Ride opinion for potential CB1100 owners

[Sparky80_imp]

I don’t agree with the OP’s opinion, but that’s fine. One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. In my experience, some of the most popular bikes you see on the road are poorly engineered, loathsome, and simply suck, but their owners would likely disagree. That’s fine too.

Anyone buying the CB for its performance or touring capabilities would likely be disappointed if comparing it to a more focused sport or touring bike, though personally I thought my DLX was brilliant.

I would like to solve the puzzle.

What is a Harley Davidson?

[Cormanus]

Thanks for posting your thoughts, Paul. Even though they've probably achieved your goal of irritating CB1100 aficionados, they are, nonetheless, welcome. This is a forum that values diversity of opinion and, if you have read extensively here, you will know, 'we like people who like bikes'.

Having put 137,000 + kilometres (85,000 + miles) on a 2011 CB1100, I clearly like the bike a lot. I agree with you that the seat is hideously uncomfortable after an hour. I'd add that, after the on set of the first agony of the seat, the benefits of a stretch are lucky to last 15 minutes before the seat becomes hideously uncomfortable again. Luckily, an inexpensive Air Hawk cushion largely solved that problem for me and I have regularly ridden days of 700 kms.

I agree, too, that at low speed it's top heavy and awkward, but once moving it's a delight.

Unlike most members here, I haven't owned or ridden large numbers of the motorcycles ever produced during my lifetime*, so I'm not in a position to offer a comparative review. However, given the truth that one size never, ever fits all, the CB1100 will do me just fine. Your experience was clearly not the same.

Just for fun, why not head down to the [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=8]Other Bikes section of the forum and tell us about some of the bikes you've owned or still own that you really like and why?

*The reasons some riders own a procession of different motorcycles may well be an interesting topic to be explored during the winter months. Or not. Just saying'.

A note to all members

I don’t agree with the OP’s opinion, but that’s fine. One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor. In my experience, some of the most popular bikes you see on the road are poorly engineered, loathsome, and simply suck, but their owners would likely disagree. That’s fine too.

Anyone buying the CB for its performance or touring capabilities would likely be disappointed if comparing it to a more focused sport or touring bike, though personally I thought my DLX was brilliant.

I would like to solve the puzzle.

What is a Harley Davidson?

Please do not pursue this conversation if your intent is to deride Harley Davidson motorcycles and their riders. This tedious topic has been done to death on this forum and generally results in the sort of posts that the Ferret and I feel obliged to modify or delete.

Feel free to comment on individual models.

[Rogerdj_imp]

Im 72 yrs old, 5ft 10 living in New Zealand where we ride all year round, have had my 2018 CB1100ex for 8 months now and done some 5000kms (3100 miles) on our tight windy hilly bumpy roads riding with other experienced Ulysses club members who are capable of getting along at a fair clip and my comments would be as below. My experience / previous bikes in order newest to oldest to me in last few years so you get an idea of what I have been riding in the last 5 yrs - Triumph T120, Suzuki SV650, Triumph T100 (water cooled), Suzuki Vee Strom 650, Triumph Bonneville SE, Honda NC750, Suzuki S83, BMW R1200C, BMW R850R, BMW R1150R (guilty of buying and selling while seeking the ultimate ride for me!)
Suspension is soft but actually quite good for our road conditions and my age and back!
Handling is that off a cruiser and providing you understand what you are on, its fine and acceptable and certainly way better than any 'real' cruiser i have ridden like a Harley or big Suzuki Vee twin and then it has brakes!
Top end weight, one thing I felt when i first rode the CB was how low the weight felt once moving! Bit heavy to push into garage sure but can always ride it in!
Finish is second to none and bike suits those who take pride in what they ride and actually enjoy the cleaning and polishing that goes with it.
Engine is the jewel in the crown with this bike, wind on sewing machine smooth power from 2000rpm, what else gives you that smile for the money and with what I would term very good fuel economy also.
Touring, well the longest I have done is 400kms in a day (250 miles) but im about to tour the Sth Island of NZ with 2 other riders and will be looking at 450-550 kms a day for 10 days (so 4500 kms in total or 2800 miles over 10 days), dont see why its not upto such a task, more the question is am I up to it!
Here in NZ these bikes are starting to be understood and appreciated, recently a 2019 CB1100ex with just 900kms on it, sold within hrs of going to market for NZ$22,000 (US$12900).
I say if you arnt happy with your CB1100 sell it and give someone who will appreciate it the opportunity!

[offroadfx4_imp]

My 2014 std was perfect for me to get back into riding again after a 25-year absence.

Enough power to pass whenever you wanted to but not too much to pull wheelies when you didn't want it to.

Brakes were excellent for me. I practiced many panic stops...one time I swore I was doing a "stoppie” even without ABS. LOL

Weight was good....never dropped it during a stop....even on awkward stops on slopes or with the wheel turned (can't be said for a "real" top heavy bike like the K1600).

The CB was definitely “flickable” in curves….don’t know if it was the short wheelbase or 18 inch tires….but very forgiving in curves.

Started and ran like all Honda's do....immediately and flawlessly.

It was perfect for what Ferret said....40-55 mph on curvy roads.

The wind and weather protection were my only negatives but that comes with all "naked" bikes....so can't blame the CB for that. Probably should have installed a larger windscreen like some have.

[GoldOxide_imp]

A few members have written about the "heavy weight" of the CB1100.

I personally thought the weight was normal and within expected range of a classic-based full size CB. I changed over to an Africa Twin, which is similar in weight to the CB, if not maybe a bit lighter. However, when it came to push and shove, the CB1100 is easier.

So, everything is relative. Once I thought the CB1100 was heavy when not moving. Truth is, it feels not so bad in retrospect.

[rboe]

The CB (well, any bike) will strike different folks differently. What I find annoying other folks just don't see it.

I'll just submit that the valve train adjustment if fine. Originally Honda spec'd 8000 miles to check, changed that to 12,000 miles for the '14 and newer models after gaining some experience while not changing anything in the engine. Many folks that have checked find little to no need for adjusting. So I'll call this one a mountain out of mole hill. But I do agree that hydraulic adjusted valves like the Nighthawk would have been the bees knees.

The bike was targeted at certain narrow niche of older guys and judging from the guys here (and it seems to be mostly guys) that have kept their bikes, Honda nailed it. For the bikes bought and then moved on; well, I'll submit they were outside the target demographic (for the most part). It appears that some guys loved it and still sold it - mainly because they simply go through bikes because, you know, so many bikes, so little time.

You were not the first to not get on with the CB and some of your complaints were also voiced by many of the other sellers. I do hope you can find a bike you can gel with like many of us have gelled with the CB.

[Tev62]

The 2017 models address some of your issues, I find the suspension pretty good and the seat acceptable. Seat height is low to me, I wouldn't like it any less, this bike isn't optimised for long legged riders in terms of seat to peg distance as it is. 18" wheels are not that hard to find decent tyres for. The bike is heavy but I don't find it top heavy particularly. The engine is an experience and most owners seem to get away with valve clearance checks with no adjustment required. There are still a lot of modern bikes around with short valve clearance check intervals. I will agree that they might of chosen a different method for the valve clearance though, even if it was an easier to service "shim over bucket".

The bike is fairly single purpose though, I know some hardy souls do, but I would hate to tour on this bike or haul luggage for any length of time. But I don't believe Honda built it for this purpose, it is ostensibly a leisure bike, a day bike or perhaps a weekend camper. But I think that is fairly obvious, in that regard it is not much different from any other mid/large engine naked bike. There are many more comfortable bikes out there, long travel suspension adventure bikes have a massive comfort advantage over the likes of the CB, something my bones greatly appreciate and the reason I use one of those for longer journeys.

I do think there are many others that do share your observations about this bike, in part or in full and you can see a churn of low milers coming up for sale. But conversely the bike is exactly what many owners were looking for and it suits them down to the ground.

[Fenianbastard_imp]

I have 14 and love it. I came off an FZ10 but I knew it couldn’t match that performance wise. I also ride an ST1300 and it feels like a push bike weight wise compared to that beast!. I use mine mostly for my 36 round mile commute and it does that well and cheaply. I have also taken it on a few runs through the backroads of PA and it shines there. The mods I have are a cheap screen and Hippo Hands for the winter commute and the will come off in the spring. I could tour on it happily with bags, a better seat, and a proper screen. Looks wise it is 100%, but I have the nice black version!!.

[tommymck_imp]

I agree that the bike might feel like it carries its weight higher than some. While this might be off-putting for some at stoplights, and I'm no expert regarding the physics of handling, I think that the higher CG adds to the handling characteristics of the bike.

I've never understood the comfort thing re the CB seat, but maybe that's just me. The stock seat on my 2017 was great. I currently have the K10 vintage knockoff, which is essentially a plank of wood, and love that also. People swear by their Corbin seats, but those things are off-putting to me....sort of like those padded toilet seats. Something just seems wrong about them.

Regarding mileage at resale, isn't that all bikes (and boats and.....)?

[PaulBWatertownCT_imp]

Just for fun, why not head down to the [url=http://cb1100forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=8]Other Bikes section of the forum and tell us about some of the bikes you've owned or still own that you really like and why?

*The reasons some riders own a procession of different motorcycles may well be an interesting topic to be explored during the winter months. Or not. Just saying'.


Cormanus,
I’ve taken you up on that request and posted on the “other bikes” section. Hopefully it will give some perspective on my position.

Thanks for allowing the conversation. Since I still own two on CBs, maybe I’m still welcome in some way.