handlebar on it. I felt the position was a bit too upright, and wanted to be a little bit more on the front. However, this modification taught me that Honda got this bike perfectly right out of the shop. Any change to it sort of upsets this perfect balance they have achieved, and so I went back to the standard bar.
So yes, this bike makes me love it more each day. Perfection?
I share your feel of sitting too upright on the CB but resisted the temptation of trying out a lower handlebar.
Old Kawas like the Z900 or 750 Twin Stroke had this kind of 'highriser', so Honda has a plan of why they put it on the CB. They could have used any kind of handlebar.
After a lot of km and years with the CB I'm pretty much used to the 'special' seating position and don't want to change it. Surely enough it is one of the reasons, I guess an important one, why the Honda is so easy to ride with no matter where you ride, although it is no light weight.
Besides of doing modifications you find necessary to adjust a motorbike and yourself to a somehow perfect and winning connection, you can work on your attitude towards the bike you own. It develops by itself with each ridden mile and leads you to unknown places and decisions. The CB is easy to be loved and in my case I enjoy more the things that are good than the ones that could be better, which I'm not able to name, because they are not so obvious and I have to dig deep to pull them out. Perfection? Nothing is perfect but can be very satisfying. It's all attitude....
Wisedrum
I'm a one-bike-at-a-time guy. It's approaching 5 years since I bought my CB1100. It was second hand and had 2,071 kms on the odometer. As of this evening, we're about 20 kms shy of 90,000 kms together. I've put RLETs, a top box and a gear indicator on it. It has a fork brace, but only because I won it in a competition on this forum. I use an Air Hawk and a sheepskin seat cover, but otherwise it's stock.
I love it. I've just spent a day in the saddle, riding north of Brisbane with GrahamT and every kilometre was pure fun. Do I love it more each day? I don't know; but I have no interest in selling it and there's nothing on the market I want more.
5 years, 2 models (2013 & 2014 DLX) 48,500 miles and I couldn't agree more with you guys. I love my CB and every ride reminds me why. Smooth, torquey, powerful "enough", great brakes, great transmission, great gas mileage, great handling (at the speeds I ride) and drop dead good looks (the extra chrome and exhaust symmetry of the DLX sealed the deal for me). My bike is basically stock with some minor personalized additions that most people would not notice except the luggage rack, but the basic package is how Honda designed it to be.
However, I'm not a one bike guy. The only place the CB lacks for me is that it is not a great 2 up freeway tourer. Hence the ST in the garage... or now, the FJR. The CB makes a wonderful single up 2 lane backroads tourer with some soft bags thrown over the seat, but if my journey is going to include my wife, and I want to get on the freeway and really get someplace quick 1000, 2000, 5000 miles away, I want a better tool for that job. Larger, bigger motor, more wind protection, more ammenities, more storage, liquid cooling, shaft drive.
Other than that one specific task, I think the CB is just about the perfect motorcycle for day to day riding. I love mine.
You guys are killing me! I dropped off my CB11 up in Idaho for the summer and haven't been able to get back and ride it. I've been suffering from CB1100 withdrawal for about a month now. I've still got the CB750 here in AZ, but it's not the same. My CB has been a big part of my life for 5 years now and I really miss it. I even found myself at the dealer show room the other day to gaze at their shiny '17 model.
Hopefully I'll be reuniting with my baby around the middle of this month. Then life will be back to normal.
(07-04-2018, 07:39 AM)Flynrider_imp Wrote: [ -> ]You guys are killing me! I dropped off my CB11 up in Idaho for the summer and haven't been able to get back and ride it. I've been suffering from CB1100 withdrawal for about a month now. I've still got the CB750 here in AZ, but it's not the same. My CB has been a big part of my life for 5 years now and I really miss it. I even found myself at the dealer show room the other day to gaze at their shiny '17 model.
Hopefully I'll be reuniting with my baby around the middle of this month. Then life will be back to normal.
Dealers around here do not have any on display, so count yourself lucky!
Five years for me. After the first year I was thinking it was a bit "meh" and considered selling it. But started riding it a bit more (had four bikes at the time). She has really grown on me.
Now the 650L seems sorted and I'm finally able to enjoy it. Put Road Pilot 4's on the Griso and I can finally really enjoy her (as well as the russell day long seat). But looking real hard at Suzuki DL1000 - frankly I prefer a taller bike for my long legs). Luckily I'm not rich enough to just go buy bikes.
Novice Wrote:4 years and 10k....still love my bike
I can't imagine only doing 2,500 miles per year on a new bike, especially one as nice as any of these CB1100s. Wow.
Two words, dude...
Ride. More.
In any case, after my CB sat at the dealer for six weeks, I still only have 4,000 miles on my '17 EX. Some of that has to do with the lengthy stay at the dealership, and some of it has to do with that same lengthy stay forcing me to do all my riding on my modified XSR900. Before the CB went into the shop, I was splitting time between the two bikes, plus my car. Once the bike went into the shop and I was forced to ride the XSR every time, man, but did I fall in love all over again with that bike. It's definitely the better long-distance freeway ride, and much better/more fun as a sportbike in the canyons. As a result, I've recently been taking the Yamaha on nearly all of my long rides, at the expense of the Honda's seat time.
Now I'm trying to move it in the other direction. I've been riding the CB exclusively over the past week, the object being to ride her so often that she will soon feel normal to me, as opposed to jumping on her right after riding the much lighter, faster, more comfortable XSR. In doing so, I've learned that the big Honda is probably the best city bike imaginable. Between her perfect throttle response and solid, predictable, Swiss watch of a clutch, she is clearly the easiest, most balanced urban crawler I've ever encountered. She is equally adept at turning relaxed, meandering country roads into a truly special experience.
So pure.
I'm with mickey on this one. The CB isn't the ultimate do-everything bike. She is flat-out excellent at a few things. She's the finest sub-60-mph bike I could ever hope for. If the going is slow or just relaxed, she's a perfect ten. As long as I'm not in a hurry, or on the freeway, she is nigh on ideal. She just isn't very good out on the highway, primarily due to her high pegs and overly-restricted motor. Give her a bit more low-end oomph and upper-midrange zip and I would happily live with the slouchy seating position. Those are the two areas where she loses out big-time to the Yamaha, in terms of highway comfort. For that matter, I'd much prefer mickey's smoother, faster FJR out on the highway, or an R1200RT, and not just because of their shaft drives and luggage-carrying abilities, although I'm certain I'd still prefer the XSR's lack of a noisy windshield.
Along similar lines, I don't like the new Kawasaki Z900RS. I don't like its looks, and I don't like its fakeness. That being said, with its punchier, less strangled-feeling, smoother motor working in tandem with its greater legroom I'm certain it's better than the Honda out on the highway, and almost certainly in the canyons, as well.
The Honda absolutely destroys it in the parking lot, however, and there is zero doubt as to which bike I'd rather own.
I used to think I only needed two bikes: a sportbike, and a tourer. Now I think I need three, or just one. Ideally, I'd want the CB for the majority of my riding, a sportier standard such as the XSR or CB1000R for the canyons, and an FJR or R1200RT for traveling. If I can't swing that, then I think I'm probably best off with just one bike, which I would use for everything, and get used to using for everything. That's what I've always done, until now, and I was always fine with it. It's only by switching back and forth between different types of bikes that each bike's deficiencies become food for thought.
Better to have enough bikes to cover everything, or just keep it simple and make your one bike your bike, and that's that.
Even despite their clear functional superiority, I'm not sure that I could ever remain fully satisfied with having the XSR or CB1000R as my only bike. Ditto, for any large touring bike. Give me enough time on the CB1100, however, and I'm certain she could easily manage the job, for good.