2013 Honda CB 1100 First Ride Cycle World

[frankxbe]

2013 HONDA CB1100 – FIRST RIDE

"That period from the late 1960s through the ’70s was the golden age of motorcycling in America, an era characterized by simpler bikes and a market far less fragmented and specialized. Modern motorcycles are categorized into so many different niches—and have become so tailored to a singular purpose—that it makes you wonder what happened to the good ol’ Universal Japanese Motorcycle, like Honda’s CB550-1100s of yesteryear.
Well, Honda’s new-to-the-U.S. CB1100 might just be that nostalgic new UJM we need. True to the original, this retro CB was first shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007 as a concept, and then displayed in production form at the same show two years later. Unfortunately, when I saw it there in 2009, I was told it would be sold only in Japan, Australia and New Zealand due to the expense of U.S. certification. End of story.
Or so I thought.
Secrets are harder to conceal these days thanks to the www. Nevertheless, when I was invited to American Honda in October for a clandestine two-hour ride on an undisclosed bike, it was a pleasant surprise to see the CB1100 roll out from behind the locked doors of the press-fleet garage. I wasn’t totally shocked, though, because the CB1100 does fall right in line with the direction Honda has been pointed at lately.
Every ride is too short when the bike is really good, right? Well, I can’t complain, because my small taste of the 1100 left me with a very positive first impression. Very few bikes have felt as instantly familiar as the CB did after just a couple of short blocks." read more :
http://www.cycleworld.com/2012/11/12/2013-honda-cb1100-first-ride/

New Retro good looking bike having owned some old school similar bikes
a Honda 750 and Kawasaki 903 Z1 it's good to see Honda bringing
something old and new back . Little more sensible than a 180-200hp street bike
I got in enough trouble back in the day with my Z1 it was plenty fast long as you didn't hit the 120mph speed wobble they had occasionally that was scary . I would like to ride one of these.

 

[EchoWars]

Lovely!

 

[lha1992]

Now thats a nice bike!!

 

[eteller]

Now that's what my Nighthawk 750 SHOULD have been!

 

[harley90]

Me want!!!!

 

[kermit z]

That looks great!! I hope it can sell well here, as this niche of the market doesn't seem to. Which is why I still have my ZRX1100 for over 12 years now.

 

[squirrelnest]

Good looking bike....looks like the CB750 I rode back in the 80's....

 

[Delta Steve]

Well it is about time.The kind of bike us boomers grew up riding back in the 70's and 80's.

 

[tensleep]

Oh man! That's a nice Honda. I have had a 72 cl 350, a 73 cb 550 and now a 1980 cx 500. I may have to look into this bike.

 

[adam-ads]

Cool!

When I was about 6 years old my dad would put me up front on an early CB750 and we'd take some nice long rides.

 

[2point1]

Let's see,
3 hp more than the 04-06 cb600f
half the miles between valve adjustments
and only weighs 140 lbs more

NO THANKS

If my dealer thought it was going to be a hit for honda he would have ordered 8-10 of them. He did not even order one.

 

[petehall347]

i had the 750 f2 //nice bike but felt a little heavy on the front . i bolted a side-car to it .was interesting going over 100mph on 3 wheels .

 

[ricohman]

I miss the days of the UJM's. My friens and I all rode various makes. Parking lot tipovers were no big deal. Maybe it would cost you a signal light.
I like my R1150GSA but I would add something like this to my garage.

 

[kermit z]

Let's see,
3 hp more than the 04-06 cb600f
half the miles between valve adjustments
and only weighs 140 lbs more

NO THANKS

If my dealer thought it was going to be a hit for honda he would have ordered 8-10 of them. He did not even order one.

That's some funny stuff there:yes: But, I guess you miss the point of the bike. And, I don't think I have been in a dealer in a while that had 8 to 10 of any single model.

 

[Andyman]

Didn't Suzuki try this a few years back?? Actually, their Bandit line (below) seems to be pretty much what this is with a little less retro styling.
Don't get me wrong, I LIKE UJMs. Loved my 1982 GS1100GKZ. I just don't know if it will play in Peoria....

Actually, there's a couple of guys tempting me daily over on FaceBook by posting pics of slick retro cafe bikes. They know who they are..:yes:

 

[resqguy]

During the golden age you could buy a UJM and stop by your local motorcycle accessory shop and buy custom bars, farings, pipes you name it. These days you are limited to things like LED brake lights and K&N filter elements.

I bought a Bandit a few years back but sold it last year because the riding position didn't suit me. If I could have found the right bars I might have kept it.

I like the UJM concept because everyone made their bike their own. I'm afraid that ship sailed years ago.

 

[harley90]

The point of why I like and want it is because of the riding position ( got to be comfortable and I'm a big guy) Honda is bullet proof and comfortable and able to ride coast to coast with no hiccups ( unlike my buddy who recently did this on his older bike) a beefier body and motor is not a bad thing. I had quite a few bikes and my fav was on older Yamaha fz-1, I've toned it down a bit and this bike seems to be the right fit.....Bring the torque on low and make the hp in a usable range, put it in a pretty package like this and I'm in! YMMV

 

[2point1]

That's some funny stuff there:yes: But, I guess you miss the point of the bike. And, I don't think I have been in a dealer in a while that had 8 to 10 of any single model.

A duc dealer 1/2 way near me picked up over 70 1198 panigale's.

 

[jhoak]

If I had the coin I think I'd spring for one of these. I think under $10K (new) for an 1100cc bike with Honda reliability built in is a pretty good deal.

I've always been a sucker for the "classic" Honda road bikes. I road a CB-350 (forget the year) as my daily driver for many years. Ya just gotta love a bike that can be easily kick-started if the battery goes flat.

At the time that I had the CB-350 I had one friend with one of the 3 cylinder Kawasakis and another with a fairly new 4 cylinder Honda. As you can imagine there was a LOT of "trash talk" between them. The Kawasaki was wicked fast but had an annoying tendency to to break. The Hondas on the other hand just ran no matter how badly we abused them.

Kudos to Honda for trying something "different". I hope this is a successful model for them.

 

[Andyman]

For $10K, you could pick up a vintage 1970s UJM for $3000 or less and spend $7000 personalizing/tricking it out, and having the real deal.