"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/
