10-13-2013, 11:20 AM
(10-04-2013, 06:01 AM)The Spaceman_imp Wrote: This is a pretty neat discussion from the CB1100's primary designer about how our bikes wound up the way they are.
http://world.honda.com/design/designers-...100/page2/
Hope I'm not repeating a previous post; I did a search for it but didn't find it listed before now.
the CB was designed primary for Japanese market I believed, thus the mildly tuned engine and speed restriction. They later export to Australia and it is not a good seller. My dealer personnel told me that Honda told them they gave each dealer 3 bikes to see if they COULD sell it. Just because American are power hungry riders, this bike make the same amount of horse as Suzuki SV650.
Honda designed this bike to be like the org CB750, they even make it a bit rougher by delaying the cam on engine 1 and 2. They even delayed the throttle response so the bike won't be too responsive to hot hands. Being on target in Japan, small road, speed limit at 60 MPH, the CB is easy to ride, nothing too exiting even it is much more powerful than the CB750. On YouTube, there are many clips show Japanese women ride this bike; easy, smooth, not foo fast, to show how easy this bike is.
I enjoy this bike very much for it fits me well, but I live here in USA, sometime, I feel I need more horses and torques because I get adjusted myself to good power of the bike, the road is much bigger, the speed faster, on long stretch of highway, 80 MPH is normal. But then, Cycle World tested the bike - 0-60 MPH at < 3.3 sec, quarter mile run at 11.8 sec (@110 MPH restricted speed of the bike) this bike has performance of super bike 10 yrs back, more than good for great American grannies on illegal steroid.
My two main complaints of the bike:
1) not enough power
2) weight
The BMW R1200R is larger but lighter, why this bike weights 540 lbs? I guess that I always ask for more.