03-02-2014, 08:58 AM
Back in 2010 when I decided I wasn't prepared not to ride a bike any longer, I bought a second-hand VT750 Shadow. I thought it would be good because I've short legs and I could get my feet on the ground. I'm also not a big fan of the look of modern sports bike that have you leaning a long way forward like a race-track wannabe.
Just after I bought the Shadow, I saw a white CB1100 at the Honda dealer. I suspect it was one of the first to hit this part of the world. I sat on it and it worked fine. I could reach the ground and it felt comfortable. It reminded me of the all the CB750 and CB500 fours I'd dreamed of having as a young man but never got around to. But I couldn't justify AUD$15,000-odd for a new one. Anyway, I'd just bought the Shadow and I would had had trouble explaining why it had to go so quickly!
I had plenty of fun with the Shadow. It was a good bike for me to get back into riding, and I've no complaints about it. But every now and again I'd look at the CB1100 on line or when I saw the occasional one in the wild and think "Gee I'd really like one of them."
Last July a friend of mine who's been a life-long rider came to stay and we were talking about bikes. As you do. I was telling him about how much I liked the CB1100. He found and shared endless reviews saying what a great machine it was. We agreed it was a lovely bike. He told me I should just buy one and have done with it. I thought about all the reasons I shouldn't, but it niggled away at me and I started looking at second-hand ones and saw that the price had fallen a lot for low mileage CBs. I found a blue one that looked pretty damned good with about 4,000kms on the clock and started plotting to buy it. (As an aside, I think Enzo looked at it too, but got a good deal on a new one from the same dealer.)
My wife and I were heading to Europe and she made it clear that a new bike was not going to happen before we went and, even though I knew by then that Honda had stopped importing them, I took a deep breath and figured I could wait. I think she thought it was just a fad and would pass. It wasn't and it didn't. Just after I got back I saw a listing for a black 2011 model with 2,091 kms (1,300 miles) on the clock. for a shade under AUD$10,000. "That'll do me!" I thought.
I rang the dealer and put a $500 holding deposit on it, My wife drove me down the road a way that afternoon so I could jump a train to the dealer in Brisbane (about 2 hours away) where I took it for a test ride and decided to have it. The dealer then let me ride it to the bank to pick up a bank cheque to pay for it.
I rode it home and I like riding it more and more every time I get on it. I've also not seen another bike I'd rather be riding.
Sorry to be so long winded.
PS: CA, what Ferret said, I really hope you get to enjoy lots of time on your CB and we get to hear about it.
Just after I bought the Shadow, I saw a white CB1100 at the Honda dealer. I suspect it was one of the first to hit this part of the world. I sat on it and it worked fine. I could reach the ground and it felt comfortable. It reminded me of the all the CB750 and CB500 fours I'd dreamed of having as a young man but never got around to. But I couldn't justify AUD$15,000-odd for a new one. Anyway, I'd just bought the Shadow and I would had had trouble explaining why it had to go so quickly!
I had plenty of fun with the Shadow. It was a good bike for me to get back into riding, and I've no complaints about it. But every now and again I'd look at the CB1100 on line or when I saw the occasional one in the wild and think "Gee I'd really like one of them."
Last July a friend of mine who's been a life-long rider came to stay and we were talking about bikes. As you do. I was telling him about how much I liked the CB1100. He found and shared endless reviews saying what a great machine it was. We agreed it was a lovely bike. He told me I should just buy one and have done with it. I thought about all the reasons I shouldn't, but it niggled away at me and I started looking at second-hand ones and saw that the price had fallen a lot for low mileage CBs. I found a blue one that looked pretty damned good with about 4,000kms on the clock and started plotting to buy it. (As an aside, I think Enzo looked at it too, but got a good deal on a new one from the same dealer.)
My wife and I were heading to Europe and she made it clear that a new bike was not going to happen before we went and, even though I knew by then that Honda had stopped importing them, I took a deep breath and figured I could wait. I think she thought it was just a fad and would pass. It wasn't and it didn't. Just after I got back I saw a listing for a black 2011 model with 2,091 kms (1,300 miles) on the clock. for a shade under AUD$10,000. "That'll do me!" I thought.
I rang the dealer and put a $500 holding deposit on it, My wife drove me down the road a way that afternoon so I could jump a train to the dealer in Brisbane (about 2 hours away) where I took it for a test ride and decided to have it. The dealer then let me ride it to the bank to pick up a bank cheque to pay for it.
I rode it home and I like riding it more and more every time I get on it. I've also not seen another bike I'd rather be riding.
Sorry to be so long winded.
PS: CA, what Ferret said, I really hope you get to enjoy lots of time on your CB and we get to hear about it.