10-26-2014, 12:14 AM
(10-25-2014, 07:56 AM)AndyHe_imp Wrote: So I've been a lurker here for a long time and I'm looking for a motorcycle but I'm willing to wait.
When the CB1100 came out in 2012 I said "wow, it would be perfect if it only had ABS, a sixth gear, and a gear speed indicator".
Well along comes the deluxe of course but I've got one concern: I keep seeing complaints both in reviews and in this forum about excessive vibration at somewhere around 3.5K RPM. That would be *really* annoying to me. I attribute it (without a clue as to what I'm talking about) to the fact that Honda purposely modified the timing on the cam shaft so that the timing on the engine isn't quite balanced to give it a better sound (do I have that right? and if so.. really!?) but perhaps I'm mistaken. I saw a post somewhere that said for 2014 Honda modify the cam shaft to make it slightly smoother but it's not clear at this point how much of an issue is still is as I still see people complaining.
I went by a bunch of dealerships today to check out a bunch of motorcycles. The new Interceptor is kind of nice but I find the seating too forward for my tastes as I grew up riding CB400/CB650 etc. And I find all the Kawasakis, Suzukis, Yamahas, and modern standard/street-fighter bikes do not at all look like a motorcycle should. The only one that really made me go "wow!" was of course the CB1100 (they only had a 2013 in stock and that isn't in the running for me).
Dealers around here are rather hesitant to let me test drive a brand new bike and I haven't found any deluxe demos in the area. At this point I'm willing to wait for the 2015 model (any announcements coming in the next couple of months) to see if they tweaked the bike at all.
My question : How much of a problem/issue is vibration on the 2014 CB1100? What is your experience?
Vibration affects everyone differently. I personally am very sensitive to high frequency inline fours, apparently much more than everyone else. I sold my Katana 750 and Yam FZ1 because they put my hands to sleep, yet I go all day on my V-Strom and Bonneville because the frequency is lower.
On my 2013, I had to change the gearing to make it more tolerable. But having ridden a 2014 on the highway, I would say it is as vibration-free as a Gold Wing or CBX.
It all depends on what bothers you. So what bikes have you ridden that vibrate too much? And which ones are no problem?
One last comment. Putting the bike in gear on the centerstand would allow you to run up to highway speeds minus the wind buffeting and road vibration. Not a substitute for a test ride, but may give you a sense of the vibration.