Nightrider said:
Most, if not all 4 into 2 pictures I see, are aftermarket on those old bikes.
You are simply wrong on this. From the factory they came with 4 into 2's. There were only 4 models that came with a 4 into 1 as I stated above, the 400 Supersport the 550 Supersport and the 750 Supersport. The 4th was the 750 Automatic. In 1979 when Honda went to the DOHC motor, the Supersports (750, 900, 1100) all came with 4 into 2's. The 4 cyl CB 650 Nighthawks and the 4 cyl CB 700 Nighthawks from 83 on all had 4 into 2's and the CB 750 Nighthawks from 1991-2003 all had 4 into 2's. I sold Hondas from 1974 to 1989. Trust me or better yet look it up.
Honda carried the 4 into 4 on the CB 750K's thru 81 and on the 900 and 1000 customs thru 86 I believe.
But there were no DOHC Hondas of any displacement with a factory 4 into 1 up until the 2010 CB1100 was released in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Nightrider said:
The single appears on the right side leaving no hot pipe on the traditional left mount side.
Yes, and above you said it was on the left, but apparently edited it to say "correct" side.
Nightrider said:
If the rider of a 4 into 2 CB 1100 weighs 50 lbs more than the rider of a 4 into 1, which is (itself) 30 lbs lighter, the rider on the 4 into 2 will have a much much higher GVWR (50 + 30 = 80!!!), his 4 into 2 bike will be slower run and the rider (non-sexist) will get worse mileage. But what's the point? The 4 into 1 is 30 lbs lighter just from the pipes and smaller size tank and even lighter still with both bikes topped off since it's tank is smaller and the higher weight 4 into 2 must carry more gas because it is heavier. So...a bike being 30 lbs lighter is not a small thing, it is a great advantage which is why the bike was designed this way to begiin with.
My reply:
You are correct I should have said 35 pound lighter rider not 20 pound lighter rider.
But what's the point?
Just having a 4 into 1 pipe will not necessarily translate into an advantage, nor will having a bike that weighs 30 pounds less than someone else's bike.
The lightest rider and bike COMBO will run fastest, and get the best mileage if riders are of equal riding ability. Hard to buck physics. If I weigh 180 on my 570 pound DLX race someone that weighs 240 on a 540 pound std who is going to be fastest and get the best mileage? I think physics would suggest I would, so the 4 into 1 was not an advantage in that case. If both riders weighed 180 then the guy with the lighter bike would obviously have the advantage.
The bike was designed with the 4 into 1 to honor the Supersport 400, 550 and 750s from 75 to 78. Weight was not a consideration by the engineers. They have said so in the history and design of the CB1100 as published by Honda. They didn't design the 4 into 1 for any kind of advantage. It was simply a styling nod to some past 70's models.
