How did you discover the CB?

[rotor]

Curious because whenever people see me and ask about the bike, it's typically followed by "I didn't know they (Honda) even made a bike like that."

Even some other CB owners I've spoken with say they only discovered the bike via their own proactive research and didn't even realize it existed before stumbling across it. Obviously many bike enthusiasts here would have known about it because they likely read or subscribe to publications that did reviews and covered its release but I'm just wondering.

Honda has really done itself and the resale market for owners no good with their seeming complete neglect with marketing and other campaigns to raise its profile.


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The same here - I stumbled across it a couple of years ago while assembling a list of in-line four "road-bikes" (as opposed to "sport-bikes") by all the vendors on my "approved vendor list".

The same here - I stumbled across it a couple of years ago while assembling a list of in-line four "road-bikes" (as opposed to "sport-bikes") by all the vendors on my "approved vendor list".
Nice.

So what is the list of bikes you ultimately came up with that satisfied that criteria? Who makes the cut with respect to your list of approved vendors (manufacturers)?

I take it you are strongly partial to inline 4s motor formats?


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The list is short: Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki.

I am not prepared to look at brands that are here-today-gone/resold-tomorrow "name-shells", IMHO BMW products carry an unacceptable "snob-premium" price differential, I am not prepared to look at products that have only a marginal market penetration, and I believe the problematic reliability reputation of some brands is more likely deserved than not. When I spend my hard-earned money, I have every right to indulge in my prejudices.

Quote:So what is the list of bikes you ultimately came up with that satisfied that criteria? Honda CB650F, Yamaha XJ6, Kawasaki Z800. (By memory, incomplete, this was a few years ago. I was looking at replacing a Honda CBF600N which went out of production in 2012). This is when I stumbled upon CB1100.

Quote:I take it you are strongly partial to inline 4s motor formats? There was a while ago here a thread on mass vs. engine power. (I ride solo, so I add 100 kg of mass (me+riding-gear+cargo) to the "curb weight" when determining the quotient). I believe that for my riding (by seat-time 50% urban traffic, 50% multi-day trips) bike must have at least 150 Watts/kg, while more than 200 is not of much value to me. For me to handle it in lively urban traffic, the mass of bike should be not much more than 200 kg (CB1100 is at the extreme end of my mass criterion). Because of long trips, the riding position must be reasonably relaxed, upright - this is where CB1100 is probably the best one, and this is why I ride one. While "the looks" are pretty low on my list of criteria, the nightmare-ugly CB650F is something that has kept me from owning one.

As far as I can tell, it is pretty much impossible to produce a motorcycle that would meet my specs - specifically the mass/power ratio - other than with a transverse in-line 3 or 4 cylinder motor. Or at least I have not seen one yet.