New Model Year CB1100's??

[JustPassinThru_imp]

It is quite amazing that the bike is not more popular.

I think you had to be around for the original, when the UJB was revolutionizing motorcycling, to appreciate the retro.

And, let's face it - air-cooling has compromises; and the power specs aren't so amazing. For the displacement, 85hp is a bit low. For a bike, a redline in the mid-fifties, is a bit low, also. It's not a put-off for me; I know what I'm buying; but the kids, or thirtysomethings...they see this and wonder what it's all about.

Jut to cap it all, Honda should have put a kick starter on it. What better way to make their jaws drop?

[Guth_imp]

I've always been of the mindset that Honda developed this bike primarily for the Japanese market and as a project for themselves honoring one of the most important chapters in their history. They obviously put a lot of thought and care into the bike, but without much consideration for markets outside of Japan (I believe Australia and New Zealand were fortunate enough to be included due to similar regulatory standards).

By the time the CB1100 made it to markets like Europe and North America, it had already been around for quite a while. I'm sure some of Honda's initial enthusiasm for the CB1100 had begun to fade by the time they chose to make the bike available elsewhere. When it comes to marketing the bike, etc., I suppose that it does feel a bit like an afterthought in many ways. Regardless of whether or not a 2015 model is released, I remain ecstatic that Honda actually did make this great machine available in the markets that they first chose to ignore.

[the Ferret]

It is quite amazing that the bike is not more popular.

I think you had to be around for the original, when the UJB was revolutionizing motorcycling, to appreciate the retro.

And, let's face it - air-cooling has compromises; and the power specs aren't so amazing. For the displacement, 85hp is a bit low. For a bike, a redline in the mid-fifties, is a bit low, also. It's not a put-off for me; I know what I'm buying; but the kids, or thirtysomethings...they see this and wonder what it's all about.

Jut to cap it all, Honda should have put a kick starter on it. What better way to make their jaws drop?

That would have been too cool, even if you never ever used it.

[Elipten_imp]

I would love to have had a kick starter for the rare day I wanted to relive my youth. I almost always kick started my CB360 and other bikes. When I got the BMW I missed it and it took years to get used to not having it.


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[gossman_imp]

With literally hundreds of new 2013's and 2014's sitting in crates across the country, it's not looking good for a 2015 (but I hope I am wrong!) Although this is great for consumers as I have seen the 2013's at $6999 and the 2014 Deluxe versions selling at $9999.

Wish I had the bucks to put a couple of crates away in storage. Be fun to place a "new in crate" CB1100 on the market, in about 20 years!

Wish I had the bucks to put a couple of crates away in storage. Be fun to place a "new in crate" CB1100 on the market, in about 20 years!
I have a friend who has a '95 Ducati Monster sitting in his shop that has 160 total miles on it. It was used for primarily photo shoots of clothing and models with the bike in the background. Hasn't been started in 5 years, the bike is physically in pristine shape and kept covered and in a heated shop. He now wants to sell it but I have my doubts it's worth much money because of it not being ran.

[flynrider]

I would love to have had a kick starter for the rare day I wanted to relive my youth. I almost always kick started my CB360 and other bikes. When I got the BMW I missed it and it took years to get used to not having it.


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I often kick started my old KZ400 and KZ750. As a broke student, I found that after the battery no longer had the guts for electric starting, you could kick start for another 6 months or so before replacing it.

When the 80s rolled around I was very suspicious of bikes without kick start levers. I imagine Model T buyers of the 1920s felt the same.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

I would love to have had a kick starter for the rare day I wanted to relive my youth. I almost always kick started my CB360 and other bikes. When I got the BMW I missed it and it took years to get used to not having it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I often kick started my old KZ400 and KZ750. As a broke student, I found that after the battery no longer had the guts for electric starting, you could kick start for another 6 months or so before replacing it.

When the 80s rolled around I was very suspicious of bikes without kick start levers. I imagine Model T buyers of the 1920s felt the same.

I often kick started my old KZ400 and KZ750. As a broke student, I found that after the battery no longer had the guts for electric starting, you could kick start for another 6 months or so before replacing it.

When the 80s rolled around I was very suspicious of bikes without kick start levers. I imagine Model T buyers of the 1920s felt the same.
Ohhh, you got that right. My ownership started with a Yamaha R5C; then an SR 500 on which I caught my road-rash and a ride to a medical campus in a fancy Cadillac with red lights all over it.

Once escaped from that fine institution, I briefly tried to get back in with a Kawasaki H2 Mach IV...scared me to death. Part of that was that I didn't get back on the horse fast enough after being thrown.

I was young and had plans and those didn't include being smeared all over the asphalt. I hanged up my leathers...for 22 years.

Fast forward; and I'm laid off, needing transportation and gas prices are going through the roof. I got me a Virago 250 to relearn on...shocked, SHOCKED! that it didn't have a KICK STARTER. What, I'm going to trust that little battery to run the starter? Whaddaya MEAN, you have something better than a leather jacket as body protection?

Later on, to balance out my garage of the time, along with my R1200GS (this being five years ago) I bought a lightly-used TU250. Half the size of my SR 500...NO. KICK. STARTER. Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot, over!

Well...I got over it. Fact is, I don't know if I have the muscle memory anymore to kick-start a bike...I know I'd look pretty funny at a stoplight, trying to, in a rush...

[ride4now_imp]

I haven't kick started a bike since I sold my 77 DT-250 in 79. 24 years later in '03 I'm at the Harley dealer looking to get back on a bike... I asked the salesman, when did they take kickstarters off bikes. I was serious... he answered somewhat sarcastically... oh, about 20 years ago. #%^* kid...

[JustPassinThru_imp]

I agree with nhawk7504. Honda did NOTHING to promote these bikes when they were new and we were only made aware of their existence by magazine road tests. And even those tests seemed like pathetic filler material when they didn't have the newest wiz-bang sport bike to do another " Super-Duper Comparo ". So why would any of us think they would offer a 2015 ? We can still buy 2013's !!! We certainly have 50 years of experience with the Japanese manufactures and how quick they are to discontinue anything that shows even the slightest sign of declining sales. Buy them now.
It's really a shame that Honda has not monitored this and other Forums to gain important demographic data on not only the CB1100, but other bikes that would appeal to us aging Boomers. Those of us who have bought this bike are like one big love fest. And we cannot possibly be alone in our desire to "just go out and ride a bike " . But that's not how the Japanese think. ( except for the long-running Kawasaki Concours ). Rocket

My dealer got one; the one I bought. He apparently had despaired of selling it.

I came in looking at a used BMW, which turned out to be a literal basket case...no way for me to know; and I've never done serious wrenching on a BMW...so I had to turn it down. But I like looking at new hardware; and right next to the GROM...nice cute little bike, and a REAL bike with a gearbox...right next to it was the CB.

He didn't know much about it - truthfully. His showroom models have the batteries out, so we couldn't even look to see if it was five gears or six.

So, we negotiate and he approaches what I want. I say let's do it - and he preps it. And starts it up. And goes for a three-mile ride to make sure it's all together.

And he's all grins about it. Says if he'd known it was such a sweet-running machine, he'd have ordered more, and advertised it.

But that's the story around this machine. Not unlike the Big Ruckus years ago...an interesting product, and NO advertising or promotion.

[DGShannon_imp]

I haven't kick started a bike since I sold my 77 DT-250 in 79. 24 years later in '03 I'm at the Harley dealer looking to get back on a bike... I asked the salesman, when did they take kickstarters off bikes. I was serious... he answered somewhat sarcastically... oh, about 20 years ago. #%^* kid...

I still must regularly kick start my trials bikes, both modern and vintage. The fun one is the Beta as they still hold to the European tradition of putting the kick start lever on the left side of the bike.