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2015's in Germany and Croatia?
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Cormanus Offline
Moderator

Queensland, Australia
Posts: 20,660
Joined: Dec 2013
Post: #11
RE: 2015's in Germany and Croatia?
It's an interesting question. We talk about model year because the information about VINs talks about the 10th digit describing the model year. I wonder, though, whether it doesn't really refer to the year of manufacture. In that case, the model—whether it was built in 2010, 2011, 2012 or 2013—may not change, but clearly the year of manufacture does. I can see no difference between Pterodactyl's 2010 'model' and my 2011 'model' except that his is red and better looked after.

There's no perceptible difference between any of the CB1100s built between 2010 and 2013, except that the US bikes came with black engines, no HISS and a hazard light switch. Does that make them different models? In my view, no. But the 2014 model has some differences—a six speed gear box and different instrument cluster for starters. That may be enough to distinguish them as models. The DLX is a variant on the 2014 'model'.

Ultimately, it's probably a semantic question. Seems to me there are 3 CB1100 models:

Model 1
Built in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.

Model 2
Built in 2014 (maybe 2015, but we've yet to see a VIN supporting that proposition)

Model 3
The DLX/EX built in 2014 (maybe 2015, but we've yet to see a VIN supporting that proposition).

Tell you what, though, and for nothing, they're all great bikes and all power to the lucky people who own one.

Edit: I did a bit of a search to see whether I could find the text of ISO 3779-2009 which deals with VINs. Of course I couldn't get the whole thing without paying for it (and that's a topic for a whole forum) but I did find a synopsis here. It contains this useful definition of what's meant by the 'year' digit: "year—calendar year in which the vehicle was produced, or model year of the vehicle as determined by the manufacturer".

So it can be either model year or year of manufacture but you'll have to put a Honda executive on the rack to get them to tell which they use!
(This post was last modified: 10-13-2015 03:29 AM by Cormanus.)
10-13-2015 03:13 AM
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Flynrider Offline
Been There

Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 3,233
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #12
RE: 2015's in Germany and Croatia?
(10-13-2015 03:13 AM)Cormanus Wrote:  So it can be either model year or year of manufacture but you'll have to put a Honda executive on the rack to get them to tell which they use!

I once did some contract work for Honda's manufacturing operations group. I can assure you that they use model year in their VIN designation. Parts commonality is also grouped by model year.

You make a good point as to whether a model that doesn't change from year to year is really a different model. A good case in point is the 12 year run of the U.S. Nighthawk/CB750 ('91-'03, except '94). Those bikes were virtually identical throughout the entire run, with the exception of colors, graphics and a few minor things like helmet lock locations. If you look up parts for those bikes by model year, the fiche will account for all of those minor differences according to the VIN model year.

Practically, as you noted, the bikes are mechanically the same throughout the various model years.

Interestingly, my CB750 is considered a '93 model (by VIN), yet the manufacture date is in late '92. I know that it really is a '93 because Honda only offered the Tahitian Blue color in the '93 model year. The only parts fiche that show body parts in my color are the '93 parts fiche.

Phoenix, AZ
2013 CB1100 - Big Red
1993 CB750 Nighthawk - Tahitian Blue
10-13-2015 02:33 PM
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Cormanus Offline
Moderator

Queensland, Australia
Posts: 20,660
Joined: Dec 2013
Post: #13
RE: 2015's in Germany and Croatia?
Thanks for that elaboration, Flyn. If Honda regards each year as a model, that will have to do me. It is, as I said, a semantic issue and not worth pursuing.

We haven't found yet as far as I know, is a CB1100 manufactured in 2015. I thought for a long time that there weren't any 2012 bikes either but then one turned up in NZ. Now it seems an NZ dealer has imported a European EX and is trying to raise interest in them. Good luck!
10-14-2015 01:06 AM
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Capo Offline
High Mileage

Sea Girt, New Jersey USA
Posts: 1,210
Joined: Sep 2013
Post: #14
2015's in Germany and Croatia?
There are some examples of manufacturers having two very different models sharing a model year. Case in point, Triumph Speed Triple. In 2011, the bike was heavily revised, with the old round headlight model phased out for the one on the market today. But there are both old and new models in the 2011 manufacturer year, supported by VIN numbers showing the same model year for two very different bikes. Some Daytona 675's were that way as well in 2013, with the old and new iterations in the same year. Dunno why.

No more CB, but a GB.
Triumphs and Ducatis.
A Norton, MV, and Morini 175.
Probably others.
10-14-2015 03:58 AM
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Flynrider Offline
Been There

Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 3,233
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #15
RE: 2015's in Germany and Croatia?
(10-14-2015 01:06 AM)Cormanus Wrote:  We haven't found yet as far as I know, is a CB1100 manufactured in 2015.

We did have two members from South Korea that have the 2015 Japanese special edition EX models. I don't think they posted VINs, but they had the right features (i.e. EX model with black cast wheels).

Phoenix, AZ
2013 CB1100 - Big Red
1993 CB750 Nighthawk - Tahitian Blue
10-14-2015 09:23 PM
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Cormanus Offline
Moderator

Queensland, Australia
Posts: 20,660
Joined: Dec 2013
Post: #16
RE: 2015's in Germany and Croatia?
Well remembered, Flyn.
10-15-2015 02:04 AM
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