Thinking about buying a cb1100

[Ausreed93_imp]

I'm looking to trade my bmw s1000r for a 2014 cb1100. It's a brand new left over unit. I do have some questions though...

What's your thoughts on buying a unit that is 4 years old? Would I run into reliability issues? Seems like a long time for a valve spring to be compressed as well... idk just something I was thinking about.

Also I've read about how reliable these bikes are but one thing I see pop up as an issue is corrosion and rust on the painted motor and tank. Are these just a few people or is this a problem across the board? I want to ride this bike a lot and not worry about the paint falling off every time I ride

 

[peterbaron]

I put this way:
Bought my 2013 CB with 4500km as a demo, rode it until 54000 km/spring 2018 and sold it. New owner called after few weeks with many thanks = NO problem.
Bought used 2014 CB with 17000 km in spring 2108, made about 6000 km so far with NO problem...so one is 5 the other 4 years old = NO complaints.
Base on this and other members feedback make your own decision...but hurry, before you regret it or is too late.
:beerchug:

 

[Cormanus]

G’day Ausreed. Welcome to the forum.

Members via purchase of the leftover 14s and there have been no reports of problems. They’ll speak up, though, I’m sure.

There have been reports of flaking pain on the engine; mostly in the UK and Australia and not so much in the USA that we’ve heard of. I don’t recall reading about people having corrosion problems with the tank.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

On a bike that's been sitting that long, I'd have the dealer replace the brake and clutch fluid. I'd also request a warranty on the battery (or insist it be replaced as a condition of sale), but that's about it. If there's an issue with a valve spring, it'll be remedied under warranty. I've never heard of issues with corrosion on the fuel tank, but folks who ride on roads which get salted in the winter do complain about engine corrosion. Just like on your Beemer.

 

[Bheezy27403_imp]

Welcome. I bought my 13 in 2015, it had never had the batt hooked up at the dealer, so it sat 2 years, no problems. The only issue I have had is some blemishes\discoloration on the headers. They can be cleaned up with some elbow grease but apparently it hasn't bothered me too much to do so.

Honestly, if there is a better bang for buck in motorcycledom (assuming you are getting a deal many have gotten on leftovers), I would like someone to tell me what it is.

 

[egleaves_imp]

I bought a leftover '14 nearly a year ago that I ride as a daily commuter. No issues, no corrosion, no complaints after more than 18,000 miles.

Some members here have made some good points about the leftovers sitting so long as it pertains to tires and fluids. I wore through the factory tires kinda quickly but I still have the brake and clutch fluids that came with it. I don't know if they add brake/clutch fluids at the factory, or after the bike is un-crated and assembled.

 

[Jeeves_imp]

I JUST bought a 2013 with 600 miles on it... Honda reliability has held me well so far, don't anticipate any problems, but who knows... Running like a top, I did change the oil right away to a Mobil 1 racing synthetic...

 

[Cormanus]

You might want to see this thread that started today, http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=13300

I should have added this morning that my bike has some rust on the triple tree. redbirds (I think) has reported a similar problem.

 

[max]

I'm not convinced that the cb1100 is made to drive in the wet, come home and forget about it.
There are parts on the bike that need some attention, mine had a trace of rust under the tank and i sprayed some clearcoat over it, it was just a lack of paint cover, the inside of the chrome mudguards could do with the same treatment and some other things, gloss paint on the engine works fine but satin is just not as durable anywhere.

The reliability is very good as you would expect but if your s1000r has given no problems it may be just as good and there is a definite drop in performance for the cb, mine is also 8 years old.
Very valid question and glad you asked, there are other low maintenance bikes if that is what you want.
All these things are preventable but it depends how much cleaning you want to do, most of us ride in the sun and then there is no problem, its a great relaxed machine if you appreciate the looks though.

Don't want to stop you from buying it but i do want to give you my honest opinion as you wanted.

 

[misterprofessionality]

I think I know what everybody means when they mention bits of rust appearing around the tree or around some exposed bits. However, I've never in my life had a bike that I could ride through the driving rain and just drop off in my garage without a wipe-down and expect nothing at all to happen, especially after repeated treatment like that. It's just habit for me to always wipe down critical areas after a wet ride.

 

[Dude_imp]

I bought a leftover 2014 black std in june 2016. Have 18k miles on her now. Adjusted the chain once. Lube chain every week, clean chain whenever i remdmber or have time. Sprockets are in good shape. Oil every 4-5k. On my second set of tires. I will put 100,000 k miles on this bike minimum. Love it.

First thing i noticed on my test ride was #1 how smooth and flawless it felt. #2 how torquey it was. I do have a bit more vibration with the bar risers but nothing crazy.

A classically versatile bike that you can accessorize for trips and strip down for sexy town cruising.

 

[cookiemech]

I think I know what everybody means when they mention bits of rust appearing around the tree or around some exposed bits. However, I've never in my life had a bike that I could ride through the driving rain and just drop off in my garage without a wipe-down and expect nothing at all to happen, especially after repeated treatment like that. It's just habit for me to always wipe down critical areas after a wet ride.

Well, I DO have such a bike, one that can be ridden in the driving rain, then just parked without a wipedown, and no rust. That one would be my 1995 BMW K75, and it has always been my "rain bike". When I worked, I cannot count the number of times (hundreds?) I made the commute in the rain, then parked it in my garage. Never once wiped it down; I do wash it occasionally and clean it up thoroughly before winter. I challenge you to find any significant rust on it.

One of its stablemates is my 1994 K75RT (the one with the full fairing), which is my winter bike. Of course, it has seen plenty of rain, and plenty of road salt. It has always been treated the same way, and you can find a bit of surface rust on the centerstand after I rode it to work 11 winters. And maybe a bit on some fasteners.

Not all bikes are rusty crap.

 

[Chrisvillar98_imp]

I bought one of these left over 2014's in May. I have almost 500 miles on it and absolutely love this bike. There is nothing to give away that it was sitting on a shelf for 4 years.

 

[nymarty_imp]

Hi, I also bought a ‘new’ 2014 at the beginning of the summer. LOVE the CB! Great ride and feel. No issues at all and clutch and brake fluids are clear and fine. My tank had a couple of really tiny marks on top (mostly from sitting in dealership) and no rust. It is an unbelievable bargain for the size, quality and ride. New 1000+ cc motorcycle for under $7.5K out the door? This is the only one I know of. And it looks great too!


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[rboe]

Most of the time batteries are not activated until you buy. Should not be a problem. In theory.

Tires will be aged; but if you ride more than 5K a year the front tire will need replacing anyway so not that big a deal (then you put on Road Pilot 3's ).

You have humidity in Houston so corrosion "might" be a problem. Keep her dry, in a ventilated space and that problem should be minimized.

I"ve had one problem; with my large Adventure Rider boots I tended to ride the rear brake and I warped two disks. Bent the brake lever in a wee bit and switched to Side Rain boots - problem solved. At least one other fellow had the same problem so it depends on a few rare things all happening at once (like boot size, leg length etc.).

They have been very problem free for the most part. A few issues here and there (brake squeal comes to mind) but they seem to be all over the board and very few in numbers - nothing chronic to draw your attention to. Other than the fact that a core group of us will sell the bikes when our wives put us in the ground. Your mileage may vary.

 

[DBM_imp]

I bought a leftover 2014 black std in june 2016. Have 18k miles on her now. Adjusted the chain once. Lube chain every week, clean chain whenever i remdmber or have time. Sprockets are in good shape. Oil every 4-5k. On my second set of tires. I will put 100,000 k miles on this bike minimum. Love it.

First thing i noticed on my test ride was #1 how smooth and flawless it felt. #2 how torquey it was. I do have a bit more vibration with the bar risers but nothing crazy.

A classically versatile bike that you can accessorize for trips and strip down for sexy town cruising.

Great to hear. I have only 1K on my new leftover 2014 black beauty so far. I lube my chain after every ride while the chain is warm. The key is to spin the tire backwards and spray on the inside of the chain. I am using the Honda chain lube with moly. The bike is rock solid. Looking forward to 200K trouble free miles.

 

[Bigskyorbust_imp]

No worries at all buying a 2014 standard. Picked mine up June 13th this year ..daily commuter up to 5400 miles now with no issues at all, other than the paper thin bridgestone T54 front tire that is pretty much toast at this point.

super dependable , fun and gorgeous bike!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Buy it. You may live longer.

 

[Nortoon_imp]

Most of the time batteries are not activated until you buy. Should not be a problem. In theory.

Tires will be aged; but if you ride more than 5K a year the front tire will need replacing anyway so not that big a deal (then you put on Road Pilot 3's ).

You have humidity in Houston so corrosion "might" be a problem. Keep her dry, in a ventilated space and that problem should be minimized.

I"ve had one problem; with my large Adventure Rider boots I tended to ride the rear brake and I warped two disks. Bent the brake lever in a wee bit and switched to Side Rain boots - problem solved. At least one other fellow had the same problem so it depends on a few rare things all happening at once (like boot size, leg length etc.).

They have been very problem free for the most part. A few issues here and there (brake squeal comes to mind) but they seem to be all over the board and very few in numbers - nothing chronic to draw your attention to. Other than the fact that a core group of us will sell the bikes when our wives put us in the ground. Your mileage may vary.

The front brakes squeal on the 2017 EXs when coming to a stop. I have not heard of the earlier CBs doing that.

I down gear and was in the habit of only using the front brakes to stop so I could put both feet down. They would always squawk just before coming to a complete stop. Now I let go of the front brake just before coming to a complete stop and use the rear brake to avoid the squawk. As one foot is on the rear brake pedal, it does take a little more thought and balance to stop smoothly.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

That happens from time-to-time and I haven't figured out how to control it. Maybe more often for me, it is when the discs are cold and somewhat "damp" with condensation on initial morning departures and later evening starts when the dew starts to build-up. But somewhat rarely, at a simple mid-ride stop at red light.