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Hi,
I bought my CB1100 EX 2014 a month ago after having HD for like 7 years. Got used to it on my daily city routes. Today I rode my Sportster just to see the difference and then Honda. My God! what a huge difference. I thought something is wrong with HD. It doesn't turn nor brake. It shakes and makes a lot of noise. Now I'm sure I'll get rid of it.
Just sharing my experience since I'm just overwhelmed with CB. Love it.
What was your experince old vs new bike?
Voitus - Warsaw, Poland.
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G'day and welcome Voitus. I went from a Honda Shadow to the CB1100 and, like you, I have found the CB1100 so much better.
Enjoy the ride.
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Howdy  and welcome
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What if other HD riders got a taste of the CB? For many folks, HDs are the only brand of motorcycle they've ever considered, rode, owned, or know anything about.
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(07-04-2014, 11:27 PM)CB4ME_imp Wrote: What if other HD riders got a taste of the CB? For many folks, HDs are the only brand of motorcycle they've ever considered, rode, owned, or know anything about.
We know what happened when the CBs arrived in the late '60's. HD and Brit bike riders dumped their old wheezers so fast the vacuum made your ears pop. Honda dealers literally had people waiting in line when the shipments of 750s arrived. My brother in law was a factory-trained HD mechanic, but he'd moonlight building new 750s. He said guys were shoving cash in dealers pockets to skip ahead in the waiting line. It took years for the supply to finally catch up with the demand.
The truly bizzare part is how the whole thing flipped in the '90's. Within a few years HD dealers went from staying in business by selling parts and service to having buyers waiting a year or more for a bike...any bike...and then selling those bikes for thousands over MSRP. They'd even get away with forcing people to buy a used bike, or a Buell, to get in line for the bike they really wanted.
What changed? The EVO engine was certainly an improvement, but it can't account for the suddenly insane demand for HDs.
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(07-05-2014, 12:32 AM)The Spaceman_imp Wrote: (07-04-2014, 11:27 PM)CB4ME_imp Wrote: What if other HD riders got a taste of the CB? For many folks, HDs are the only brand of motorcycle they've ever considered, rode, owned, or know anything about.
We know what happened when the CBs arrived in the late '60's. HD and Brit bike riders dumped their old wheezers so fast the vacuum made your ears pop. Honda dealers literally had people waiting in line when the shipments of 750s arrived. My brother in law was a factory-trained HD mechanic, but he'd moonlight building new 750s. He said guys were shoving cash in dealers pockets to skip ahead in the waiting line. It took years for the supply to finally catch up with the demand.
The truly bizzare part is how the whole thing flipped in the '90's. Within a few years HD dealers went from staying in business by selling parts and service to having buyers waiting a year or more for a bike...any bike...and then selling those bikes for thousands over MSRP. They'd even get away with forcing people to buy a used bike, or a Buell, to get in line for the bike they really wanted.
What changed? The EVO engine was certainly an improvement, but it can't account for the suddenly insane demand for HDs.
HD had become a cultural icon, perhaps something that screams 'American' as much as Levi jeans do/did.
I don't quite understand how this came about, but one thing is for sure, when all the japanese manufacturers came out with their own V-twin engined bikes, many of which were a blatant 'homage' to HD style, that probably only made a 'real' HD that much more valuable.
In 1998 I was one of those surprised people that showed up at an HD dealership and was told to 'get in line and wait' along with everyone else.
I finally got 'my' HD in 2008. I'm so glad I waited as I much prefer a big twin with a counterbalanced engine.
It's a little ironic that the CB1100 has it's own list of 'shortcomings' that we readily accept (high weight, low power, not-razor handling) in order to have an authentic air-cooled in line four experience, just as an air cooled HD has its own set of 'compromises'.
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funny how fickle American riders are
It happened in the touring market as well. At one time all you saw were Harley dressers out touring. Then the Goldwin came along and with a Vetter fairing bags and trunk all of a sudden there were 25 Wings on the road for every Harley. Fast forward, the Wings are better than ever, but go touring and chances are you will see 25 Harley dressers for every wing you see.
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(07-05-2014, 01:07 AM)furious_blue_imp Wrote: (07-05-2014, 12:32 AM)The Spaceman_imp Wrote: (07-04-2014, 11:27 PM)CB4ME_imp Wrote: What if other HD riders got a taste of the CB? For many folks, HDs are the only brand of motorcycle they've ever considered, rode, owned, or know anything about.
We know what happened when the CBs arrived in the late '60's. HD and Brit bike riders dumped their old wheezers so fast the vacuum made your ears pop. Honda dealers literally had people waiting in line when the shipments of 750s arrived. My brother in law was a factory-trained HD mechanic, but he'd moonlight building new 750s. He said guys were shoving cash in dealers pockets to skip ahead in the waiting line. It took years for the supply to finally catch up with the demand.
The truly bizzare part is how the whole thing flipped in the '90's. Within a few years HD dealers went from staying in business by selling parts and service to having buyers waiting a year or more for a bike...any bike...and then selling those bikes for thousands over MSRP. They'd even get away with forcing people to buy a used bike, or a Buell, to get in line for the bike they really wanted.
What changed? The EVO engine was certainly an improvement, but it can't account for the suddenly insane demand for HDs.
HD had become a cultural icon, perhaps something that screams 'American' as much as Levi jeans do/did.
I don't quite understand how this came about, but one thing is for sure, when all the japanese manufacturers came out with their own V-twin engined bikes, many of which were a blatant 'homage' to HD style, that probably only made a 'real' HD that much more valuable.
In 1998 I was one of those surprised people that showed up at an HD dealership and was told to 'get in line and wait' along with everyone else.
I finally got 'my' HD in 2008. I'm so glad I waited as I much prefer a big twin with a counterbalanced engine.
It's a little ironic that the CB1100 has it's own list of 'shortcomings' that we readily accept (high weight, low power, not-razor handling) in order to have an authentic air-cooled in line four experience, just as an air cooled HD has its own set of 'compromises'.
Well put. We humans are funny creatures at times.
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(07-04-2014, 07:35 PM)Voitus_imp Wrote: Hi,
I bought my CB1100 EX 2014 a month ago after having HD for like 7 years. Got used to it on my daily city routes. Today I rode my Sportster just to see the difference and then Honda. My God! what a huge difference. I thought something is wrong with HD. It doesn't turn nor brake. It shakes and makes a lot of noise. Now I'm sure I'll get rid of it.
Just sharing my experience since I'm just overwhelmed with CB. Love it.
What was your experince old vs new bike?
Voitus - Warsaw, Poland.
What model year is your Sportster? The newer ones are a lot smoother and brake better than the Sporty's I owned. I had an 883 and a 1200, but this was before H-D rubber mounted the engines and improved the brakes. I can't remember when they did this along with fuel injecting the entire line.
My CB1100 makes more power & stops better than any of my H-D's did, and is certainly smoother. I've enjoyed my Harley's but for reasons other than pure performance. I'd have to admit that the same must be said for my Honda since there are many bikes available that will out perform it. But I don't care - they aren't CB 1100's!
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Timely. I just pulled off for lunch after a hundred miles of NJ/PA backroads flow, and parked up next to a gaggle of batwing fairing Harley's. They all were gob smacked over the CB. None of them had ever even heard of it. It was as if an alien craft had plopped down. Good conversation, and one if the guys said 'I need something like that, I'm sick of this fat, slow thing.' And he wasn't referring to his girlfriend.
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