How dealers lose the sale

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Before all is said and done, I would at least expect the CB1100 RS to make its way to our shores. Not sure which version I'd prefer then, either. I like the monotone paint scheme on the RS's motor, plus its heftier suspension and brakes, but I prefer the chrome pieces, stitched seat, solid red color, traditional turnsignals, and more upright seating position of the EX. Regarding the differences in the wheels, I'm torn. I prefer the look of the EX's polished spokes, but the tubeless 17" cast wheels on the RS are obviously easier to live with. If the EX's wheels were tubeless, I'd definitely prefer the spokes.

If there was a choice I'd pick the RS for sure, as the wheel/tire sizes are more to my liking. I don't know how much better the suspension really is, but it's gold and that must make some kind of difference. The CB1100's brakes are terrific on any version, but the bigger disks would be nice. I'd prefer cast wheels but spokes are fine if that's the only option. Spokes really have never troubled me over the years, but the cast wheels are more trouble-free overall, of course.

So we'll see what's coming.

[Labrador12_imp]

Wow. I ran into the cb1100 when I got back from fishing in Ak from May to Oct. I got on Auto trader and found new 2014s for great deals. I really liked the bike for $6999. I have a dealer less than 3 miles away that inlaws really like. I stopped by and oogaled a new 14 that he had in stock. I told him that I'd seen them much cheaper than his price not far away. Two days later he emaled me with my $6999 price. I asked for a test drive and that sealed the deal. Its snowing and 10 degrees right now. I'm looking forward to spring and many smiles on the new bike. My dealer seems cool.

[egleaves_imp]

Quote:I tried to buy a new leftover black '14, but missed it by a couple of days. Otherwise, the only used ones I would consider would be a '14 Deluxe like mickey's, or a '17 EX. Has to be a red six-speed. I've seen a couple of '14 DLX's here and there, and no used '17 EX's. I would love to find a barely-used, much more affordable '17 EX with factory heated grips.

VLJ, any chance your local Honda dealer is in Roseville? The '17 is still on the floor as of last Friday.

[VLJ_imp]

Yep, Roseville Powersports, across from the auto mall on N. Sunrise Ave. They sold their first 2017 EX fairly quickly, but this second one has been on their floor for a few months now. I know it's the same unit, because I always check the vin number every time I go visit her.

Because they're a Honda "Powerhouse" dealer they don't have to worry about flooring costs, the way most dealers do.

[egleaves_imp]

Yep, Roseville Powersports, across from the auto mall on N. Sunrise Ave. They sold their first 2017 EX fairly quickly, but this second one has been on their floor for a few months now. I know it's the same unit, because I always check the vin number every time I go visit her.

Because they're a Honda "Powerhouse" dealer they don't have to worry about flooring costs, the way most dealers do.

I ride the '14 that you say you missed by a couple of days. Just turned 5K on the odometer last week.

[Beerman_imp]

Reading over this thread, I feel fortunate that I did not have to deal with the most of the issues being discussed. I did not hesitate to pay full price for my CB1100. There were no test rides involved, nor did I ask for one as I had ordered my CB before they had even arrived here in North America. As soon as I saw the photos of the bike that [url=https://rideapart.com/articles/honda-cb1100-spied-in-california]a Honda rep was "test riding" in California (long before Honda officially announced that they were going to release the CB1100 here) I just knew that it was what I wanted. I was never looking for anything more than what Honda had intended — a basic, but high quality retro standard that was was built with great attention to detail much in the tradition of a number of their classic CBs of the past.

That probably made things much easier (simpler) for me. I've never once worried about the price that I paid, nor have I wanted to trade my CB in on a newer model or for some other ride. I'm glad that I bought when I did as no version released since the original has held as much appeal for me. I can admire newer bikes that are being offered by other manufacturers, but none of these offerings have caused me to like my CB any less. While my CB1100 hasn't been perfect, I can still say that it's been great. I'm grateful that I still feel this way about "my bike". Preparing my CB for sitting idle this winter has made me realize that I myself am ready to come out of my "riding hibernation". I'm once again looking forward to jumping back on my bike when the right opportunity next presents itself.

With that in mind, I really feel for those of you that would like to purchase a CB1100 under your own terms and can't even find a dealer to at least work with you to some degree. I wish it weren't this way. It's a bummer to hear that this is how it is for so many who might otherwise also find enjoyment in the CB1100.

There's a philosophy in here that I rather admire - probably applies to more than just bikes.

Beerman

[Guth_imp]

Reading over this thread, I feel fortunate that I did not have to deal with the most of the issues being discussed. I did not hesitate to pay full price for my CB1100. There were no test rides involved, nor did I ask for one as I had ordered my CB before they had even arrived here in North America. As soon as I saw the photos of the bike that [url=https://rideapart.com/articles/honda-cb1100-spied-in-california]a Honda rep was "test riding" in California (long before Honda officially announced that they were going to release the CB1100 here) I just knew that it was what I wanted. I was never looking for anything more than what Honda had intended — a basic, but high quality retro standard that was was built with great attention to detail much in the tradition of a number of their classic CBs of the past.

That probably made things much easier (simpler) for me. I've never once worried about the price that I paid, nor have I wanted to trade my CB in on a newer model or for some other ride. I'm glad that I bought when I did as no version released since the original has held as much appeal for me. I can admire newer bikes that are being offered by other manufacturers, but none of these offerings have caused me to like my CB any less. While my CB1100 hasn't been perfect, I can still say that it's been great. I'm grateful that I still feel this way about "my bike". Preparing my CB for sitting idle this winter has made me realize that I myself am ready to come out of my "riding hibernation". I'm once again looking forward to jumping back on my bike when the right opportunity next presents itself.

With that in mind, I really feel for those of you that would like to purchase a CB1100 under your own terms and can't even find a dealer to at least work with you to some degree. I wish it weren't this way. It's a bummer to hear that this is how it is for so many who might otherwise also find enjoyment in the CB1100.

There's a philosophy in here that I rather admire - probably applies to more than just bikes.

Beerman

Well, it's certainly held true with me and vehicles. I've tended to focus on those vehicles that
A.)I really liked the looks of, and
B.)Truly sounded like they would fit my needs based on how I planned to use them

As a result, I've been pretty happy with most of my vehicles. I try to take good care of them and do as much work on them myself as I can. For these reasons, even though they are just objects, I do typically end up forming a bond of sorts with my vehicles and hang on to them for a fairly lengthy period of time. I'm coming up on the sixth year of ownership of my 2001 Toyota Tundra — I plan to drive it for many more years to come. I hung on to both vehicles that I owned before the Tundra for at least a decade each. I ultimately ended up selling my 1989 Toyota Pickup to my brother and my 1999 Audi A4 has been passed along to my son. I have very little doubt that the 2005 Honda S2000 purchased earlier this year will be sticking around for a very long time as I've become quite enamored with it.

I don't have as many motorcycle ownership stories since I stopped riding them right after high school. When I returned to motorcycling almost 30 years later, I purchased the only bike that had actually lured me back into a motorcycle dealer during my dry spell — a 1988 Honda Hawk GT. Now after more than a decade of ownership, I really should be selling it (I really planned to do so last fall) as I have accumulated too many vehicles at this time. I'm hoping that the Hawk ends up with someone else who will appreciate it for what it is just as I have. There are a few reasons why I did not end up selling it this year, certainly one reason being that I've grown quite fond of it, and I'll be sad to see it go. (And yes, I realize that it's only a "thing", lol.)

I've long been a fan of Honda products in particular for a variety of reasons. I've owned a good number of them over the years. Honda is very good at engineering and manufacturing products that have generally proven to be highly reliable. It is those projects that are obviously special to Honda (that typically end up being a few steps removed from their mainstream offerings) that I find so appealing. When this company decides to pay tribute to it's heritage, the results are generally very intriguing to me.

As with Honda S2000, the story behind the CB1100 really sucked me in. I was very impressed with Honda's willingness to create a new air-cooled engine, their first in over 20 years, just for this motorcycle. I don't think Honda was ever that concerned about how many CB1100s they would sell. While they obviously produced the CB1100 to be sold to the public, I believe that Honda was most concerned with Honda themselves (as opposed to the general public) when it came to developing this motorcycle. Over time, the CB1100 has evolved to reflect what more of what the public, or those outside of Honda, wanted in a retro machine (again, the CB1100 is very similar to the S2000 in this regard). While I think that the bike that Honda originally released in 2010 was a better reflection of what they themselves wanted to do, whether you're looking at a CB1100 from 2010 or from 2017, I think that you're looking at something that is pretty special. It was the same with the S2000 — I would say that the first generation of that machine was the truest to Honda's vision of what the car should be and it morphed over time to suit the general public. Every model year has it's own fans, but most all would agree that any S2000 is special.

I suppose Honda can get away with projects like these given their sheer size. I'll probably always view (and value) the CB1100 differently because of this take on things. I already viewed it as a special bike before I even got my hands on one, and owning one hasn't changed this opinion.

While I've been lucky with vehicles in this regard, there was a period of time where I went through guitars and stereo equipment like nobody's business. Cheaper than swapping motorcycles in and out all the time, but probably not by all that much as it turns out. Ironically, I have found that the less time I spend on the web reading about everything from bikes to cars to stereos and guitars, the happier I am with what it is I already own.

[VLJ_imp]

Yep, Roseville Powersports, across from the auto mall on N. Sunrise Ave. They sold their first 2017 EX fairly quickly, but this second one has been on their floor for a few months now. I know it's the same unit, because I always check the vin number every time I go visit her.

Because they're a Honda "Powerhouse" dealer they don't have to worry about flooring costs, the way most dealers do.

I ride the '14 that you say you missed by a couple of days. Just turned 5K on the odometer last week.

I ride the '14 that you say you missed by a couple of days. Just turned 5K on the odometer last week.
Awww, man! So you're the guy my brother hates now!



I say that, because I was going to store the bike at his house so he could ride it whenever he wanted. Basically, I was going to buy it for him.

Anyway, I went and visited their '17 EX again today. It's still there, vin # 393 (last three digits), only now they have it parked right there at the entrance to the building, so you can't miss it when you walk in. That's where they displayed the first one, but they've moved this second one all around the showroom.

[VLJ_imp]

Btw, before I stopped by the Honda shop, I first visited the Kawi shop to check out the Z900RS, as well as the Ninja 1000 and Z900. I was primarily there to compare the seating positions of the Ninja 1000 and Z900, but since they had a Z900RS on display I went ahead and gave it a thorough looking-over.

A few observations...

-Kawasaki has really improved their fit and finish in recent years. They used to be the worst of the Big Four, but they now seem to be right there with Yamaha, above Suzuki, and just below Honda. The Z900RS is a very nice piece.

-Great exhaust note/intake sound. Very slick, somewhat throaty; refined, yet still plenty mean. Excellent job.

-My lord, but is that seat height tall! Not only is it much taller than the Z900, it's also taller than my already-quite-tall XSR900, even with the additional factory "comfort seat" from Yamaha, which is a bit thicker than the stock seat. America gets the tall, thick seat as standard for the Z900RS, which is great for ADV riders. I'd opt for the shorter seat. I think the bike looks better, as well, with the shorter seat. The tall one almost looks like an overfilled air mattress. The shorter seat looks much sportier, and is a better visual match for that elevated tail section.

-The digital instruments display in the center is rather plain but nicely laid out. It's quite useful, except that it's very difficult to read in direct sunlight. At one point, with the sun directly behind me, it was impossible to read.

-The offset horn just below the headlight looks unbelievable bad. It just looks so unfinished. Why on earth didn't they give it two horns for symmetry, like the CB1100?

-My favorite part of the entire bike has to be those cast wheels that look like spokes. Great idea. Just one problem, though. Good luck trying to attach a traditional tire pressure gauge to the stem. There is simply no way to do so, at least not without bending the stem to allow the gauge to clear the spoke. If ever a wheel cries out for a right-angle stem, it's this one.

-That Zephyr-replica tank is surprisingly wide. Never mind the unsightly seams at the bottom, which aren't as noticeable on the black model as they are on the brown and orange one, it's the sheer width of the thing that blew me away. What with the stupendously tall seat and that bloated tank, I felt like I was on a much larger bike than the Z900RS really is. Again, the shorter seat may help there, as it might just position my knees against a narrower portion of the bodywork, down lower.

-Gorgeous headlight. On or off, it's beautiful. Love the larger size, love the LEDs.

-Ditto, the turnsignals. I know a lot of people in America are po'd that once again we don't get the cool Euro-spec narrow LEDs, but I think the ones we do get complement the bike very well. They look great. They're floppy as heck, but they look fantastic.

-I like the look of the exhaust. Small, tidy, purposeful. The giant cat box at the bottom blows goats, though. Too bad they couldn't come up with a more elegant design to hide the thing, like Triumph and Honda did with the T120 and CB1100.

-Not a fan of the fake aluminum support pieces on either side of the front fender. Besides the fact that they don't belong there in the first place, they're plastic. Come on, Kawasaki, don't skimp there. Even Yamaha uses real aluminum for its trim pieces on the XSR900.

-Love the overall view from the seat. The cockpit is nicely finished. Nice top triple clamp, no mess of exposed wires anywhere, attractive mix of textures. So much more appealing than, say, an old ZRX1200 cockpit.

-Bungee hooks everywhere! All sorts of room, including mounting attachments, for soft luggage, Excellent.

Overall, as I said earlier, I found the Z900RS to be a very impressive piece, and probably a bit more nicely finished than the $2400 cheaper Z900. Still, once I bopped back on over to the Honda store to check out the '17 EX again, these two bikes are clearly not in the same league, in terms of fit and finish and attention to detail. From stem to stern, the Honda looks like it ought to cost many thousands more than the Kawasaki. It's no contest, really. It's difficult to put my finger on the exact difference, except to say that the Honda looks absolutely of a piece, like a painting or sculpture created by a single artist committed to one, pure design ethos, while the Kawasaki seems to be more of a cobbled together clash between the stylists, the bean counters, and the go-fast millennials in the CAD-CAM room.

In that sense, the Z900RS is reminiscent of my XSR, which also lacks the singular purity of the Honda. Park either the Z900RS or XSR900 beside a CB1100 EX, and the Honda immediately stands out as the most beautiful machine, and the best example of timeless, classic design.

[the Ferret]

Excellent review VLJ, much more thorough than the ones I have read from moto journalists btw, although you failed to mention performance and how it compared to your xsr in that regard.