I rent a super glide once or twice a year when I'm in NC. It is a feel good bike, lows seat forward controls, There's nothing negative about the bike its always a great day when i rent . Its all about what makes you feel good. I wish you could rent metric's for a day and get a good comparison.
CB1100 or Harley?
- Thread starter ARMike_imp
- Start date
the Ferret
Road warrior
The only comment I have is that I am from Ohio, but right now I am sitting in a hotel in Harrison Arkansas. They have some serious riding roads around here. Seriously!
ChipBeck_imp
Road warrior
Gentlemen,
I love my CB1100. I also love my H-D Road King which is my 7th brand new Harley. Let me give you a few "facts" from someone who has put a lot of miles on both marks.
My Road King weighs 150+ pounds more than my CB1100 and both in town and on the highway the fuel injected HD gets better fuel mileage.
My 10 year old Road King has never required a single repair. Neither did my last two Harleys.
At freeway speeds the Road King vibrates less than the CB1100. The HD can and does cruise comfortably at 85 mph. The CB1100 is not comfortable crusing above 80 IMO.
The paint, fit, and finish on a new HD are the benchmark for every other maker. The Honda paint is great but it doesn't have the deep amazing finish of a Harley.
If the cost of a bike is the purchase price minus resale value, a $15,000 HD is less expensive to own over 5 years than a $10,000 CB1100.
I enjoy and ride bikes from many different makers and I'm not afraid to give my opinion on any of them. The Hardley-A-Davidson moniker applies to Japanese knock offs of Harley products. All motorcycles have some internationally sourced parts. But all HD bikes, engines, transmissions, frames, tanks, and all major and final assembly is in the USA.
To give my opinion on what I would buy for your stated purpose based upon my actual experience, I'd buy the Honda. It's more fun to ride on back roads and in the mountains. The Harley is far superior for long rides, touring, and high speeds. Both bikes are stone reliable. The Harley is more comfortable to spend many hours on. The Honda accelerates harder and corners better. The HD vibrates less at crusing speeds. That's my take on it.
Chip
I love my CB1100. I also love my H-D Road King which is my 7th brand new Harley. Let me give you a few "facts" from someone who has put a lot of miles on both marks.
My Road King weighs 150+ pounds more than my CB1100 and both in town and on the highway the fuel injected HD gets better fuel mileage.
My 10 year old Road King has never required a single repair. Neither did my last two Harleys.
At freeway speeds the Road King vibrates less than the CB1100. The HD can and does cruise comfortably at 85 mph. The CB1100 is not comfortable crusing above 80 IMO.
The paint, fit, and finish on a new HD are the benchmark for every other maker. The Honda paint is great but it doesn't have the deep amazing finish of a Harley.
If the cost of a bike is the purchase price minus resale value, a $15,000 HD is less expensive to own over 5 years than a $10,000 CB1100.
I enjoy and ride bikes from many different makers and I'm not afraid to give my opinion on any of them. The Hardley-A-Davidson moniker applies to Japanese knock offs of Harley products. All motorcycles have some internationally sourced parts. But all HD bikes, engines, transmissions, frames, tanks, and all major and final assembly is in the USA.
To give my opinion on what I would buy for your stated purpose based upon my actual experience, I'd buy the Honda. It's more fun to ride on back roads and in the mountains. The Harley is far superior for long rides, touring, and high speeds. Both bikes are stone reliable. The Harley is more comfortable to spend many hours on. The Honda accelerates harder and corners better. The HD vibrates less at crusing speeds. That's my take on it.
Chip
ARMike_imp
First service completed
Thread starter
Chip,
Thanks for the reply. I agree with you on the RK comments. I have often thought of buying a RK or Street Glide. I just don't do much long distance or would get one of those, probably the RK. But for my type of riding I too think the Honda would be a better choice. Just seems like it would be more fun to just hop on it and go for 30 minutes or 2 hours. That was one of the reasons I was looking at the fatboy. Have even considered a 1200 sportster just for the hit the button and go factor. Anyway, am looking forward to the 1100 ride. Am sure it won't be as good as my CL when I was a kid though! Ha!
Thanks for the reply. I agree with you on the RK comments. I have often thought of buying a RK or Street Glide. I just don't do much long distance or would get one of those, probably the RK. But for my type of riding I too think the Honda would be a better choice. Just seems like it would be more fun to just hop on it and go for 30 minutes or 2 hours. That was one of the reasons I was looking at the fatboy. Have even considered a 1200 sportster just for the hit the button and go factor. Anyway, am looking forward to the 1100 ride. Am sure it won't be as good as my CL when I was a kid though! Ha!
Buffalohead_imp
Been there
I have used Consumer Reports to aid me in picking the best cars. They have never led me astray. When they start publishing real data on motorcycles, the entire industry (and the consumer) will be better off. It helps the manufacturers to build a better product. I try not to get advice from magazines and publications that accept advertising. I have seen the "Car of the Year" followed by a two-page ad. Maybe there is no bias, but how do you know? CR and other like publications can only help the industry.Mike Bee_imp said:Yeah, I agree! But:
Fact: Out of the box, Harleys are louder than any other motorcycle.
Fact: Consumer Reports lists them near the bottom of reliability data.
Fact: Harleys don't get the fuel mileage the Honda CB does.
Fact: It's not totally made in the U.S. either.
Fact: From my experience (I've been on both) The CB1100 has MUCH less vibration than a Harley.
But, the Harley does have a low seat though.
And, if you want an opinion from someone who has ridden both, feel free to ask. Oh yeah, you did!
I own a CB1100, Harley Electra Glide, and a BMW K1600. The hog has the most comfortable ride and the best seat. It shakes at idle but this isn't a factor at speed, gets 47 mpg and has been stone reliable. Had a Sportster 883 that got 62 mpg. All my bikes are fun to ride in their own way, and making direct comparisons are difficult. Buy what you like - get one of each!
~ The Bee
P.S. I use Consumer Reports for shopping for lawn mowers and such, but read the motorcycle mags & forums for advice on bikes...
Tripod_imp
Running like a top
The only two Harleys I really like are 1977-79 XLCR Café Racer, and the 2009-13 XR1200. Have you looked at either one of these? Very cool looking! Probably not practical for your requirements, not sure?
ARMike_imp
First service completed
Thread starter
I agree...have really enjoyed the advise and the dialog. Really glad I joined the forum and posted.
UJM Guy_imp
First service completed
Hello ARMike,ARMike_imp said:
My first suggestion would be to ride both bikes back to back on the types of roads you would typically ride. You might even want to try ridding the new BMW GS because it is a great all around bike.
I have a 2005 Road King with almost 40,000 miles and consider it very reliable. I have had absolutely no problems. The Harley is very easy to work on and I do all my own maintenance. I have gone through several sets of tires and replaced the front brakes, and changed fluids as the factory recommends. The Harley is relatively low maintenance, no valve adjustments and the belt final drive requires very little maintenance compared to a chain drive. The Road King is great for a relaxing ride through back roads and a very good long distance touring bike. Cruise control, heated grips and large windshield are good for long rides and cooler weather. The Road King does shake a lot at stop lights but once moving at highway speeds it is very smooth. Average fuel consumption is about 45 MPG but it does require Premium. The fit & finish on Harley’s is very good and no other manufacturer comes close to the variety and quality of accessories.
I only have 1600 miles on my 2013 CB1100, so it’s too soon to talk about long term reliability but I expect it to be rock solid. The CB1100 is a joy to ride around town and up to a couple of hours. Afterwards the seat gets very uncomfortable for me and I plan to replace the factory seat with a Corbin next year. The transmission and clutch work flawlessly and is one the best I have experienced. At idle you almost don’t know its running but as others have mentioned has some vibration around 4K. Not objectionable if you are wearing gloves but could be an issue for some people. I have averaged about 52MPG and it only requires regular unleaded fuel.
The CB1100 is much quicker, handles way better and has superior brakes. The newer Harley Touring bikes have a stiffer frame and better tires than my 2005 but it still will not handle anything like the CB1100. While some consider the Harley slow, I find it has adequate power and more than enough for pulling away from a stoplight. In my opinion both bikes look how a motorcycle should look. The engines are works of art and pleasing to look at.
For a couple hour ride it’s hard to beat the CB1100. For an all-day or cross country ride I would take the Road King hands down.
Good Luck with your decision!
I've owned a Superglide and an Electraglide and have nothing bad to say about either. You would be happy with either (mid mount pegs/boards).
I usually have 3-4 bikes in the garage. Right now, only the CB1100, and that's fine with me. It will do 95% of anything I want to do, and at this point I'm not willing to pay another 10-20 K to cover the other5%. YMMV.
I usually have 3-4 bikes in the garage. Right now, only the CB1100, and that's fine with me. It will do 95% of anything I want to do, and at this point I'm not willing to pay another 10-20 K to cover the other5%. YMMV.
furious_blue_imp
Been there
I have the CB1100 and a 2007 Harley Softail Custom. I like them both. Except for them each having 2 wheels, there's really no way to compare them. If you get one, you will miss something that the other one has...
If you can only have 1, then I'd go with the one that makes *you* feel better. This is not a rational purchase. If it's a rational purchase one's after, I'd get a Hyundai car instead. Way more low maintenance transportation value for the money
.
The only thing I don't look forward to on the Harley is the day that the drive belt or the balancer weight systems need to be replaced (that won't be for quite a while though).
If you can only have 1, then I'd go with the one that makes *you* feel better. This is not a rational purchase. If it's a rational purchase one's after, I'd get a Hyundai car instead. Way more low maintenance transportation value for the money
.The only thing I don't look forward to on the Harley is the day that the drive belt or the balancer weight systems need to be replaced (that won't be for quite a while though).
Deanohh_imp
Been there
Not any worse than pulling the cams to replace valve shims.furious_blue_imp said:I have the CB1100 and a 2007 Harley Softail Custom. I like them both. Except for them each having 2 wheels, there's really no way to compare them. If you get one, you will miss something that the other one has...
If you can only have 1, then I'd go with the one that makes *you* feel better. This is not a rational purchase. If it's a rational purchase one's after, I'd get a Hyundai car instead. Way more low maintenance transportation value for the money
The only thing I don't look forward to on the Harley is the day that the drive belt or the balancer weight systems need to be replaced (that won't be for quite a while though).
ChipBeck_imp
Road warrior
??????? I'm not quite following this???? You say "maybe not all", so I guess possibly all or at least a substantial percentage of Harley owners are living off of the government?? But people that buy less expensive Honda's shy away from government assistance? Am I not reading this right?dBuster_imp said:
Chip
bubblerboy64_imp
Running like a top
Living off the government and Harley's? I don't get that one. I've heard about every negative applied to Harley owners and have found none of them to be true personally but that's a new one.
Enlighten yourself and visit a Harley dealership and maybe make an effort to be open to the possibility that you are holding an extremely prejudicial view which is clearly not supported in fact.
Enlighten yourself and visit a Harley dealership and maybe make an effort to be open to the possibility that you are holding an extremely prejudicial view which is clearly not supported in fact.
Guys, let's try to stick to comments about the bikes themselves. Like many others, I don't have the patience to deal with the ignorance on display in this thread and if we can't move past that, I'll be shutting this thread down. Thanks.
(Sorry ARMIke, this is not how things typically are around here.)
(Sorry ARMIke, this is not how things typically are around here.)
rboe
Road warrior
Chip; If I may drift the topic a wee bit here. You stated you got better mileage on the HD than the CB, in town or on the road so I wonder if that may have any thing to do with the way you tend to ride each bike? I had a saleman years ago that rode a Harley and when pushed during ralley contests could do about 100mpg. Can't some close to that with the Honda as far as I know. But if you do more spirited riding on the Honda that could explain the difference. Otherwise I would thing the Honda would be more even with the HD.
As a data point, my V Twin Griso (and the Quota I used to have) are thirsty bitches with no hope of seeing decent mileage (the Griso does do better than the Quota but to hit 50 is a bloody miracle).
As a data point, my V Twin Griso (and the Quota I used to have) are thirsty bitches with no hope of seeing decent mileage (the Griso does do better than the Quota but to hit 50 is a bloody miracle).
The Spaceman_imp
Road warrior
Bravo! Hear Hear!Guth_imp said:
cbdtran_imp
Been there
your info is valuable, I always like HD just because it is an old schooled bike, all steel no plastic. American love hamburger right? My riding style is gentle, so when green start, HD leave me in the dust ... big torque, high gear has its appeal.UJM Guy_imp said:
the CB1100 saves my motorcycling. I go to the dealer to sell my Suzuki where I buy it in 2009 new with 1000 miles on it. It should conclude my on/off passion for motorcycle, I walk out the dealer and see the CB in front of the store. What a beauty, after negotiating hard, I take her home a couple days later. It happens all suddenly, no planning ... Since then, my passion come back, I ride the bike every day with many long trips in the mountains and back-roadsgcarper_imp said:
Being Asian at 5'7, 160 lbs, I love things that fit me proportional. The CB fits me well psychologically, not too tall, not too big compared to other bikes in same displacement.
If it can cook, I will marry it
ChipBeck_imp
Road warrior
Rboe,Rboe_imp said:
My Road King is an older 1340 Evolution with fuel injection. At 65 mph it gets 50 mpg. My CB gets about 45 mpg. In town the HD also gets about 5 more mpg. The newer HD's have bigger engines and probably get poorer mileage but I'm not sure. The CB is geared fairly low and with no 6th gear it's pretty buzzy at high speeds. The rubber engine mounts on the HD make it very smooth at speed. My HD is a 5 speed too however. The newer ones are 6 speeds. Not a huge difference in mileage and I ride the bikes about the same. I'm pretty mellow.
Chip
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