Your thoughts 2 (+) years later?

[Slow Poke_imp]

I bought my 14 standard just a few months ago. I got a good deal on a leftover/new one. I've had a few bikes in the thirty plus years that I've been riding on the street. I bonded with this one almost immediately. I like everything about it. I am reminded of my first street bike, an 85 CB650, every time I fire it up. I've owned two BMW's, two HD's and several other Japanese bikes in the past. I don't miss any of them. This bike just does it all for me.

[alprider]

I try to ride my 2017 CB1100 EX once a week, but the weather this year has been cold and wet. Summer did not show up until the last week in July, so there is only 8516 kilometers – 5292 miles on the odometer so far.

I bought the EX because of its retro looks: big inline-4 engine, chrome headers, dual mufflers, lots of chrome, and no plastic shrouds or plumbing. The bike attracts attention wherever I stop for gas or food. The guys who are familiar with earlier CBs have a hard time believing it is not a restoration.

I would have preferred the all aluminium engine like the Deluxe, as it is the center piece of this motorcycle. The fat fuel tank on the EX also looks like it melted in the sun. If it held 16.8 liters of gas like promised, I probably could have over looked it. Unfortunately it only holds 14.6 liters, so my run dry fuel range is only 300 kilometers – 185 miles.

I rode a CB500XA previously, and found the EX riding position slightly more cramped. The seats on both are uncomfortable after an hour. An inexpensive Coleman MadDog seat pad added a bit of seat height and a little more comfort.

My CB500XA tank bag with its 4 straps and large magnets looked like a fat octopus sitting on the EX tank which spoiled the looks of the bike. So I now use it as a tail bag strapped to the rear of the seat instead. It holds my helmet and gloves and keeps them out of sight when I am in a restaurant.

Speaking of ugly. I bought a large windscreen to block bug spatter and the wind during cold weather. After setting it on the EX I realized it really spoils the look of this retro machine. So until I find it too cold to ride, it will remain in its shipping box.

Both Hondas have hard and small diameter handle grips which cramped my throttle hand within an hour. I bought slip-on foam Grip Puppies for both to eliminate that problem. The Grip Puppies also eliminated the engine buzz of the 500, but not completely for the EX. I also found the foot pegs on the EX have a buzz. I believe it may have something to do with the new noisier mufflers. However neither the grips nor pegs are uncomfortable or distracting.

No need to buy an aftermarket exhaust system for the 2017 CB1100 EX. The shorter and redesigned mufflers sound like something out of the 70s. I wear ear plugs to lessen the wind noise while riding. But I can still the motor hum while cruising, and howl when I pass slower traffic. If it wasn’t for my ear plugs, I probably would find them too loud.

I do like the power of the CB1100 EX motor. Effortless riding at any speed and quick to pass on the highway with a downshift. However the tall motor does add to the top heavy feel of the bike at slow speeds.

The new front forks on the EX smooth out the ride on rough roads. The bike also handles well for a large and heavy motorcycle on twisty roads.

The front brakes are great. The rear brake not so much. It always dragged when I spun the rear wheel while lubing the chain. The disk and pads were replaced by Honda Canada because the disk discoloured with heat over time. The problem persists, and now the rear brake is just mush. I could slow down faster by dragging my feet. Fortunately I have always used the motor to slow down and the front brakes to stop, and seldom used the back brake.

A number of different chain lubes were tried. They all claimed not to fling, but I had to clean the spokes and alloy rim on my rear wheel after every day long ride. Cleaning spokes is tedious. Fortunately forum members suggested chain wax, so I bought a spray can of Tirox Chain Wax and Honda Cleaner and Polish. Problem solved. No more fling, and the polished rim and spokes collect less dirt and are easier to clean.

try: use the new rear brake "properly" any times.........
and
what you dont use regularly goes defect....

[Nortoon_imp]

I try to ride my 2017 CB1100 EX once a week, but the weather this year has been cold and wet. Summer did not show up until the last week in July, so there is only 8516 kilometers – 5292 miles on the odometer so far.

I bought the EX because of its retro looks: big inline-4 engine, chrome headers, dual mufflers, lots of chrome, and no plastic shrouds or plumbing. The bike attracts attention wherever I stop for gas or food. The guys who are familiar with earlier CBs have a hard time believing it is not a restoration.

I would have preferred the all aluminium engine like the Deluxe, as it is the center piece of this motorcycle. The fat fuel tank on the EX also looks like it melted in the sun. If it held 16.8 liters of gas like promised, I probably could have over looked it. Unfortunately it only holds 14.6 liters, so my run dry fuel range is only 300 kilometers – 185 miles.

I rode a CB500XA previously, and found the EX riding position slightly more cramped. The seats on both are uncomfortable after an hour. An inexpensive Coleman MadDog seat pad added a bit of seat height and a little more comfort.

My CB500XA tank bag with its 4 straps and large magnets looked like a fat octopus sitting on the EX tank which spoiled the looks of the bike. So I now use it as a tail bag strapped to the rear of the seat instead. It holds my helmet and gloves and keeps them out of sight when I am in a restaurant.

Speaking of ugly. I bought a large windscreen to block bug spatter and the wind during cold weather. After setting it on the EX I realized it really spoils the look of this retro machine. So until I find it too cold to ride, it will remain in its shipping box.

Both Hondas have hard and small diameter handle grips which cramped my throttle hand within an hour. I bought slip-on foam Grip Puppies for both to eliminate that problem. The Grip Puppies also eliminated the engine buzz of the 500, but not completely for the EX. I also found the foot pegs on the EX have a buzz. I believe it may have something to do with the new noisier mufflers. However neither the grips nor pegs are uncomfortable or distracting.

No need to buy an aftermarket exhaust system for the 2017 CB1100 EX. The shorter and redesigned mufflers sound like something out of the 70s. I wear ear plugs to lessen the wind noise while riding. But I can still the motor hum while cruising, and howl when I pass slower traffic. If it wasn’t for my ear plugs, I probably would find them too loud.

I do like the power of the CB1100 EX motor. Effortless riding at any speed and quick to pass on the highway with a downshift. However the tall motor does add to the top heavy feel of the bike at slow speeds.

The new front forks on the EX smooth out the ride on rough roads. The bike also handles well for a large and heavy motorcycle on twisty roads.

The front brakes are great. The rear brake not so much. It always dragged when I spun the rear wheel while lubing the chain. The disk and pads were replaced by Honda Canada because the disk discoloured with heat over time. The problem persists, and now the rear brake is just mush. I could slow down faster by dragging my feet. Fortunately I have always used the motor to slow down and the front brakes to stop, and seldom used the back brake.

A number of different chain lubes were tried. They all claimed not to fling, but I had to clean the spokes and alloy rim on my rear wheel after every day long ride. Cleaning spokes is tedious. Fortunately forum members suggested chain wax, so I bought a spray can of Tirox Chain Wax and Honda Cleaner and Polish. Problem solved. No more fling, and the polished rim and spokes collect less dirt and are easier to clean.

try: use the new rear brake "properly" any times.........
and
what you dont use regularly goes defect....

The dealer told me to use the rear brake more when the rear disc and pads were replaced. I tried, but it became so mushy it's just a nuisance. My guess is that there is air in the brake line.

Might have a look at it myself this winter.

[Wisedrum]

The rear brake of my CB is often in use, more than the front brake. But with the CBS it is not set totally apart. I had to install new rear brake pads after 34.000km because they weared. Anyway cheaper than to replace the front ones. And I don't like so much the front fork to dive in more or less while mainly using the front brake. Try to break as less as possible and ride the CB mostly with the throttle or the adequate gear. The front pads are still original after 43.000km.

Wisedrum

[Lord Popgun]

Noortoon, bleeding that rear brake is an easy job (fronts too, actually) Mine new from the factory had a lot of air in it. A few other member’s bikes did too.

I bled mine and its been fine ever since.

[the Ferret]

A slow night of pondering can be very rewarding.

I am on my second CB. I bought a 2013 and put 8500 trouble free miles on it before Honda brought out the Deluxe. I had to have one, so traded the 2013 for the 2014, no regrets. Had the DLX 3 years now. It is not my primary bike, my ST 1300 is, but I have taken multiple trips on the CB from Ohio to North Carolina, down the BRP, to central Kentucky, to West Virginia, to Arkansas and ridden it in the mountain passes and canyons of Colorado. It actually tours pretty well. Even though it is not my primary bike I have still managed to roll up 36,000 miles on the DLX. I will ride the ST for 5 days to a week and then ride the CB and EVERYTIME I am amazed at what a fine motorcycle it is. At how well it pulls, at how lightly it handles and at how efficiently it stops.

I am still on the original chain and sprockets (although they are probably due for replacement) It's on its 4 th set of tires, 2nd set of brakes, 2nd air cleaner, 2nd set of plugs, and tomorrow I will perform its 10 th oil and filter change. So far the bike has been utterly reliable, and the only thing that has broken was the left front turn signal lens. If the average guy rides 3000 miles a year that's 12 years of wear on my bike in only 3, and the bike has performed flawlessly. Love my CB, plus it's drop dead gorgeous.

12k miles per year on your seconday bike!?! Ah, retirement...

Prolly 70% of my 10k miles in two years were long trip hiway miles, so not much brake wear. What mileage did you have have with brake jobs?

I bought my DLX in June of 2014 as a commuter and, for the ‘14, ‘15 and ‘16 seasons, that’s all I did with it. I liked it it and I thought it looked cool but beyond that I really wasn’t further involved with it. It was at about the level of a car for me. I don’t care about cars at all.

Once I decided to quit commuting on the bike things changed.

Wow, what a fine bike.

It’s capable of blasting through the twisties but I rarely use it that way. I’m currently using the bike as a cruiser. A cruiser with excellent power, handling and brakes. I only ride it for fun now and the ‘Joy of Riding’ factor has shot through the roof. It’s the perfect bike for me.

That's funny, once I began with WOT tactics to see if that helped the idle, I discovered I had a bike that I knew not. : ) I put about 5500 miles on an OR to Illinois trip summer of '16 and next summer I'm looking to do another long ride. Can't get enough of Montana, Wyoming and Utah...Western Colorado probably deserves another look.

What mileage did you have have with brakes

Sorry I missed this question, I also was incorrect. Checking my records I'm on my SECOND set of brakes (corrected in original post). The original set lasted 19,000 miles. I replaced them with oem pads. I now have 17,000 miles on that set.

[pdedse]

A slow night of pondering can be very rewarding.

I am on my second CB. I bought a 2013 and put 8500 trouble free miles on it before Honda brought out the Deluxe. I had to have one, so traded the 2013 for the 2014, no regrets. Had the DLX 3 years now. It is not my primary bike, my ST 1300 is, but I have taken multiple trips on the CB from Ohio to North Carolina, down the BRP, to central Kentucky, to West Virginia, to Arkansas and ridden it in the mountain passes and canyons of Colorado. It actually tours pretty well. Even though it is not my primary bike I have still managed to roll up 36,000 miles on the DLX. I will ride the ST for 5 days to a week and then ride the CB and EVERYTIME I am amazed at what a fine motorcycle it is. At how well it pulls, at how lightly it handles and at how efficiently it stops.

I am still on the original chain and sprockets (although they are probably due for replacement) It's on its 4 th set of tires, 2nd set of brakes, 2nd air cleaner, 2nd set of plugs, and tomorrow I will perform its 10 th oil and filter change. So far the bike has been utterly reliable, and the only thing that has broken was the left front turn signal lens. If the average guy rides 3000 miles a year that's 12 years of wear on my bike in only 3, and the bike has performed flawlessly. Love my CB, plus it's drop dead gorgeous.

12k miles per year on your seconday bike!?! Ah, retirement...

Prolly 70% of my 10k miles in two years were long trip hiway miles, so not much brake wear. What mileage did you have have with brake jobs?

I bought my DLX in June of 2014 as a commuter and, for the ‘14, ‘15 and ‘16 seasons, that’s all I did with it. I liked it it and I thought it looked cool but beyond that I really wasn’t further involved with it. It was at about the level of a car for me. I don’t care about cars at all.

Once I decided to quit commuting on the bike things changed.

Wow, what a fine bike.

It’s capable of blasting through the twisties but I rarely use it that way. I’m currently using the bike as a cruiser. A cruiser with excellent power, handling and brakes. I only ride it for fun now and the ‘Joy of Riding’ factor has shot through the roof. It’s the perfect bike for me.

That's funny, once I began with WOT tactics to see if that helped the idle, I discovered I had a bike that I knew not. : ) I put about 5500 miles on an OR to Illinois trip summer of '16 and next summer I'm looking to do another long ride. Can't get enough of Montana, Wyoming and Utah...Western Colorado probably deserves another look.

What mileage did you have have with brakes

Sorry I missed this question, I also was incorrect. Checking my records I'm on my SECOND set of brakes (corrected in original post). The original set lasted 19,000 miles. I replaced them with oem pads. I now have 17,000 miles on that set.

Thanks for the clarification...at 10k on mine I was thinking new pads were lining up to be another winter project, but now I likely have another year or more to go.

[rboe]

I bought my 14 standard just a few months ago. I got a good deal on a leftover/new one. I've had a few bikes in the thirty plus years that I've been riding on the street. I bonded with this one almost immediately. I like everything about it. I am reminded of my first street bike, an 85 CB650, every time I fire it up. I've owned two BMW's, two HD's and several other Japanese bikes in the past. I don't miss any of them. This bike just does it all for me.

I went through two rear discs because of pad drag. It turned out, with my Sidi adventure boots I was riding the brake pedal. To fix this I bent the brake lever in a bit - and switched boots. Problem solved. Those boots just did not let me feel what was going on - and frankly it was a pretty slight pressure. It also helps that I'm aware of the problem.

When you look at that rear brake pedal it sticks out farther from the bike than other bikes: Especially my other two bikes.

[kvdv_imp]

Amazing timing on this thread. Being one of the lucky ones to have scored a 2014 DLX, I've (up until recently) thought, "this is one of the finest motorcycles ever made, it does everything I want it to do, and if I ever sold it I KNOW I'd regret it because of how hard it would be to get another, with their scarcity, owner loyalty, etc. Wherever I've been on it (I've put 20,000+ miles on it in less than two years riding around the western states), I've never seen another one. I get lots of compliments on it. In short, I'm honored to have the privilege of owning something so precious, rare and fine. It's a bike that I feel I must prove with each ride that I'm worthy of it, if that makes sense.

BUT (and there's always a "but" to statements like the above, yes?), all along, I couldn't help but notice that even though it's vastly superior in nearly every measurable category to the the 2007 Bonnie T100 I owned before it, there are important things I really miss about the Bonnie. First of all, it was a better fit ergonomically. I never had to change a thing about it; it felt like a bike custom made for me. With the DLX, I've dumped money into a custom seat rebuild and risers, and it's still an 8 on the comfort scale, where my old Bonnie was an easy 10 with no mods at all...not even the stock plank seat. Second, the CB often feels to me -- usually in slow speed handling, leaving a gravel parking lot, pushing it around in the garage, etc -- that without absolute perfect concentration and execution I could drop it at any moment. It bothers me that that feeling has never gone away, even after 20,000 miles on it. It feels quite top heavy, especially with any luggage added. The Bonnie never once felt like more than I could handle, no matter the situation. Lastly, and this may surprise some here, but in the looks department, I would also have to give the DLX an 8 and the Bonnie a 10. Subjective, yes...but even though the DLX has that super-refined look of a high end beauty queen, the Bonnie's lines always tugged at my heart in a way that the DLX can't for some reason. I really don't know why.

Recently another forum member posted a picture of the 2018 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster, black and white tank, solo seat... I can't overstate the effect that photo has had on me. I'm quite sure I've never seen a more beautiful machine in my life (even if it does have a radiator!) Call me crazy, but it looks like the bike I was destined to ride I've even already contacted the gentleman who sold me the DLX; not long after I bought it he had realized he made a mistake and wanted me to promise him that if I ever wanted to sell it, that I would give him first shot. Who knows where this will lead, but for the moment, my direction seems to be veering away from the mighty DLX and towards this unknown new design. A voice in my head still tells me that I could very much regret letting the DLX go, but lord knows it wouldn't be the first mistake I've ever made, and besides, how far wrong could I go with that Speedmaster? I know the ergonomics can't be the same as a regular Bonnie, but that's what test rides are for I guess. I've already put my name in at the Triumph dealer for a test ride when they come out.

Anyway, sorry for the long ramble, but that is precisely what I've been thinking "2+ years later"... - kvdv

[4 Paws_imp]

I find the CB1100 a perfectly adequate motorcycle.