4 years and 10k....still love my bike

[peterbaron]

She does not dine with adults, yet...lol...

[the Ferret]

VLJ..Dude...I couldn’t agree with you more, seat time is a wonderful thing! Unfortunately, life conspires against me sometimes. That being said, motorcycles can be like hammers, guns, knives, etc. in the sense that no one bike is good for all things. However, if one is not able or willing to gather a stable, then a standard will suffice, and in that sense, the CB has few equals.

Hard to argue with that.

[Cormanus]

Oh no, the pit of misery for me! Dilly Dilly!

[VLJ_imp]

I can think of a few bikes that would suffice as a do-everything all-arounder for me, encompassing sport riding, city riding, and solo touring...

Either of my old VFRs: Sport riding? Absolutely. City riding? Not as good as the CB, but good enough, as long as it has a set of Heli-Bars. Touring? With some good heated grips and luggage, which the VFR can easily accommodate, no problem.

Triumph Tiger 800: A bit sketchy as a sportbike, but certainly more suited than the CB for such duties. Decent in the city, decent as a tourer.

Yamaha Tracer GT: The new one that's coming out might have the three basic food groups covered. Hopefully Yamaha fixed the noisy windshield and glitchy fueling. If so, there won't be much left to complain about. The thing even has a standard center stand.

Ducati Multistrada: Perfectly good as a sportbike and, when properly equipped, passable as a tourer, but not the greatest city bike. Mighty tall and ungainly. Mighty expensive, also.

KTM Super Duke GT: Ditto.

BMW R1200R: With shaft drive, relatively light weight, and the most upright seating position of the bunch, simply give this bike the optional hardbags and there is nothing the basic BMW Roadster can't do very well, in terms of on-road riding. Great in the city, great in the canyons, and a perfectly fine tourer. Only issues are its rather polarizing styling, the astronomical price of entry, and the expensive running costs. Otherwise, as a single do-everything bike, this is probably the pinnacle.

[SportsterDoc]

I can think of a few bikes that would suffice as a do-everything all-arounder for me, encompassing sport riding, city riding, and solo touring...

Either of my old VFRs: Sport riding? Absolutely. City riding? Not as good as the CB, but good enough, as long as it has a set of Heli-Bars. Touring? With some good heated grips and luggage, which the VFR can easily accommodate, no problem.

Triumph Tiger 800: A bit sketchy as a sportbike, but certainly more suited than the CB for such duties. Decent in the city, decent as a tourer.

Yamaha Tracer GT: The new one that's coming out might have the three basic food groups covered. Hopefully Yamaha fixed the noisy windshield and glitchy fueling. If so, there won't be much left to complain about. The thing even has a standard center stand.

Ducati Multistrada: Perfectly good as a sportbike and, when properly equipped, passable as a tourer, but not the greatest city bike. Mighty tall and ungainly. Mighty expensive, also.

KTM Super Duke GT: Ditto.

BMW R1200R: With shaft drive, relatively light weight, and the most upright seating position of the bunch, simply give this bike the optional hardbags and there is nothing the basic BMW Roadster can't do very well, in terms of on-road riding. Great in the city, great in the canyons, and a perfectly fine tourer. Only issues are its rather polarizing styling, the astronomical price of entry, and the expensive running costs. Otherwise, as a single do-everything bike, this is probably the pinnacle.

I liked the air cooled 2012, but I am still not warming up to a radiator on the newer models...even with the HP and fuel capacity.
The shaft drive on my Moto Guzzi was very smooth, but changing the fluid was more of a mess than lubing a chain.

Did I mention that I love my CB1100?!...even if I were to have paid full MSRP?

[VLJ_imp]

I've owned two air-cooled Roadsters, the R1100R and R1200R, which both struggled at times due to being underpowered. I'll take the extra punch and top-end scoot of the new water-cooled version. The Roadsters are rather homely, regardless, so I don't care that there are a couple of tiny, tucked-away radiators on the new one.

Actually, the new one looks better than mine ever did, even despite the radiators. The only thing I really dislike about the new one is that funky headlight. Just make it round, BMW, 'k?

[Henrik_imp]

I would want my perfect allround bike to be a bit sportier bike and probably then take an R1200RS.

Problem with that is that a bike like that is actually too efficient for riding on regular roads. That is something I appreciate so much with the CB1100, it let's me get my pleasure without risking my license (or life) all the time. I get to enjoy the scenery more, and just have a good time. I have settled to the idea that for the real thrills I will rather go to a track, and since I do not do that often I will just rent a proper sports bike when I do.

[Wisedrum]

Before 1951 and the advent of the US interstate system, any bike could do it all, and technically any bike above 150 cc ( I believe that's the lower limit for motorcycles on the interstate.. it may be 10 hp or something I will look it up) can still do it all, technically, but I wouldn't want to transverse the nearly 50,000 miles of high speed roads we have in this country on a 10 HP 150. Could it be done? I guess. Not by me though lol. A true high speed touring bike will let you run the U.S. interstate speed limit all day long, day after day, 10-12 hours a day, without wearing you out or beating you to death. It's a special tool, built for a very specific purpose, much like a sugeons scalpel. Technically a surgeon could cut you open with a steak knife, you could also butter bread with a steak knife, but they make three different knives for those three different situations. Same with motorcycles. Think of a the CB and your W800 as steak knives (very cool steak knives btw). Goldwings, FJR's, ST's and RT's are scalpels.

An interesting comparision.
Steak knives and this to me not eating meat anymore since years. The bikes seems to fit.

Ferret, you forgot to explain what kind of knife the Enfield is. The butter knife, because it is the least sharpest?

Somehow I seem to live in a before 1951 motorbike mindset although I even wasn't born at that time. So, if we stick to the knife comparision my bikes are all Swiss Army knifes. They can do it all somehow but nothing overwhelming well....but good enough for my needs as long as they work and they do.

Wisedrum

[the Ferret]

Probably the best knife of all Wisedrum

[Rocky_imp]

My bike is now four years old (time flies when you're having fun) and I love it as much as I ever did - which is a lot!
I left it basically stock, but did add Mr. T matching side covers, a Fenda Extenda, Triumph gaiters, R&G muffler protector, Marlin windscreen, SW engine guards, Honda luggage rack, but left the control levers unmolested.
I know those little rubber thingies add gobs of horsepower, but I figured it would be too much for me at my advanced age