Exceptionally good review of the CB1100RS

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I came across this some time ago and have never seen a reference to it here.

I felt much the same way about my own 2013 after it'd been modded with Ikon shocks, the CB (Chip Beck) handlebars, a K&N air filter, and stainless steel Galfer brake lines/EBC HH pads.

2017 HONDA CB1100RS: A FEW INGREDIENTS SHY OF EXCELLENCE



Now, why didn't Honda bring this bike to North America? And why isn't it selling? The roads around here are thick with Triumphs of every stripe, XSR900s, various Ducatis of the Scrambler variety, and so on. Weight be hanged, I might have purchased one of these just based on this review.

 

[use2b_imp]

you ask why they are not selling ? this is my guess.
the drawing in this article is a bike that would have sold IMO . it really grabs a likeness to the motorcycle of the century and the only reason i even own a CB1100 is i found one that has such a close resemblance.
the new bikes look great but do not capture the past in a way that will bring buyers to pick one up and then there is the actual performance issue. I am old and like to go slow so the CB has all the power and speed i need .
the sketch with the duck back seat and 4 into 4's i think would have sold more than the fancy shocks = JMO

 

[Ulvetanna_imp]

you ask why they are not selling ? this is my guess.
the drawing in this article is a bike that would have sold IMO . it really grabs a likeness to the motorcycle of the century and the only reason i even own a CB1100 is i found one that has such a close resemblance.
the new bikes look great but do not capture the past in a way that will bring buyers to pick one up and then there is the actual performance issue. I am old and like to go slow so the CB has all the power and speed i need .
the sketch with the duck back seat and 4 into 4's i think would have sold more than the fancy shocks = JMO

Why didn't Honda give us the bike with the specs in the drawing? 900cc, 110/80-18 front with a 150/70-17 rear tire (same as the Triumph Street Twin/Bonneville), four pipes, and so on. That seems to be the problem, they didn't build the bike they originally intended. That bike would've come in with a sub-31" seat height, wheelbase at about 57.5", with very light handling and at a lower weight.

Maybe it's a bike that just can't find a real home. The new retro-styled Triumphs are selling like crazy, Royal Enfield has just announced a beautiful new 650 Twin, and the talk of the town seems to be the new Kawasaki.

The Triumphs, of course (as I myself pointed out) do have the fake fins (well, partially fake, as I understand it) but that sure doesn't detract from my enjoyment of my Street Cup, which has about 5,500 miles on it now. But maybe it looks the part better than the CB1100RS.

You are right, all that fancy gold stuff and forks and whatnot are perhaps not what the buyer of an 83 HP bike wants.

I've said myself that the stock bike with just a few mods is well up to the task.

Some like it soft and purely stock, and no doubt it works very well in that role.

I, and my riding buddy with his 2013, changed only shocks and a few other minor items as I mentioned, and we both loved bouncing the thing off the rev limiter and using every bit of brakes and cornering the bike has. As the Ferret has mentioned in another thread, he has stock shocks, set to the softest setting, and rarely exceeds 4,000 RPM. And he's racking up the big miles. So the CB1100 can be anything to any rider.

My question still remains, where are the buyers? That engine and general layout is just unmatched in terms of "authenticity" (lack of fake stuff, we may say) and nothing else out there looks as genuine.

Maybe it's just a spec-sheet thing; 540 pounds and 83 HP for that kind of dough is unappreciated, maybe? I never felt mine lacked for power.

I say to Honda, give us a CB900, under 500 pounds, air-cooled with the same gorgeous looks. I will buy it. That's the bike in the drawing, and that's the bike I want.

 

[Houtman_imp]

It is nice to see you back again !

 

[Hawkeye_imp]

Ulvetanna,

Great to "see," and/or read from you again!

By the way, thanks to you, and your helpful, informative forum contributions, I did a super sanitary BackOFF Brake Light Module install on my CB shortly after purchasing. I only sliced ~ ½" of the original wiring conduit, carefully soldered, and heat-shrinked everything, including the ½" incision to maintain/retain the original appearance and wiring as much as possible.

Hope all is well, thanks again, and wishing you, and all forum members a wonderful holiday season.

 

[alprider]

or
why sold honda in the first 3 years the CB only in asia and australia....?

 

[use2b_imp]

or
why sold honda in the first 3 years the CB only in asia and australia....?

very good point ! like the cb1300 super four that only made 100 HP with water cooling at that.
I am very happy with the beautiful CB1100 engine as it is traditionally air cooled and oil coolers were always popular in the south .
Honda knocked that out of the ball park and could have done so well by copying the silver engine , frame , pipes , seat , lines and even the tank decals of the original CB750K and then advertise the much improved Torque and HP as a selling point but instead we all scratch our heads wondering what in the world were they thinking ?
never liked the 750 super sport because of the black engine and odd looking tank and it never sold like the K did . Love this bike but it could have been so much more

 

[Cormanus]

An interesting review, Ulvetanna. Thanks for posting.

How Honda arrives at its decisions on where and where not to send bikes is anyone's guess.

I was going to suggest that one of the reasons the CB1100 has not been a mighty seller is precisely because of reviews like Melling's. They say it's wonderful but bland and I think that turns people off. However, it occurs to me that Jeremy Clarkson has described the VW Jetta as the most boring car ever built and there are plenty of them around. Maybe my thesis doesn't hold water.

 

[rboe]

Meh. It's a bit of a niche bike and the complaints are pretty darn minor and easily rectified by the owner with upgrades (not unlike what many, including me, have done to their CB's and to the tens of thousand CB's before). Unlike the previous CB's this is a very competent bike straight away.

He took what I consider to be high points and made them negatives. I'd say the bike is just not for him. He should get a Griso. I'm of two worlds about the RS coming here. On one hand I'd love it, on the other hand I'd have to buy it and I really don't need another CB.

So I'd like to see a modern version of the original CB-450 Black Bomber. That would make for a great coffee/city bike. Even better, a modern version of the GB (sorry, I'm a bit of a broken record there). Then I'd have a classic single, twin and I-4.:excited:h

 

[emptysea]

Posts taking about the "disappointing" or "meager" sales or asking why the bike is not selling are almost as frequent and twice as annoying as oil threads. At least with oil threads, you might be able to cull out a fact or two that may help you maintain your bike. There is no direct evidence that the CB1100 isn't selling to Honda's expectations since Honda not only refrains from publishing sales figures, but also steadfastly refuses to comment on sales expectations...of any of their bikes. Therefore we are left to speculate, but why are we not inferring that sales are at or above expectations by virtue of the fact that the CB1100 has been in continuous production since 2010 (I believe). Perhaps it was Honda's intention all along to bring the CB1100 to the US for 2 years to test market it a bit and sales were good enough for them to bring the model back in 2017. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I don't know. My point is that none of us know. Would it be cool to have a hopped up version of the CB1100 here in the States? Yes! Maybe we will get it next year. Maybe that's part of Honda's plan. Maybe not. Who knows? Not me. Not anyone, excepting the folks at Honda and they ain't talkin.

 

[Guth_imp]

I've long felt that CB1100 sales have been meager, certainly by Honda's standards (pun intended). But I doubt those figures are a surprise to Honda. i think Honda primarily built this bike as s gift to themselves. As I've stated before, I think Honda just sort of threw North America a bone by finally offering it for sale over here. I doubt that they were expecting to sell that many of them at the prices they were asking. For those of us with an appreciation for this bike (and the funds of course for those of us who bought new) none of the other stuff matters all that much.

 

[jerrycon_imp]

I read the article from start to finish. If the RS seat is similar to the 2014 standard seat, then I can agree with the author that it is not comfortable. Other than that, no agreement at all. He takes several positive things about the bike and turns them into negatives.

Like many riders, he appears to feel a great need for speed. There are other bikes for that. This bike is for those who like smooth perfection.

 

[itstuantran_imp]

I have not tried the 2014 standard seat yet but 2017RS seat is quite comfortable
I've make couple trips with range of 3 - 400km within a day an no issue at all.

I read the article from start to finish. If the RS seat is similar to the 2014 standard seat, then I can agree with the author that it is not comfortable. Other than that, no agreement at all. He takes several positive things about the bike and turns them into negatives.

Like many riders, he appears to feel a great need for speed. There are other bikes for that. This bike is for those who like smooth perfection.

 

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I have not tried the 2014 standard seat yet but 2017RS seat is quite comfortable
I've make couple trips with range of 3 - 400km within a day an no issue at all.

I read the article from start to finish. If the RS seat is similar to the 2014 standard seat, then I can agree with the author that it is not comfortable. Other than that, no agreement at all. He takes several positive things about the bike and turns them into negatives.

Like many riders, he appears to feel a great need for speed. There are other bikes for that. This bike is for those who like smooth perfection.

Keep in mind this bike is for the European and Asian market. Those markets value retro style and high performance. It wasn't designed to appeal to the Long Distance rider or touring community. The RS was styled to look like a 1970s super bike, kitted out with the wide modern wheels, lower bars, and reportedly a few performance tweaks to the power band. It's also got the suspension and brake upgrades. So it looks the part of cafe racer. That culture is very popular for the intended market.

So the review is accurate from that point of view, as both the Thruxton and R9T offer more performance, at least on a spec sheet. North America doesn't get that bike, unfortunately, because I think it would sell very well. My neck of the woods is just lousy with R9Ts, T120/T100/Street Twin/Cup Triumphs, and the like. Those bikes are hugely popular in urban areas for both style and transportation. The CB1100RS would've fit right in. In fact, it would have drawn more attention in a parking lot full of bikes than either the Triumphs or the BMWs, in my opinion. And is likely still a much better standard motorcycle.

But maybe Honda'll bring it over if it's a success in Europe.

Then again, maybe the fact that the seat was the most controversial aspect of the machine is telling.

And what it probably tells Honda is they've made the right decision going up against the XSR900, Z900RS, along with the BMW and Triumph models, by squaring off against them with the CB1000R series.

I may have to take a look at one of those.

 

[ZRXman01_imp]

I LOVE the look of the new RS
The way they took out the tank seam is pure art.
(I can FIX the seat part and any other perceived "flaws")
I have already owned 190+ MPH bikes so speed is relative.
This one is a beauty and a true classic that pushes all the right buttons!!!
PLEASE bring them to the states!!!!

 

[alprider]

saddle + basic dimensions : our CB is veryy comfortable for bodys 170-175cm and 70-75kg ......amen.... i have no problems ...LOL

the suspension from the 17models are better (stronger) specaly from the RS .....

the saddle from the 17 EX has some littel littel other form..and somehow littel littel more harder.....

the saddle surface material from the RS is not that slippery like the EXs an 5mm higher

i drove the RS only 20-30 Min....in the first minutes was the RS geometry/ handling very strange compared to the EX....

our CB is a low rpm torque bike like a big chopper V2 .... finsih and over .... and absolutly not a sportbike like the actual ones.......for any peoples suggest the CB (RS) just a sportbike and they expect the performance just from actual sportbike......not wonder if they are disappointed..... thats it....

 

[Ulvetanna_imp]

saddle + basic dimensions : our CB is veryy comfortable for bodys 170-175cm and 70-75kg ......amen.... i have no problems ...LOL

the suspension from the 17models are better (stronger) specaly from the RS .....

the saddle from the 17 EX has some littel littel other form..and somehow littel littel more harder.....

the saddle surface material from the RS is not that slippery like the EXs an 5mm higher

i drove the RS only 20-30 Min....in the first minutes was the RS geometry/ handling very strange compared to the EX....

our CB is a low rpm torque bike like a big chopper V2 .... finsih and over .... and absolutly not a sportbike like the actual ones.......for any peoples suggest the CB (RS) just a sportbike and they expect the performance just from actual sportbike......not wonder if they are disappointed..... thats it....

I am guessing: harder to turn it at lower speeds, wants to stand up at higher cornering speeds (compared to the Standard or EX with 18" wheels).

Yep, wide seventeens are very different. But almost all bikes have them now. I like the 18" front/17" rear combination on my Street Cup, with moderately wide tires.

So, the CB1000R now has 143 HP...and weighs only 466 lbs wet. We can see who Honda is going after with that one.

saddle + basic dimensions : our CB is veryy comfortable for bodys 170-175cm and 70-75kg ......amen.... i have no problems ...LOL

the suspension from the 17models are better (stronger) specaly from the RS .....

the saddle from the 17 EX has some littel littel other form..and somehow littel littel more harder.....

the saddle surface material from the RS is not that slippery like the EXs an 5mm higher

i drove the RS only 20-30 Min....in the first minutes was the RS geometry/ handling very strange compared to the EX....

our CB is a low rpm torque bike like a big chopper V2 .... finsih and over .... and absolutly not a sportbike like the actual ones.......for any peoples suggest the CB (RS) just a sportbike and they expect the performance just from actual sportbike......not wonder if they are disappointed..... thats it....

Yes but that said a skilled and smooth rider can get a CB1100 down the road and around the curves very quickly. I have one riding buddy who still owns a 2013, former racer of "classic" superbikes, and he LOVES his CB1100, and even more loves to catch out guys who think that CB1100 is ONLY an old man's bike.

Yep it is an old man's bike for sure...but...

 

[alprider]

i guess next season i will rent a RS for 1 day....for get know realy the real diffrence....

well clear with our CB you can drive fine " fluently " yes of course.......but just , you have no high rpm-powerkick and around sharp curves scratchs the pegs very early....sporty driving needs another


btw.

sometimes if i am on the way with my goldwing...means peoples sometimes haaa this wing boy i catch easy...but if i am in mood so they must some make an effort....yes its still too a question how good you can handle/drive the bike....

 

[2017EX_imp]

I thought it best to say that motorcycle choice is always a matter of personal taste, before saying anything else, "different strokes for different folks". I like the look of the RS, but for me there would need to be a significant "feature benefit" difference for me to go from my EX to the RS. However, if the 1100 was offered exactly the same as the drawing, I would probably do it in a heart beat. I had thought briefly about doing an aftermarket 4 into 4 exhaust on my EX, but cost, and having to do away with the center stand made me decide not to. My 1974 CB750 Four, and as I recall all the other 750 years ( correct me if I am wrong ) all had center stands, whether 4 into 4, 4 into 2, or 4 into 1. I think everyone already knows how handy it is to have that center stand. I had speculated 15 or more years ago that if Honda brought back a CB750 Four with updated technology, it would be a winner. I think that the vast majority of Forum members are probably Baby Boomers like me, that spent some of their best motorcycling saddle time on an air cooled 4, whether it was a Honda, Kawasaki, or Suzuki. Because Baby Boomers are rapidly becoming a very large segment of the population, it would then make sense for Honda to produce a bike aimed that that market, as I doubt very many of us, if any like the "Crotch Rockets" that seem to be so popular with the millennials. In my view, the CB1100 whether in SA, CA (EX), or the RS, is what Honda intended it to be, a sit back and enjoy the ride bike.

 

[itstuantran_imp]

"harder to turn it at lower speeds, wants to stand up at higher cornering speeds (compared to the Standard or EX with 18" wheels)."
Ulvetanna, you are right on this. It takes more effort to make the bike turn at low speed.

saddle + basic dimensions : our CB is veryy comfortable for bodys 170-175cm and 70-75kg ......amen.... i have no problems ...LOL

the suspension from the 17models are better (stronger) specaly from the RS .....

the saddle from the 17 EX has some littel littel other form..and somehow littel littel more harder.....

the saddle surface material from the RS is not that slippery like the EXs an 5mm higher

i drove the RS only 20-30 Min....in the first minutes was the RS geometry/ handling very strange compared to the EX....

our CB is a low rpm torque bike like a big chopper V2 .... finsih and over .... and absolutly not a sportbike like the actual ones.......for any peoples suggest the CB (RS) just a sportbike and they expect the performance just from actual sportbike......not wonder if they are disappointed..... thats it....

I am guessing: harder to turn it at lower speeds, wants to stand up at higher cornering speeds (compared to the Standard or EX with 18" wheels).

Yep, wide seventeens are very different. But almost all bikes have them now. I like the 18" front/17" rear combination on my Street Cup, with moderately wide tires.

So, the CB1000R now has 143 HP...and weighs only 466 lbs wet. We can see who Honda is going after with that one.

saddle + basic dimensions : our CB is veryy comfortable for bodys 170-175cm and 70-75kg ......amen.... i have no problems ...LOL

the suspension from the 17models are better (stronger) specaly from the RS .....

the saddle from the 17 EX has some littel littel other form..and somehow littel littel more harder.....

the saddle surface material from the RS is not that slippery like the EXs an 5mm higher

i drove the RS only 20-30 Min....in the first minutes was the RS geometry/ handling very strange compared to the EX....

our CB is a low rpm torque bike like a big chopper V2 .... finsih and over .... and absolutly not a sportbike like the actual ones.......for any peoples suggest the CB (RS) just a sportbike and they expect the performance just from actual sportbike......not wonder if they are disappointed..... thats it....

Yes but that said a skilled and smooth rider can get a CB1100 down the road and around the curves very quickly. I have one riding buddy who still owns a 2013, former racer of "classic" superbikes, and he LOVES his CB1100, and even more loves to catch out guys who think that CB1100 is ONLY an old man's bike.

Yep it is an old man's bike for sure...but...

I am guessing:

Yep, wide seventeens are very different. But almost all bikes have them now. I like the 18" front/17" rear combination on my Street Cup, with moderately wide tires.

So, the CB1000R now has 143 HP...and weighs only 466 lbs wet. We can see who Honda is going after with that one.

saddle + basic dimensions : our CB is veryy comfortable for bodys 170-175cm and 70-75kg ......amen.... i have no problems ...LOL

the suspension from the 17models are better (stronger) specaly from the RS .....

the saddle from the 17 EX has some littel littel other form..and somehow littel littel more harder.....

the saddle surface material from the RS is not that slippery like the EXs an 5mm higher

i drove the RS only 20-30 Min....in the first minutes was the RS geometry/ handling very strange compared to the EX....

our CB is a low rpm torque bike like a big chopper V2 .... finsih and over .... and absolutly not a sportbike like the actual ones.......for any peoples suggest the CB (RS) just a sportbike and they expect the performance just from actual sportbike......not wonder if they are disappointed..... thats it....

Yes but that said a skilled and smooth rider can get a CB1100 down the road and around the curves very quickly. I have one riding buddy who still owns a 2013, former racer of "classic" superbikes, and he LOVES his CB1100, and even more loves to catch out guys who think that CB1100 is ONLY an old man's bike.

Yep it is an old man's bike for sure...but...