Hello all. Last Saturday I picked up my new 2017 CB1100 CAH (Canadian Designation for a CB1100EX).
This is a fun toy for me to go along with our 2009 GoldWing which my wife adores as a passenger. The Goldwing is an O.K. transportation appliance and great for foul/cold weather but actually it's pretty boring to ride. When the alternator on a motorcycle makes more noise than the engine, well, that's just not right!
This new 2017 CB1100 is a dream bike for an old guy like me and the revisions Honda has made for 2017 are notable. Guess I'm in my 2nd childhood.
I started riding about 40 years ago on a 1972 Honda CB350 (O.K. starter bike), followed by a 1980 Honda CM400 (piece of crap with abominable ergonomics), followed by a wonderful 1982 Honda 450 Nighthawk which I rode for 12 years before giving up riding for about 8 years when my son was approaching driving age. In 2002 as an empty nester, I decided to take up the sport again and went shopping looking for a "Straight Up Bike" like the Nighthawk. No such luck. Oh that this CB1100 had been an available choice back then. However, at that point in time, the only thing available around here were Sportbikes or Cruisers. I settled on a 2002 805cc Suzuki Volusia V-Twin (same as their current C50) which was my first Water Cooled and Shaft Drive Motorcycle. As fortune would have it, my wife hopped on the back and really enjoyed the experience. This was a shock to me as she'd only ridden on the Nighthawk for about 50 miles during the 12 years I owned it. She informed me that she didn't have to worry about "being there" for the kids anymore as they were grown up and gone. O.K.! Glad to have her aboard. So the Volusia was a decent bike but for two up riding it was a bit small and "underpowered", or should I say "over revved" on the highway. In 2004 I traded up to a Honda VTX1300s, another Water Cooled Shaft Drive machine. This was a pretty wonderful machine and I happily enjoyed it for 11+ years and I thought my wife did as well. Then in 2015 I told her I'd seen a used Goldwing at a local dealer's shop and she grabbed me and said, "If you're ever going to do this, you need to do it now". Shocker! I didn't buy that particular one but a couple weeks later came across a killer deal on another loaded 2009 Goldwing, airbag and all, with less than 24,000 miles on it, which we purchased. She LOVES the Heated Seats, cradled comfort of the passenger accommodations, lots of storage, etc. The Goldwing is a fine Touring Machine so I'll keep it for her benefit.
Now for me, this new 2017 CB1100 is a blast from the past. The revisions Honda made to the Cam Timing on two cylinders actually gives it a pretty decent burble as opposed to a dead smooth 4 cylinder. I find the brakes pretty incredible and am glad to have the anti-lock feature. What has surprised me the most is the ride quality. This thing rides better than the Goldwing on rough roads, railway tracks, etc. and coming from a Goldwing, this thing feels like a bicycle with a motor on it. Kudoos to Honda for the 2017 Suspension Modifications. Great! I know some people have said this CB1100 is down on power for an 1,100 but for me it is perfect and SO tractable. I've pulled away from just under 60 kph (about 35 mph) in 6th gear with no signs of strain or chain snatch. Impressive. I'm not a particularly aggressive rider so I'm interested to see what the CB1100 delivers for fuel economy. That is one area where I've been totally disappointed in the fuel injected GoldWing whereas I found the fuel economy of the carbureted VTX1300 V-Twin to be exceptional. Time will tell.
This is probably the first time I'll give Honda a thumbs up for there choice of gear ratios.
I doubt I'll ever be hunting for another gear when cruising on the highway with this thing. Anyway, time to shut up and go for another ride. It's a hot day here and I'm sure riding with no windshield will be an absolute pleasure.