Who cares ? '13/'14/DLX ?

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I bought a nice 2013 CB1100 and rode it around and got it rained on and rode it down gravel roads and thru mud puddles and and and it took me everywhere I wanted to go.

AND, I was happy.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I now have a 2014 CB1100 Deluxe.
It has some extra "nice to have" stuff, but what's the difference? Even with that 6-speed transmission, I'm not sure that I care, one way or another.

Now, I admit that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but (having owned both) I simply see no difference in the riding/handling between the two bikes. To the untrained eye, they look virtually identical.....


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The standard has just the one pipe, the tank is sleeker. It's a lot lighter, I guess it's about 30 pounds less. For guys who spend longer hours in the saddle on the slab or open road, the extra six-tenths of a gallon could make the difference of making it to that next gas stop or needing to stop sooner than you really wanted to. Sixth gear helps with all that, too.

But, as far as the real purpose of the bike in being a sport heritage machine, the Standard gets it righter. Single pipe, lighter, and the visual to me is a sportier signature.

I also think it works better than the new liquid-cooled Bonneville; the eye just catches the outline of that radiator and some other bits and says, "wrong". With the Standard there's nothing out of place, nothing in the field of view that's not in keeping with the classic configuration. I ride mine mostly in a sporty way, though.

These new models, including the RS, are going to cover the bases really well.

But for riders who are doing a mix of all kinds of riding and not trying to stretch the intervals between fuel stops, the Standard is probably a little better machine.

Nice to have someone who owns both chime in on this.