CB1100 good for Touring?!

[SportsterDoc]

You will not regret it. The CB 1100 is a beautiful precision machine. It is a masterpiece of engineering, machining and ergonomics. They thought of everything with this one.

Almost!
Would like ambient temperature indication.

[misterprofessionality]

Welcome Big-X.

Tell us about your CB.

Not much to tell, don't have any accessories. 2014 model, not deluxe . . . Great machine though! Had an '06 Ducati GT 1000 and this bike reminds me a lot of the GT. Haven't tried to do any wheelies or anything on the Honda though Lol!

It might be that it's a bit too heavy for Sick Whoolies.

[VLJ_imp]

In the right hands, the CB1100 will wheelie like a fiend.

[Slow Poke_imp]

I would definitely tour on a CB1100. It's more than comfy enough. It's easy to focus on things like big fairings, hard bags and huge fuel tanks when thinking about touring by bike. What I have learned over the years is that the fatigue level one feels after riding a few hours is the most important. Some bikes are a lot of work to ride. Some bikes beat you up over time with either vibration, uncomfortable position for hands and feet, buffeting or just plain squirrelly road manners. My CB1100 has none of these bad habits. I put the Honda rear rack on for practicality and a road comet 2 fairing because it looks cool, and I'm good to go anywhere.

[4 Paws_imp]

Touring?
Depends on what you consider touring. If you want to spend 8-10 hours at a time blasting down the interstate seeing how many places you can pass by as fast as possible then there are plenty of heavy large displacement plastic and metal monsters to choose from. If you want to ride all day, or just part of one, on a well made dependable and good looking classic motorcycle then you should take a long look at the CB.
5 or 6 speeds is a valid decision. Price is also a consideration. But this isn't a motorcycle to be evaluated on a spreadsheet.
Most of us have owned, or do own, other bikes yet we still sing the praises of the CB for a reason. Its a good combination of power, weight, seat height, and looks. I enjoy this bike on multiway and multistage rides, many of my day trips stretch to lots of miles simply because this bike will cover ground without discomfort. I usually stop every couple of hours for a drink of water so fuel range is not an issue but an opportunity to hydrate and refocus.

[dbarkdoll_imp]

+1 on riding sans windscreen. The CB is a perfectly competant machine for short touring and has carried me on some incredible adventures, with many more to come!

[Cormanus]

Why only short touring, dbarkdoll?

[Frulk_imp]

Solid thread with a A LOT of good input by everyone!

IamLegend, you describe exactly the kind of "touring" that I do. 2-4 day 350 miles per day, camping off the bike romps.

Back in the day we didn't have all these niches that tried to convince us you needed a specific bike for a specific riding style. You rode what you had. Case in Point below. Best bike for touring. No. Can you tour on it. Yup. Are there better choices? Yup.


In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. I consider the CB1100 one of the utility players of the bike world. It might not be the BEST choice for coast to coast riding but it CAN do it, and better than a lot of its peers. That's because at its core it's a UJM and that platform allows itself to be applied to a number of riding styles. It's heavy enough on the road to be stable in high crosswinds. In spite of its weight it's nimble enough to push trough twisty canyons competently. It's as reliable as an anvil. What's that worth 500 miles from home? If you have cast wheels you can plug flats and be back on the road in 10 minutes, again, what's that worth on the back roads of Maine with an approaching downpour and no town in sight for 20+ miles? It has more than enough power to pass at freeway speeds fully loaded without causing undue drama or having to plan to have two miles of open road to attempt it. It has enough space to kit out with baggage in a number of configurations. See below




Not trying to tell you this is the do all, end all bike for your purpose and style of touring. Note that I'm in Utah and our weather here is much drier. The few rainstorms I've ridden through, (while close to epic) I didn't miss the windshield or fairing something like an FJ provides because I ride with heavy chaps, fully armored with helmet, waterproof boots etc. and just don't miss or need the extra protection. However, back east that may be a consideration.

Lastly, I don't use windshields. I have the aluminum fly screen there just to keep my gauge cluster clean and also a Dart fly screen. I like a clean wind stream that keeps my helmet from being buffeted. Wind pressure on my chest is a non issue for me at speeds of 80 mph.

[jimgl3_imp]

you asked... the CB is not great at anything, well, except warming my heart... but it is good at anything you want to do on it. you may have to swap out tires for some things, but with the right tires mounted, and a few accessories, you will not be embarrassed anywhere, from the dirt roads to the race track.

[Big-X_imp]

Got a picture with the fairing and the rack Slow Poke!