2013 Honda CB1100 Review - Quick Ride

Nice...very nice.
I wonder how long it will take before the aftermarket uncorks that motor?.....

Gorgeous time machine!

I love this bike. It truly looks like the 70s Hondas. I wish they'd made a tank that looked more like the old style too. I know they did somewhat, but I would have liked to see a tank that looked almost exactly like the older ones, especially where the flange / seam spreads out at the bottom.

I do love it that they made the tank narrow so the rider can see the sides of the valve covers.

I'm sure it's terribly expensive to make a new motorcycle like this, but I'm afraid they may have missed the price point a bit. I know this sounds like a small difference but I think that a price of $8,999.00 would have made the decision easier for many potential buyers than the stated $9,999.00 I hope they sell a bunch of'em. I'd love to see a 550F! Metallic blue tank, please.

Comparative analysis

I am guessing the appeal here is the retro styling and the ability to buy it new with 21st century technology. Compared to other offerings available I would not want to spend that much for a trip down memory lane. Especially at 550 lbs. I like the bike but it does not raise my passion level.

Nice bike and I'm glad they were able to do it with an air-cooled motor.

It is a little porky though. My Ducati GT1000 weighed about 100 lbs less with more HP and kept the retro theme alive.

Now it remains to be seen if the Milkcrate Brigade that has been clamoring for this bike will open their moth-filled wallets and buy it.

A couple of years waiting might yield a dealer leftover at a nice price.

I'm sure they will get discounted just like the VFRs. I see this bike selling briskly at first then tapering off rather quickly. There will most likely be many year end left overs come next winter.

Retro Triumphs and Ducks sell because they had class back then. Honda bikes never had class. People restore old Triumphs and Ducks, not 4 valve CB750s. I'm afraid this will be a one year model.

The price is not high. It's the new pricing thanks to Obama's "quantitative easing" and the loss of the value of the dollar. Get used to it.

That being said I applaud Honda for offering this model. It looks eminently practical. Add a shield and some luggage and it'd be a decent sport tourer for those who like a more elemental approach. If I lived in a metropolis It'd be a bike i'd consider. Too bad they didn't spec the engine power more like the old GSX1100G.

I think it's pretty cool myself, nice to see Honda tap into their own past instead of trying to spin off another 50's KnucklepanIndian cookiecutter.

A CB900 or CB1100F would be even cooler, one Honda I might be tempted by...not really but nice none the less.

These will be a killer deal in three years at $7500 new.

I'm really happy they decided to bring this bike here. I have a feeling they're going to sell a boatload of them. Think of how well HD has done with their nostalgia market, now here's a bike aimed at the 100's of thousands of guys who owned, rode, or had a Dad, older brother, etc., who had a CB750.

And if the aftermarket steps in, with retro tank kits, 4/1 pipes, fork extenders (just kidding), it'll be even more fun! I wonder if the original Vetter molds are still around?

I think it's a cool bike that should strike a chord with middle-aged riders. Hopefully the market responds with enough demand to make importing the bike here worthwhile.

You know, these things never really appealed to me - even in the '70s and '80s. The riding position - YES. The styling - NO.

Unless it's got a Cafe' fairing and tail, and every extraneous bit has been hacked-off or swiss'd to a millimeter of its life, that is....

The Spaceman said:

I'm really happy they decided to bring this bike here. I have a feeling they're going to sell a boatload of them. Think of how well HD has done with their nostalgia market, now here's a bike aimed at the 100's of thousands of guys who owned, rode, or had a Dad, older brother, etc., who had a CB750.

And if the aftermarket steps in, with retro tank kits, 4/1 pipes, fork extenders (just kidding), it'll be even more fun! I wonder if the original Vetter molds are still around?

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Just troll the motorcycle daily forum. That's where the milk crate brigade hangs out. They are already complaining that it's too expensive and wanted it for $7999.

That's probably why it's not going to sell in huge numbers. Tightwads.

Buzglyd said:

Just troll the motorcycle daily forum. That's where the milk crate brigade hangs out. They are already complaining that it's too expensive and wanted it for $7999.

That's probably why it's not going to sell in huge numbers. Tightwads.

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"Milk Crate Brigade" eh? roflmao..... Did you figure out which pseudonym Seruzawa is using on there yet??

Buzglyd said:

Just troll the motorcycle daily forum. That's where the milk crate brigade hangs out. They are already complaining that it's too expensive and wanted it for $7999.

That's probably why it's not going to sell in huge numbers. Tightwads.

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4 years ago it migjt hav been 7999. But the yen was 100 to the dollar. Now a dollar only buys 80 yen. New modes are going to be higher in price because they have to be. Look at how much more the Ninja300 is. One reason for the upgrade is to justify new pricing they couln't get away with on the 250. Older models are amortized and get cheaperto produce over time.

sarnali2 said:

"Milk Crate Brigade" eh? roflmao..... Did you figure out which pseudonym Seruzawa is using on there yet??

Click to expand...

K something or other.

Claims to be an engineer at Boeing.

Buzglyd said:

K something or other.

Claims to be an engineer at Boeing.

Click to expand...

Pfffft, figures....

sarnali2 said:

Pfffft, figures....

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HINT: My handle is not "buttf***ingboilerman". I'm not sure whose that is but he does say it rains a lot where he lives.

Has ANY Japanese retro bike ever sold well? The only one that springs to mind is the Kawi Z-Rex, and that was based on a cool-ass original. Honda CB's don't have that cachet except to Boomers who sigh nostalgically over their first controlled bowel movement.

Nice bike and I hope it is a hit. I would also have liked a remake of the CB750F from 1979 and later, or the CB550F. After over 50 years of riding motorcycles I no longer need a bike that big. I now live on the Big Island of Hawaii and this thing would be overkill. I no longer ride two-up since my wife started riding a SYM HD200 scooter. I'm more interested in the new 500cc vertical twin Hondas. Or the new CRF250L dual sport--a perfect bike for where I live.