engine heat and lean angles

fredkb_imp

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Hello everyone. My name is Fred and I drive a 2007 suzuki dr650 as a commuter to work 66 miles daily. I am considering buying a 2013 cb1100. I am curious if the cb1100 engine generates a large amount of heat to the legs as compared to the air/oil cooled dr650 which is tolerable. Also curious about the cornering and lean angle for spirited riding on curvy roads. Thanks.
 
Not sure if this is going to answer your question but here goes. In town, my Moto Guzzi Griso, in the summer, produces way too much heat off the jugs. Does not help that they are out there in the wind stream and my knees are right behind them. My XR650L does not do this and the CB1100 does not either. Both bikes are superior to the Griso for in town riding (quicker steering, lighter on their feet, no excess power and no boiling heat).

I don't push the lean angles. I'll touch my toes down on the Griso sometimes but that it due to lowered pegs and I tend to point the toes down. :) The CB does not have the attitude the Griso has so I don't push it by any means. My pucker factor tends to kick in too. :)
 
I never noticed any particular heat on my CB 1100 either, at least not like the heat that comes off my ST 1300 on a 90 degree day. As far as handling it handles better than I can ride.
 
Hi Fred, I couldn't compare it to the Suzuki, but my CB1100 doesn't seem to generate a lot of heat. The only time I feel heat from the mill is when stopped a lot in traffic. The bike corners well considering what it is, the stock suspension is a little soft, but overall it handles quite well. It's not a sport bike, and the lean angle is not that of a sport bike, but it's much better than the average cruiser.

Some of the other forum members have fitted their CB's with aftermarket shocks, (Ohlins), and report good results, I'm mostly a casual rider, so I'm sticking with stock suspension until it's time to replace the shocks.

Cheers
 
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Thanks for the reply. I have never ridden an inline 4 before and they dont allow test rides at the dealership. I love the standard look and riding position of the cb1100. I saw a you tube video from cager on two wheels and the guy was test riding the cb1100 and he complained that there was excessive heat as compared to other bikes. I have owned several parallel twins in the past that were air cooled and never found any uncomfortable heat wise.This is a large investment for me and I really love the looks and all the components look very high quality. I guess I just need a little re-assurance .Thanks.
 
The really nice thing about the CB is it is just such an easy bike to ride. The clutch is light and smooth, the transmission is slick, the brakes are awesome and the engine has plenty of torque, enough so that is can almost be ridden like an automatic once you get to 5 th gear. You really only shift in most instances because you want to.

It will feel a lot more " substantial" than a 650 single, but the low seat height, low CG and easy going nature will be very welcoming after the first few minutes on the road.

You can research some of the articles written about the bike here

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=10
 
Hello Fred... I've never noticed any issue with heat from the CB. Maybe a bit sitting at a light here in Fla in the summer, but not really a big deal... the sun on my back is much worse. I notice much more heat coming from my Harley than I do the CB. As for the riding, it feels lighter than it really is... so if you're used to your DR you'll take to this bike just fine especially since the seat height is lower. It's a great choice for a daily rider. Good luck with your decision!
 
I feel more heat coming off of the 650 v-twin in my Hawk GT than I do from the inline four on the CB1100. While it's no sport bike, the CB1100 scoots along twisty country roads just fine.
 
G'day Fred. Unlike others, I am conscious of heat from the engine from time to time, but it isn't excessive. Certainly not enough to put me off the bike at all. Like Ferret, I find the bike handles a lot better than I can ride it.
 
Hi Fred, as far as I am concerned the CB1100 is far from perfect, but it's the only bike in resent years that
rides like it looks and to me it looks Great.
And the DR is in a leag of it's own, in Australia they sell for $8500 I was tempted. But the 1100 got me.
 
Cormanus_imp said:
G'day Fred. Unlike others, I am conscious of heat from the engine from time to time, but it isn't excessive. Certainly not enough to put me off the bike at all. Like Ferret, I find the bike handles a lot better than I can ride it.

Heat is a funny thing, some on the ST forum do all manner of things to keep from feeling the heat, removing inner body panels, drilling holes, lining with insulation, others notice it but are not bothered by it, and yet others never even feel it. A lot may depend on where you live..it's much hotter in AZ or FL than in Ohio, or Wisconsin. Also what gear you wear amy also affect how you feel the heat. A textile jacket, pants and boots will go a long way toward repelling any heat from the engine, while a wife beater T, shorts and gymmers with no socks will let a lot of heat get to the skin.
 
Good point ferret. Obviously it is all relative. I've noticed the heat generated by my CB1100's engine on occasion, but not often. In the summertime, I regularly feel some heat being generated by my Hawk GT. I don't really have much of a problem with the heat coming off of my Hawk, but others might feel differently. I suppose the same might go for the CB1100. It is inevitable that an IC engine is going to generate some heat, but what is tolerable to each of us is going to vary from one person to the next. To boot, If I still lived in Texas, I'd probably feel somewhat differently about the amount of heat being generated by my bikes.
 
Fred... one more thing. If you can swing it... keep the DR... every garage needs a dirt bike in it. If you do any dirt riding at all... you'll miss not having it. In the long run, it's cheaper to keep it then to buy another one.
 
ride4now_imp said:
Fred... one more thing. If you can swing it... keep the DR... every garage needs a dirt bike in it. If you do any dirt riding at all... you'll miss not having it. In the long run, it's cheaper to keep it then to buy another one.
Speaking as someone without any dirt bikes in my garage, I'm doing everything I can to to ignore this statement. It would be a lot easier if I didn't happen to agree with it. :D
 
fredkb_imp said:
Hello everyone. My name is Fred and I drive a 2007 suzuki dr650 as a commuter to work 66 miles daily. I am considering buying a 2013 cb1100. I am curious if the cb1100 engine generates a large amount of heat to the legs as compared to the air/oil cooled dr650 which is tolerable. Also curious about the cornering and lean angle for spirited riding on curvy roads. Thanks.
only at stop you might feel some heat, you probably won't feel the heat since it generates it in the front part of the bike, since it is air cooled, no fan will blow heat at you while waiting at red light. i ride it on summer time in short and sneaker, feel no heat.

as for lean angle for spirit ride, it has enough room for you to hang with the boys if you have enough skill. I have hard time to keep up with some exceptional skilled HD riders on tight curvy roads
 
Heat you guys don't know heat. The BMW K75RT is called the "toaster". It is best ridden in weather below 60 degrees F. I rode mine from Albuquerque to San Antonio in June 2.5 yrs ago and it nearly killed me. I had to take of my vented jacket, wish in did not have a full face helmet. Was drinking almost as much water and Gatorade at each gas stop as it needed gas. Finally slept the afternoon on a picnic bench and rode at night when it called down. It is a killer bike in hot weather.


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No issues with engine heat except maybe at a stop light now & then. My ALR Chapter did the Million Biker Ride on DC last year and a few hours in DC traffic was not uncomfortable.
Lean angle is more than enough.
 
Fred I think you got a wide set if views here. My own experience is that I feel plenty of heat on a warm day when wearing jeans however it's ok when you're moving but annoying when stuck in traffic. Compared to my VTR the CB puts more heat on your legs. The bike is no GP machine but has plenty of clearance for very spirited riding and as some of the boys have stated the fitting of a for brace does help the front end and I hear that Ohlins on the rear are a marked improvement ... true for most bikes! Too bad you can't get a test ride 'cos if you did I bet you'd like it. Good luck with your decision.
 
Howdy Fred. I think that a rider's height can have a lot to do with how much heat is felt. I'm short at 5'6" with a 28" inseam and I rarely find heat a problem even in summer. An exception was my ST1300 but mainly on the left side. Those with longer legs have their knees closer to the bike's engine and that may be a factor. My last bike, a Moto Guzzi Breva, gave off a lot of heat but was only annoying in traffic. I've ridden my CB1100 in some upper 80 degree weather and have not had any heat problems, even in traffic.
 
Thread starter
hello. This is Fred. I have purchased the 2013 cb1100 without a prior test ride. I am happy to say that any fears about heat issues or lean angles were unfounded. To anyone who is considering these issues as being important , no worries. The bike is great around the curves. I can ride it just as aggressive as I do the dr650. As far as any annoying engine heat, it is virtually nonexistant. Thanks for everyones great input as it helped me decide to buy the bike and I am loving it.
 
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