What other bikes did you look at before buying your CB1100?

[flynrider]

I wasn't considering any other bikes. I've always owned UJM type standard bikes. I realized that my '93 CB750 wasn't going to last forever, but nothing available in the U.S. market fit the bill until the CB1100 came along.

Had they been available in North America, I would have seriously considered a CB1300, XJR1300 or GSX1400.

[Cras_imp]

I was really close to getting a Thruxton but then I remembered about the CB1100.

[Guth_imp]

When I started thinking about adding a new bike to my garage to keep my Hawk GT company I initially looked at the Triumph Bonneville. For whatever reason I found myself more drawn to the Street Triple. However, I wasn't sure that I could see myself running around on the Street Triple to be honest. Then word arrived that Honda was going to be bringing the CB1100 to North America and that was the end of contemplating anything else.

At one point later on, I ended up visiting the local Triumph dealer with a friend of mine who needed to pick up some parts for his Daytona. I was chatting with one of the sales guys while looking over the then new version of the Street Triple that had just arrived. He asked me if I was interested in the bike and I told him no, that I already had a CB1100 on order. He looked at me and smiled and made a comment about what a sweet looking bike the CB was. I was in full agreement. That Triumph dealership struck me as a real class act and I ended up ordering the Staintune for my CB through them later on.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

It was a complex, if quick, process for me.

Started when I took the R1100 out of winter storage - early, as spring came in February to the Bitterroots.

It reacquainted me with all I liked about it; and disliked. I should mention that it was a new purchase - bought it last April, because the price was right, I was in a new area, my gear would be months getting out to me and I wanted to explore the mountains by bike. I had only had an R1200 GS before; too spendy and too rich for my blood - and too tall; but I did all right with it. Put 15,000 miles on it and sold it for a couple thousand under what I paid.

So I bought the RT. And enjoyed it; but re-learned the Big Boxer's shake and issues.

And this particular one had an aftermarket fart-can which I didn't much like; but it also had been "chipped" - a new computer chip to compensate for the reduced exhaust back-pressure. Changing it back would be too spendy.

So there was that. And then I happened to look at a K1200. The K bikes were never on my radar; and that was my loss, big-time. The three-cylinder K75 has my name ALL OVER it.

Alas, it will not be. It was discontinued in 1995.

But looking at a K100 taken in trade at a Honda dealer led me to looking at the floor-model CB1100. The K100 was a trade-in to a dealer who had no idea how to fix it or sell it - it was running when he took it in, nine years ago. Two years ago he tried to start it to demonstrate it; it of course wouldn't start. His Honda man TRASHED it trying to figure out what was wrong; and while he had a BMW guy get it going, it was never put completely together. It was 50,000 miles and inoperative and in a basket. NO SALE.

The CB1100, on the other hand, was there; for half-again as much money it had NO miles on it; a four, which promises smooth running. Retro, which attracts me. And HONDA - Japanese quality of build AND of SERVICE. That's the difference between the Asians and the Europeans.

I thought about it. While thinking about it, I read up on it - and found this board. I bought; by a miracle I found a private buyer for my BMW; and now I'm all in.

[the_undecider_imp]

I had sold my V-strom 650 3 months before I bought the CB thinking I would take a hiatus from riding. I had grown bored with the little 'Zuk and figured my next bike would be something with character or generate lots of excitement. I really wanted a naked hooligan bike, but I didn't want to spend a ton, $3k tops.

First bike I tried to buy wasn't what I really wanted, but had the potential to be a cheap project. My neighbors have a 2002 883 Sportster that's been sitting a long time. The husband bought it for his wife's 30th birthday and she stopped riding after a little scare with the bike. She wanted it gone, but he thought otherwise. No dice.

Then, I thought about buying a Buell XB9S or XB12S Lightning. I rode a XB9S and loved the combination of the lumpy, but powerful H-D engine in a nimble package. I gave up on finding one that wasn't beat to Hades.

Also looked for bikes like a Bandit 1200, ZRX, and FZ1. In fact, I found my CB while looking at and test riding a used FZ1. It was over my budget for paying cash, but too good of a deal to resist. For not a lot more, I could have bought a new FZ09. I later test rode one to make sure I wasn't missing out. While that triple cylinder engine is a gem, the suspension was just all wrong. I haven't regretted not buying the FZ09 nor have I regretted buying the CB. I did miss having an appliance like bike for riding dirt roads and carrying stuff. Since buying another V-strom, I have been happy with my small stable of bikes. Can't think of anything I'd replace the CB with.

[Scudrunr_imp]

New VFR800 - Would have been $$$ after buying cases. It would have been familiar to my old 2006 model, but this engine is 15 years old. Come on Honda! There was a used one (~800 miles) for sale when I bought he CB1100. It was on consignment for thousands more than it was worth even if it had been new.

KLR 650 - CHEAP! I think I would have gotten bored with it. I'm a long ride away from any trails. My ride to work is 40 miles and I think the single cylinder buzz would have gotten old real quick. It turns out there were 2 of these parked next to the CB1100 on the showroom floor and I never even noticed until they had pulled my bike off the floor.

BMW R1200GS - I fell in love with these after renting one for a weekend. Then I realized $$$$!, the base price doesn't even get you off the showroom floor. You have to add a couple thousand dollar package to buy the thing, and then you can buy cases. $20,000 no way!

Triumph Boneville - Retro, but ultimately boring, underpowered. I have a long ride to work, I need some spunk.

CB1100 - Reminds me of my first bike a CB200. It was the first bike since I sold my '06 VFR that I wanted.

[EGAlvarez_imp]

Before the CB I owned other "standards" including a Ducati 620 Monster, a BMW R1200R Roadster, a CB750 Nighthawk, a Triumph Scrambler and a Suzuki GSX1100G (great bike). I considered the lovely BMW R9T until I saw the OTD price and realized that it would have meant selling my R1200GS, and NO WAY am I doing that! The CB is more than what I need for a functional , "cool retro", bike for 2/3 the price.
Considering my budget, I feel that my workhorse/Iron Butt days/gravel road camping/sport riding BMW R1200GS, the beautiful CB and my insane KTM525 flying machine make up the "almost perfect" stable.

[Rocky_imp]

I wasn't looking at any other bikes when I bought the CB. I already had a nice CB900F (919) 4-cylinder Honda, but had lusted for the CB when they became available here in 2013.
It wasn't as if I "needed" another 4-cylinder Honda, and I already had a Triumph T100 Bonneville.
Only two arrived at my dealer in 2014 and they weren't getting any more. I happened to be there on the day of delivery and it was love at first sight. Up to that point all I had ever seen of a CB were pictures. I had to pull the trigger on the spot or miss out again.
No regrets whatsoever.
The 900F is a bit of a hooligan bike whereas the CB is the refined and smooth bigger brother. They are both quite different in riding and performance and don't look alike at all - except that they're both blue .

[INTP_imp]

This should be what other bikes did I own before the CB1100. Such as a Bonnie, ZRX, ZX12, VTX, FLSTS, FXR, FXD, TU250, Couple SOHC CB750s, Nighthawk 750 and on and on.

[rboe]

"More character than the CB mill. "



translated: It vibrates, has electrical problems, there are no dealers near me or anywhere I go, and there's a good chance it's going to break down on my next ride

j/k Rboe

Not so much a vibration as a pulse like a steam locomotive. It's welcoming, not buzzy like the CB can be at some rpm's. No electrical issues for me but some have had them (water getting into the instrument cluster and raising havoc. Dealers - I have three "close" by, one in the metro area. With the Internet they are only really needed for warranty repairs but for some areas of the country the dealer is hundreds of miles away. A deal killer for them.

I considered the triples (especially their adventure model) but the whine from the straight cut gears was a deal killer for me. Higher frequencies noises are deal killers.