09-16-2013, 01:12 PM
When I'm on my CB1100, I get waves from Harleys all the time; and when I pull over at breakfast joints / coffee shops friendly to bikers, I'll almost always get one or two Harley riders come over and take a look at the bike and they strike up a favorable conversation with me (which I am happy to oblige!). I think the CB1100 is approachable to Harley fans because the CB1100 reflects a time when most bikes were less specialized than they are now and instead were darn good (but not perfect) at a lot of different roles: fun to ride around town, quick when they needed to be, had engines which were powerful enough and just smooth enough that tank bags and bedrolls were all you need to get yourself across an entire continent at a reasonable pace, could have a pillion on the back without the passenger seated a foot above the rider and folded over like a ridiculous jackknife, and the bikes above all looked beautiful while doing it! Many Harley riders feel the same way about their bikes, that on any particular narrow attribute (like straight line acceleration, or all out canyon carving) the Harley is no match for specialized race-bred motorcycles; but, the Harleys are good all round bikes that their owners are proud to ride and customize to suit their preferences.