There is something inexplicably pleasing about the CB1100

[Cormanus]

From a purely semantic point of view, it's fine to ascribe 'character' to something inanimate. See 1.1 and 1.2 from the [url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/character]Oxford Dictionary:

Quote:1. The mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual—‘running away was not in keeping with her character’

1.1 The distinctive nature of something—‘gas lamps give the area its character’

1.2 The quality of being individual in an interesting or unusual way—‘the island is full of character’

1.3 Strength and originality in a person's nature—‘she had character as well as beauty’

1.4 A person's good reputation—‘to what do I owe this attack on my character?’
On that basis it is probably snide to ascribe character only to flawed inanimate things. But my experience has been that's the general usage of the term in relation to them. I'm of the view that, by definition, all motorcycles must have character. I'm very happy indeed with the character of my CB1100.

[pdedse]

I know my '14 Standard was a real character when it refused to idle properly. I still find it difficult to accept that no matter how many times I pleaded with him to behave properly, he simply would not change.

[Cormanus]

^^

[Willmarth_imp]

LongRanger Wrote:the CB has a grace, a presence, that no other bike I've ridden can match.
Exactly. It's difficult to define, but it's there. I can feel it on every ride. It starts with the incredibly easy Slip-Assist clutch pull, and the way the bike pulls away so smoothly from a stop. This presence is felt through each turn, and every cresting of a hill, the motor alternately purring and growling in satisfaction over being set free to gallop and rejoice.

It feels like a high-end Acura, only with so much more mechanical soul.

Exactly. It's difficult to define, but it's there. I can feel it on every ride. It starts with the incredibly easy Slip-Assist clutch pull, and the way the bike pulls away so smoothly from a stop. This presence is felt through each turn, and every cresting of a hill, the motor alternately purring and growling in satisfaction over being set free to gallop and rejoice.

It feels like a high-end Acura, only with so much more mechanical soul.
I am am the owner of a new old stock 2014 with 300 miles and I agree with the Acura simile. It has the same feel of poise and quality as my 2012 Acura TL.

[Cormanus]

Welcome Willmarth.

[tinboatcapt_imp]

If you under fill a previous tank, then over fill the next, the calculations will show a lower than actual MPG number. You have filled the tank with more fuel than was required to go the distance on the smaller amount of fuel. Odds on a lower fill on the next tank will show fantastic mileage. I keep a running five tank average which is more consistent, and a better indication of things changing with the bike.
Jim

[Willmarth_imp]

Speaking of character I recently installed an Arrow full exhaust. The Arrow pro muffler has a baffle that is easy to swap in and out plus you can still use the stock muffler with the headers and swap it in and out in 10 minutes. Without the baffle she really howls and pulls hard to 7,000 RPM. With the baffle she's a little bit louder than stock. The bike definitely runs a bit cleaner with the headers. You can see my '99 Cobra ragtop in the background and the uncanny thing is how similar the powerbands are between the bike and car. Even the gear ratios line up with 2nd bike=2nd car, 4th bike=3rd car, and 6th bike=4th car. They both have the same rough spot just past 3,000 RPM. It's crazy. I end up shifting by sound and feel at pretty much the same spot with both. And they have plenty enough character for me.

[GoldOxide_imp]

The black beauty looks great. Feel free to post a link to the "howl" online.

[Dave101_imp]

This thread material reminded me of the original vision designer Mitsuyoshi had for the 5 speed CB1100 introduced in 2013. While the bike has changed and went through some revisions I can only speak to the original 2013 production model that Honda created as that's the model I own. I love it.

That "inexplicable pleasing" substance isn't magic, it's the purposeful, intentional, and carefully crafted Honda Engineering we have come to love and appreciate so much.

Here then is what Honda originally published as to the genesis of this Phoenix as I'm sure many may have read before:



When Mitsuyoshi Kohama was designated Chief Designer of what would eventually become the new Honda CB1100, he set out to create a motorcycle in a very different way than most of us could imagine. For starters, this bike didn’t fit into any existing category. This was not to be a new generation of supersport bike or a more comfortable touring machine or a way-out cruiser. Instead, this would be something very different.

This was to be a thoroughly modern motorcycle, yet one that paid homage to the history of Honda. This would be a touchstone motorcycle that resonated with Honda’s landmark CB750 Four, a two-wheeled icon, while also providing the performance, reliability and quality of contemporary Honda motorcycles. This would be a modern reincarnation of a timeless form, a purist’s kind of motorcycle, if you will. And to please the eye of the discerning purist, this motorcycle had to be a thing of beauty and grace.

How to bridge the many, broad gaps in time, space and functional differences between past and future designs? Let’s examine some of the ideas Kohama worked through along the way: “Instant acceleration has its appeal, as does modern styling that conveys the swiftness of the bike. But there’s a lot more to the path of motorcycle evolution. I found myself thinking along these lines for the first time when I returned to Japan, after several years in Europe. It was also at this time that I grabbed a pencil and quickly started sketching.

“Tires. Engine. Frame. Tank. Seat. I thought about how to craft all the necessary elements beautifully and combine them in a perfect whole. A simple and efficient double-cradle frame embraces the air-cooled inline-four engine that secured Honda's status as the four-cylinder pioneer and the creator of the CB750 Four. Building on this proud tradition, the approach to the new bike strives for beauty, craftsmanship, ease. In other words, I wanted to create a beautiful motorcycle with artisan-level handiwork that's also approachable and easy to ride. Based on my sketch, this ‘bike that defies logic and just demands to be ridden’ became a reality.”

Even as you begin to see things through the eyes of the designer, you’re likely still wondering why Kohama chose to give the CB1100 an air-cooled engine—a very natural question that he explains in very simple terms: “My only reason is that a lot of customers like air-cooled engines. I like the metallic sound the engine makes as it cools. Just looking at the cooling fins inspires me. There is something about an air-cooled engine—a feeling you simply can't get from the liquid-cooled engine in a high-performance bike. To me, as a bike rider and a bike fan, a future without air-cooled engines just didn't seem right. And I was certain I wasn't the only one who felt this way!”

That choice of an air-cooled design notwithstanding, the CB1100 engine incorporates many up-to-date engineering features. Dual overhead camshafts with a central chain drive and a narrow included valve angle of 26.5 degrees for an open combustion chamber that promotes good flame propagation for a clean and efficient burn. Four valves per cylinder; 27mm intakes and 24mm exhausts, with light and narrow 2.5mm valve stems. Honda’s modern PGM-FI fuel injection system for superior fuel metering under widely varying conditions. Moreover, with bore and stroke dimensions of 73.5mm by 67.2mm, the engine displaces a full 1140cc for loads of smooth, instantly accessible power that translates to effortless, big-time pull. Journalists who have enjoyed a brief, early ride rave about how fun and accommodating the CB1100 is to ride. Yet achieving a just-right look as well required uncounted hours of design time.

As an example, the cooling fins that cover the surface of the CB1100's engine not only had to play a functional role in aiding engine cooling, they also had to look just right. Kohama explains, “Fulfilling the requirements of beauty and function resulted in cooling fins that were just 2mm thick—the thinnest of any model in the Honda lineup. Commercially producing such fins is difficult, and at first the factory told us it was impossible. But we developed a new production process to make the fins possible, and they became a part of the bike of which we are extremely proud. Beauty is a subjective thing that can't be expressed in numbers or explained with logic. While valuing the way that air passed over the fins so that they could perform their crucial function of carrying heat away from the engine, we also greatly valued—as fans of bikes and guys who love machinery—the excitement that the appearance of the fins could produce, and we shaped them with appropriate care.”
That kind of extreme attention to detail in pursuit of beauty can be found in almost every visible element on the CB1100, as Kohama explained: “In taking on the design of the CB1100, the team and I agreed that our mission was design—not styling. These words tend to get confused with one another, but at base they mean two totally different things. ‘Styling’ refers to establishing the look the vehicle needs to have, adding motifs, and otherwise enhancing its appearance. On the other hand, the elements of ‘design’ are mostly to be found in the actual drawings of the machine, serving as the true origins of the form of the vehicle.
“Unlike an automobile, a motorcycle is not covered with a body, so there is no clear division between exterior and interior. Rather, the visible mechanical parts serve as the exterior decoration. For these reasons, we needed to keep our focus on the pure design elements, making each mechanical part as beautiful in form as possible. To create parts that were both beautiful and functional, we utilized the characteristics of many different materials, including metal, plastic, leather and rubber. This approach is what design is all about and lets designers show what they can really do.”
Fuel tank. Taillight. Camshaft location and spacing. Footpeg brackets. Part after part, detail upon detail, all carefully shaped as an individual part, and then integrated into a whole to create a beautiful silhouette. “Had the objective been horsepower, there would have been no problem whatsoever,” Kohama said. “In striving to bring true joy to CB1100 customers, there were things more important to us than horsepower. So freed from the necessity of maximizing power output, the designers came together and created an air-cooled engine offering not a superficial, decorative appearance, but instead true beauty based on the essence of the molded form. I believe that this was a huge accomplishment.
“Honda motorcycle designers will continue the search for new possibilities in performance and design. At the same time, by building our bikes on Honda's motorcycle origins and polishing them to perfection, we'll seek to offer true joy to bike fans and riders everywhere.”

Read more at https://powersports.honda.com/Experience...dtOm17z.99

[DBM_imp]

Every day lately I've been riding to work, alternating between the CB1100 and XSR900. I take the same back roads, and I can't put my finger on it, but the CB ride is just more enjoyable every time.

It doesn't really make sense, either. The XSR is so much lighter and faster. It does everything more easily, and the front brakes never squeal. It sits more comfortably, with the bar risers. Still, somehow, the CB just feels more right. It feels more sophisticated to me. It certainly loves the more sedate speeds I'm doing on those rides. It's perfectly smooth, composed, unruffled, and relaxed, while still imparting a subtle yet unmistakable mechanical authority, both in sound and feel.

I really love how it sounds and feels anywhere below seventy mph. I also really love when the sun shines on the chrome and aluminum dash, with those large, classic instruments. I only wish mine had the green faces, to make them even cooler-looking.

My buddy was standing beside her the other day with his arms folded, quietly studying her. He looks for things to nitpick. That's just what he does, with everything.

"Okay, I have to come up with something to criticize," he said, finally. "I know you say the tail light thing has to be that way, to match the '70s look and the federal regulations or whatever, but I wish it didn't stick out so far. That's the only thing I can find.

"Otherwise, I think I like this one more than the Yamaha. I really like the Yamaha, but this one is just..I don't know. This one is so cool."

Standing next to him, I nodded in agreement. I like the CB more than I like the Yamaha. The Yamaha ought to be a lot more fun, since it's so much faster, but I seem to find just as much enjoyment from the Honda's motor.

It's definitely growing on me. That big ol' lump in all its antiquated finery is just pure goodness, to the bone.

The brake squealing remains her only flaw. It's much less than before, following my dealer's fix, but still pops its annoying head up now and then. Three nights ago, it did it a lot. Last night, it didn't do it at all.

Grrrr.

The other night I ran the tank down to seven miles showing on the countdown meter, then it switched to the ' - - ' reading. Not sure what that reading is supposed to indicate in terms of remaining miles/fuel, but I pulled in shortly thereafter. Standing the bike up dead straight, I overfilled the tank, to where there was a bit of fuel in the filler area. It accepted 4.06 gallons, after 157 miles. So, a bit less than forty mpg, which surprised me, since there was no sportriding on that tankful of gas. Judging from the miles and fuel reading, I would have needed to eke out another sixteen miles before I would have been able to add the remaining four-tenths of a gallon of gas that my tank will supposedly hold.

I'm getting the feeling that I'll probably never be able to do the full 4.44 gallons my tank supposedly holds. Still, this was the first time I was able to add four gallons, so at least I know it holds more than the tank on the previous models, the '14 DLX excepted.

The main thing is that as I was riding those beautiful back roads yesterday I was asking myself, "What would I rather be riding right now? Is there anything?"

I knew the XSR wasn't the answer. I was wondering how the Ninja 1000 would feel on that same ride, before deciding that the CB's seating position and the cockpit visuals are just so much more pleasing. In the end, the only possibility I came up with was the R1200RT. That bike remains the one motorcycle I still really want, or I think I really want, anyway, mainly as a no-excuses, hardbags-equipped, shaft-drive, huge gas tank/great range, serious tourer.

Other than that one, and maybe the Z900, there is nothing else I'd rather ride now, and the Z900 would look like a gargoyle sitting beside Monica.

Once I arrived home and shut her off, I reluctantly hopped off. I couldn't walk away, either. I felt compelled to walk around her, taking in all her pretty details. I fired her right back up and blipped the throttle, just to hear her seductive little growl. Her motor looked so good, as did all that shining chrome. The tank was positively resplendent in all its dazzling red brilliance.

What a deeply beautiful thing, the CB1100. On the bike, off the bike...doesn't matter. Her beauty is so much more than skin-deep.

Nuff said. My feelings exactly