Kinda Porky

[Red Mist_imp]

All the comments are valid, but so is my point - the Cb1100 is a bit on the heavy side for a naked bike, but it depends on what you are comparing it to. Yes, it is easier to handle than my Gold Wing by a large margin and it is also lighter than many other bikes of similar displacement. My point is that it would be better still if it was lighter by about 50 pounds. The physics is simple - it would accelerate faster, stop quicker and go around corners quicker if it were lighter. It is simply a matter of cost benefit - it costs a lot more to make a lighter bike and the CB1100 is pretty inexpensive - quite a good deal actually. Obviously steel is both cheaper and heavier than aluminum, magnesium, titanium, plastic and carbon fiber.

Bikes in general are getting bigger and heavier. Nearly every "light" bike I have owned in the last 20 years has recently been increased in displacement and added a lot of weight. 650's and 750's used to be "big" bikes. Now they are "middle weights". My personal experience is that lighter bikes are easier to ride, all else being equal.

I'm trying to think of a motorcycle (or any vehicle) that wouldn't be better if it were lighter by 50 pounds. No luck so far.

I'm trying to think of a motorcycle (or any vehicle) that wouldn't be better if it were lighter by 50 pounds. No luck so far. That brings us to road bicycles. At some point they get quite unstable at speed if the wheels are too light. If the setup is right a 17-lb. bicycle can be very stable even at "high" cornering speeds, with good tires, at the right pressure, and the right wheels. That combo is no less magic than with a motorcycle and it's very hard to find. Do it right and you feel almost like you could drag your knee on the bicycle; do it wrong and it's white knuckle.

I personally feel that one example of a bike that is 50 pounds too light is the FZ-09. Yamaha just went too far with the light weight on that one. Wheelies real easy, though.

No, there's nothing wrong with wishing it were a bit lighter...but that said, what difference does it really make? Granted, I'm used to handling big, heavy bikes, but the CB doesn't feel at all heavy to me, either in terms of handling or just lifting it on/off the side or center stands (in fact, if I didn't know, I'd guess it was actually lighter than the ZRX1100 I own--it certainly turns in quicker). It still accelerates fast enough, even stock, to embarrass all but the quickest sports cars. I doubt the extra pounds on the '14 deluxe will change that very much.

Bottom line, the bike simply isn't meant to play on the same field as a modern sporting machine, naked or not. That extra 50 pounds matters almost entirely at the outer margin of the performance envelope, which is a place where maybe 1 or 2 percent of owners will ever take it. For those who want a more competitive sport machine w/ the retro looks, it can be made to lose some weight and gain some horsepower...but it's never gonna be a CBR1000RR.

Which is why they make CBR1000RRs.

This isn't really directed at you, thessler, but in the digital camera world, there's a certain contingent of enthusiasts who focus almost entirely on technical specs, and in the process completely lose sight of the big picture--which is that the camera is ultimately just a tool used to capture an image; and that it's the image rather than the camera that ultimately matters. In reading comments on sites like Motorcycledaily lately, it seems like we've got something similar going on in the motorcycle world. You get the sense that the "peanut gallery" wouldn't be satisfied until somebody came out with a 220hp, 325lb bike that was completely docile on the street ("great first bike!"), handled like a MotoGP bike, rode like a Cadillac, had comfortable, adjustable ergonomics, got 60mpg, had hydraulic valve lifters, came with 500-mile seat comfortable for every rear-end, could tour like a Goldwing, looked exactly like a classic 1978 whatever (but better), had a centerstand, was belt or shaft driven....etc. And even then they'd find something to complain about ("Ugh! What were they thinking with that horrible speedometer font??")

You should write for a magazine. Perfect recap. Everybody's different. I rode a 2014 KTM 1190 cc. not sure what the model is called. Weight probably around 400 to 450, not sure. The bike will go 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds, and 0 to 100 in under 6 seconds, and top out at about 155. Fun to ride for about 30 minutes. I love my CB1100. Want a lighter faster bike, they are out there to purchase.

Super Duke? You got that right about the 30 minutes.