Can I hear from all 45 and under riders? Why did you pick the CB1100?

[Siggy Javotnik_imp]

41 years old. I too dislike plastic on bikes. Triumph Bonnies have plastic rear fenders now (they didn't used to -- it was a change somewhere in the carburetor era). I lusted after the ZRX1100/1200's, but didn't want to deal with 4 carbs ever again. My first road bike was a '79 CB650, with the blessed electronic ignition (adjusting points is not fun for me, although I did it on my wife's old CB450 until the head gasket blew and the 450 went to a new home with a much-depleted set of gaskets/seals -- I'd replaced most of them already from earlier failures or the clutch replacement). In other words, I like metal bikes, but with modern metallurgy, ignition, and FI. I loved the swoopy CB400-style exhaust headers on the CB1100 and everything else about the bike, but hemmed and hawed until I realized: buy it now! This bike is like the Kawasaki W650 -- it's not long for the U.S., and if I don't buy it I'll regret it! I found a nicely discounted used model with Yosh pipe and it's been a love affair ever since.

My Guzzi Stelvio is better at slab or long trips (huge aluminum panniers). But the CB is better around town, tight spaces, and there's nothing like the sound of the CB in full inline 4 song. It's also a pretty capable 2-up bike, with some preload added.

 

[gary_imp]

37 here. For me it was function following a splendid form. It was the best I could do for my money and get near perfect fit and finish with a form that is simple and purposeful. From the obvious design work that went into the engine as a center piece of the bike, this is how I think a motorcycle should be built. To me a motorcycle should strive to be the simplest form of engine powered transportation. When compared to the competition, Honda got on the right side of this idea with the CB.

 

[Rebel73_imp]

Honda Lover, it looks like your uncle owned a KZ650 and a CB400.

Sorry to dilute the conversation at 52 years of age, but I can tell you even at half my age my preferences weren't all that much different than they are now. In my youth, my interest in bikes had decreased as the amount of plastic covering up the mechanicals increased. Then Honda came out with the Hawk GT — one of the first so called "naked" bikes. To my eyes, it simply looked beautiful with its exposed engine and frame and almost no plastic to speak of. In fact there wasn't much to the bike period, even the swing arm was single sided. Just the bare essentials. That almost became my first street bike purchase, but I didn't go through with it and sadly Honda didn't end up selling all that many of them.

Fast forward a couple of decades and the few bikes that I found interesting besides the retro models were very similar to the list that Jim21680 rattled off above. The common thread amongst the bikes I'm attracted to, and always have been, is the pure, basic qualities that they exhibit via their designs. As Setchman emphasized, these are the elements that make a motorcycle a motorcycle. The CB1100 has this quality in spades and I'm certain that I would have been just as attracted to it in my 20's, 30's and 40's as I am in my 50's. To me, the design (and the attraction to it) is timeless.

Sorry for the interruption, I'll let you young whippersnappers get back to your conversation now.

Ha ha. No worries, Guth. All are welcome to contribute. Even y'all were young once!
Agreed, great design is timeless.

 

[danielquin_imp]

I am 34 now and bought my cb in September of 2013.
My best friend has twenty something triumph motorcycles and we would work on them in our free time and at some point I decided maybe I wanted a motorcycle too. I asked him to find me a bike for 500 bucks or less and he came up with a nearly running 1969 cb350. I rode that for a few months and then in the fall tore it apart to restore it over the winter. The next spring came around and I didn't have a restored cb350 and therefor no bike to ride so I went on the hunt for a cheap bike to ride for a little bit while I finished up my restoration. I found an 81 cb750 for 500 bucks. 300 dollars and two days later I had that bike on the road and enjoyed it for a summer.
By now my searching for parts and research on the bikes I had, coupled with my great experiences with them had turned me into a full fledged Honda believer and that's around the time that I saw the cb1100 in a magazine. It was a daily rider that I could just get on and go and at the same time it fit right beside any other bike in my garage. I was absolutely in love. My wife protested about adding another bike but I assured her that this I could use every day (plus my other purchases at that point were only 1300 dollars combined so they didn't really count, right?) she caved and signed off on me buying the 2013.

Other bikes have been added to the garage in that time, hopeful of their day in the sun and that poor cb350 is still waiting for its return to glory, but the cb1100 is just the perfect bike.

 

[chillis_imp]

I am 44. I like the ergos. And the looks.

 

[ludva12345_imp]

44 y. old .. after my last muscle retro cb13

is cb11 relevant now .. :clap:

 

[Setchman_imp]

Wow! It looks like that bike and that road (old runway?) was a match made in heaven.

 

[holy666diver_imp]

I'm 27. I wanted a standard riding position. It came down to a triumph scrambler /Bonneville or cb1100. I didn't want an adventure style or sport bike. I chose the 1100 because it has more power and a sportier feel to it than the triumphs while having Honda reliability. No regrets. I also thing the '14 in all black sold me too.

 

[Rebel73_imp]

I'm 27. I wanted a standard riding position. It came down to a triumph scrambler /Bonneville or cb1100. I didn't want an adventure style or sport bike. I chose the 1100 because it has more power and a sportier feel to it than the triumphs while having Honda reliability. No regrets. I also thing the '14 in all black sold me too.

Yes, I was looking closely at the Bonnie/Thrux myself. Ultimately, the Honda is just a better all around bike with more power and reliability, with the added benefit of ABS and a 6th gear on my DLX. Also, the CB seemed like a blank canvas for me to turn into my own creation. The Thrux is an "out of the box" cafe racer, I like to create and make my visions become reality. That's a lot more fun to me.

 

[Ghis_imp]

It has become apparent to me that, at 42, I'm still one of the "young pups" on this forum.

I just want to hear from the other younger riders on this forum as to why they went with a bike like the CB1100 rather than some sport bike or Harley or other bike most popular with the younger demographic.

For me, personally, I've always had an affinity for all things retro and vintage. The CB1100 just has a timeless beauty. I wanted a good all-around bike that I can ride around town or go on a long trip with, and the CB fits that bill nicely. I don't care if some may consider it an "old fogie" bike.

I dare any 21 year old to look at my bike and tell me it's not a beautiful machine.

I'm with you on that one. My dream bike has always been the 1969 CB750 FOUR, but they are rare in good shape or restored stock form, and expensive. I was glad when they introduced its modern retro version punched out to 1100, at nearly 90hp. I didn't want to constantly have to fix an old bike with hard to find parts, and the fact that an old bike used as a primary ride might not be all that reliable. Now, the day I can afford one as a non commuter or primary ride, I'll sure try to get one. But for now, I've got a powerful, new, retro looking CB that makes me just as happy as the old CB, but without all the headaches. Oh, and I'm 42 as well
I too looked at the Triumph Scrambler. I had a hard time choosing between the CB and the Scrambler. In 2013 I went with the Scrambler for its cool look, and cheaper price. A month ago I also bought a new '13 CB. Now I have both.

 

[kDiqq_imp]

Man, I may be the youngest. 24 now, bought the CB at 23. I worked on a few air-cooled bikes when I was in college (and hot rods in high school) and was forever sold on the appeal of fins. FAR more beautiful than anything liquid cooled. My roommate bought a 1975 CB550 when I had my TW200 and being the nice guy I am, I ended up doing a ton of work on that bike for him. Given how rock solid that bike was and how great it sounded, I knew I wanted an air-cooled 4 cylinder. Also, given how many times I had those carbs apart, I wanted EFI. As it turns out, there is one air-cooled 4 cylinder with EFI on the market. Easy pick! I don't need to go any faster on two wheels than what the CB1100 provides. I have my cages for going real fast.

Oh, also my wife loved the CB. Let's be honest, that was the real reason I got one.

 

[ride4now_imp]

The kids are all right.

:beerchug:

:clap:

+1 :banana: (we need a LIKE button...)

 

[kmoney_imp]

I'm 30 now, was 28 when I bought the CB1100. I had older Japanese cafe bikes growing up and when it came to repairs and maintenance, most were like helicopters (2 hours maintenance of every hours of use). Finally got sick of this and thought I'd go for a new retro bike. Cross shopped this with a Monster and a Guzzi V7 and went for the Honda partly because of looks, but most because of build quality. This is probably the only machine I've seen in its price range that actually manages to approach automotive build quality and materials. I basically wanted something where I just hit the starter button and rode off, this thing seems to have fit that bill perfectly.

 

[uscgmac_imp]

Im 44 so just under the wire. Ive had many bikes. Currently have a 2014 cb1100 and a 2014 HD Ultra. Bought this bike because i had a naked sport bike with was fast but too generic and i was also a nut on it, plus very uncomforable after a while. I wanted something cool and diffrent. Was a fan of the triumphs but dont like the build quality. I saw the cb on sale and said let me try that out. The bike has a old school cool effect to it plus honda quality. Ive taken the bike and made it into a custome younger version, kind of like the op but with a soft cafe seat. Im a big fan of these bikes because this is what you saw around when i was growing up. I would have liked a little more modern and a little less retro like the xjr1300 but we cant get our hands on that one. Love it.

 

[emptysea]

I'm 53. Now, you whippersnappers stay off my lawn!

D@mn kids.

 

[the_undecider_imp]

I'm 33 (32 when I bought mine). My dad was a mechanic and later a service manager at a local Honda dealership in the 70s up to 1982 when I was born. Even though he had switched careers, he would do mechanic work on the side. There were always Honda CBs and the like in the garage. I got a Honda ATC70 when I was 8, XR75 when I was 12, and XL175 when I was 14. In the early/mid 90s, Dad got into Harleys with a Sportster and later Heritage Softtail. I became obsessed with Harleys and their history. I am always looking to the past. History is one of my passions. Retro bikes push all the right buttons. I also like Honda products. My wife drives a Civic and I have an Accord. The CB just feels right.

 

[jsinher3_imp]

I'm 24, brought the bike when i was 23. reason I brought it was because I live, breath, eat honda lol! but besides that fact and it was for a decent price 1) I didn't trust myself owning a actual sport bike... I would be tempted to do a lot of reckless things especially with the kind of people I sometimes ride with 2) I'm attracted to old looking bikes and cars.. I was originally looking for a old cb or suzuki when i came across the cb1100. and 3)because I didn't want to have to deal with carbs.

 

[mgoodie_imp]

At 25 I bought this bike because I was tired of the cruisers had 3 of them 2 being harleys and loved the sound of a 4 cyl. had a FJR1300 but didnt want the insurance cost of a supersports bike so I found this bike loved the look and the price so I went for it. Glad I did its awesome and love the sound this engine makes I do wish it had more power but maybe some day Ill buy a more powerful bike but this bikes never leaving my garage. Oh and its super comfortable to ride I get close to home and wish I had another hour or 2 till I got there cause I dont want to get off.

 

[knuth11_imp]

When I was 16 I had my first bike, a honda 450 Nighthawk. Im 41 now, haven't ridden in 25 years. I went to the local dealer last week and saw the cb1100(2014 standard/black). I went home but couldn't stop thinking about how perfect this bike was. So, naturally I bought it It is a gorgeous machine.

 

[the Ferret]

Congrats knuth.

Now go over and introduce yourself in the new members section.