Kinda Porky

[Tortuga_imp]

Tortuga, Pechorin 75, Guth. You have summed up the CB experience eloquently. Well done.

Cheers

Thanks mate. Good to see someone else 'gets it' !

[Guth_imp]

One's impression as to weight is dependent on what they are transitioning from. In my case it's a Kawasaki Concours. Therefore I expect that I'll find the 2014 CB1100 Deluxe to be light and nimble. Everything is relative.
On a related issue - has it been confirmed that the sprocket cover on the 2014 is aluminum, not just shiny, silver plastic?

This is an excellent point. I switch back and forth between my CB1100 and a Honda Hawk GT, with is not only light at just over 400 pounds, but is also small compared to the CB1100. However, it doesn't take long on either bike to forget about the differences and just enjoy them for what they are.

[Tortuga_imp]

Good point Guth, weight on any well sorted motorcycle soon dissipates once the gyroscopic effect of speed takes over.

This can be as little as 4 mph.

If you don't believe me watch this..

http://youtu.be/O_Nh6LIlwRc

[rboe]

My Griso is supposed to be lighter but feels heavier and is not as flickable. The CB feels lighter, handles the tight twisty bits better and is not that hard to pick up (neither is the Griso ) if layer down.

[hedstrom_imp]

One's impression as to weight is dependent on what they are transitioning from. In my case it's a Kawasaki Concours. Therefore I expect that I'll find the 2014 CB1100 Deluxe to be light and nimble. Everything is relative.
On a related issue - has it been confirmed that the sprocket cover on the 2014 is aluminum, not just shiny, silver plastic?

Agreed. After 5 years on a VStrom 1000 going to the CB was like trading a Yukon for a Bugeye Sprite. Which might be odd because their weights aren't that different. I think its because the CB carries its weight well; the CG is low and the bike is extremely well-balanced.

Agreed. After 5 years on a VStrom 1000 going to the CB was like trading a Yukon for a Bugeye Sprite. Which might be odd because their weights aren't that different. I think its because the CB carries its weight well; the CG is low and the bike is extremely well-balanced.
Yeah, and the Concours IS heavier, plus it has a very high C/G. When pushing it around the garage, if you let it lean more than a couple degrees away from you... you'll be practicing the motorcycle lifting techniques described elsewhere on this forum.

[Capo]

Spec sheets are the last refuge of scoundrels. And we are scoundrels! Imagine if weight and horsepower weren't published for any bike. My hunch is that most would guess the CB was a bit lighter AND more powerful than it actually is. The biggest determinant of a bike feeling heavy versus actually being heavy, IMHO, other than in the twisties or low speed, comes in the garage. And handlebar shape/ placement and fuel tank center of gravity have a lot to do with that. Triumph Triples like my Daytona 900 are notoriously 'top heavy' due to a tall engine, high and wide fuel tank, and various bar shapes. The balance point on them is relatively narrow at zero mph.

[the Ferret]

One's impression as to weight is dependent on what they are transitioning from. In my case it's a Kawasaki Concours. Therefore I expect that I'll find the 2014 CB1100 Deluxe to be light and nimble. Everything is relative.
On a related issue - has it been confirmed that the sprocket cover on the 2014 is aluminum, not just shiny, silver plastic?

Agreed. After 5 years on a VStrom 1000 going to the CB was like trading a Yukon for a Bugeye Sprite. Which might be odd because their weights aren't that different. I think its because the CB carries its weight well; the CG is low and the bike is extremely well-balanced.

Agreed. After 5 years on a VStrom 1000 going to the CB was like trading a Yukon for a Bugeye Sprite. Which might be odd because their weights aren't that different. I think its because the CB carries its weight well; the CG is low and the bike is extremely well-balanced.
Yeah, and the Concours IS heavier, plus it has a very high C/G. When pushing it around the garage, if you let it lean more than a couple degrees away from you... you'll be practicing the motorcycle lifting techniques described elsewhere on this forum.

Same with my 717 pound ST 1300. I have had so many " oh crap" moments pushing it around where it " almost" listed to the port side going basically zero mph

In comparison the CB feels like a 125 dirt bike

[wildezt_imp]

The big red's an emotional bike for many of us here..ever since they released it in Japan in 2010, I was aching for Honda to bring it over to the States..and man when they finally did and I saw her in the shop waiting for me..wow..I just went many years back in time with her predecessors......everytime when i take her out . its a trip down memory lane ..and her beauty and smoothness just adds alot more to it... ahhh feels good just thinking of her.

[thessler3_imp]

All the comments are valid, but so is my point - the Cb1100 is a bit on the heavy side for a naked bike, but it depends on what you are comparing it to. Yes, it is easier to handle than my Gold Wing by a large margin and it is also lighter than many other bikes of similar displacement. My point is that it would be better still if it was lighter by about 50 pounds. The physics is simple - it would accelerate faster, stop quicker and go around corners quicker if it were lighter. It is simply a matter of cost benefit - it costs a lot more to make a lighter bike and the CB1100 is pretty inexpensive - quite a good deal actually. Obviously steel is both cheaper and heavier than aluminum, magnesium, titanium, plastic and carbon fiber.

Bikes in general are getting bigger and heavier. Nearly every "light" bike I have owned in the last 20 years has recently been increased in displacement and added a lot of weight. 650's and 750's used to be "big" bikes. Now they are "middle weights". My personal experience is that lighter bikes are easier to ride, all else being equal.

[Red Mist_imp]

All the comments are valid, but so is my point - the Cb1100 is a bit on the heavy side for a naked bike, but it depends on what you are comparing it to. Yes, it is easier to handle than my Gold Wing by a large margin and it is also lighter than many other bikes of similar displacement. My point is that it would be better still if it was lighter by about 50 pounds. The physics is simple - it would accelerate faster, stop quicker and go around corners quicker if it were lighter. It is simply a matter of cost benefit - it costs a lot more to make a lighter bike and the CB1100 is pretty inexpensive - quite a good deal actually. Obviously steel is both cheaper and heavier than aluminum, magnesium, titanium, plastic and carbon fiber.

Bikes in general are getting bigger and heavier. Nearly every "light" bike I have owned in the last 20 years has recently been increased in displacement and added a lot of weight. 650's and 750's used to be "big" bikes. Now they are "middle weights". My personal experience is that lighter bikes are easier to ride, all else being equal.

Yep.

What's funny about all this is cars are similar. I just got a 2014 Malibu 2.0 Turbo which makes 259 HP and 295 lbs/ft of torque. That's similar to the Mustang of the mid-60s with the 289 HiPo V8, but the Mustang weighed 1000 lbs less. The ~2L turbocharged engine has taken the place of the baby V8's across the board and has a hell of a lot of performance, but a half-ton more weight?

That weight all went to a much stronger chassis and safety features, infotainment systems, computer systems, and so on. But what's very interesting is that the Malibu is a much faster car despite its weight "disadvantage". The Mustang's top speed is maybe 120 mph for anyone nuts enough to try it; Malibu 2.0T is a measured 155 mph. 0-60, Mustang, is 8.3 seconds, where the Malibu can do it in 6.1 seconds (Malibu specs are from Car and Driver's road test).

It's in the efficiencies, there is far less friction loss in modern engines with modern oils, the design is more efficient, the car is drastically more aerodynamic, and the six-speed automatic transmission is a huge help.

Another interesting point is that the Malibu is actually faster than the Impala, a car that makes 305 HP and weighs only 100 pounds more, but can barely get up to a measly 149 mph because of the additional drag of the larger frame. Quarter-mile and 0-60 times are identical. So all that additional power is still not sufficient to go "faster". Gas mileage is better on the Malibu, too, so I guess one can sometimes have cake and eat it, too.

The CB1100 may LOOK like a retro bike but as I demonstrated to myself this afternoon, the engine still revs like a modern motorcycle and I ride it like I would a modern 600cc sportbike, mostly in the upper third of the tach. It loves it. Might be heavier than some bikes but it's pretty efficient overall.