Design Disadvantages of the CB1100

[the Ferret]

I never get a tinking sound when I shut it off. If that's a design objective, their engineering fell short.

Yea, me either. ...but that's what the engineer's said when it was introduced. Maybe we don't ride them hard enough?

[Aussie_imp]

I don't frequent this forum to discuss design disadvantages and pick faults with the bike. You either 'get' the bike or you don't. Those that don't have a veritable cornucopia of other bikes choices to make.

I love this You Tube clip; I wish that was me on the bike. I've driven that road in NZ as well so I can appreciate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwieXvpQNxE

Read what the designers say:

http://world.honda.com/design/designers-talk/cb1100/

The End.

Let's get back to the positive stuff!

I never get a tinking sound when I shut it off. If that's a design objective, their engineering fell short.

Yea, me either. ...but that's what the engineer's said when it was introduced. Maybe we don't ride them hard enough?

Yea, me either. ...but that's what the engineer's said when it was introduced. Maybe we don't ride them hard enough?
I love the tink! You guys really don't hear it?

[SanPete_imp]

I never get a tinking sound when I shut it off. If that's a design objective, their engineering fell short.

I hear it. After I close the garage door and while undressing the riding gear. It's a beautiful thing.

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[the Ferret]

No I don't hear it, but ask my wife I can't hear half of what they say on tv or the movies either, and I often mistranslate what my wife, kids and grandkids say when they talk. When I was real young I used " like" every other word..now that I'm real old I use " what?"

Too many loud motorcycles and guns in my past

[mininsx_imp]

Here's my list of design failings of the CB:

1. It's air-cooled. What were they thinking? It's so much easier to control engine heat, and thus provide more power for comparable displacements, with water-cooling.

2. There's no fairing. Riders are exposed to the elements, including wind-blast, rain, and cold. A large, modern fairing would not only resolve those issues, but would also provide a location to install features such as "Infotainment" systems, GPS, satellite TV, etc.

3. No luggage. Where the heck are you supposed to put your hair dryer if you take a road trip? A large top case and side-bags would go a long way here.

4. Chain drive. Are you kidding me? A shaft drive would be quieter, cleaner, and virtually zero maintenance. CB buyers are stuck with cleaning and lubricating chains for the life of the motorcycle.

5. I-4 engine layout. This engine design is simply outdated. A V-4 or horizontally opposed 6 cylinder engine would produce more power and fewer vibrations.

6. Single headlight. Two headlights would provide better visibility for both the rider and surrounding traffic. Shame on Honda for not investing a few dollars more here.

Sounds to me like you need another bike. I'm blessed to have three, and one of them (Concours 14) addresses all of your issues with the CB except the inline four "problem." The Concours is a great bike, but you know, when I pass through the garage where they're covered up from our lousy winter, the one I most want to get on and ride is the CB.

[the Ferret]

Methinks Spaceman was pulling someones leg.

[Greg Davis_imp]

Here's my list of design failings of the CB:

1. It's air-cooled. What were they thinking? It's so much easier to control engine heat, and thus provide more power for comparable displacements, with water-cooling.

2. There's no fairing. Riders are exposed to the elements, including wind-blast, rain, and cold. A large, modern fairing would not only resolve those issues, but would also provide a location to install features such as "Infotainment" systems, GPS, satellite TV, etc.

3. No luggage. Where the heck are you supposed to put your hair dryer if you take a road trip? A large top case and side-bags would go a long way here.

4. Chain drive. Are you kidding me? A shaft drive would be quieter, cleaner, and virtually zero maintenance. CB buyers are stuck with cleaning and lubricating chains for the life of the motorcycle.

5. I-4 engine layout. This engine design is simply outdated. A V-4 or horizontally opposed 6 cylinder engine would produce more power and fewer vibrations.

6. Single headlight. Two headlights would provide better visibility for both the rider and surrounding traffic. Shame on Honda for not investing a few dollars more here.

Like the Air Cooled.

Didn't want a fairing, ( not my cup of tea )

Didn't want luggage rack, (If you want luggage rack you can add one)

I'm fine with chain drive, if I wanted shaft, I would buy a BMW

Love the I-4 engine

Single head light is perfect, multiple head lights look weird

Different strokes for different folks.

[rboe]

Seriously; the oil cooler is in the way of making a mount for a Vetter fairing. There are times I'd consider a Vetter on this girl.

Taller seat; but that is purely subjective.
Other gripes have been addressed with the Deluxe version (except tubeless spoked wheels).
The frame is what it is to avoid being an aluminum perimeter frame. The engineers get full marks for making a strong frame using tubing.
I'd like a longer front fender to protect the engine from road crap.
Four into four. But I guess you need to decide what era your retro bike is going to be from. I prefer the 70's. It's about the only thing from the 70's I prefer.

[DAC]

The only disadvantages for an I4 that I know of came from reading Kevin Cameron (Cycle World.) He puts some people to sleep but he did one article comparing I4s to V4s, mainly in racing applications, and since I own a V4 Interceptor I was able to stay awake for that one.

First, an I4 with a 180* crankshaft has a dead inertial moment twice every rotation as the pistons bottom out/top out at the same time. IIRC, this creates a need for beefier counterweights on the crank. Racing engines where the counterweights were lightened up too much resulted in "shuddering" at corner exit as power was applied at lower RPMs. In the V4, when two pistons are at the top/bottom of their stroke, the other two are in the middle of a stroke, resulting in continuing inertia, and the ability to use lighter counterweights.

With the heavier counterweights and a generally longer unit, the crank has much more of a gyroscopic effect, resisting turn in, and making the bike feel heavier. Again, V4s by nature have a narrower crank and produce less such turning resistance.

As Ferret mentions, the engine is wider in an I4 and can create a teeter totter effect compared to an V4, which is more centralized in the bike like a bowling ball.

Another difference between these two isn't an advantage/disadvantage, just a difference. The I4 makes its power fairly evenly with power pulses like x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o. That's a gross oversimplification, I think, but you get the idea. The V4 is more like x-x-o-o-x-x-o-o. That is also an oversimplification. In racing, the V4's gap in power pulses aided corner exit by acting like a kind of traction control as the "rests" helped the tire reconnect in moments of too much throttle while the bike is leaned over. However, in a street riding application, this has little utility.

Finally, there's the sound. An I4 can have that angry-hornet-riding-a-jet-turbine sound while a V4 has a distinctive growl often described as half of a small block Chevy. Both, frankly, are music to my ears.

[CB4ME_imp]

Spaceman -