10-03-2018, 03:13 AM
(10-02-2018, 11:07 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Im not sure where I stand. I do believe people should be able to modify their personal bikes however they wish. Im not sure how far I want Honda to modify our bike however.
ABS ok I get that, even have it on my DLX ( have yet to need it, but may someday). It also has digital gear indicator, and a trip computer both of which I like, but neither of which was the cause for me buying the bike. My 13 CB 1100 had neither., and it was a perfectly fine bike.
Slipper clutch? Ok, makes pulling the clutch lever easier, engagement feels the same. ( have it on my FJR). Downshifting multiple times at high speed I don't understand, because I have never ridden like that, there for in that respect it has no benefit for me personally
Quick shifter.. Another electronic aid I don't understand.I just dont personally understand the need to shift without using the clutch. Maybe on the racetrack, but not on the street.
Ride modes, traction control, cruise control, have those on the FJR as well. So far the only thing that has been of any benefit to me has been the cruise control. But then again it is a sport tourer designed for long distance interstate travel, and a cruise control comes in handy then. I brought it home from the dealer in Tour mode, and I have never even tried it in sport mode. I'm happy with Tour mode. I imagine the TC could come in handy some day. We shall see. Then again it is a 675 pound 145 hp beast, unlike the mild mannered CB.
hill assist, fob starting, multi axis smu, all available on some modern bikes but just unnecessary things to go wrong eventually imo. On a recent tour with my doctor on a BMW RT both his hill assist and the fob thingy caused issues. I prefer the key.
Liquid cooling... Surely a benefit for engine longevity and power, but interestingly I think for many that would be the line in the sand. " Yea give me all the technology available, but absolutely NO water cooling"
Modify them too much and you've gone beyond the intended mission I think, but all this is just personal opinion.
I also don't understand fender eliminators and loud exhaust.. Or riding helmetless and in shorts and flip flops...but like I said I do believe everyone should be able to do what they want with their bikes... And bodies.
There's a common thread here and I think I can lend some perspective on it. What I hear a lot is "hey, a CB11 is a CB11 so instead of making it faster/better/more modern why don't you just sell it and buy a faster/better/more modern bike?" Like ferret for instance. you said that you don't need things like cruise control on the CB11 because all that you have on your FJR. There's this focus among motorcyclists (not just here, everybody I talk to) on always having the absolute best possible tool for whatever it is you're looking to do. " A CB1100 isn't a fast bike, so why are you trying to make it faster?" "A CB1100 isn't a modern bike, so why are you trying to make it more modern?"
This is how I see it: Some folks, me included, didn't buy the CB1100 because we thought it was the very best at anything. I didn't by it because it's an awesome UJM. it is, but that wasn't the primary reason. I didn't buy it because i thought it was fast, i've certainly had faster. I bought it because it was selling brand new at an enormous discount, and my research indicated that there was no possible way I was ever going to find another bike with this much quality and this much engine at anywhere near this price. I don't have a second bike, i can't afford one. the motorcycle I buy has to meet all my needs, even if that means it's not the best at certain things, like speed or handling. The truth about the CB1100 at this stage is that most people buying them are buying them because they are an all around "good" bike at a jaw-dropping price. people who might otherwise never have been able to afford a bike of this quality and size suddenly have the ability to own one. that doesn't mean they aren't interested in faster or more modern bikes. it just means that the CB11 was the very best thing they could afford.
So, from our perspective, the CB1100 is an amazing engine at a great price, and we build the bike we want from there. It doesn't matter that it's a UJM. it doesn't matter what the intended mission of the bike is. all of that is just window dressing. at it's core, it's just a big displacement street bike with a very high quality engine, and we didn't buy a "faster/more modern" bike in the first place because the price, if we're going to get something that's demonstrably better than the CB11, would be too high.
TLDR; I think a lot of CB1100 owners are just making the best out of what's available to them, not necessarily looking for optimization.