defects CB 1100

[pdedse]

Maybe someone already mentioned this--my memory!--but it seems to me experience from previous bikes may carry over to the cb1100 and leave one..."wanting" that which was never intended to be there.

I got very used to my '04 HD Sportster over 9 years of ownership...its rumble wasn't obnoxious, but it didn't let you forget there was an engine down there. When I rode my '14 Standard home, right away I thought...where's the rumble? Did I make a mistake? Thought about making changes so it would sound more like, well, the Sportster I guess.

For me...wisdom prevailed...not sure why, but I let time pass and then I got used to the smoothness of the CB and I let its "voice" speak to me...and I started to enjoy it for what it was. Between the '14 standard and my current '17ex, I had the opportunity to own a Triumph Street Twin--I thought I needed that sound--character--rumble--throatiness....whatever. Turns out other aspects of motorcycle riding had become more important for me, and thus I returned to the CB1100.

Every now and then I suppose I miss a bit more "attitude" from down below, but then on a nice country ride, ear-plugs in, full face helmet...and I can barely hear the hum of the engine...I don't know, it's otherworldly in its own right.

 

[Cormanus]

Olof, many have complained about the vibrations or buzz that the engine develops at around 3-4000 RPM.

 

[Houtman_imp]

Houtman, after searching all I could find that you did was cut the loop off the sidestand.

You are RIGHT again , I did have to cut off the loops on all my 3 side stands as my large boots interfered a little with the loops after adjusting the Vario pegs to MY liking.
I had an 120 mile trip on my 2013 on Sunday and I have to say that I like my bikes more and more. I do not know if it is the higher milage , the 5 speed gear box or the Moriwaki 4 into 4 but my 2013 is for me the nicest bike to ride compared with my 2014 and 2017. The 2014 is the nicest one to look at but these engines are getting better with some miles on them ( and the gears as well )

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Olof, many have complained about the vibrations or buzz that the engine develops at around 3-4000 RPM.

Some of the buzz (dunno, one third of it?) can be mitigated with "Grip Puppies".

As for at the footpegs, I changed out my footwear and that seemed to quell maybe another third of the vibration at the specific RPM range.

 

[CB1100DLX_imp]

thank you guys.
known that many consider the engine anonymous and many have raised the saddle and lowered the motorcycle footpegs as it is designed for Chinese and Japanese with average height different from us Westerners.

So many things wrong with this thread I don't even know where to begin. I stopped short of pressing the Report button and leave it to the Mods to moderate.

 

[bflint]

thank you guys.
known that many consider the engine anonymous and many have raised the saddle and lowered the motorcycle footpegs as it is designed for Chinese and Japanese with average height different from us Westerners.

So many things wrong with this thread I don't even know where to begin. I stopped short of pressing the Report button and leave it to the Mods to moderate.

So many things wrong with this thread I don't even know where to begin. I stopped short of pressing the Report button and leave it to the Mods to moderate. Hey ... I put a smiley face on mine ... I defer to the Mods

 

[tommymck]

Interesting. I have a bunch of bikes, and I never really know what is meant by "character". At least in terms of positive. My bike with the most "character" is my Yamaha SR400. That single cylinder buzzes, shakes, and in general lets you know that its mood is more important than mine. Fun definitely, but to a point, on surface streets for short jaunts. My Triumph Speedmaster has the perfect engine growl, a definitive cool factor, looks great, but in the end, I find myself putting 400 miles a year on it on nice summer evenings getting an ice cream cone. My BMW R9T Urban GS is ergonomically great (for me), handles great, and in general is fun on a variety of surfaces. Great for fire trails leading up to a hike. I've had my BMW R2100C since new in 1998, and the sputter and the gyroscopic effect that you get when twisting the throttle has "character", but again, it's a fun evening ride. And it even looks weird in a good way (to me at least.)

My '17 CB100EX is home base though. While my other bikes get less than 1K miles per year, the CB gets over 4K. And every time I get on it, I feel silly owning the other bikes. It just matches my riding character. As good as it looks stock, I did do some mods though, which adds to my perception of character at least.

Just me though. At 6' (1.83m according to Mr. Google) the seating position is perfect. I do have a Samurider vintage style seat which adds a couple of extra inches to the seating position though.

Vive la difference!

 

[gmike_imp]

Interesting. I have a bunch of bikes, and I never really know what is meant by "character". At least in terms of positive. My bike with the most "character" is my Yamaha SR400. That single cylinder buzzes, shakes, and in general lets you know that its mood is more important than mine. Fun definitely, but to a point, on surface streets for short jaunts. My Triumph Speedmaster has the perfect engine growl, a definitive cool factor, looks great, but in the end, I find myself putting 400 miles a year on it on nice summer evenings getting an ice cream cone. My BMW R9T Urban GS is ergonomically great (for me), handles great, and in general is fun on a variety of surfaces. Great for fire trails leading up to a hike. I've had my BMW R2100C since new in 1998, and the sputter and the gyroscopic effect that you get when twisting the throttle has "character", but again, it's a fun evening ride. And it even looks weird in a good way (to me at least.)

My '17 CB100EX is home base though. While my other bikes get less than 1K miles per year, the CB gets over 4K. And every time I get on it, I feel silly owning the other bikes. It just matches my riding character. As good as it looks stock, I did do some mods though, which adds to my perception of character at least.

Just me though. At 6' (1.83m according to Mr. Google) the seating position is perfect. I do have a Samurider vintage style seat which adds a couple of extra inches to the seating position though.

Vive la difference!

True, I like this post. I have had at least 1 bike in the garage for the last 55 years. This CB1100 tickles me the most. A pleasure to ride and all I need.

 

[Olof_imp]

Olof, many have complained about the vibrations or buzz that the engine develops at around 3-4000 RPM.

Some of the buzz (dunno, one third of it?) can be mitigated with "Grip Puppies".

As for at the footpegs, I changed out my footwear and that seemed to quell maybe another third of the vibration at the specific RPM range.

Some of the buzz (dunno, one third of it?) can be mitigated with "Grip Puppies".

As for at the footpegs, I changed out my footwear and that seemed to quell maybe another third of the vibration at the specific RPM range.
I re-read my post and realise that I come across as critical, Sorry. I'm really not. I've noted the level of vibration but never been annoyed. I see no need for mods, and I'm far from the "white finger feeling". Pegs? Never even noticed. Also, my bike is still low mileage and the gearbox is still improving so I would not be surprised if this improves over time.

 

[Cormanus]

I didn't see your post as particularly critical; rather, I was just letting you know others share your experience.

 

[Olof_imp]

This thread intrigued me to the point that I had to go for a ride and really LISTEN to the bike. And you guys are absolutely right. The character is there, it's just not in-your-face-center-of-the-party loud. More low key, refined and sophisticated. But it calls for recalibration if you come from, say, a modern supersport. I've been on two wheels since 1981, had 50+ different bikes and many of them I "got" and tired of fairly quickly. The CB is different. Still things to discover and, to paraphrase tommymck, it just suites me. The ride was three hours in foggy eight degrees Celcius (ok, quite a lot of that in my favourite 1950s café) on rather dull roads with traffic and I still came home grinning. Says a lot, I think.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Ain't that a gorgeous lump Olof?

 

[tod.branko_imp]

My wife and I had a conversation on motorcycle character recently, and decided that lack of what is usually described as motorcycle character is not necessarily a bad thing. Dependability is a line of character, and one that oozes out of every CB1100s bolt. People with personalities of their own don't necessarily need bikes with personalities. I am hyper, loud, and obnoxious - do I really need a bike of the same sort? I don't think so.
Also I believe that most of the people in this forum are old enough to have accepted themselves just the way they are and have absolutely nothing to prove


'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

 

[max]

Nice one Olof, well composed for the occasion.
These cylinders are probably the nicest looking ones i have seen, even better looking than the kawa 900, just the right proportion of radius and overall shape, not to mention color.

 

[Tev62]

Honda have a reputation for slightly characterless designs, even in their cars. I had a 2016 Africa Twin which looked good but was a very boring bike (to my mind). I can't see how anyone could accuse the CB1100 of being characterless though, quite the opposite. It has character that no other bike copies. Its look and power delivery ARE its character.

 

[Houtman_imp]

You are right about the Honda cars , we like our CRV's but LOVE our new MINI

 

[Paris_imp]

Honda have a reputation for slightly characterless designs, even in their cars. I had a 2016 Africa Twin which looked good but was a very boring bike (to my mind). I can't see how anyone could accuse the CB1100 of being characterless though, quite the opposite. It has character that no other bike copies. Its look and power delivery ARE its character.

I have often thought that different bike makers consistently instill the same character in every bike they produce. A Honda is always beautifully engineered, with an almost liquid smoothness, and the CB1100 is no different. Kawasakis seem to generate raw, straight line power, even in a curve. Suzukis are just busy bikes, spining fast.

 

[teamvisegrip_imp]

I thought I would chime in on this one. Character means everything to me when it comes to a bike. If it does not excite me then it is not for me. I am now 58 and during my riding career I have accumulated those bikes that excite me. It does not need to be big and fast or all decked out it needs to excite me. If you look at my signature you will see I have a very diverse list of bikes.

I will say that at 6' 2" the CB1100 is just a little tight but I like the feel. I am a Tiddler Bike guy and well it fits me just right. Now the engine I felt was a bit on the boring side but understood 100% who Honda was targeting the bike for. When I compared it to the VFR I felt it should have gave me more... so I added the Yoshimura Exhaust and the TSR Intake parts with tuning. Now the bike has the character I was looking for. It is a Keeper for sure.

I guess I can understand the people that say the engine is lifeless. As it is a smooth as silk and the stock exhaust keeps with the smooth as silk character they were going for. Honda hit it just right for the masses. Just not 100% for me.

Looks! Well I love it. There is not a new bike out there that I would ever consider over the 2014 CB1100.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

My wife and I had a conversation on motorcycle character recently, and decided that lack of what is usually described as motorcycle character is not necessarily a bad thing. Dependability is a line of character, and one that oozes out of every CB1100s bolt. People with personalities of their own don't necessarily need bikes with personalities. I am hyper, loud, and obnoxious - do I really need a bike of the same sort? I don't think so.
Also I believe that most of the people in this forum are old enough to have accepted themselves just the way they are and have absolutely nothing to prove


'14 CB1100 STD 5 speed

(+1)

 

[Guth_imp]

if you have experienced the emotions that a vigorous engine can give you understand what I say, but the bike is emotion I don't care if it is perfect I want it with character, masculine

As others have noted, how a person labels a motorcycle often says more about them than it does it does about the motorcycle itself. If you prefer the emotions brought on by what you see as masculine character I'm cool with that. I'm a very open-minded person. But labelling some motorcycles as having character and others as not having character is a fruitless exercise if you ask me. These are mechanical, lifeless objects — either all motorcycles have character or none of them do. Whether or not a person happens to like the "character" of a machine is a totally different matter and that strikes me to be on of the key things at the heart of this thread.

I can understand how someone might come to own a motorcycle that they end up not enjoying, it happens all the time. I can sympathize with you in this regard. But to say a machine lacks character strikes me as more than a bit misguided. It also seems to me that you likely could have gone to greater lengths to research this motorcycle and what it's all about before buying one. In my opinion the best answer is to sell the CB1100 and buy another motorcycle. You'll likely end up losing a fair amount of money in the process, but hopefully you'll be a bit more diligent at researching your next motorcycle before pulling the trigger on another purchase.

My best recommendation would be to spend some time on the forum dedicated to whatever motorcycle you have in mind to learn more about it from the owners' perspectives. For example, it doesn't take much digging at all around here to learn that the the CB1100 features very linear power delivery with ample torque at lower RPMs that is just fine being short-shifted all day long and that it is a fairly compact bike that was developed first and foremost for the Japanese market.

Fortunately, unless you happen to be looking for air-cooled options in particular there are number of other choices available these days to those who are looking for motorcycles that feature more of a retro look. Life is too short to force a square peg in a round hole, especially when other these options exist. But any discussion revolving around the comfort, fit or ergonomics of a motorcycle fall squarely on you to iron out in advance. As noted above, it wouldn't take very much research at all on the part of a buyer to learn that the CB1100 is a fairly compact motorcycle or that the power delivery is what it is. Similarly, I'm guessing that as far as ergonomics are concerned, the general characteristics of any other motorcycle available today would be easy to establish with just a bit of time spent online studying such things.

In that light I would recommend that you visit cycle-ergo, the motorcycle ergonomic simulator site that has been around for years.

thank you guys.
known that many consider the engine anonymous and many have raised the saddle and lowered the motorcycle footpegs as it is designed for Chinese and Japanese with average height different from us Westerners.

So many things wrong with this thread I don't even know where to begin. I stopped short of pressing the Report button and leave it to the Mods to moderate.

I was giving Ale72 the benefit of the doubt given that there might very well be some language barriers in place but yours is a very valid point. To be clear, China and the Chinese people have nothing to do with the design of the CB1100 (anyone with information showing otherwise are welcome to bring it forward). This won't be allowed to slip again. Otherwise I'm cool with the overall line of discussion here. This site needn't always be a CB1100 love-fest. We've got more than enough passion for the CB1100 as it is so no worries. Hopefully we can move past this.