Absolutely.
Following are my comments posted over on the advrider forum later that day....
on April 5, 2013 Guth Wrote:I've been fixating over this bike for what now seems like forever. Last year when I saw that Honda was getting ready to announce 6 new models for 2013, I anxiously awaited until the details were posted online. Later that very day, after no sleep, I put down my deposit on one. Today I picked it up and rode it home.
Was hoping to get to the dealer in time to take advantage of the break in the rain, but it just wasn't to be. So there I am, on my first brand new bike, and only my second street bike ever, headed out during rush hour in the damp, grey, wetness that is Oregon in the springtime. That brought a quick end to the only-truly-pristine-once excitement. I got soaked like a wet rat but barely noticed. That new bike smell coming off of the engine as I put the first few miles on the bike was intoxicating and the whole experience felt so surreal that I noticed little else around me, even while being surrounded by a sea of cars. It seemed like everyone was actually being extra cautious, giving me more than the usual amount of space to merge, switch lanes, etc..
Not too much terribly exciting to share as far as any kind of ride report goes, but what do you expect from rush hour bumper-to-bumper traffic? The CB1100 actually felt really good in traffic, easily pulling me along at low revs with minimal clutch work. The clutch engages right away and the bike is super easy to launch. Going down the road felt plenty smooth and the big CB felt extra solid, like a true quality engineered product very nicely put together. Before I hit major traffic, I did encounter some decent wind gusts going down the road and noticed that the CB1100 definitely felt more planted and stable than my little Hawk GT would in similar conditions. Ergonomics are surprisingly similar to my '88 Hawk and I instantly felt at home on the bike. I can tell that the big CB weighs more than my Hawk when pushing it around the garage or backing it into a parking spot for example. Once I got going I didn't give it another thought, just as others have mentioned. Super easy to maneuver at low speeds.
I'm 5' 8", 165 lbs. and have an inseam somewhere around 30". I can flat foot my CB1100 (#0079) at a standstill, but barely. At 50 years of age, I'm probably just the kind of guy that Honda had in mind as far as the average market profile for this bike. I grew up in the 60s/70s with a Dad that was a major Honda fan. Because of that we had some cool little bikes as kids including a Z50 to start with and a couple of XR75s and that was all it took for me. Like I said before, the '88 Hawk GT is my first street bike. I'm so freaking stoked that I'm finally able to add the CB1100 to my list of Honda experiences. I've never been so excited to buy an object ever before in my life. I've honestly almost hurled as I've been so overcome with excitement. It's truly a beautiful piece of machinery and brings back a lot of memories from my youth, even if it primarily evokes the machines that were mostly owned by adults back then. It's truly what I think of when I think of a "motorcycle". Awesome.
Now if I can just find a cheap enough way to get the cb1100forum.com going!
Here's a shot of the bike's "barren side" after getting it cleaned up from the ride home, along with my Hawk:
The only thing from that post that I would take exception to today was my note regarding the ergonomic similarities between the CB1100 and the Hawk GT. After spending time on one or the other and then switching back it is obvious that the Hawk is smaller with with a more compact rider triangle than the CB1100. That and my bike was actually #0097 (as opposed to 0079). Yes I was more than a bit excited that day.
