Question for you CB-lineage experts

[VLJ_imp]

The 2013 CB1100 has black fins and silver cams. The '14 Standard has blacked-out everything. The '14 Deluxe has silver everything. This new '17 EX is 50-50, with black lower fins, and silver for the upper half.

Any idea why? As in, to which old CB model does this half/half thing pay homage? I've been sitting here googling up every CB model I can think of, and none of them sport the half black/half silver fins, yet I know the new CBs are designed to pay homage to a number of different CBs of yore, as opposed to any single specific model, such as the original CB750.

I wish this new model's fins were either all black, like the original 2013 model, or all silver, like the '14 Deluxe. Either would be fine, with silver cam covers.

The half and half isn't bad. I don't prefer it, but it's not bad. I'd just like to know why Honda went that route for this new model.

 

[Wisedrum]

I assume Honda has no special idea in mind. Just coming up with different outlooks for different models for the sake of difference or variation.

I prefer the silver engine. An half or totally blackend out motorbike is not my case. Too dark, too much looking like a ratbike.

Wisedrum

 

[alprider]

be open minded flexible not stubborn with your view......our CB is still
in each version "" only similar"" and no copy of the original.....or you must make your own custom-CB....

btw.
on the asian version are the sidecovers below polished and not silver paintet like our version....

 

[Wisedrum]

No alprider, I don't have to, too
expensive and unnecessary,
I like it that way, the silver
lining. Tank and sidecovers in
black, a very good and unbeatable
combination.

Wisedrum

 

[curlyjoe]

The 1983 CB1100F has a similar engine color scheme to the '17 EX but not identical.

 

[the Ferret]

The bottom (cylinder) black, top silver ( head) motif was popular on Brit bikes in the mid 70s. Look up pics of mid 70s Norton Commandos, Triumph Bonnevills et al. The Japanese never really got into that paint scheme and it's anybody's guess is to why Honda did it on the 17 EX since I don't recall HOnda ever making a model like that. I painted the cylinders on my 73 TX 650 Yamaha in this pattern. I always thought it looked good.

 

[cooldrum_imp]

The ferret, you're up early. Thought I was the only one. Going riding today?
From a style aspect, Honda probably just wanted to change a few details on the motor to make it interesting. No reason.

 

[the Ferret]

LOL actually cooldrum I'm up late. I normally check in here about 2 hours earlier than this. Read the forum while making my morning tea. Riding today? Yes, always lol. Heading out in a few minutes.
This is day 248 for me riding this year and I will surpass 23,000 miles for the year on today's ride.

 

[VLJ_imp]

When I lived in Sacramento and worked in Fairfield I used to put 50,000 miles per year on my bike. Can't say that I ever counted the number of days I rode per year, though. That's a new one for me.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

I ride once a week, and my riding season is only 6 months long from May to October. But I did average 11,000 kilometers - 6835 miles a summer on my CB500XA each of the 3 years I owned it.

I didn't get my CB1100 EX until the 3rd week in May. This year the summer has also been cold and rainy, so I doubt I will get 11,000 kilometers in this year. However I have ridden 17 times and rolled up 7772 kilometers - 4829 miles so far. That's an average of 457 kilometers - 284 miles a ride. Not bad for pleasurable day rides.

 

[Wisedrum]

The bottom (cylinder) black, top silver ( head) motif was popular on Brit bikes in the mid 70s. Look up pics of mid 70s Norton Commandos, Triumph Bonnevills et al. The Japanese never really got into that paint scheme and it's anybody's guess is to why Honda did it on the 17 EX since I don't recall HOnda ever making a model like that. I painted the cylinders on my 73 TX 650 Yamaha in this pattern. I always thought it looked good.

The W650, a japanese bike, brought back the english tradition that was due to the cast iron, the cylinders of british parallel twins were made of. The W are made of aluminium. It should look cool and oldfashioned something that don't fit the CB in my eyes. Alu should look like alu and don't pretend to be something different.
In a way kind of a 'Blender', the german word for someone who behaves as if but isn't.

Wisedrum

 

[the Ferret]

When I lived in Sacramento and worked in Fairfield I used to put 50,000 miles per year on my bike. Can't say that I ever counted the number of days I rode per year, though. That's a new one for me.

50,000 miles a year is a bunch of miles and a huge stack of used rubber and dirty oil cans lol. That is some serious saddle time my friend.

I'm retired so ALL of my miles are pleasure miles. I don't have to ride if I don't want to. I write all my daily mileages on which bike on yearly calendars so it's easy to see. I never really counted the days until Aerostitch came out with a poster that said if you lived in different areas you could ride X many days a year if you were willing to ride down to freezing 32 degrees and up to 90 degrees, ride in the rain etc (I think those were the limitations). For my area the map said 308 days a year (BTW for Sacramento it's 330). So I looked back at a couple calendars to see if I was riding up to potential. 2014 I rode 241 days 27,053 miles (included a trip to Cali and back). 2015 I did 274 days 22,033 miles. Last year I started rain riding more and we had a pretty mild winter and did 323 days 25,304 miles. This year (with another fairly mild winter) as of today 248 days 23,147 miles with 92 days left in the year.

Jan and Feb can get iffy depending on the severity of winter here, so if you exclude those 60 days, riding 308 days is riding about every day of the year in SW Ohio. Most motorcycle owners around here put their bikes up at the end of October and don't get them out again until mid March or April.

 

[VLJ_imp]

Not sure how they figure Sac gets 330 riding days per year, if they define it as days that fall between 32-90 degrees. Sac gets a lot more than 22 days per year of plus-90 temps. We probably see 90+ degrees somewhere between 90-100 days every year.

 

[the Ferret]

Ok walked out and looked at my poster and it's 95 and 25 for the parameters.