NEW 2014: CB 1100, CB 1100 EX

[The Spaceman_imp]

Don't forget the relative value of the dollar. When a new Kawi sold for $2k the median price of a house in the US was $45k. These days $45k will buy a nice car...

It is good to see Honda's focus on producing more affordable bikes that are attractive to new and re-entry riders. Like the CB250/300R, the new 500's, etc. The moto journalists have declared the supersport era dead. There just aren't enough 20-something buyers anymore who can afford a $13k 600/1000RRRRR, let alone the insurance for one. I don't mind in a way; those bikes have caused a lot of deaths and injuries in the hands of ill-trained or irresponsible riders. OTOH, the "tech wars" in that market space between the manufacturers did result in a lot of great tech that trickled down to other bikes. Like FI, T/C, radial brakes, modern suspensions, etc.

[rboe]

Just when I thought I was starting to make some decent money, I go to buy a nice bike and it takes almost as much effort to get one as when I was much poorer. Insurance is "cheaper" though.

About ten - fifteen years ago I saw a very nice looking Suzuki standard ride by me. I was seduced! Went to the bike dealer to ask about a price and it was around $6K. To me, using my old money measuring stick, that was Goldwing territory. Holy Moly bikes had gotten expensive! But it's all relative.

[flynrider]

Part of the problem with moving into a more mature age group is remembering what things used to cost relative to what they are asking for them today. For example I paid $4.50 for a ticket to see the Beatles when they came to Cincinnati in the mid 60's. The other night I paid $80 to see Joe Bonomassa ( guitarist). I paid just under $ 2000 for a new 1977 Kawasaki KZ 1000 which compares favorably with the CB1100 in size, weight, displacement and power for which I paid just under $ 10,000. Approximately 5 times more. I remember paying 25 cents for a gallon of gas and $2.00 for a pair of Levi's. Compared to the bike shouldn't they now be $1.25 a gallon and $10 a pair respectively? Lol

My wife likes to remind me I am not my father, who used to complain about prices ( when he was my current age). Things just cost more these days. Looking at offerings from all the other manufacturers and how they are priced, the CB is actually priced more than competitively, a bargain even. IMO

Wow, I would have loved that deal. Those were the days of runaway inflation. A mere 3 years later I was shopping for my 1st brand new bike and Kawasaki was selling inline-4 KZ750 for $2800 (the KZ1000 was over $3.5K). I ended up settling for the parallel twin KZ750 for $2K.

I didn't buy a brand new bike for another 15 yrs. By then, the CB750 was just under $5K, and that was a no-frills, price point bike. At the time I recall having a bit of sticker shock.

The $10K price tag on the CB1100 didn't surprise me. I buy new bikes so rarely, I've come to expect the price doubling over time. My next new bike (sometime around 2028) will probably go for at least $20K

[davidsargee_imp]

Part of the problem with moving into a more mature age group is remembering what things used to cost relative to what they are asking for them today. For example I paid $4.50 for a ticket to see the Beatles when they came to Cincinnati in the mid 60's. The other night I paid $80 to see Joe Bonomassa ( guitarist). I paid just under $ 2000 for a new 1977 Kawasaki KZ 1000 which compares favorably with the CB1100 in size, weight, displacement and power for which I paid just under $ 10,000. Approximately 5 times more. I remember paying 25 cents for a gallon of gas and $2.00 for a pair of Levi's. Compared to the bike shouldn't they now be $1.25 a gallon and $10 a pair respectively? Lol

My wife likes to remind me I am not my father, who used to complain about prices ( when he was my current age). Things just cost more these days. Looking at offerings from all the other manufacturers and how they are priced, the CB is actually priced more than competitively, a bargain even. IMO

If memory serves me, a 1972 Kawi H2 750, (quickest, fastest production motorcycle at the time), retailed at a whopping $1250. Tickets to see Grand Funk Railroad were $8.00 each, (maybe I got ripped off, I don't know), and gas was about .60 per gallon.

[rboe]

First year of college was roughly (not counting books) $720 for the year. The year! Talking to young folks, one class will run you $1300-$1500 dollars now and books - $300. Crazy.

I saw the bill my Dad got from the hospital for my birth. A wee bit over a $100 (northern Montana). What can you get for a $100 in a hospital today?

And Dad picked up a fairly nice Studebaker pickup at auction in Bel Fouch for $125. A running pickup!! A Studebaker!

Things have changed. sigh.....

[the Ferret]

Hospital? My wife just had a hip replacement. She was in the hospital for 30 hours ( went in at 8 am operated on at 10 am went home at 2 pm the next day.) Hospital bill was $46,000. That doesnt include the surgeons bill.

My first year of college was $340

[rboe]

Uf-dah! Hope her recovery goes well.

[the Ferret]

Thanks Rboe .. She's a tough girl. 2 replacement knees and a replacement hip and she just keeps fighting. Refuses to get a handicap sticker for her car, says she isnt handicapped, just currently has a little hitch in her giddy up.

[rboe]

Jezz, sounds like my mother-in-law.

[rsp123_imp]

Hospital? My wife just had a hip replacement. She was in the hospital for 30 hours ( went in at 8 am operated on at 10 am went home at 2 pm the next day.) Hospital bill was $46,000. That doesnt include the surgeons bill.

My first year of college was $340

===

To borrow a thought from the British comic, Dennis Norden, you know you're getting old when you start every other sentence with: "Back in my day..." and finish it with: "...and that was a lot of money back then!"

So in that vein: I bought a Kawasaki Z650 C3, in blue, in May 1980. My first brand new bike and probably the best bike I ever owned. It cost £900 and some change. I'd happily pay ten times that for one today if Kawasaki put it back into production.