A question about the CB1100

[j3gq_imp]

Atlantic City, Bruce Springsteen : "... baby, but maybe everything that dies some day comes back ..."

[Tev62]

Well it is too late for Europe or any market that follows the Euro Emissions regulations as they are not making the CB1100 Euro 5 compliant. You say they are becoming quite popular, what makes you say that?

In answer to your question though I don't think the CB1100 will catch on, it is a very niche bike and a lot of people just can't see past that horsepower figure from an 1100.

If Honda had kept up with the game, made it water-cooled but to look air-cooled (a la Triumph), added things like cruise, another 20HP-30HP and a bit more electronics then maybe they could appeal to a broader market. I wouldn't of minded if they had done something completely mad and done a old style full fairing version. The CB1100 has been a pretty stagnant beast its whole life apart from some styling changes. Everyone wants new new new now and the CB1100 isn't that.

Personally it suits me fine to have an uncommon machine (in my area anyway) and I'm very happy with my EX, it will be in my stable long after my Tiger has gone.

And that is almost exactly what Honda did:



(the "Neo Sports Café" CB1000R)

And that is almost exactly what Honda did:



(the "Neo Sports Café" CB1000R)
But they didn't, thats not what I am talking about. I do like that bike but it is a neo retro (not sure what that means) with no resemblance to their past. That engine, with a redesigned finned block in our style chassis would do the trick though.

[GoldOxide_imp]

It very well "could be" the current CB1000R ("Neo Sports") is the current classic for the now generation. We may not know for another 25 to 40 years.

If so, that kinda puts the air-cooled CB1100 into the sort of steam age. Maybe not a bad thing. Many of us here will never know.

[Olof_imp]

Maybe this is of little interest, but here in Sweden there seems to be several dynamics in play. I just came back from test riding a 701 Vitpilen. This dealer, with Husky, Suzuki and Kawa, says the same thing as my Honda/MV dealer: the Covid thing has bucked the overall long term trend of reduced interest in bikes. Dealerships suddenly saw business and now there is general bike shortage due to Covid hampering production/shipping. Both these dealerships vacuum the market for unsold new bikes. At the same time some of their non-mainstreem showroom bikes are massively discounted: 2019 SV650X - 20 %, 2019 Vitpilen 701 - 20 %, 2018 CB1000R - 24 %. And yes, also two 2018 CB1100RS discounted 15 %. None of these bikes seem to move much. None of this makes sense to me under these circumstances. These are all great bikes.

[GoldOxide_imp]

All in all, seems like the basic concept of [perceived] supply and demand.

[VLJ_imp]

Btw the Triumph Bonneville which has less performance than the CB 1100 and has been a main stay of Triumphs line since the early 2000's lists for $12,100 plus plus and I've never heard of a Triumph dealer that would discount one. The Bobber is over $13 grand.

People will spend their money for what they want regardless of how they rate on spec sheets.

Another I-4 that made 100 hp, listed for like $7k and never sold in big numbers was the Suzuki 1200 Bandit. (another really good bike btw)

I guess the point of my posts are there is no way to point at a single thing or things that made the CB sell the way it did in the US. Not performance, not weight, not horsepower, not fit and finish, not price. Who knows.

People are really fickle lol

Btw I havent heard an announcement but I just saw a video on Youtube that said it was introducing a 2021 CB 1100 RS. May have been a typo for all I know, but if true would make 12 years of continuous production for the CB

mickey, you're comparing apples and oranges. The Bonnevilles never had any power. It's not expected of them. It's a much more retro vibe, even compared to the CB1100. Nevertheless, the new ones make significantly more power than the last ones, never mind the vintage ones.

Progress. Perceived value.

Also, dealers dealers here discount the crap out of Bonnevilles. In terms of sheer numbers sold, I think it's safe to say that my local Triumph dealer dwarfs your Ohio dealership. They're the largest Triumph dealership in NoCal, which is a much larger market than practically any other locale in America. They definitely discount Bonnevilles. Drastically, in certain instances.

As for why the CB didn't sell, I believe you're intentionally ignoring what you know to be true. Just as I have—in fact, you're even worse (better?)—I know you have read every last word that was ever written regarding the CB1100. You haven't missed a single review. You know what they all say.

There is no mystery here. We know why it didn't sell. The universal refrain, whether from professional motojounalists, online reviewers, and all the posted comments, has always been, "Very nice bike. Underpowered. Too costly for what you get. For that kind of money, I'd rather have a _____."

That's it. This Honda was held to a much higher standard than the Bandit 1200, which wasn't a halo product for Suzuki. The big Bandit was a cheap, parts-bin special with a borrowed motor and antiquated—as opposed to overtly retro—styling.

Can't compare it to the CB1100. They occupy very different strata in each company's hierarchy, as well as in the minds of the motorcycling public. The Suzuki was an affordable, generic, do-everything appliance. The Honda was a jewel; maybe even the crown jewel of the entire lineup.

Different buyers. Different expectations.

And for all of that, compared to the CB1100, Suzuki sold a bazillion more Bandits. It was the lower price, the perceived Bang For Buck value. Just as it's been with the V-Stroms, people felt that the Bandit seriously undercut its competition, price-wise. The perception was always that it was a major bargain for what it offered. Neither Suzuki nor the Bandit's owners had to justify its cost with esoteric arguments about lineage, character, special R&D, refinement, etc. Quite the opposite, actually. The selling point was always, "Big motor, big torque, big fun, big reliability, big utility...super-low price. Who in their right mind wouldn't buy this thing?"

It clearly worked. That bike stuck around and remained relatively popular for a lot longer than its bargain-basement looks would have indicated.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Fair commentary Veal.

You still write well. I hope you are doing much better overall in everything you do.

[the Ferret]

I always enjoy Veals comments and opinions, even though we may see things or percieve things differently. His knowledgable of motorcycling is expansive, and he writes and expresses his opinion intelligently.

It may be a difference of locales. Mid west Ohio where I have spent 70 years, is a lot different than west coast California, in weather, geography. politics, economies and attitudes.

What flies as normal there, doesnt float at all here. What sells there, doesnt necessarily sell here. Harleys rule the roads here, sportbikes are dead meat. On summer weekends you'll see a group of 3 or 4 600's sportbikes riding together. Other than that never see one. Groups of Harleys you see every day above 40 degrees, and several individual Harleys out about any time its above freezing. See quite a few of the big Indians too but no FTRs or Scouts. Retros do pretty well here, ADV's not so much. Euro's dont sell well here. We had a Ducati dealer, and a BMW dealer but they both folded tents and snuck out in the middle of the night. We have no KTM, Husky, Royal Enfield or Aprilia dealers within 100 miles of me. We do have a small Moto Guzzi dealership, and a Triumph dealership.

Most of the bikes I see, outside of Harleys, are Honda or Yamaha cruisers.

I think this experience, what we see, shapes our opinions. We all think our experiences, what we see, hear and think are " the norm".

The Suzuki Bandit did not sell well here at all. I remember seeing one at a dealership in 2005. I have never seen one on the road. I have seen multiple CB 1100s on the road, but very few in dealerships.

[Frulk_imp]

Ferret....what you mention in your comment above is in today’s progressive vernacular called ‘living your truth’... and VLJ is living his.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Ferret....what you mention in your comment above is in today’s progressive vernacular called ‘living your truth’... and VLJ is living his.

Thankfully, both truths have the CB1100 in common.