04-21-2017, 06:58 PM
To me, one of the things that defines character in a bike is when it takes a bit of effort to get to know and master it. But once you have, the reward is all the bigger. It is not that these are flaws, although often bikes with "character" do indeed come with certain flaws.
To me, the Honda VFR 800 I had in 1999 certainly had character, and it was flawless. It did take a bit of effort to fully learn how to master it, but then it was amazing. However, it was easier at the first approach than say the Ducati ST2 I got later. That bike certainly had loads of character, and for a person who was not used to it it would be a bit challenging at first. However, in spite of the reputation Ducatis may have, I never had any problems with it.
After that, my Moto Morini Corsaro was bursting with character. It was a beast, and certainly not for a beginner or the faint of heart. But when you got to know it, and understand how to ride it, the reward was amazing. Unfortunately it came with loads of reliability issues.
As for the CB1100, it may lack a bit of character in that it is very easy to ride, and smooth. It never really surprises you, or catches you unaware, but it just always delivers flawlessly. It doesn't get my heart pumping while riding like the Corsaro did, but it brings me another joy. It allows me to more enjoy the ride, and not have to be as focused on the actual riding.
To me, the Honda VFR 800 I had in 1999 certainly had character, and it was flawless. It did take a bit of effort to fully learn how to master it, but then it was amazing. However, it was easier at the first approach than say the Ducati ST2 I got later. That bike certainly had loads of character, and for a person who was not used to it it would be a bit challenging at first. However, in spite of the reputation Ducatis may have, I never had any problems with it.
After that, my Moto Morini Corsaro was bursting with character. It was a beast, and certainly not for a beginner or the faint of heart. But when you got to know it, and understand how to ride it, the reward was amazing. Unfortunately it came with loads of reliability issues.
As for the CB1100, it may lack a bit of character in that it is very easy to ride, and smooth. It never really surprises you, or catches you unaware, but it just always delivers flawlessly. It doesn't get my heart pumping while riding like the Corsaro did, but it brings me another joy. It allows me to more enjoy the ride, and not have to be as focused on the actual riding.