What to do?

[Chris Goldson]

Love the look of the CB1100 but tried one a few months ago and bitterly disappointed. I know its a "retro" but did not expect the whole experience to be "retro" especially against my CBF1000GT.

The CB seemed harsh and clunky with flat performance not the relaxed ride that all the road testers seem to rave about and what I was looking forward to.

Was the bike I tried a one off I wonder as still really fancy one?

All thoughts welcome.


Chris

[Oop North John]

The air-cooled retro look comes at the price of restricting the engines output so it doesn't exceed the allowable emissions, Saying that 88hp should have enough pull to be fun, maybe the bike you tried had a slack chain or something else not adjusted properly.

Can you get to ride another one to see if the first bike was a dud?

[jedd]

mine feels like it's very easy to ride anywhere in the metro city.
I'm not constantly rowing the shifter up and down and up and down...I leave it in 3rd or 4th gear 90% of the time when I'm riding around town, and I have it in 6th when I'm on the interstate. The motor operates under a very wide range of speeds w/o needing any throttle, cltuch or brake adjustments here and there.

Although I haven't ridden a CBF1000GT, I came into my CB1100 from owning a 1983 CB1100F....let me tell you, that thing will yank my shoulders out of the sockets if I don't pay attention to the throttle. It's like a light switch too, one second you're spooling up the revs, and the next, the front tire is off the ground! The CB1100 may be "flat" compared to the CB1100F, but to me, the CB1100 is a better bike for every day use.

Suspension-wise, this is quite subjective...what's harsh for some is perfectly fine for others. I personally don't have a problem whatsoever w/ my stock suspension. Naturally, it's not going to be as plush as other bikes, twin shocks may be the reason why, but the cure for all suspension woes is to just stand up. If I see something nasty up ahead, I just stand on the pegs, and all the harshness magically disappears.

[Rocky]

Harsh and clunky????
Sorry to hear that.
My experience is the exact opposite, but we all have our own perception of the same thing and what we expect.
Maybe it was just "that" bike

[chync]

The first time I rode mine the impression was smooth but with a lot of torque. Because the bike is so easy to work on I have upgraded with a lot of performance mods and it's an entirely different machine now. That wasn't my original intent but I have enjoyed tweaking it. So far the list of performance mods includes lighter and wider 17" wheels, braided steel brake lines, Ohlins suspension front and back, staintune exhaust, air funnel on the intake, smaller front sprocket, flashed the ecu, power commander and dyno tuned. I would have enjoyed the bike stock but I enjoy it quite differently now. It's up to 93hp on the dyno with better throttle response and you can tell the minute you get on it. I started with a 2014.


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[COCB1100]

Sorry you had a bad experience. Although it's not a stat sheet champion, I'd say CBs are super smooth with excellent ergos. Not sure how the riding position could be "one off" on the one you tested but my bike is so comfortable I log many miles without noticing. Also, though it only has 88hp out of the box, the torque curve is electric bike like in its pancake flat-ness making the vast majority of its power super accessible in real world riding. For me, a high strung bike with 150+ HP does nothing when I'm riding around with stop lights and need to wring it out in order to reach the fat part of its power band. With respect to the power on tap in real life situations I find the CB to be plenty powerful and plenty fun.


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[beardyweirdy@me.com]

Hi Chris,

Are you looking at a new one?
As Chync said, they are very receptive to a few mods.
If you bought a 2013/14 you could spend a couple of the £4-5k you'll save and get a genuine 20+bhp at the wheel and improved suspension with proper damping.
There is a fair bit of weight to be saved as well.
My bike now puts out a tad under 100bhp at the back wheel and is 20-25kg lighter. Smooth, lively and characterful with the looks your after...
As said before, Honda has it's hands tied with the Emissions laws, so you'll have to help it along yourself ;-)

[Nightengale]

Hmmm. I thought my 2014 standard had very good performance in stock form, but I don't need to run quarter mile races (which it actually does quite well at). It pulls very well in any gear, and the shifting is pretty smooth. Currently, the only thing I've done is an Arrow exhaust, nice LED light bar and LED light bulbs front & rear. It's getting a rear rack and trunk this week. I don't like the stock seat (so far), but that is a common issue on most bikes it seems. Ergo's as other have said, are quite good. Easy bike to own, ride, fix (none needed so far) and I rather like the air & oil cooled design. They're not common motorcycles, but that's another factor that appeals to me. Our cookie-cutter society tends to produce everything in mass quantities, sacrificing uniqueness, design and individuality. The CB1100 isn't for everyone.