Do you think this is for real?

[Cormanus]

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

Okay, now I don't want to contribute to thread creep around here by any means, so I'm not going to ask you to expand on that adventure. Just know that I'm a tad bit envious.

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

To keep this thread on track, this just makes your story even better in my humble opinion! That's awesome.

Thank you for your forbearance, boss. I woke up a while ago and a brief but very welcome shower of rain was falling. It made me come over all egalitarian and benign. I apologise. Now I've had a bit of a cup of tea the world looks more normal and I've reverted to type. I realise most clowns out there are actually incapable of appreciation of any sort.

Too funny Cormanus. My viewpoints and opinions certainly often require some counter-balancing I'll readily admit. Glad you got some rain if it was much needed (wish I could send some of ours your way).

Someone's gotta do it. It's the cb1100forum where no thread stays on topic for more than 4 posts. Who better to lead the charge than the boss?

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

Okay, now I don't want to contribute to thread creep around here by any means, so I'm not going to ask you to expand on that adventure. Just know that I'm a tad bit envious.

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

To keep this thread on track, this just makes your story even better in my humble opinion! That's awesome.

Thank you for your forbearance, boss. I woke up a while ago and a brief but very welcome shower of rain was falling. It made me come over all egalitarian and benign. I apologise. Now I've had a bit of a cup of tea the world looks more normal and I've reverted to type. I realise most clowns out there are actually incapable of appreciation of any sort.

Too funny Cormanus. My viewpoints and opinions certainly often require some counter-balancing I'll readily admit. Glad you got some rain if it was much needed (wish I could send some of ours your way).

Wouldn't mind it at all. Our normal January average is about 150 mms. So far we've had a tad over 4. It's supposed to be the wet season.

[the Ferret]

4mm? I squeezed more than that out of my riding gear yesterday

[Inhouse Bob]

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

Okay, now I don't want to contribute to thread creep around here by any means, so I'm not going to ask you to expand on that adventure. Just know that I'm a tad bit envious.

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

To keep this thread on track, this just makes your story even better in my humble opinion! That's awesome.

Thank you for your forbearance, boss. I woke up a while ago and a brief but very welcome shower of rain was falling. It made me come over all egalitarian and benign. I apologise. Now I've had a bit of a cup of tea the world looks more normal and I've reverted to type. I realise most clowns out there are actually incapable of appreciation of any sort.

Too funny Cormanus. My viewpoints and opinions certainly often require some counter-balancing I'll readily admit. Glad you got some rain if it was much needed (wish I could send some of ours your way).

Someone's gotta do it. It's the cb1100forum where no thread stays on topic for more than 4 posts. Who better to lead the charge than the boss?

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

Okay, now I don't want to contribute to thread creep around here by any means, so I'm not going to ask you to expand on that adventure. Just know that I'm a tad bit envious.

I wasn't looking for or even ever heard of the CB1100 when I ran across a link to that "Ten Thousand Miles On The Last Aircooled Honda" piece. I just got back from six months of fly fishing in Ak living in my truck camper with my Labrador Retriever, Glock. I knew I wasn't going up to Ak in 18 before July and was thinking about stumbling into a big twin maybe in the spring. That piece on the Honda perked up my ears so I looked online for them. I never even considered buying a 17. I found dozens online at great prices. I've got a dealer two miles away from my new house so stopped in to look. I really like the bike. Black is beautiful. I've owned a 350F and a Suzuki 1100 Katana so I like inline fours. Thanks for the forum. I expect to enjoy the snot out of this bike if I can keep my decrepit body together for a few more years. This bike was made for me, now. I was figuring on having to invest at least 5K into a used H-D and instead got a NEW Solid Big Honda Four. I are a happy soon to be 67 year old dude.

To keep this thread on track, this just makes your story even better in my humble opinion! That's awesome.

Thank you for your forbearance, boss. I woke up a while ago and a brief but very welcome shower of rain was falling. It made me come over all egalitarian and benign. I apologise. Now I've had a bit of a cup of tea the world looks more normal and I've reverted to type. I realise most clowns out there are actually incapable of appreciation of any sort.

Too funny Cormanus. My viewpoints and opinions certainly often require some counter-balancing I'll readily admit. Glad you got some rain if it was much needed (wish I could send some of ours your way).

Wouldn't mind it at all. Our normal January average is about 150 mms. So far we've had a tad over 4. It's supposed to be the wet season.

It all fell while I was there!

[peterbaron]

Here is a partial VIN of 2014::
VIN Number: 102229

and here is the link to this bike:
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2014...-122423882

Tell me what you think of this VIN...... it is 102229 th CB made by Honda in 2014 or maybe 102229 in the US...or something else??????

pb

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Regardless of whether it's sequential or numbered as the bikes arrive in the country, a last-three-digits vin designation of '393' means that a minimum of 393 '17 CB1100s were brought to the U.S. Seeing as how that bike has sat there for a good three or four months, I'm guessing there must be at least 500 '17 CB1100s in the country.

VLJ, I take it that, after a fairly thorough reading of the NHTSA document, that some of the units may be numbered randomly; that is, there is really no sequence required. As long as the identifier is unique and all other of the very complex aspects of creating the VIN are followed, the VIN number is legal.

Read up on how the check digit is created and verified...arrggghhh.

I don't think the last digits of the VIN are any way to really assess how many of any particular model got to any particular market.

I know I've never seen a 2017, and I live in the most populous area for motorcycles in the state. They don't seem to be able to give them away, hardly.

Here is a partial VIN of 2014::
VIN Number: 102229

and here is the link to this bike:
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2014...-122423882

Tell me what you think of this VIN...... it is 102229 th CB made by Honda in 2014 or maybe 102229 in the US...or something else??????

pb

Thanks for that; no way Honda ever imported over 100,000 CB1100s to the United States. The number is actually 102291, there was a typo in the initial post. Those would be HUGE numbers for any model.

[LongRanger_imp]

Mine's #00094 and I've met #00093, so there's probably a method to the madness.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Ulvetanna, while you're right that there's no requirement for VINs to be issued sequentially, it is hard to believe they aren't. I suspect that, as bikes destined for a particular country roll off the production line, the compliance plate is attached and they have a pile starting with 0001 and going up to wherever. I'd be very surprised if the VINs don't give some indication of the number imported.

As for your VIN being reissued when you got a new frame, that's not surprising either. There is a mandatory link between the VIN and the engine number of motor vehicles and I'd assume that maintaining that when the bike got a new frame was sensible.

We probably have the tendency to sometimes lose track of the bigger picture when looking at the world of motorcycling through the window of this forum. The number of CB1100s that Honda decided to bring in always seem so low to those of us who enjoy our CBs. But in retrospect it would seem that maybe Honda knew what they were doing. Sometimes we feel it a shame that the bike wasn't better marketed, but as I've come to view things lately I don't think Honda ever felt the need to push this particular motorcycle. I just don't think that there are all that many of use who can really appreciate this machine for what it was intended to be (or rather what it is). Nor do I think that most people can really appreciate the effort that Honda went to produce such a motorcycle (along with the resulting prices). This is why I've stated a few times that I feel like Honda primarily built this motorcycle for Honda, lol. They're Honda after all, and they have plenty of great heritage to celebrate so why not?

Honda still have some leftover inventory from years past and when all is said and done it would appear that most people who really wanted one of these bikes has ended up with one. Even the bikes that were distributed in lower numbers like the DLX models were probably about right for the number of folks that were drawn to them. Those examples that are changing hands these days are taking a lot longer to do so than in the past.

I often find it hard to believe that more guys my age and beyond didn't fall hard for the CB1100 like I did. But when I stop to ponder it longer I guess that I'm not quite so surprised. I'm just glad that Honda made it possible for me to buy the one I wanted along with so many of you other guys that are here on the forum.

I'd feel happier if you left 'can' out of both sentences I've quoted. I'm sure lots of people could appreciate the bike and its heritage, but they simply don't care. That seems to me a bit different. Even if they took the trouble and understood those things, it wouldn't change their decision about which motorcycle to own. In the end their decision about what bike to purchase will come down to 'I like THAT one'! How like is calculated is very complicated and individual. Just review VLJ's and Ulvetanna's commentary for a start!

I'd feel happier if you left 'can' out of both sentences I've quoted. I'm sure lots of people could appreciate the bike and its heritage, but they simply don't care. That seems to me a bit different. Even if they took the trouble and understood those things, it wouldn't change their decision about which motorcycle to own. In the end their decision about what bike to purchase will come down to 'I like THAT one'! How like is calculated is very complicated and individual. Just review VLJ's and Ulvetanna's commentary for a start! You're onto something there. And as far as the same VIN reissued, that was exactly why the officer did so...the engine and the rest of the parts were unchanged, so we avoided having to do a complete re-registration of the bike.

I am looking up some of the VIN info right now. While the VIN issued may be sequential at the plant where the vehicles is made, that may not be reflected in the actual number of vehicles in any given market. They don't really have a separate assembly line for American vehicles, European, Asian, etcetera. The sub-assemblies are different but the basic machine is identical. It's mostly emissions, lighting equipment, and ECU tune that differentiates the vehicles. That happens much further down the line.

The frames are stamped with a serial number. Those numbers are not stamped after the tank/bodywork/equipment are installed. Since the frames are identical for all markets, I could envisage a setup where they'd make and stamp 100 frames for the US market, and the next 100 would be stamped for some other, the next 75 for another, and so on. Do Honda keep track of the frames by absolute sequence, meaning that, say, frames with VIN ending in 0001-0100 would be for the USA, but the next frames, ending in 0101-0200 would go to, say Canada? That would be the "absolute value" so to speak.

Or they could use a relative sequence, where every frame destined for a certain country would be stamped picking up a the last frame made for that country. That, I don't know.

[peterbaron]

OR should we use this chart:

The First Three Characters
This first section renders information in this order: the country of origin, the manufacturer, and a third character showing either a “1” or an “A” to indicate “motorcycle.”

The Next Five Characters
The second section is called the vehicle descriptor section. The fourth place in the VIN code indicates the vehicle category:

C = scooter
B = business model or commuter
N = single cylinder sport/street
G = multiple cylinder sport/street
F = family
S = off road
V = v-type engine, street, V2/V4/V6/V8, etc.
In the fifth place, you will see a letter indicating engine displacement:

A = 49cc and less
B = 50-69cc
C = 70-79cc
D = 80-89cc
E = 90-99cc
F = 100-124cc
G = 125-149cc
H = 150-199cc
J = 200-249cc
K = 250-399cc
M = 400-499cc
N = 500-599cc
P = 600-699cc
R = 700-749cc
S = 750-849cc
T = 850-999cc
U = 1000-1099cc
V = 1100-1199cc
W = 1200-1299cc
Y = 1400-1499cc
Z = 1500cc and up
The sixth place will have a digit for engine type:

1 = 2 stroke single
2 = 2 stroke twin
3 = 2 stroke triple or four
4 = 4 stroke single
5 = 4 stroke twin
Next in the sequence, the seventh spot, indicates design sequence while eighth is for model version. In the ninth space is a check digit mandated to verify the accuracy of the VIN code. This place does not render any specific information about the motorcycle itself.

Year Code and Manufacturing Plant
In the tenth and eleventh spaces will be the year code and an indication of the plant the motorcycle was manufactured respectively. The year codes are as follows:

1999....................X
2000....................Y
2001....................1
2002....................2
2003....................3
2004....................4
2005....................5
2006....................6
2007....................7
2008....................8
2009....................9
2010....................A
2011....................B
2012....................C
2013....................D
The Last Eight Digits
The motorcycle’s serial number takes up the last eight places in the VIN number. These are assigned sequentially as the motorcycles finish assembly.

By this chart my CB is a S =scooter and of 70-79 cc = C rofl: = call EMG department before I die of

pb

[LongRanger_imp]

I'd say yes, absolutely, they build a run of U.S. bikes, then a run of Europe bikes, then a run of domestic market bikes (or whatever), each with its own VIN range. Certainly BMW does it that way and they build way fewer bikes than Honda.

[peterbaron]

Regardless of whether it's sequential or numbered as the bikes arrive in the country, a last-three-digits vin designation of '393' means that a minimum of 393 '17 CB1100s were brought to the U.S. Seeing as how that bike has sat there for a good three or four months, I'm guessing there must be at least 500 '17 CB1100s in the country.

VLJ, I take it that, after a fairly thorough reading of the NHTSA document, that some of the units may be numbered randomly; that is, there is really no sequence required. As long as the identifier is unique and all other of the very complex aspects of creating the VIN are followed, the VIN number is legal.

Read up on how the check digit is created and verified...arrggghhh.

I don't think the last digits of the VIN are any way to really assess how many of any particular model got to any particular market.

I know I've never seen a 2017, and I live in the most populous area for motorcycles in the state. They don't seem to be able to give them away, hardly.

Here is a partial VIN of 2014::
VIN Number: 102229

and here is the link to this bike:
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2014...-122423882

Tell me what you think of this VIN...... it is 102229 th CB made by Honda in 2014 or maybe 102229 in the US...or something else??????

pb

Thanks for that; no way Honda ever imported over 100,000 CB1100s to the United States. The number is actually 102291, there was a typo in the initial post. Those would be HUGE numbers for any model.

VLJ, I take it that, after a fairly thorough reading of the NHTSA document, that some of the units may be numbered randomly; that is, there is really no sequence required. As long as the identifier is unique and all other of the very complex aspects of creating the VIN are followed, the VIN number is legal.

Read up on how the check digit is created and verified...arrggghhh.

I don't think the last digits of the VIN are any way to really assess how many of any particular model got to any particular market.

I know I've never seen a 2017, and I live in the most populous area for motorcycles in the state. They don't seem to be able to give them away, hardly.

Here is a partial VIN of 2014::
VIN Number: 102229

and here is the link to this bike:
https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2014...-122423882

Tell me what you think of this VIN...... it is 102229 th CB made by Honda in 2014 or maybe 102229 in the US...or something else??????

pb

Thanks for that; no way Honda ever imported over 100,000 CB1100s to the United States. The number is actually 102291, there was a typo in the initial post. Those would be HUGE numbers for any model. >>>>>>>>>>>>

CORRECT VIN 102291

Sorry for misprint

pb