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VLJ · 01-14-2018 11:30 PM

Completed the ride, cooked and ate dinner, made sure the DVR recording of the Saints-Vikings playoff game is queued up, and here we go...

First off, another huge thanks to Eric (egleaves) for extending the offer to let me try his bike. The test ride we went on today was vastly more informative than anything I could ever hope to receive from a local dealer, even if they were willing to give me a test ride, which they aren't. Also, not only did Eric turn out to be a really good, solid rider, he's also a very good sport. He said that the type of ride we went on today was literally a first for him, in terms of the speed/aggression level. He mentioned having gone on a twenty-five-bike group ride just yesterday, which was apparently a much slower, more parade-like affair, so today's ride was a bit of an eye-opener for him. He had a couple-few scary moments today, he dragged his centerstand, and his shoulders were beginning to ache.

This was all new to him, and not once did he complain. Just a great attitude. In fact, he seemed to enjoy himself. He pushed his bike harder than he ever had before, and came away with an even greater appreciation than he already had for his noble steed.

He wasn't just hanging back and loafing around, either. There were moments when I would check my mirrors and smile to myself, thinking, "Check out CB Boy there! He's really getting after it!"

I'd pass a car, he'd follow right along, no delay. I'd go 100 mph, he'd stay right in my mirrors. Even when I took his CB up to an indicated 107 mph, he didn't become a shrinking speck in the distance. Nope, he simply hit the throttle and took off after me.

Mosquito Ridge was apparently unlike anything he'd seen before, and he acquitted himself quite well up there. He rode intelligently and stayed within his limits, which a lot of first-timers riding with strangers aren't wiling to do. Even better, however, he said that he pushed beyond his normal comfort zone, and seemed a bit jazzed about it.

Again, he never complained, nor did it seem like he wanted to complain. On the contrary, he seemed to take to it like a champ.

Great riding partner, all the way around. Highly recommended, if any of you are ever in the area and want to hit him up.

Now, the bikes. Rather than lay things out in a formal structure, I'm just going to do a stream-of-consciousness review here...

My very first impression? My god, is his CB low to the ground. What a cool feeling. The seat height of my XSR with the accessory "Comfort" seat is practically ADV tall, so throwing my leg over the CB's seat and having both feet basically flat on the ground was a uniquely satisfying experience. I've never owned a bike that I could flat-foot. Not even close.

My second impression was that the unusually low seat-height also meant that the legroom was even less than I remembered. Right off the bat, my knees were folded quite a bit, and the position beneath the foot peg of his brake pedal was too high for me, folding my knee even further in order to get my foot over it. Eric said he rides with his feet splayed out, so he doesn't notice anything amiss with the angle of the pedal. If it were my bike, I'd immediately adjust that brake pedal down a notch or two.

Once we fired up the bikes, I was struck by how quiet his was, and how smooth too, when blipping the throttle. Zzzzzing...zzziiiing...zzzzinnnnng!

Yep, just like most every I-4 I've ever ridden, only without any bass note...or any note at all. It was just smooth and quiet, with no vibration to speak of.

My next impression?

Holy crap, but is the steering heavy. It actually felt even heavier than the T120's very heavy front-end. Turning the bars in the parking lot, wow, there's a lot of resistance. It felt like there was a sandbag hanging off the front axle. Once up to speed this feeling lessened, but never went away. Even at full rip that front end never turns in easily, and constant pressure on the inside bar was required to keep it from standing up.

The bike is extremely stable, but very reluctant to turn. This surprised me. I expected it to feel heavy, but not to steer heavily. I expected it to steer heavily only at parking lot speeds, and do the usual Honda chassis trick of shedding fifty lbs once underway.

This one never shed the pounds. Whether in the parking lot or on fast, flowing sweepers, or in tight, bumpy twisties, the steering (and the feel of the entire bike) remained conspicuously, unusually heavy.

My next impression, however, was a much cheerier "mickey is on crack!"

This, after hitting the throttle on Pleasant Grove Bl, and again as I merged onto Hwy 65. Nope, no sundials necessary here. This CB was plenty fast, regardless of the gear or rpm. Starting from zero, it accelerated briskly up to speed. Once up to speed, hitting the throttle in sixth jumped me forward just about the way I would expect such a motor to jump me forward. Dropping it into third and ripping up to redline, and repeating the procedure in fourth, it had zero problem racing up to 100 mph. In sixth, it accelerated from 70-100 with acceptable alacrity.

At no point was I ever going to confuse its acceleration with that of my XSR, but it was never lacking. Jumping from bike to bike to bike, sure, one would notice the difference, and possibly want more. If the CB was your only bike, however, you would quickly become used to it and never look back.

I will say, however, that there is simply no way to ride the thing quickly at 3,500 rpm or less. Just not gonna happen. Nope, in order to make this thing move out properly, you have to give her a kick in the britches and wake her up. Gotta keep her between 4K and 6,500 for decent backroads acceleration, but if you do, she has it in her to scoot along fairly swiftly.

She's a big girl, however. She's long, low, a bit-top heavy, and just plain heavy, period. She'll get up and dance if you ask her nicely enough, but just make sure and mind the nearby furniture. Between her excessive heft and sketchy suspension, she's an awkward dance partner. Much more so than any lack of motor giddy-up, it's all the Haagan-Dazs she's consumed combined with a total absence of gym-time that holds her back.

Our girl needs to go on a major diet, and she needs to tone up those legs. A soft-riding bike of this sort needs to be plush. That's the expected trade-off one accepts for a soft, heavy-handling, laid-back, comfortable bike. The problem here is she isn't particularly plush. Yes, she's soft, but square-edged bumps overwhelm her suspension and transmit a sharp jolt that saps one's confidence heading into a fast corner.

Achieving better bump-compliance would be my primary focus with this bike. I want her to offer a more luxurious ride, in keeping with her overall theme of relaxed comfort.

One area in which she doesn't suffer at all in the corners is her brakes. Excellent stoppers. Nice initial bite, no wooden feel, exemplary consistency. Zero complaints.

The feeling from her motor is a mixed bag. On the one hand, she's very smooth, most of the time. On the other hand, she's definitely buzzier than the XSR, with noticeably more high-frequency buzz at 75 mph in top gear, and anywhere above 4K in any gear. On yet another hand—think "Indian goddess"...work with me here—her slight buzziness never poses any problems. It's not the hand-numbing type of buzz. It's basically a nonissue.

I can say right now, without any fear of contradiction, that Eric's bike has the best dash/cockpit appearance of any bike I have ever ridden, bar none. When that thing is lit up at night, the view from the saddle is sheer perfection. Everything is precisely where it should be, and each detail is eminently pleasing. All that exquisite symmetry makes for an absolute visual treat. I have never enjoyed riding on the highway as much as I enjoyed riding Eric's bike tonight.

Without a doubt, this would be my touring bike. I'd need to figure out how to slap on some soft saddle bags, at which point I would gladly take that bike cross-country. 500-mile days, one after another, no problem. The smooth-as-glass windflow is the best I've ever experienced, and while Eric has had issues with that couch-like Barcalounger of a seat, I found it totally acceptable.

Folded up legs combined with a bolt-upright torso makes for a rather odd seating position, but i'd get used to it quickly enough. It works for me.

Another thing that works for me is the beauty of that gas tank. The inset winged logo and the red stripe running across the top of the tank?

Coolest tank in all of motorcycledom.

Jumping around here, I'd be remiss in failing to mention the CB's unusual pairing of perfect throttle response with excessive drive lash. My bike not only shifts much more slickly and smoothly than Eric's, but my on-off throttle response is also much smoother, and it's not due to any flaw in the CB's fueling, which is spot-on excellent. Rather, it's a clunky cush-drive, I think. There is just a lot of slack in the back end of the power transfer.

Eric compares his transmission's shifting action to that of a Russian tractor. I wouldn't quite go that far. It's no Ural, but it's also no GSX-R. Along with the sketchy suspension, the tranny's slow responses further sap confidence during fast corner entries.

Okay, it's time for the pros and cons...

Pros:

-Killer looks. Unimpeachable aesthetics, really. Stem to stern, not a stylistic misstep anywhere. A machine to love and cherish forever. Its appeal never grows old.

-Perfect view from the saddle. Downright inspirational. Could do that view all day, every day, and definitely every night.

-Great seat. Supposedly the '17 EX's seat is even better.

-Great brakes that are perfectly matched to the chassis.

-Smooth motor, smooth everything.

-Best mirrors EVAH! My god, are those just some perfect mirrors. Not only do they show everything behind me, with no arms in the way, they stay dead-nuts clear at all speeds. My XSR's mirrors are great up to 70 mph, then they become fairly useless.

-Love that low, super-manageable seat height.

-Perfect wind management.

-All-day comfortable seating position for my upper body. My jacked-up neck loves freeway time on the CB1100.

-Only requires 87 Regular gas

-Honda build quality

-Honda pride of ownership

-The bike will force me to slow down. Yes, it's still fast enough in town and out on the highway to be ideal for those two types of rides, but its design limitations simply will not allow me to continue riding the way I ride now, and that is definitely a good thing. If I have to slow down, this bike has to be the most satisfying way to do it.

Cons:

-Being forced to slow down is downright un-American. As much as I know I should slow down, I'm not sure that I can pull it off. I mean, sure, of course I can slow down, especially if the bike forces me to, but will I be happy?

Over time, I think I would grow into it. I think the CB offers enough other incentives to make it a worthwhile trade.

-Even if I slow down, I still want a competent, plush ride. This bike's suspension, especially its forks, need a lot of help in that area.

-Lack of any sound or visceral feel from the motor.

-What feel it does have, in the form of a high-frequency buzz throughout the entire bike at certain RPM, isn't a particularly pleasant or compelling experience. It's not a problem either, but I'd rather it not be there at all if it's not going to be inspirational, like a good Triple, V-4, or Twin. Bare minimum, it needs more I-4 bass and rumble, like a GSX-R1000, or even the new Kawi Z900 and Z900RS.

Now, what about the 2017 CB1100EX, which is the CB I would actually buy. Doesn't it address some of my complaints regarding the 2014 Standard?

It's supposed to have noticeably better suspension. Specifically, it's supposed to be significantly plusher.

That might solve my biggest issue with the bike, right there.

Next, I know it has a different sound. It's deeper, more rumbly...meaner.

Sounds good to me. It's also supposed to impart a more visceral feel down low, which the CB1100 desperately needs, in my opinion.

The larger gas tank is a nice addition, and I love the new exhaust system, and all the extra chrome. Slightly stronger motor, too.

Yeah, I'm struggling to find any serious nits to pick with the '17 EX. In the Force Myself To Slow Down Sweepstakes, it's the runaway leader in the clubhouse. After today's ride, however, knowing what needs fixing on the '14 and what has supposedly been addressed with the '17, that red EX is probably my first choice among all bikes, period.

Thanks to this ride on Eric's bike, I no longer want a touring bike, so that's the end of the Ninja 1000 and Tracer 900GT for me. I definitely want the '17 EX over the '14 or '13 CB1100, so that knocks those off the list, too.

Most importantly, I think I can now say that I want the '17 EX more than I want my XSR. Long term, I'm nearly certain of it.

This leaves only two other bikes in the running for me: the 2018 CB1000R, and the Z900. Between those two, man, I stlll think I lean to the Kawi, because of its lower seat height, more upright seating position, and much lower cost.

This boils it down to the '17 EX vs the Z900.

Strong lean to the Honda, because it feels like more of a long-term solution, and a necessary solution, at that.

**Cormanus** · 01-14-2018 11:55 PM

VLJ, thanks for taking the trouble to write such a detailed and honest review. I'm pleased for you as I fully expected you to find the bike lacking in power, at least by your standards. For my part, it's good to read about the bike from a person disposed to like it, with way more experience of other bikes than I'll ever have, and anticipatory concerns about whether it would satisfy him. I use mine for touring a fair amount. No screen, a top box and a duffle strapped on behind me. The bike is effortless and keeps mooching along comfortably all day.

egleaves, thanks for lending VJL your bike and, by his lights, being a great riding buddy. It's been said before, I know, but this sort of generous sprit is part of what makes this forum such an agreeable virtual place to hang out. I'll look forward to hearing your impressions of the ride and how you found the bike.

Finally, thanks to you both for making the lead up to this (these) report(s) so entertaining. I for one have been hanging out all day for it (them). I even had to go for a ride to keep myself calm.

**Guth** · 01-15-2018 12:29 AM

VLJ, I found your review (and all of the previous dialogue leading up to this review) to be very entertaining and well worth the time spent reading. Like Cormanus, I too thank you for taking the time to share all of your thoughts with us. I'll admit (happily-so) to being wrong with regards to my predictions for your satisfaction with the CB1100. It does sound as if the latest version of this machine might indeed be a good fit for you based on all you've share here in your latest update. The ferret

(And certainly a big thumbs up to Eric

— making experiences such as this one possible is one of the great thing about this forum and it's members.)

cookiemech · 01-15-2018 02:26 AM

Good review and well written. I appreciate reading an apparently objective (meaning not from a Honda partisan) ride report that discusses what didn't turn you on as well as what did.

Didn't read anything that made me say "I shouldn't have ordered a 2017"!

**The ferret** · 01-15-2018 06:25 AM

Interesting review and I find it quite surprizing actually. Maybe it's the rpms you were riding at, or the speeds, maybe it's the roads, maybe it's just my personal bike, but my review of the CB1100 would be very different.

I don't find the steering heavy at all, even at parking lot speeds. As a matter of fact I find it suprisingly light. I have no problem holding a line thru a curve, changing a line thru a curve, and can ride thru curves using only my throttle hand while shooting pictures with the other. I can pull a rolling U turn on my country lane and a half road. I find the bike has one of the best transmissions I have ever experienced..snick, snick, snick gear changes up or down, the only exception being the first to second or second to first shift. Hardly tractor like, and drive line lash is not an issue if you are smooth rolling the throttle on and off rather than chopping the throttle on and off. I do find it to be a slow revver, more torquey than peaky with no discernable " hit" in the rpms zones I ride in. On our roads 3500 rpms is plenty to ride acceptibly fast, illegally fast even, but then again I won't run 100 mph on 55 mph roads. I might run 60 or 65. Smooth throttle application and good line choice is more important here to going fast, than hard throttling and a point and shoot riding style. I also feel no buzziness and find the motor incredibly smooth.

After reading just how you tested the CB and my interpretation of the results you came up with, I stand by my assertion that I don't think this is the bike for you. Forcing yourself to slow down by buying a bike with "heavy, slow steering,excessive drive line lash, buzziness at certain rpms, sketchy suspension, and transmission with slow responses" is unlikely to work for you, and will probably lead to frustration and a poor return on your investment.

Keep the XSR.

Mandrau · 01-15-2018 07:29 AM

I would love to hear Eric describe his experience on the XSR and compare with his CB. What an interesting ride review, almost thrilling really. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it. Ah, the allure of the CB1100. Sounds like she likes a good Tango or Waltze more than a Jive.

redbirds · 01-15-2018 07:30 AM

As always VLJ your input is well stated and appreciated. Maybe it's just personal perception but I find the steering light and even tight U-turns easily done on my 2013.
Like you, I felt the transmission a bit sticky on upshifts when the bike was new. This problem vanished after the second oil change.

Houtman · 01-15-2018 07:49 AM

I very much agree with Ferrets assessment of the CB 1000.
The transmission became very smooth after about 1000 miles.

Nortoon · 01-15-2018 08:35 AM

I think a person's riding style has a lot to do with how they judge the CB.

Like it or not this is an old man's bike. You have to be at least 60 to remember the CB750 and appreciate it looks. This is confirmed every time I stop for breakfast or lunch. It always the mature gray haired gentlemen that are attracted to this machine.

She is a porky motorcycle and very top heavy compared to most bikes, except touring motorcycles and large cruisers. That is reason I call mine Miss Piggy.

Don't get me wrong, I like my CB1100 and had to wait 3 years to be able to buy one. I love the looks of the machine, and she fits my riding style perfectly. I like sweeping through the corners, but at 71 years of age my knee dragging days are far behind me. I have yet to scrape the center stand or a foot peg on my EX, and that is fine with me. I ride my CB strictly for pleasure on lonesome scenic back roads on week days to avoid the traffic.

Except to pass most of my time is spent at 3500 RPMs or less. I know the power is there beyond that, but I don't really need it for my riding style. I prefer a smooth and relaxed sweep through the corners. At my age racing a heavy motorcycle through the corners on the edge of safety would be exhausting and perilous.

kvdv · 01-15-2018 08:41 AM

quote: "Turning the bars in the parking lot, wow, there's a lot of resistance."
My first thought was "hmmm...front tire pressure was low (maybe rear too)." Even a pound or two low up front and my DLX feels heavy too. At the recommended 36 psi on the other hand, it's light and responsive just like you'd want and expect. Great review, though! Fun reading.