12-23-2025, 10:54 PM
In December 2010, after an absence of many years, I decided to get back into motorcycling. I bought a second-hand Honda Shadow.
![[Image: DSCN0829.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/DyHvwkt5/DSCN0829.jpg)
A couple of days later I went to the Honda dealer to buy a jacket and was struck by a white 4-cylinder bike in the showroom. It must have been one of the first CB1100s to come to Australia. It was almost the bike I'd wanted in my late teens when the CB500-4 seemed the bike for me. This new-fangled version was missing the 4 exhaust pipes a proper bike would have had. But it was still lovely. The salesperson encouraged me to take it for a ride. I resisted knowing I'd just want it. It was also a great deal more than I was prepared to pay for a bike before I was sure I would stick with riding again. So I lusted but walked away.
Over the next couple of years I saw very few of them about, but every time I did see one, I was again struck by how attractive I found them.
In July 2013 a mate came to stay and we went on a motorcycle rally for the day. We got to talking about bikes and the CB1100 specifically and he told me that, if it was the bike I really wanted, I should get one. If I didn't I'd regret it. (This from a bloke who changes his underpants less frequently than he buys new bikes) My wife was not impressed, but eventually she agreed. Nothing happened as we went overseas to visit family.
After we returned, I got down to hunting for a CB1100. There were almost none for sale, but I did find a lightly-used 2011 model with 2,091 kilometers on the clock at a dealer in Brisbane. it was much more reasonably priced than than the new one I'd lusted after in 2010.
On 23 September 2012 I went to Brisbane, test rode it and bought it. They let me ride it to the bank to pick up the bank cheque I used to pay for it. I took this photo at a service station a few kilometers north of the dealer. I can say with some confidence that it's never been that clean again.
I can also say with confidence that 12 years and 160,000 plus kilometers later, I'm still delighted to own it.
A couple of days later I went to the Honda dealer to buy a jacket and was struck by a white 4-cylinder bike in the showroom. It must have been one of the first CB1100s to come to Australia. It was almost the bike I'd wanted in my late teens when the CB500-4 seemed the bike for me. This new-fangled version was missing the 4 exhaust pipes a proper bike would have had. But it was still lovely. The salesperson encouraged me to take it for a ride. I resisted knowing I'd just want it. It was also a great deal more than I was prepared to pay for a bike before I was sure I would stick with riding again. So I lusted but walked away.
Over the next couple of years I saw very few of them about, but every time I did see one, I was again struck by how attractive I found them.
In July 2013 a mate came to stay and we went on a motorcycle rally for the day. We got to talking about bikes and the CB1100 specifically and he told me that, if it was the bike I really wanted, I should get one. If I didn't I'd regret it. (This from a bloke who changes his underpants less frequently than he buys new bikes) My wife was not impressed, but eventually she agreed. Nothing happened as we went overseas to visit family.
After we returned, I got down to hunting for a CB1100. There were almost none for sale, but I did find a lightly-used 2011 model with 2,091 kilometers on the clock at a dealer in Brisbane. it was much more reasonably priced than than the new one I'd lusted after in 2010.
On 23 September 2012 I went to Brisbane, test rode it and bought it. They let me ride it to the bank to pick up the bank cheque I used to pay for it. I took this photo at a service station a few kilometers north of the dealer. I can say with some confidence that it's never been that clean again.
I can also say with confidence that 12 years and 160,000 plus kilometers later, I'm still delighted to own it.
Sometimes the road not travelled is best left that way. (Jane Goodall)