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In Defense of the CB1100
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Ulvetanna Away
Road Warrior

USA
Posts: 1,696
Joined: Apr 2016
Post: #1
In Defense of the CB1100
There’s been some debate over whether the CB1100 is truly a sportbike, as Honda’s North American website states. This struggle in identity politics is not just among CB1100 owners; it also exists in the motorcycle press, and apparently Honda have noted this and decided to remedy the confusion.

The newest version of the CB1100, the CB1100RS, is undoubtedly a sportbike, or more accurately, a “sport heritage” motorcycle. It’s another iteration of a great machine, and not unwelcome nor unexpected by anyone who loves motorcycles and does not require a litmus test in order to appreciate a particular machine.

Even so, some of the comments about the CB1100 family found in the motorcycle press immediately following the Intermot revelations of the new RS model are instructive. One reviewer claimed the original 2013 was “boring” and another stated he never really learned to “love” the CB1100. The first of these pundits asked for someone who owned a CB1100 to “chime in”. Well, I’m your huckleberry.

As most members of this forum know, the CB1100 is a bike that satisfies the broadest need for motorcycling; it delivers a very satisfying ride under just about every conceivable set of circumstances. There are guys who do the long days and longer weekends. There are those who commute. Some have customized their bikes with some pretty interesting modifications: paint, intake and exhaust changes, wheels, suspension, handlebars, and so on. It’s a bike that inspires a surprising amount of loyalty and continuing interest in owners who understand motorcycling in its essential form.

The newest version, the RS, takes the CB1100 platform in a new visual direction; the bike is primarily a styling exercise, and should get the results Honda wants, which are sales. Many of the changes to the bike are cosmetic, and even those that appear to be mechanical or technology-driven are going to be either neutral or perhaps even detrimental to the bike’s handling and performance, as compared to the original standard model. They are very, very cool, however.

Some have said Honda lifted the racing stripe theme on the tank from Ducati, but that’s not so. Racing stripes has been around a long time; they were first used by the American Briggs Cunningham on his team cars, and first appeared on a production vehicle in 1965, on Ford’s GT350 Mustang. If the stripes are American, the rest of the bike is pure Honda, and it’s not boring in the least. In fact, the bike suggests the same kind of excitement about the ownership experience as that ‘65 Mustang. That year, Ford and Carroll Shelby reworked the existing Mustang to turn it into a production sports car. It had a small, but potent V-8 engine and much-upgraded suspension and brakes, along with a few other very nice bits to make it a car a driver could really love. While it did not actually handle like a true racing car (as the ads claimed) it was exceptionally fun to drive and made for a great everyday vehicle as well as a heck of a conversation-starter.

I think that description fits the CB1100RS perfectly.

It’s not a Ducati, or a Triumph, and thus avoids the problem of pretense; it’s a reflection of Honda’s original mission in 1969, when the company studied the Ford Mustang and other smaller American sports cars and created the 750 Four, a two-wheeled analog to those much-loved and extremely popular vehicles. Honda has remained true to its roots and its purpose with the RS; they have not adopted a concealed version of liquid-cooling to get more power from the engine, instead retaining a genuine air-cooled inline four-cylinder, which - for a Honda - is the most essential element in the package. Without that central feature the bike might be what some like to call a “poser bike”. No aspect of the RS, like the rest of the CB1100 family, is rendered for cosmetic purposes without the requisite, traditional function.

This strategy is purposeful; there have been several articles in the motorcycle press recently which roundly castigate “fake stuff” on motorcycles: cooling fins, air scoops, phony covers, and the like. The new CB, if anything, is even more authentic than either the Standard or the Deluxe. The new aluminum tank is without pressed seams, a more costly but crafty build. The beefy swingarm, also aluminum, is not cosmetic and reduces unsprung weight. Slender, light twin pipes grace the steel frame nicely, and get the job done while satisfying current noise and emissions standards. Most owners will probably leave them alone.

The rest of the technological changes are purely performance-oriented and in perfect accord with the mission of the 1965 GT350, which is also the mission of the 2017 CB1100RS: to create a highly-stylish (not stylized) road-going vehicle with a lot of magnetic personality, and enough tech bits to allow the owner to comfortably and rightly believe that “it’s in there” even if those bits don’t really change the riding experience much.

Some of them will, though, and perhaps not for the better; the extremely wide wheels and tires are going to dramatically alter the CB1100RS’s handling compared to the standard, narrow 18” components fitted to the current Deluxe and all previous models. One of the things the CB1100 is known for is the very light, nearly effortless handling once the bike starts rolling beyond a walking speed. It’s extremely agile, particularly for its weight, equally capable on the open road at speed as it is in urban traffic.

The 17” wheels will change all that. The wide tires place the contact patch at a considerable distance from the centerline of the bike when leaned into a turn, and this requires a change in riding style, with increased effort at the bars and more tendency to stand up while trail-braking into a turn. Honda has shortened the wheelbase and reduced both rake and trail to compensate for this, but these things will reduce stability to some degree, robbing the bike of that nice, planted feeling one gets while zipping along at an indicated 80 mph. Not that it will be unstable, just different, with higher-effort steering under some circumstances. The trade-off in being able to fit a practically unlimited selection of tires -- from touring to outright production racing tires -- may offset this to some extent. But the wheel and tire changes are mainly a cosmetic tactic; not fakery, but a fitment of overkill components to satisfy that need to know “it’s in there” for the kind of buyer who wants it.

Some of the other changes, like the slipper clutch, are warranted with this kind of a “sport heritage” build. A bike with the CB’s heavy flywheel and big powerplant has a lot of engine braking inertia, and the slipper clutch -- although hardly needed with a machine built for broad torque -- imparts another layer of safety for the cadre of newer riders that will undoubtedly be drawn to this bike. Like ABS, it’s just one more thing that could prevent a lockup of the rear tire.

The brakes on the existing CB1100 were, and are, outstanding, but the new fork is surely far better for backroad scratching. Since the fork is new, why not fit radially-mounted calipers into the bargain? They don’t help the performance of the brakes in any meaningful way, but they’re easier to remove and replace and they contribute mightily to the purposeful, performance-driven visual mission of the bike.

The truth here is that Honda have in fact managed to gild the lily. While a well-set-up 2013 CB1100 Standard will likely dispatch backroads as well or better than the new RS version, it does not impress in either the parking lot or the garage like the RS will. The new RS is compact, aggressive, and muscular, and conveys that classic roadster look upon first glance. And the closer one gets, the more purposeful and appealing the bike becomes. None of the dazzle turns to glitz; it’s all there for a reason. Honda contemplated this build carefully from the ground up and it shows. If you own an RS, no old geezers are going to come up to your bike and point out flaws, faults, or foibles. The bike is true to form and function. There is not a hair out of place, nor a fly to be seen in the ointment nor a monkey wrench in the works. This is not a simulation, but the real deal. Visually, it’s bad to the bone, but with the same 89 horsepower on tap and a broader spread of torque, it’ll be even more user-friendly.

This is a bike that Honda just had to build, to remind anyone who's paying attention just where they started and where they are now, and lots of us have been along for the ride. As a companion to the CB1100RS, we also have the new CBR1000RR SP2 with which to bookend Honda’s impressive motorsports history; one of each in the garage might be just about right.
10-07-2016 10:04 AM
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Frulk Offline
High Mileage

Utah
Posts: 1,454
Joined: Mar 2015
Post: #2
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
Welcome back U. It appears projections of your departure from this site were somewhat premature.
10-07-2016 10:16 AM
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Rocky Offline
Been There

Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 3,397
Joined: Apr 2014
Post: #3
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
Very interesting reflections and observations.
Great read. thanks for putting it together Thumbs Up Thumbs Up

Still rockin', rollin', and ridin' after all these years
'67 BSA 441 VR, '70 Triumph Tiger 100, '02 Honda CB900F, '06 Triumph T100 Bonneville, '14 Honda CB1100A
10-07-2016 10:18 AM
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CIP57 Offline
High Mileage

NY & NC
Posts: 1,410
Joined: May 2013
Post: #4
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
U,

Nice write up.

Once you change out the stock rubber ( which will be the negative feedback once its reviewed) with a set of PP3's or similar the bike will flick better than all older versions.

It just seems Honda copied what other aftermarket companies have been doing for 4 years. When you look at the bike with exception of the tank we have seen all these changes.

If they where having trouble creating HP due to regulatory emissions restrictions they should have bumped it to a 1250CC and the tags could have remained the same. There has to be a difference in power between these two models..

Most people are happy with 80 RWH but thats not what the RS is or should be about, thats why the have the EX. They missed the boat IMO. They would have had a hot seller (i would have been interested with 115 @ the crank) had they bumped HP enough to catch the attention of the market. [/quote]

I hope its a hit for the company and this forum, I just don't see enough change to bring in a different group of buyers.

1982 Suzuki GS1100EZ
10-07-2016 10:59 AM
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Lord Popgun Offline
I find your lack of RLETs disturbing

Virginia Beach
Posts: 10,442
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #5
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
What Rocky said!

If you come to a fork in the road, take it!
2013 CB1100
2012 ST1300
Holder of the CB1100Forum Secret Decoder Ring
10-07-2016 11:03 AM
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Capo Offline
High Mileage

Sea Girt, New Jersey USA
Posts: 1,210
Joined: Sep 2013
Post: #6
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
"It’s not a Ducati, or a Triumph, and thus avoids the problem of pretense." That's pretty funny. Honda makes the Sabre and Interstate. 20 different Harley copycats. The CTX1300. And the NM Vulture thing. No pretense in Honda- land there.

Nice POV, but no need to defend what you ride, nor demean what anyone else rides or why they choose to...or for that matter, take umbrage with what moto- journalists opinions are. They aren't far off base, in general about the CB1100, especially based on it's competition and the market response to it.

As for comparing this bike to a Shelby. OK. The CB/RS will be over 550 lbs and have mid- 80's BHP. They'll likely price it so that it languishes after the initial rush. It sure looks good, but in that nobody has ridden one yet, probably premature to anoint it. Like the current CB, it will no doubt capture the look of it's ancestors, without the hassle of classic ownership. I'm pulling for it, but wouldn't buy one.

No more CB, but a GB.
Triumphs and Ducatis.
A Norton, MV, and Morini 175.
Probably others.
10-07-2016 11:49 AM
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The ferret Offline
Forum Moderator

Ohio
Posts: 31,282
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #7
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
Welcome back Ulve, we wondered where you ran off to.

I wonder if Honda piggy back shocks are the quality of say top shelf piggy back shocks or if they are mainly for looks. I'm already reading complaints ( not from anyone who has ridden one mind you) that Honda should have gone with USD forks on it, or at least quality cartridge forks instead of the two valve thingy thtas supposed to act like a cartridge fork.

Also wonderings if, to go along with its sporty looks, if it has had the rev limiters and speed limiter removed or if it's still going to only run 112 mph. Or is it all just lipstick on a pig.

We all love the CB1100, but for it to be universally accepted its going to have to be lighter and faster than current offerings and at least as capable as a Thruxton or R9T. We will just have to wait and see.

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
10-07-2016 11:51 AM
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Joash Offline
Break-In Period

Michigan
Posts: 34
Joined: Jun 2015
Post: #8
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
Smile Great post and thoughtfully worded.
I like this:
Quote:This is a bike that Honda just had to build, to remind anyone who's paying attention just where they started and where they are now, and lots of us have been along for the ride.

I think this iteration will sell better.

2014 DLX Miyuki
10-07-2016 12:22 PM
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Sam Mac Offline
Running Like a Top

Galax VA
Posts: 256
Joined: Jul 2016
Post: #9
RE: In Defense of the CB1100
Well written post. I'm a newbie CB owner, I'm old, fat and slow so the CB is the perfect ride for me at this stage in my life. BTDT as far as the sport bike thing goes. Had a 2012 BMW S1000RR with all the goodies. Reality check I couldn't use 10 percent of what it could do. The ferret
10-07-2016 12:27 PM
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curlyjoe Offline
High Mileage

Massachusetts
Posts: 1,323
Joined: Jul 2014
Post: #10
In Defense of the CB1100
Great read Ulvetanna.

Welcome back!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2013 CB1100 ABS
2008 ST1300
10-07-2016 01:11 PM
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