CB1100 or Harley?

The nose cowl (with touring screen) is Chic from Japan/Samurider with a little pin stripping. They say when you get old you get silly, I'm old so I went silly with the horns.
 
We do have to give Harley credit. They know how to sell. I travel around to various bike shops (that frequently gets me into trouble) any one who does the same will agree Harley shops are nice places to spend time. Like the machine or not the dealerships make me feel like a kid in a candy store. That's just smart business.

My two local Harley dealerships are also outstanding in customer service. Any time I enter the store I am immediately greeted with a friendly smile and ask if they can be of assistance. They are ALWAYS more then ready to get a bike out for a test ride.

I haven't always been treated as well at Honda shops. In fact some of them have a no test ride policy. Now how much sense does that make?

There is a lot to this and it's worthy of study. I do maintain in addition knowing how to sell they are also just as skillful in knowing WHAT to sell.

Some of us don't necessarily think Harley that cats meow but that doesn't mean we have some superior insight into motorcycles.

A few of you fellows seem to imply that you are some how intellectually superior because you buy something other then a Harley. I'd like that to be proven. I'll agree I don't entirely get the fact that Harley has such a large percentage of the market. But if I was selling Honda's you better believe I'd be studying Harley's business model. I'd also be looking the bikes over and seeing what they are doing correctly. I promise you Honda is don't that and all the others.

The other side of this is I believe Harley could also learn a bit from the competition. I've never entirely understood why Harley hasn't seen fit to counter balance all of their bikes. I am sure there is a good reason.

None of them are perfect but I enjoy searching for that elusive beast that is.

The perfect bike for me would be a remake of the Magna which was sold from 95 to 2003. Love those bikes.
 
I haven't read much Harley bashing in this thread. Seems most of the posts on here are in agreement that Harley is doing a lot of things right.

Well I hope I don't come off as trying to sound intellectually superior ( don't think I do ) cause that would certainly be a ruse, but I do have a lot of experience having owned many bikes from many manufacturers, and having spent 17 years working in the motorcycle business having been a store manager, a sales manager, parts manager and service manager for deslerships of Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Moto Guzzi and Norton. I am familiar with the industry practices from both behind and in front of the counters.

Harley does just about everything right from a manufacturers standpoint... They know their market better than anyone ( certainly better than the Japanese who are all over the place with products) and in doing so have the most loyal customer base. Harley does spot on advertising. Harleys dealers do a great job for them and are rewarded with list price sales in most cases, and the Harley aftermarket is vibrant and strong. Can't fault that business model at all.

Harley doesn't counter balance their engines because they don't want to change the character of their bikes. They want them to vibrate and shake some. It is what most of their customers expect. It's also why they don't have multiple cylinders, counter balanced engines, liquid cooling, or shaft drive. Those things are not desired by the faithful. Harley knows its customers, like you said, better than anyone. Harley certainly has the engineering and manufacturing ability to provide those things, for example as on the V rod, but V rods don't sell. Road Kings, Dynas, and Sportsters sell, so harley will keep making them until they are forced to change.

Honda may have a technically superior product line, but their dealers are inept, except that they are actually very good at driving customers away, the aftermarket sucks, Honda does minimum advertising, and the loyalty to the brand is weak. A very poor business model.

BMW has it's fanatics
Harley has it's fanatics
Moto Guzzi has it's fanatics
Triumph has it's fanatics
Tough to find fanatics for a Japanese brand. Honda probably comes the closest, but it's fanatical fan base is certainly weak compared to the others. Goldwing owners are probably the closest you'll find in the Japanese product line.
 
[/QUOTE]Honda may have a technically superior product line, but their dealers are inept, except that they are actually very good at driving customers away, the aftermarket sucks, Honda does minimum advertising, and the loyalty to the brand is weak. A very poor business model. [/QUOTE]

I have three local Honda Dealer in my area. Two of these dealership are below average, nasty attitudes etc.

I found a GEM in Danbury Motorsports in CT, the furthest from me but the best. I have built a relationship with the owner and have traded and bought 2 bikes from him in the last two years. Frank will prep any bike i want to demo on the spot even with little interest in buying, great business man. The are far and few between but there out there.
 
Doesn't advertising cost money and in some cases lots of money? And wouldn't the additional costs involved with advertising be passed along to the customer by means of higher sticker prices? I would think so... Wait that is why it costs so much for one of those HD bikes? They over advertise?

To me word of mouth is the best advertising. Not whether a company can spend gajillions on advertising and pass those costs on to the consumer...

As far as Honda dealerships, the one local for us here is great! I can also go in and demo without any interest in buying. It all depends on how greedy I guess the owners are or are they geared towards the customer instead???
 
"To me word of mouth is the best advertising. Not whether a company can spend gajillions on advertising and pass those costs on to the consumer..." dbuster

Honda has no problem selling Pilots Accords and Civics thru advertising. I subscribe to 5 MC mags and never saw 1 ad for CB 1100's. Did you? None on TV. None on radio. Saw one ad the other day for Yamaha during Moto GP for an R-1. Other than this forum how many people have you told what a great motorcycle the CB 11 is? Word of mouth only goes so far. How many enthusiasts and former enthusiasts have come up to you in a gas station thinking that your bike is from the 70s or 80's? If they saw an ad during say NCIS or Big Bang theory which they probably watch, then they'd know that Honda was producing this bike.
Honda succeeds in spite of themselves.

If you have a good dealership nearby, cherish it, they are few and far between. The one near me has good salesmen and they allow test rides, they have a very good service manager, mechanics seem decent, but the parts and accessory department sucks big time. Nothing in stock, they charge over list and everything must be ordered and paid for in advance requiring two trips for anything more extensive than spark plugs, oil or filters.
 
See now I never thought to bundle the auto part of honda with the cycle part in regards to advertising. I thought they were like two separate operating entities...
 
dBuster_imp said:
See now I never thought to bundle the auto part of honda with the cycle part in regards to advertising. I thought they were like two separate operating entities...
Click to expand...

principal is the same ... Advertising works... For everything
 
It appears to me the Japanese know their home market very well, the US less so. Understandable; we tell them to import something and then we don't buy it (W650, our CB1100, GB500 etc.) but from time to time they hit a home run (Goldwing). We're a fickle bunch.
 
Wow... As a Harley, Kawasaki, AND Honda owner... I'm glad I've missed most of this conversation. I might have been banned... I tend to like to argue. I forget who asked the original question but I remember reading that you decided to buy the CB. Good choice! But of course... I would have said that if you bought the Harley. After all... It's YOUR bike. Ride safe and enjoy your CB!
 
Rboe_imp said:
It appears to me the Japanese know their home market very well, the US less so. Understandable; we tell them to import something and then we don't buy it (W650, our CB1100, GB500 etc.) but from time to time they hit a home run (Goldwing). We're a fickle bunch.
Click to expand...
I don't know that I'd call the CB1100 a dud yet. Honda imported it knowing that it was a niche bike and would not sell like their more popular models. Take the last generation CB750 as an example. It was never a big seller, but Honda sold it here for 12 years.
 
I''ll take any bike even a HD if it's for free. But I am a bit choosee when I afto hand over cash.......
At the moment I just LOVE HONDA. If FIAT made a bike who knows....and the Vespa was SCOOTOOO.
Not saying HD dosen't have it's creds ether.....
 
ARMike_imp said:
I know...crazy comparison! I just joined this thread because have been lurking and am a long time Honda rider. In my young days I rode a CL down every back road I could find. Since then I've had several Honda dirt bikes. Now am in my early 50's and looking for a bike for the street. I did have a Bonneville because I like the old school look. Have ridden about every Harley but just can't seem to pull the trigger. I also like the BMW GS as I like to ride back and mountain roads and just explore. My wife doesn't ride with me so will be 1 up. I anxiously waited for the CB and looked at it soon it came out and like it. Then I just kept looking at HD's until the past weekend and I went back to the Honda dealer again. I really like the CB so started reading all the post. I also stated checking at the windscreens as this was a concern but looks like there are options. I like naked most of the time but some wind protection would be nice at times. Am planning on taking one out this weekend for a demo ride. Not sure what I am asking for in the post unless you can give me some input on if any of you ride both and your impression of the CB versus an HD. Am looking at the softails. Like I said though only back and mountain roads and very little highway or long trips. Have lots of beautiful mountain roads here in Arkansas to ride without ever getting on the highway.

Thanks for letting me just talk on my first post. Dang I love this bike!!
Click to expand...
Mike, I had a similar concern, except it was over a different bike. I was looking at the CB1100 and the Yamaha FZ-09. However, I have some experience with Harley's, (I like them for what they are, not a Harley "basher"). In the end, of course, I bought the CB1100.

As for the Road King, they are nice, but they are much more expensive than the Honda. In my opinion, other than the sound, the Honda is superior in every way. The Road King is a good touring bike, the CB1100, (with a fairing), would also be a good touring bike. The Honda is very torquey, far more nimble, quicker, and much easier to ride "around town" than the Harley.

I don't know, if this helps, but for me it is a no brainer, the Harley is going to set you back a lot more money, but I'm not sure what you are paying for, other than the "Harley experience". Buying American is certainly a consideration, but for me, the Honda was right. I put a lot of thought into my personal decision, and I am very pleased with the Honda,
I like it more and more every day.
Rboe_imp said:
It appears to me the Japanese know their home market very well, the US less so. Understandable; we tell them to import something and then we don't buy it (W650, our CB1100, GB500 etc.) but from time to time they hit a home run (Goldwing). We're a fickle bunch.
Click to expand...
I purchased my CB1100 a couple of days ago, it was the last one the dealer had, (a large dealer in DFW), and they said they do not know when they will have any more, could be next year. They sold several of them. It won't, of course, be their best seller, but it's doing ok.

Honda has done quite well in the U.S. over the years. :)
 
ride4now_imp said:
Wow... As a Harley, Kawasaki, AND Honda owner... I'm glad I've missed most of this conversation. I might have been banned... I tend to like to argue. I forget who asked the original question but I remember reading that you decided to buy the CB. Good choice! But of course... I would have said that if you bought the Harley. After all... It's YOUR bike. Ride safe and enjoy your CB!
Click to expand...
+1.

All bikes are potentially good bikes. The question is which bike is best for you. When I sold cars, I would ask the customer which other cars she-or-he was considering. I never knocked their range of choices. There was, after all, something in those choices that resonated with the customer. Harley, Honda, Triumph or Suzuki . . . they're all good. For the members of this forum (including me), the CB1100 was the bike that met our needs.
 
Yesterday for the lack of anything better to do I road my new to me Valkyrie to Twiggs in Hagerstown. Those fellows from top to bottom are the nicest most professional people I have encountered in my dealings. M&S Harley in Chambersburg is also a top notch outfit but Twiggs is outstanding. Never too busy to talk with you and always more then willing to allow a test ride or to do what ever it takes. Anyways I looked at two bikes. The F6B which is nice but probably more then I need. I test rode a CTX with the auto transmission and that's a very interesting bike. I personally like the auto shift but they make the bike with a regular shift. I thought the bike was especially nimble and easy to ride. Can be set up with a nice fairing and small hard bangs, sorta like a baby wing. Anyone looking for a bike for a new rider or a short distance run around would do well to look at the CTX 700. A little expensive however. As an aside I some how got to one of the Harley forums and they were talking about the Honda F6B as it compared to the street glide. I found it interesting that they freely admit to some significant quality issues with their bikes. Specifically the CVO which I thought was supposed to be their "best" bike. I haven't had a problem with any of my Harley's but admittedly mine don't get ridden much. I was rather surprised about the comments. They typically don't like the esthetics of the Honda's but they freely admit better performance and better quality at a reduced cost. If you are getting it straight from the Harley guys themselves must be some truth to it. I was surprised to read this from the boys themselves. And it makes me reconsider my opinions.
 
bubblerboy64_imp said:
Yesterday for the lack of anything better to do I road my new to me Valkyrie to Twiggs in Hagerstown. Those fellows from top to bottom are the nicest most professional people I have encountered in my dealings. M&S Harley in Chambersburg is also a top notch outfit but Twiggs is outstanding. Never too busy to talk with you and always more then willing to allow a test ride or to do what ever it takes. Anyways I looked at two bikes. The F6B which is nice but probably more then I need. I test rode a CTX with the auto transmission and that's a very interesting bike. I personally like the auto shift but they make the bike with a regular shift. I thought the bike was especially nimble and easy to ride. Can be set up with a nice fairing and small hard bangs, sorta like a baby wing. Anyone looking for a bike for a new rider or a short distance run around would do well to look at the CTX 700. A little expensive however. As an aside I some how got to one of the Harley forums and they were talking about the Honda F6B as it compared to the street glide. I found it interesting that they freely admit to some significant quality issues with their bikes. Specifically the CVO which I thought was supposed to be their "best" bike. I haven't had a problem with any of my Harley's but admittedly mine don't get ridden much. I was rather surprised about the comments. They typically don't like the esthetics of the Honda's but they freely admit better performance and better quality at a reduced cost. If you are getting it straight from the Harley guys themselves must be some truth to it. I was surprised to read this from the boys themselves. And it makes me reconsider my opinions.
Click to expand...
Currently, my work responsibilities enforce only day trips on my CB1100 and my other older Hondas, but in a couple years I'll have the free time for week-long trips and I'll be in the market for one of these two bikes (Harley or F6B / similar). I've sat on the F6B at the NYC motorcycle show and at the local dealership and I think it is great (plus that flat six!), but on the other hand I've always wanted a bigger HD. Bubblerboy, I'm closely following your comments!
 
Yes, You know it's interesting this motorcycle passion deal. If you park a wing or a F6B next to a Harley Street Glide they are as different as a Great Dane is to a German Shepard. About all you can say is they are both big dogs. While I don't dislike the esthetics of the Honda I can't say that it really gets me going like the Street Glide but how are you going to write the check for something which doesn't really perform to the standard that is expected. Especially after reading the "facts" on the Harley forums. These fellow are saying they are having valve train problems at less then 30k miles. Possibly related to running too hot (being air cooled). That being said there are TONS of those things sold and I have a hard time thinking that it's a large percentage but maybe an extended warrantee is in order on those bikes? The fellow I bought the Valkyrie from bought a Street Glide S in Black and Sunglo. Haven't seen it but I'll bet that's a looker. He spent three times what he sold the Valkyrie to me for. The Valk is mint and with 6000 miles it's likely a better motorcycle. I buy new bikes but loose big money when I do. The used ones if you are careful you can buy and ride them a year and take maybe a $1000 hit. More sensible for sure.

I only sat on the F6B and one thing I did notice is the cock pit seems tight to me. You are right up close the handle bars (and I am SHORT mind you) and the setting position is very vertical. The seat seems very wide to me and not especially comfortable on the Honda. There are after market seat showing up now which might solve that but I wonder if a fellow over 6 ft would be comfortable on the F6B.

As the fellows says on Chasing Classic Cars "it's all about the chase"
 
Harley-Davidson Road Glide | Honda Gold Wing F6B | Dissimilar Metals

Having rented streetglides and owning a gold wing it would be a no brainier without even demo riding each of them. Lower seat height mid controls, shorter distance to bars on the honda = better comfort for me personally, not to mention Hp and torque difference all at the same price. Shields can all be modified to your preference. Now this would be for long overnight tours. They Harley may be fun for the weekend warrior going for breakfast and bullshitting at the gas station.
 
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