I think it's a double edged sword. I was looking through cycle trader for a new ride when I saw what clearly must have been a misprint. A 2014 CB1100? A quick google search and the rest is history. My point is that I was able to convince the dealer that nobody wanted this bike, which would explain the dust, and the fact that they are posting it on cycle trader tells me no one else is interested. After a couple of weeks of waiting and a few phone calls, I walked away with a heck of a deal. On the other hand, as we all know there are not many aftermarket parts here. I guess we will just have to make our own.
This thread reminds me a lot of the Honda NT650 Hawk that came out in 1988.
The trade magazines liked it, but it wasn't this or that and didn't have enough of this or that. It sold fairly well, but by the end of the run there were a lot of leftovers. That's how I got mine.
I bought a brand new 1989 model in 1992 and rode it over 80,000 km's until I moved up to the 2002 CB900F. I fed it fresh oil, filters and tires and it ran and ran without a hiccup. Now, I wish I hadn't sold the Hawk, but I see it quite often and it still looks almost as good as it did when I had it.
The Hawk lasted until 1992(?) and then was discontinued in North America, but carried on in Europe with shaft drive and eventually became the Deauville (spelling?).
As the years passed it became a cult bike with a huge following and is still loved by many.
I think the CB1100 may go the way of the Hawk since it appears that it has been discontinued in this market, and only those of us lucky ones know what a great bike it is.
I mentioned elsewhere on this forum that the perfect ad campaign for the CB1100 would involve the actual ownership experience. A number of members bought their CBs based on reading this forum. Since it's such a great all-around machine, people that own the CB1100 tend to like it quite a bit. Most of us are really happy with the bike and it shows. I also understand that quite a few people have moved on, parting ways with the CB1100 — but in most cases that hasn't been because they didn't like the bike.
While doubtful, if Honda were to bring the CB1100 back to North America in 2016, they could do a lot worse than to use some of the sentiment shared on this forum on a daily basis. So many bikes available today are geared towards a specific purpose. Not everyone out there wants/needs a specialty bike such as a crotch rocket, adventure bike, cruiser, etc.. There are plenty of motorcyclists that just like to ride. Mix in a bit of touring, commuting or what have you and the CB1100 will still put a smile on your face. I know it still puts a smile on my face after 2+ years of ownership. I suppose that is the CB1100's specialty.
We all tend to know that the beauty of this bike lies deeper than the chrome and paint. The enjoyable characteristics reveal themselves more and more over time. Something that is lost in a review based on spending a day on the bike. Ride Apart was one of the few motojournalism resources that I know of to actually spend a good amount o time with the bike. [url=https://rideapart.com/articles/rideapart-review-2013-honda-cb1100-abs]This review remains perhaps my all time favorite due to that fact. They really did a good job characterizing the bike. It's really too bad that Honda didn't put some effort into marketing the CB1100 in this market.
I took a ride along the coast yesterday. It was a beautiful, though hot, day. Much like today. As I waited for a light to change, I heard a voice call out, "Hey!" I looked over and there was a 20-something year old guy who gave me the rocker salute accompanied by, "Sweet bike!" I thanked him and off I went. Felt good. I'm going to brave the heat again today but this time plan to travel inland. Maybe I'll get some admiring glances from the cows.
Ok showing my age...what is a rocker salute?
(07-26-2015, 11:21 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: [ -> ]Ok showing my age...what is a rocker salute?
Haha. I suspect you've given a few even if you didn't know that's what you were doing. Take your hand and hold down your ring and middle finger with your thumb. Extend your forefinger and pinky fingers straight. Now, raise your arm up, holding your hand head high or higher. You have now given the rocker salute! (Violently rocking your head back and forth - "headbanging" - is optional.)
"For those about to rock! We salute you!" - AC/DC
Oh yea, we used to use that differently when I was a kid lol
"For those about to ride, I salute you!" - dude admiring MG's CB
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If you know Chicago then you know that if they posted an ad in Wicker Park with some hipster in a Bell Bullitt helmet and brown bomber cruising on the CB, their sales could have jumped a bit. Bonnies and TUs are known around here, but the CB could have turned some heads if the exposure was there.
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