The CB1100 Community Forum

I suppose it can be summed up like this:

The CB1100 is a high quality machine to which high quality people are attracted to.

I'm sure that quote could probably be found in a CB1100 sales brochure or on Honda's website somewhere, lol. Joking aside, I do love the fact that we've been able to "keep the conversation going" for many years now. There are never going to be large swarms of riders drawn to this bike, but if this forum is any indication this motorcycle still continues to draw a bunch of really great personalities out of the woodwork. It is hard to not take the CB1100 for granted. It just quietly goes about its business year in and year out and continues to look good while doing so (it is a Honda after all). That's probably one of the reasons that I feel the need to "carry on a bit" like I sometimes do (sorry you had to resort to placing a finger on the screen ferret, lol). I'm always happy to be reminded that this is definitely not a motorcycle to take for granted, but rather just the opposite.

I'm sure that the CB1100 continues to be a great source of pride for Mitsuyoshi Kohama. My guess is that ultimately the sort of people Mr. Kohama was imaging would be attracted to a bike like this are indeed those of us who ended up with CB1100s.

Guth I am also one of the early members and thank you very much for you starting this forum . However I am some what of a decenter on the
bikes looks.
Very early on I think I posted why I bought my 2013 . I had just retired and wanted a retirement bike after closing my motorcycle acc.
shop. My plan was to find a very used BMW sport touring bike. Sport touring bikes have always been my fav. . I had a PC800 ,a Wing , and about 2 or 3 bikes before I retired I bought a ST1100 which turned out
to be a bit much for me because of its weight.
I guess we all age at different rates. I know when I say this it will upset some people but is the way I feel. I am sure I have said on here on the
past when I was in the industry I used to make fun "retro" bikes.
I always said can't the Mfg. come up with something new?
I do like the way my bike looks but it was not the main reason I bought it. It was the right weight ,size and had the right ergos . and if
I sold a bike and a car I could afford to get it and retire and live on SS.
Don't get me wrong I do like UJMs , for sure I had many back in the 80s. Their looks never thrilled me.
I still like to ride my CB1100 and will remain my main ride till I have stop but its looks is not my main reason for owning it.
Sorry if this upsets any one.

CA200, you've no need to apologise for your opinion. It's a perfectly reasonable one.

We all buy bikes and cars and guitars and teapots and espresso machines for a range of reasons and none of them is right. Or wrong.

(01-06-2018, 06:01 PM)Guth_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks pdedse! I'm glad that you're sticking around. Hopefully I can get a chance to check out the new Triumph some time — maybe let me know if you're planning another day ride over to Astoria this summer.

Will do.

(01-07-2018, 06:39 AM)CA200_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth I am also one of the early members and thank you very much for you starting this forum . However I am some what of a decenter on the
bikes looks.
Very early on I think I posted why I bought my 2013 . I had just retired and wanted a retirement bike after closing my motorcycle acc.
shop. My plan was to find a very used BMW sport touring bike. Sport touring bikes have always been my fav. . I had a PC800 ,a Wing , and about 2 or 3 bikes before I retired I bought a ST1100 which turned out
to be a bit much for me because of its weight.
I guess we all age at different rates. I know when I say this it will upset some people but is the way I feel. I am sure I have said on here on the
past when I was in the industry I used to make fun "retro" bikes.
I always said can't the Mfg. come up with something new?
I do like the way my bike looks but it was not the main reason I bought it. It was the right weight ,size and had the right ergos . and if
I sold a bike and a car I could afford to get it and retire and live on SS.
Don't get me wrong I do like UJMs , for sure I had many back in the 80s. Their looks never thrilled me.
I still like to ride my CB1100 and will remain my main ride till I have stop but its looks is not my main reason for owning it.
Sorry if this upsets any one.

That's funny! The MAIN reason I bought the CB1100 was for its looks. I don't think I even knew what an in-line 4 was--it's ergos weren't the best for me...but it just looked...right.

I hope the following isn't too pedantic, but it helps me understand preferences people have for things in general: I teach Spanish for a living. In grad school I first learned of a term called "markedness theory". This theory holds that when there is a contrast between two or more members of a category, one of the members is called "marked" if it has something extra or different than another member that is considered more basic, or "unmarked". This expains why in Spanish you start off learning regular verbs (unmarked: more of them, not too difficult in structure) before irregular verbs (marked: fewer of them, more difficult structure).

Consider a category such as "birds", for example. For me, growing up in the midwest U.S., if you asked me what the most common, basic bird would be, the first one to come to my mind at hearing the word "bird"...the answer would have been "robin", which would be "unmarked" for me--it has all the characterstics that a bird "should have": of a certain size and color, can fly, proportioned beak and tail, etc. But penguins are also birds: but they are black/white, can't fly, they swim great. So while I would agree that penguins do fit in the category of "birds", for me they would be "marked"--they have characteristics I don't normally associate with "birds".

So how does "markedness theory" apply to motorcycles? I'm 54 years old. In the early '70s I began to notice that motorcycles looked "cool" and wanted to ride them, own them even one day. The "look" that existed at that time made that look "normal, expected" for me. The brain begins to believe that motorcycles "should" look a certain way. The look that I speak of is either an enduro type bike...or something that existed back then...Honda CBs. Both these styles of bikes are what comes to mind when I hear "motorcycle". Honda CBs and enduro type bikes are the "unmarked" bikes of the category "motorcycle". A crotch-rocket bike has something extra, a sporty look, speed that's unnecessary for me, lots of plastic on it, engines covered up--my mind doesn't conjure up the image of "crotch-rocket bike" (or any of the futuristic, transformer look of many MCs) when I hear "motorcycle"--these bikes would be "marked" for me...but maybe "unmarked" for my son, who did grow seeing "transformer bikes".

So...the CB1100 fits my expectations of what a "true" mc should look like...going all the way back to my childhood; not that I ever owned one back then, but I was around them. Its look was burned into my brain. As an adult...I didn't care that the ergos on it were off for me being tall. I didn't care that an in-line 4 would feel different that a twin. It looked...right. So I bought one.

My other bike? A KLR650, another throw-back bike with that "enduro" type look that I grew up with. In fact, my first and only bike as a teenager was a Kawasaki KLE250. I didn't stray far with the KLR.

Fun to think about what shapes our tastes. If I were designing courses for those studying business-marketing, I would insist that students study "markedness theory". We might get some really clever advertising.

(01-07-2018, 06:39 AM)CA200_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth I am also one of the early members and thank you very much for you starting this forum . However I am some what of a decenter on the
bikes looks.
Very early on I think I posted why I bought my 2013 . I had just retired and wanted a retirement bike after closing my motorcycle acc.
shop. My plan was to find a very used BMW sport touring bike. Sport touring bikes have always been my fav. . I had a PC800 ,a Wing , and about 2 or 3 bikes before I retired I bought a ST1100 which turned out
to be a bit much for me because of its weight.
I guess we all age at different rates. I know when I say this it will upset some people but is the way I feel. I am sure I have said on here on the
past when I was in the industry I used to make fun "retro" bikes.
I always said can't the Mfg. come up with something new?
I do like the way my bike looks but it was not the main reason I bought it. It was the right weight ,size and had the right ergos . and if
I sold a bike and a car I could afford to get it and retire and live on SS.
Don't get me wrong I do like UJMs , for sure I had many back in the 80s. Their looks never thrilled me.
I still like to ride my CB1100 and will remain my main ride till I have stop but its looks is not my main reason for owning it.
Sorry if this upsets any one.

Hey CA200, I think you might have been one of the first, if not the first to contact me about trying to join the forum. If I remember correctly, I think you asked me something to the effect of whether or not cheeseheads were allowed to join, lol.

There is definitely no need to apologize for your feelings regarding the looks of the CB1100. I've rambled on numerous times about how the bike appealed less to me each subsequent release since the original design. But there are plenty of people who obviously disagree with me. For example, the "darK' CB!1100 of 2014 proved to be far more popular than I could have ever imagined. The bottom line is that we all like different stuff — that's how it should be. To me the only shame is that you don't really care for the looks of the CB. I can't imagine buying any vehicle wether it's a motorcycle, a car or even a truck for that matter that I didn't at least feel good about the looks (and that's at a minimum). But the fact that you've owned your CB1100 longer than a lot of other guys speaks volumes about the other qualities of the bike, and that's pretty cool.

I did not find beauty in the CB1100 when I saw it, but it was still the look of it that drew me in. Before I continue, you need to understand that I am a comparative infant to the world of motorcycles and motorcycling. I never owned a motorcycle in my youth. In fact, the CB1100 is only the second motorcycle, not counting my wife's bikes and scooters, that I could call my own. There were times as I grew up, though, that I wanted to learn to ride; in seventh grade, when a friend of mine got involved in BMX and then motocross. In eighth grade, when Rian Najibi rode a minibike to school and hid it in the bushes behind the school (he was suspended for that). In high school, when another friend was a volunteer at the local fire department and their EMTs used Kawasaki KZ400s to navigate heavy highway construction in the area at that time. It was this last example that left an indelible image in my mind of what a motorcycle should look like.

When the 2013 International Motorcycle Show came to Chicago, I already knew of the CB1100, but I was happy with my current motorcycle and really not in the market for a new bike. Then I saw it in person at the show and instantly thought back to that KZ and my image of a motorcycle. I bought it.

So, I'm not sure that it's the beauty of it or just that it represents to me a pure and correct motorcycle. Either way, though, I will always own a CB1100

I have a 17 EX and I bought this motorcycle for exactly what it is. And what it is not.
Build quality is excellent and the cost reflects a lot of that. There is a plethora of excellent motorcycles that you can get for the same $$ or less.
But they don't offer (me) what the CB does.
The motor is a sweetheart. Full boat of torque right off idle with one of the flattest torque plots I have ever seen. 2 up perfection.
I didn't want a super sport, but I would still consider this(my EX) a sports bike. It handles the twisties just as well as the present tires and suspension will allow. The ABS prevents stoppies, but we all make sacrifices.
I really do like the look (wished it would have been closer to the Whitehouse K10 though), but I have put my own touch on her because that is what we do.
Most people really don't know what to think of this motorcycle which is perfect because I couldn't care crap what anyone else thinks about her. The looks I get from the HD lifestylers are priceless! Maybe I should have bought a "real" motorcycle? LOL!
We live in the most wonderful age of motorcycles. What/How/Where do you want to ride? Take your pick. How can you go wrong?

Pdedse.. What an interesting read which makes a lot of sense. Fun to ponder. Liked the bird analogy.

Btw I still remember my High School spanish teacher Mr Heile. Spanish was one of my majors. Used to speak it pretty fluently. Now 50 years after graduating I hear it better than I speak it, and the only time I speak it anymore is when forum member Nemo texts or emails me, or when my 5 & 2 year old grandkids are watching Dora the Explorer on TV lol.

(01-07-2018, 07:36 AM)pdedse_imp Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-06-2018, 06:01 PM)Guth_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks pdedse! I'm glad that you're sticking around. Hopefully I can get a chance to check out the new Triumph some time — maybe let me know if you're planning another day ride over to Astoria this summer.

Will do.

(01-07-2018, 06:39 AM)CA200_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth I am also one of the early members and thank you very much for you starting this forum . However I am some what of a decenter on the
bikes looks.
Very early on I think I posted why I bought my 2013 . I had just retired and wanted a retirement bike after closing my motorcycle acc.
shop. My plan was to find a very used BMW sport touring bike. Sport touring bikes have always been my fav. . I had a PC800 ,a Wing , and about 2 or 3 bikes before I retired I bought a ST1100 which turned out
to be a bit much for me because of its weight.
I guess we all age at different rates. I know when I say this it will upset some people but is the way I feel. I am sure I have said on here on the
past when I was in the industry I used to make fun "retro" bikes.
I always said can't the Mfg. come up with something new?
I do like the way my bike looks but it was not the main reason I bought it. It was the right weight ,size and had the right ergos . and if
I sold a bike and a car I could afford to get it and retire and live on SS.
Don't get me wrong I do like UJMs , for sure I had many back in the 80s. Their looks never thrilled me.
I still like to ride my CB1100 and will remain my main ride till I have stop but its looks is not my main reason for owning it.
Sorry if this upsets any one.

That's funny! The MAIN reason I bought the CB1100 was for its looks. I don't think I even knew what an in-line 4 was--it's ergos weren't the best for me...but it just looked...right.

I hope the following isn't too pedantic, but it helps me understand preferences people have for things in general: I teach Spanish for a living. In grad school I first learned of a term called "markedness theory". This theory holds that when there is a contrast between two or more members of a category, one of the members is called "marked" if it has something extra or different than another member that is considered more basic, or "unmarked". This expains why in Spanish you start off learning regular verbs (unmarked: more of them, not too difficult in structure) before irregular verbs (marked: fewer of them, more difficult structure).

Consider a category such as "birds", for example. For me, growing up in the midwest U.S., if you asked me what the most common, basic bird would be, the first one to come to my mind at hearing the word "bird"...the answer would have been "robin", which would be "unmarked" for me--it has all the characterstics that a bird "should have": of a certain size and color, can fly, proportioned beak and tail, etc. But penguins are also birds: but they are black/white, can't fly, they swim great. So while I would agree that penguins do fit in the category of "birds", for me they would be "marked"--they have characteristics I don't normally associate with "birds".

So how does "markedness theory" apply to motorcycles? I'm 54 years old. In the early '70s I began to notice that motorcycles looked "cool" and wanted to ride them, own them even one day. The "look" that existed at that time made that look "normal, expected" for me. The brain begins to believe that motorcycles "should" look a certain way. The look that I speak of is either an enduro type bike...or something that existed back then...Honda CBs. Both these styles of bikes are what comes to mind when I hear "motorcycle". Honda CBs and enduro type bikes are the "unmarked" bikes of the category "motorcycle". A crotch-rocket bike has something extra, a sporty look, speed that's unnecessary for me, lots of plastic on it, engines covered up--my mind doesn't conjure up the image of "crotch-rocket bike" (or any of the futuristic, transformer look of many MCs) when I hear "motorcycle"--these bikes would be "marked" for me...but maybe "unmarked" for my son, who did grow seeing "transformer bikes".

So...the CB1100 fits my expectations of what a "true" mc should look like...going all the way back to my childhood; not that I ever owned one back then, but I was around them. Its look was burned into my brain. As an adult...I didn't care that the ergos on it were off for me being tall. I didn't care that an in-line 4 would feel different that a twin. It looked...right. So I bought one.

My other bike? A KLR650, another throw-back bike with that "enduro" type look that I grew up with. In fact, my first and only bike as a teenager was a Kawasaki KLE250. I didn't stray far with the KLR.

Fun to think about what shapes our tastes. If I were designing courses for those studying business-marketing, I would insist that students study "markedness theory". We might get some really clever advertising.

Will do.

(01-07-2018, 06:39 AM)CA200_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth I am also one of the early members and thank you very much for you starting this forum . However I am some what of a decenter on the
bikes looks.
Very early on I think I posted why I bought my 2013 . I had just retired and wanted a retirement bike after closing my motorcycle acc.
shop. My plan was to find a very used BMW sport touring bike. Sport touring bikes have always been my fav. . I had a PC800 ,a Wing , and about 2 or 3 bikes before I retired I bought a ST1100 which turned out
to be a bit much for me because of its weight.
I guess we all age at different rates. I know when I say this it will upset some people but is the way I feel. I am sure I have said on here on the
past when I was in the industry I used to make fun "retro" bikes.
I always said can't the Mfg. come up with something new?
I do like the way my bike looks but it was not the main reason I bought it. It was the right weight ,size and had the right ergos . and if
I sold a bike and a car I could afford to get it and retire and live on SS.
Don't get me wrong I do like UJMs , for sure I had many back in the 80s. Their looks never thrilled me.
I still like to ride my CB1100 and will remain my main ride till I have stop but its looks is not my main reason for owning it.
Sorry if this upsets any one.

That's funny! The MAIN reason I bought the CB1100 was for its looks. I don't think I even knew what an in-line 4 was--it's ergos weren't the best for me...but it just looked...right.

I hope the following isn't too pedantic... Just a tad, perhaps. What you've described, if one can divorce himself from pedantry, is bias.

It's a pretty long way around to say you don't like something, lol!

Can I just say that there are all kinds of motorcycles, in all kinds of sizes, colors, shapes and sizes? Kind of like people.

I never met a motorcycle I didn't like.

(01-07-2018, 06:39 AM)CA200_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Guth I am also one of the early members and thank you very much for you starting this forum . However I am some what of a decenter on the
bikes looks.
Very early on I think I posted why I bought my 2013 . I had just retired and wanted a retirement bike after closing my motorcycle acc.
shop. My plan was to find a very used BMW sport touring bike. Sport touring bikes have always been my fav. . I had a PC800 ,a Wing , and about 2 or 3 bikes before I retired I bought a ST1100 which turned out
to be a bit much for me because of its weight.
I guess we all age at different rates. I know when I say this it will upset some people but is the way I feel. I am sure I have said on here on the
past when I was in the industry I used to make fun "retro" bikes.
I always said can't the Mfg. come up with something new?
I do like the way my bike looks but it was not the main reason I bought it. It was the right weight ,size and had the right ergos . and if
I sold a bike and a car I could afford to get it and retire and live on SS.
Don't get me wrong I do like UJMs , for sure I had many back in the 80s. Their looks never thrilled me.
I still like to ride my CB1100 and will remain my main ride till I have stop but its looks is not my main reason for owning it.
Sorry if this upsets any one.

I'm not. There are as many reasons to ride as there are riders.

pdedse... I was typing out my post while you were typing yours. Similar thoughts, but yours are more eloquently presented. Thanks.