Do you remember your first CB1100 Ride?

[ride4now_imp]

Yup, it was a test ride down the street by the dealer. I actually thought the bike felt small and a bit cramped but I figured I'd get use to it. But I really remember the engines smoothness, the sound, and how well it shifted. I went back, wrote a check, and bought it leaving my car there to retreive in a day or so. They found one for me to ride (having none on the floor) so I felt like I needed to buy it... Lol! Then almost a year later, sight unseen (other than photos), I put a deposit on a 2014 DLX and traded in the '13. I love this motorcycle and realized just yesterday that it fits me just fine.

[emptysea]

From my post, 6/4/2013 9:14pm:

RE: Pickin mine up this afternoon
No pics just yet. Rode with my wife (on her new CTX) to a bike night and had a lot of questions and compliments on both bikes and had a terrific cheeseburger while I was there. Gotta get the grin off my face and the stickers off the tank. LOL


(Yes, I remember my first ride)

[flynrider]

Mine was April 5th, 2013. The day after it was unloaded from the truck. I put deposit on it on the 4th and had them get it prepped to go the next day.

I recall noting that the seating position and controls were nearly identical to my CB750. The major difference was the substantial bump in power and much better brakes.

First ride was a 30 mile jaunt to the airport.

[Rick Froscheiser_imp]

My first ride was Nov 2013. The dealer I work at had me put fuel stableizer in it and asked me to take it for a ride to get the fuel stabilizer mixed in and ran thru the bike. After taking it for a ride I returned to the shop and traded in my 2009 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe in for the 2013 CB 1100.

[the Ferret]

Lol costly test ride eh Rick? .. Cool story

[Redbird_imp]

Mine was a test ride at the dealer. In May 2014 or thereabouts. I told the dealer I was not in the market for a motorcycle but would he mind if I took this trade in he had for a test ride. When I got back I bought it!

[pdedse]

Indeed I do. My wife drove me half an hour to catch a train. I walked to the bike shop from the station after a further hour on the train. Put on my helmet and went for a test ride—the bike had done just over 2,000 kms. Went back to the shop and said I wanted it. They let me ride it to the bank to get a bank cheque for them and then I rode it home. Marvellous it was. Here it is at the first fuel stop.

Oh my goodness Cormanus, I have the US '14 standard, but I really like that engine instead of all blacked out. Very nice.
Mine was nearly a year ago, Jan 2. Cold ride home in the Portland, OR area...but dry. Lots of traffic. Took my wife and kids about 3 weeks to notice that there was was new bike in the garage.

[Guth_imp]

Absolutely.

Following are my comments posted over on the advrider forum later that day....

on April 5, 2013 Guth Wrote:I've been fixating over this bike for what now seems like forever. Last year when I saw that Honda was getting ready to announce 6 new models for 2013, I anxiously awaited until the details were posted online. Later that very day, after no sleep, I put down my deposit on one. Today I picked it up and rode it home.

Was hoping to get to the dealer in time to take advantage of the break in the rain, but it just wasn't to be. So there I am, on my first brand new bike, and only my second street bike ever, headed out during rush hour in the damp, grey, wetness that is Oregon in the springtime. That brought a quick end to the only-truly-pristine-once excitement. I got soaked like a wet rat but barely noticed. That new bike smell coming off of the engine as I put the first few miles on the bike was intoxicating and the whole experience felt so surreal that I noticed little else around me, even while being surrounded by a sea of cars. It seemed like everyone was actually being extra cautious, giving me more than the usual amount of space to merge, switch lanes, etc..

Not too much terribly exciting to share as far as any kind of ride report goes, but what do you expect from rush hour bumper-to-bumper traffic? The CB1100 actually felt really good in traffic, easily pulling me along at low revs with minimal clutch work. The clutch engages right away and the bike is super easy to launch. Going down the road felt plenty smooth and the big CB felt extra solid, like a true quality engineered product — very nicely put together. Before I hit major traffic, I did encounter some decent wind gusts going down the road and noticed that the CB1100 definitely felt more planted and stable than my little Hawk GT would in similar conditions. Ergonomics are surprisingly similar to my '88 Hawk and I instantly felt at home on the bike. I can tell that the big CB weighs more than my Hawk when pushing it around the garage or backing it into a parking spot for example. Once I got going I didn't give it another thought, just as others have mentioned. Super easy to maneuver at low speeds.

I'm 5' 8", 165 lbs. and have an inseam somewhere around 30". I can flat foot my CB1100 (#0079) at a standstill, but barely. At 50 years of age, I'm probably just the kind of guy that Honda had in mind as far as the average market profile for this bike. I grew up in the 60s/70s with a Dad that was a major Honda fan. Because of that we had some cool little bikes as kids including a Z50 to start with and a couple of XR75s and that was all it took for me. Like I said before, the '88 Hawk GT is my first street bike. I'm so freaking stoked that I'm finally able to add the CB1100 to my list of Honda experiences. I've never been so excited to buy an object ever before in my life. I've honestly almost hurled as I've been so overcome with excitement. It's truly a beautiful piece of machinery and brings back a lot of memories from my youth, even if it primarily evokes the machines that were mostly owned by adults back then. It's truly what I think of when I think of a "motorcycle". Awesome.

Now if I can just find a cheap enough way to get the cb1100forum.com going!

Here's a shot of the bike's "barren side" after getting it cleaned up from the ride home, along with my Hawk:


The only thing from that post that I would take exception to today was my note regarding the ergonomic similarities between the CB1100 and the Hawk GT. After spending time on one or the other and then switching back it is obvious that the Hawk is smaller with with a more compact rider triangle than the CB1100. That and my bike was actually #0097 (as opposed to 0079). Yes I was more than a bit excited that day.

[MM300_imp]

Yes. I had just traded my Thruxton for it and on the ride home I thought 'Now this is a motorcycle'

[Rocky_imp]

I don't remember the exact date, but it was in April 2014 that I rode the CB home from the dealer. It was also on that date that I saw the bike for the first time.
Only two bikes came to the dealer the week before and were immediately sent in for dealer prep and didn't make it to the showroom.
I happened to be at the dealership the day the bikes arrived. I was just hanging around for something to do, and when I learned that the bikes had arrived, I had to make a quick decision as one was already spoken for. I don't like making hurried decisions, but I'm glad I did that day!
The ride home was only about 20 miles, but I was immediately impressed at how smooth and civil it was - and it still impresses me that way.