Possible CB1100X coming ...

[Tev62]

Convenience.

Raise your hands... who here would buy a chain drive car?

If you don't ride a lot, it really doesn't matter how your bike is powered and MOST motorcyclists ride about 2500-3000 miles a year. In their case, a chain and sprockets or belt will last longer than they own the bike probably. At least 10 years.

But lets say you ride a lot. 20-25,000 miles a year like some of us do. A chain and sprockets will last a season MAYBE 2. I average about 24,700 miles a year. The original chain and sprocket set on my CB lasted 36,000 miles at which time it was $400 parts and labor to replace. I've now ridden 25,000 miles on the second set. So if it lives as long as the first set I have about 11,000 miles to go before it needs another $400 repair. or $800 in 75,000 miles.

Lets compare that to the shaft drive on my ST 1300 and my FJR. I put 110,000 miles on the ST and 38,000 miles on the FJR (before trading it in) and my cost to repair for 148,000 miles was $ ZERO.

There is some maintenance with both systems. With the chain it's adjustment and lubrication. With the shaft it was changing the rear end oil. If you ask me which one I prefer doing being a non mechanical type guy, it's changing the rear end fluid on the shaft. It's like changing the oil on the CB only skip the filter part of the process. Pull a drain plug, drain the fluid, replace the drain plug, pour in 7 oz of 80/90 wt oil once a year, twice if you're anal.

All that said, the CB 1100 should be chain drive, if nothing else for looks and tradition. I have no gripe with that.

But a sport touring bike like the NT 1100 designed with fairing and bags to go cross country and back really should have a shaft.

The AT in my opinion should also have a shaft because it's designed to compete with the shaft driven GS BMW and the shaft driven Yamaha Super Tenere' meant for cross country riding

Going with chains on bikes like these is really cheap on Honda's part, who used to make shaft drives available on bikes as small as 500cc.

I wish my NC750X had a shaft (and cruise since it already has fly by wire throttle)

The shaft drive on my Tiger 1200 has a "once only" oil change at the initial 600 mile run in service. Zero oil changes for life after that, specifically stated in the user manual by Triumph in bold lettering. It doesn't stop owners changing it out themselves for so-called peace of mind though. Quite why they think Triumph are wrong and they are right is beyond me. They will never realise the benefit of what they are doing.

I would happilly swap my heavy Tiger 1200 for a shaft drive 900/1000 with hydraulic valve lifters, the ultimate low maintenance tool (but not a low powered thing like the Guzzi 850T).