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Ok, here is the deal. The 2014's come anytime from now to next spring.
The CB1100 has sold well but nothing without a H-D on the tank has sold
well enough this year to be a sure thing coming back for 2014. I am in biz
and this year has been a lot like 2009. The spring started well and summer
sales fizzled. I am speaking for Motorcycles. There are some Polaris side by
side models that have done well but M/C sales in general are way off pace.
So, If the 2014 comes it will be probably just like the 2013 as there is still
2013 CB1100 models left to sell in most locations. If it does change, based
on what Honda has done in Japan (best market for this bike) there will be
an all blacked out "SC" model which sold well their last year. Based on sales
in other markets (UK and Australia) there could be a model with a silver tank
or dark blue tank with the silver motor (known as type 1, we have type 2).
My plan with my bike is to either strip the tank down to the bare metal and
clear coat it (as some custom cafe builders have done) or have the tank re-
painted to match the side covers. If I have the the tank stripped to natural
metal, I will buy the black "CBX" looking sidecovers that Webike in Japan sells.
I am sorry, I love candy glory red (just like my 78 CBX had) but on this bike it
has been way over done and has lost the original effect intended. NO PLAN TO
MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THE 2014 CB1100 is the best bet. Just be glad we got
it in 2013. This is not a profit motorcycle for Honda and it makes no sense to
change it. It has been the same (except for color) in Japan for 5 years. The
after market for this bike there is huge (to bad the dollar is so weak against
the yen). Think of the CB1100 as the canvas and you as the artist and go for
the look and sound and ride you want as Honda will probably not do much more.
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Does anyone have an idea of what the sales figures have been for this bike in the US? The dealers have told me sales have been strong.
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Apparently, no one else has much to say about sales. If Mr. CBXX is right and Honda does offer an all blacked out model (or silver or white, or anything that is monochrome for goodness sake), they've got a 2014 sale from me.
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Talking about sales and what will happen or not happen to a particular model is pure speculation upon those who are not in corporate Honda where these decisions are made. I suspect it has sold well enough, Ive actually seen some other than mine out on the road. I suspect it will be back next year. But if there are any left overs it might not.
If it does return, it would not be difficult for Honda to change the color as only the tank has any color to it.
Thats the only thing I would question about XXs statement above, where he says " he loves the Candy red, but on this bike it's been way overdone" . That I don't understand. There is only 1 piece of candy red on the bike..the tank ( and its painted beautifully). Fenders are chrome, side covers silver, fork ears silver, headlight bucket black, chain guard black. Where has the red been overdone at? One of the most popular accessories on this board is to add more red by changing the side covers. Many more would change them to red if they weren't so expensive. I would.
If it does come in black does that mean the black will be overdone?
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(08-08-2013, 09:30 PM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Talking about sales and what will happen or not happen to a particular model is pure speculation upon those who are not in corporate Honda where these decisions are made. I suspect it has sold well enough, Ive actually seen some other than mine out on the road. I suspect it will be back next year. But if there are any left overs it might not.
If it does return, it would not be difficult for Honda to change the color as only the tank has any color to it.
Thats the only thing I would question about XXs statement above, where he says " he loves the Candy red, but on this bike it's been way overdone" . That I don't understand. There is only 1 piece of candy red on the bike..the tank ( and its painted beautifully). Fenders are chrome, side covers silver, fork ears silver, headlight bucket black, chain guard black. Where has the red been overdone at? One of the most popular accessories on this board is to add more red by changing the side covers. Many more would change them to red if they weren't so expensive. I would.
If it does come in black does that mean the black will be overdone?
Although ferret is correct, that unless one is a Honda insider then one can't be certain about the model year decision process, the members of this forum have a large store of historical knowledge about motorcycles generally and Hondas specifically (and Honda as a corporate entity is often traditional and predictable, even when compared to other Japanese firms, so predictability is easier) and therefore speculation by this group is grounded in that experience and as a result should have more predictive capacity than darts at a board.
With that in mind, my speculation is that the bike is back next year but not the following year (a two year run in the US). Reasoning as follows: the CB1100A is intended to be a homage to a family of Honda standard motorcycles. The original standard Honda motorcycles of the 60s and 70s to a large extent defined Honda as a corporation (before the company's shift to automobiles) and they spawned an array of models in a variety of displacements as well as cruisers, standards, and sportbike flavors -- the same basic platform ran from 1969 to 1983 (with a significant engine upgrade in the middle). This is in stark comparison to the CB1100A, where I don't see any realistic intention to extend the CB1100A as a platform for an entire model line which survives several years. In a way, I see the CB1100A as similar to the role played by the 2004-2006 Ford GT: a limited run of an excellent interpretation of a historically significant part of a company's -- and motorsport's -- history. Chip might disagree with my comparison, he's an owner of both.
Why won't it be just a one-year run? My thought is that even if this summer's sales are disappointing (and I don't know if that is correct), Honda will not stop production in the US because in this scenario they could produce a small number of next model year bikes in a new color and give dealers a chance to move the remaining inventory.
As to color, I think the candy red will be the defining color for this model, much like the candy red / black scheme was defining for the CBX (this is not to say that it is the 'best' color, just that it will stand the test of time and later collectors). My bet is that next year Honda offers the CB1100A for sale in blue to further showcase their quality paint capabilities. Black as a color scheme wouldn't totally surprise me, though.
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CB400 makes some valid points, however Honda has had one year models, 2 year models, 3 year models and 10 year models and 35 year models if you include upgraded models like the Gold Wing. I think things at Honda have changed since Sochiro died in 1991. Sochiro vowed you would be able to buy any part for any Honda forever. This is no longer true. motorcycles are a tiny part of corporate Honda and decisions are made differently now. More in line with current "corporate think". It is no longer an enthusiast's company. decisions are now made by a board and not by a man. If this model doesn't meet Hondas world wide sales expectations it could very well be a one year run here ( its officially already a 3 year run). However, with the great press, and just being voted as 2 nd best bike of 2013 by polling in one publication, and best standard in another, I don't see Honda giving up on this bike quite yet.
Either way, I have mine lol.
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I take it back. Folks do have a lot to say about sales--I'm impressed with cb400's and ferret's insight--and I'm happy to hear there's optimistic outlook for at least one more year of production. The candy red is well done, I think. It looks good, for other riders, and is true to Honda's homage concept. As for my own preference for a machine I will love for years, I suppose that'd make me a non-traditionalist. Black (regular or all-blacked out) or white would suit me just fine. Let's hope they roll 'em out.
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I'd like to see them bring a 2014 in black for 3 reasons. (1) black would be a good contrast to the red ones, and true to what CB400 says, the defining red ones will really stick out as "originals" and (2) so it would silence all of those folks screaming for a back one, once and for all lol and (3) another year of production could only encourage the after market to make more goodies
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(08-11-2013, 03:05 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: I'd like to see them bring a 2014 in black for 3 reasons. (1) black would be a good contrast to the red ones, and true to what CB400 says, the defining red ones will really stick out as "originals" and (2) so it would silence all of those folks screaming for a back one, once and for all lol and (3) another year of production could only encourage the after market to make more goodies
+1!
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OK, I'll rain on your parade.  After seeing a CB450 Police Special in all off white (including the frame) I'll submit that Black bikes are over done and dime a dozen therefore a White Special with a white frame with red pinstripe would be the bee's knees (black pinstripe would be cool too). Add in gold leaf medalians and painted fenders, it would be a killer model to wrap up the model line (or push it up in sales so much they'd keep it and make Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki introduce their own standards - again).
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