Making these bikes fast

[jeffskar_imp]

Ok guys, I'm not an owner (yet) because the bikes power ratings seem pretty disappointing for an inline 4 cylinder motorcycle displacing well above the "liter" mark.

I'd really like to know what power modifications are being done to these bikes and what sort of performance gains are being had from them. IMO, Honda should made this thing come off the showroom with at least 120hp, even if they had to charge an extra grand, I'd probably have one in my garage right now.

I've read and watched quite a few reviews on these bikes and people obviously like the heck out of them, so if more power is easily tapped into with one of these, I may have to seriously consider trading in my Triumph Rocket 3 for one. Again guys I'm not trying to put down these bikes at all, I'd love to be persuaded into checking them out a little deeper, but double digit factory hp ratings just won't work for me I'm affraid especially at the flywheel.

 

[the Ferret]

Jeff this doesn't sound like the bike for you. not meant to be fast, can't make it fast. Sorry

 

[Olyrider]

Jeff

It just ain't gonna happen.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Getting that kind of power from an air-cooled motor like the CB1100 would require extensive changes internally, higher compression pistons, larger valves and different cams. In the end you would have a motor that was still no match for a modern water cooled sport bike in HP and would not meet EPA emission standards. I doubt the CB1100 will satisfy your needs. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

[EGAlvarez_imp]

Jeff, You are missing the point of the CB; it is a beautifully finished, retro styled, air-cooled, modern bike meant for a more relaxed, laid back ride on it's way to a trouble free 100,000 miles.
Getting 125 HP from this motor would cost a fortune in ultra expensive titanium parts, it would be very loud, much less reliable and it might not even run well on pump gas.

Your Honda dealer will gladly sell you a 123 HP CB1000R that will suit your needs: http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/honda/2015-honda-cb1000r-ar168076.html

Keep the Rocket 3 and buy a CB to park next to it for those sunny days when you want to take a nice ride!

 

[White Dog_imp]

Horsepower is not the solution to speed. Gearing has as much to do with speed as horsepower. Years and years ago, there was a guy by the name of Mickey Thompson who was always dabbling with engines and trannys. To prove a point to some of the drag race boys, he cut a V8 down to a V2 and hooked up a "special" transmission. Turned 138 MPH in a quarter mile. Back then, that was huge. I got to see him run '59 Pontiacs on the dragstrip in Greensboro, NC. His 3 speed auto outran Ronnie Sox who was driving his other Ponty with 4 speed shift.

As for the CB1100, I believe one could lift the front wheel off the ground in 1st on any given day. That "ain't" slow to me.

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Never be in the sport bike class.
There is a reason it's lovingly called a "geezer glide".

White Dog - I live close to that drag strip, quite familiar with some of the characters who have run There over the decades.

 

[furious_blue_imp]

+1 echo...

If you want fast(er), you're better off just getting a more powerful bike.

If you've already got a Rocket 3, any other stock bike is probably going to feel gutless next to that !

 

[Olyrider]

Jeff

It just ain't gonna happen.

Not sure what happened to the rest of my original post. What I wrote was:

I did the following things to my CB:

Had the ECU re-flashed
Power Commander V
Full Yosh exhaust
K & N filter
Dyno tuned

Huge difference from where I was "stock", but it's still 90 horses. But now it is perfectly tuned. FSVP. Mine is the five-speed, but I'm often in 3rd or 4th on the freeway. I love listening to the pipe! Didn't buy this for the ponies. I don't think anyone on the forum says they did. Most of us have been there...done that. But we love our 1100's!!!

 

[xNE0x_imp]

Like others have mentioned, this bike was designed for longevity, not to blow your socks off.

 

[CIP57_imp]

Jeff, Performance is power to weight ratio. The CB will get you up and going 0 to 60 faster than your R3 and with a few modifications ( pipe and flash) the bike will be within a few tenths in the 1/4 mile The CB is a nice bike, if you're looking for throttle ripping performance you have the wrong bike

 

[White Dog_imp]

Never be in the sport bike class.
There is a reason it's lovingly called a "geezer glide".

White Dog - I live close to that drag strip, quite familiar with some of the characters who have run There over the decades.

Thompson was probably the most well known back in the 60's when I was running there. I also remember Ernie "The Farmer" Beswick from the north who came down. dumped his oil on the return to the pits after each run--just let it run out on the dirt as he was being towed back to the pits. Alan Starr, the owner at that time, did not like that. Ronnie Sox was the local hero at Piedmont. Darrell Kersey had a mean 55 Chevy with 6-2's. I particularly liked "The Wicked 6" but could never find out what engine he had but speculation it was a modified GMC truck engine. He could do that as he ran in Gas Class. There were many other "visitors" but their names escape me. Dang that was 50 years ago!

Never be in the sport bike class.
There is a reason it's lovingly called a "geezer glide".

White Dog - I live close to that drag strip, quite familiar with some of the characters who have run There over the decades.

"Sport bike" same thing as "Crotch Rocket?"

 

[mininsx_imp]

If speed is your priority keep the Rocket III or look elsewhere, the CB won't do it for you. There are plenty of comfy bikes that have much more power than the CB. Rider magazine voted the Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT as their 2015 Motorcycle of the Year. I thought seriously about getting a Ninja 1000 before my CB1100, and as much as I like it, twisting the throttle on it doesn't thrill me as much as my '08 Concours 14, which has around 138 hp at the rear wheel.

 

[Capo]

The CB is a beautiful, well- designed machine and a fine backroad 'momentum' bike once up to speed, but is never going to be an outright performance bike. It would cost $5000 or more to make it even close to what you are looking for. IMHO, buy the CB for what it is, enjoy it, and buy a 10 year old Fireblade/ CBR 1000 for $5000 for hooning, and you'll be done.

 

[Offroad]

It's fast enough for me. If I remember right my original CB750 had 56 hp...my dream Z900 was in the 80's....so it does just what I want it to do....doesn't pull your arms off, but fast enough.

I test rode a CB1000R before I bought it....it definitely didn't fit my "senior" body type and I couldn't imagine when and where I would need that much power. I'm past riding wheelies and doing burn outs ;-)

 

[Randy B]

It's fast enough for me. If I remember right my original CB750 had 56 hp...my dream Z900 was in the 80's....so it does just what I want it to do....doesn't pull your arms off, but fast enough.

I test rode a CB1000R before I bought it....it definitely didn't fit my "senior" body type and I couldn't imagine when and where I would need that much power. I'm past riding wheelies and doing burn outs ;-)

If I only still had my 1970 442.....sigh.

 

[CB4ME_imp]

The CB1100 doesn't pull your arms off, but with intake/exhaust mods I certainly have to hang on. I'd say acceleration is on par with my old Suzuki GS650F. So the CB1100 is not a true sports bike but pretty exciting nevertheless.

 

[DGShannon_imp]

It's fast enough for me. If I remember right my original CB750 had 56 hp...my dream Z900 was in the 80's....so it does just what I want it to do....doesn't pull your arms off, but fast enough.

I test rode a CB1000R before I bought it....it definitely didn't fit my "senior" body type and I couldn't imagine when and where I would need that much power. I'm past riding wheelies and doing burn outs ;-)

Having been there and done that, I know that on the street, nobody but a show off with a little willy complex needs it. Chasing horsepower is a fools errand. As laughable as watching folks drive their Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. around in Houston traffic. Total waste of unnecessary performance.

Now, if you are into track days, that is a different story...

 

[jeffskar_imp]

Thanks a lot guys, the bullet bike thing just isn't for me. I'm old enough to not want to wear a "straight-billed" hat over my ears, and have gauged earings, however; I just sort of assumed this may be a "wolf in sheeps clothing" sorta bike, as older inline 4 cruisers used to seam fast, and maybe they really weren't, and I just haven't realized 20+ years have passed since then.

But at the end of the day, I really would love a machine that looks identacle to this, but would be able to stretch my arms out like a spaghetti noodle. Thanks again for possibly saving me from getting a bike that just wasn't quite what I was looking for, I still want to take a spin on one if givin the opportunity though, just to see for myself.

It's fast enough for me. If I remember right my original CB750 had 56 hp...my dream Z900 was in the 80's....so it does just what I want it to do....doesn't pull your arms off, but fast enough.

I test rode a CB1000R before I bought it....it definitely didn't fit my "senior" body type and I couldn't imagine when and where I would need that much power. I'm past riding wheelies and doing burn outs ;-)

Having been there and done that, I know that on the street, nobody but a show off with a little willy complex needs it. Chasing horsepower is a fools errand. As laughable as watching folks drive their Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. around in Houston traffic. Total waste of unnecessary performance.

Now, if you are into track days, that is a different story...

Having been there and done that, I know that on the street, nobody but a show off with a little willy complex needs it. Chasing horsepower is a fools errand. As laughable as watching folks drive their Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. around in Houston traffic. Total waste of unnecessary performance.

Now, if you are into track days, that is a different story... I'm into straight-line accelerion, and drag strips for sure, "my playground" for both motorcycles and cars.
I actually really love my rocket3, but it has a messed up 2nd gear, and will cost over 3K to fix, which led me to the dealer that had one of these CB's. Although I'd never consider my rocket3 with full exhaust, better flowing air inlet, and reflashed ecu "slow" I would absolutely love to do this to it http://carpenterracing.com/sbp_TRIII.htm, but the cost of that and fixing the trans could buy me a brand new rocket, soooooo..

 

[flynrider]

Thanks a lot guys, the bullet bike thing just isn't for me. I'm old enough to not want to wear a "straight-billed" hat over my ears, and have gauged earings, however; I just sort of assumed this may be a "wolf in sheeps clothing" sorta bike, as older inline 4 cruisers used to seam fast, and maybe they really weren't, and I just haven't realized 20+ years have passed since then.

But at the end of the day, I really would love a machine that looks identacle to this, but would be able to stretch my arms out like a spaghetti noodle. Thanks again for possibly saving me from getting a bike that just wasn't quite what I was looking for, I still want to take a spin on one if givin the opportunity though, just to see for myself.

It's fast enough for me. If I remember right my original CB750 had 56 hp...my dream Z900 was in the 80's....so it does just what I want it to do....doesn't pull your arms off, but fast enough.

I test rode a CB1000R before I bought it....it definitely didn't fit my "senior" body type and I couldn't imagine when and where I would need that much power. I'm past riding wheelies and doing burn outs ;-)

Having been there and done that, I know that on the street, nobody but a show off with a little willy complex needs it. Chasing horsepower is a fools errand. As laughable as watching folks drive their Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. around in Houston traffic. Total waste of unnecessary performance.

Now, if you are into track days, that is a different story...

Having been there and done that, I know that on the street, nobody but a show off with a little willy complex needs it. Chasing horsepower is a fools errand. As laughable as watching folks drive their Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. around in Houston traffic. Total waste of unnecessary performance.

Now, if you are into track days, that is a different story... I'm into straight-line accelerion, and drag strips for sure, "my playground" for both motorcycles and cars.
I actually really love my rocket3, but it has a messed up 2nd gear, and will cost over 3K to fix, which led me to the dealer that had one of these CB's. Although I'd never consider my rocket3 with full exhaust, better flowing air inlet, and reflashed ecu "slow" I would absolutely love to do this to it http://carpenterracing.com/sbp_TRIII.htm, but the cost of that and fixing the trans could buy me a brand new rocket, soooooo..

I think that's a good idea. The engine is de-tuned by design. Rather than shooting for peak hp numbers, Honda decided to configure the intake and cams to deliver power lower in the rpm ranges, where most people ride. The CB11 has an impressive amount of grunt at the low end. You'd definitely have to ride one to appreciate it.

Additionally, it has a 112 mph speed limiter built into the ECU, so in stock form a whole lot more power at the top end wouldn't really be usable. It actually bounces off the limiter on a 1/4 mile run. (the speed limiter can be removed with a reflash of the ECU).