2013 Honda CB1100 Review - Quick Ride

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.

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:

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.

BTW, Honda was by no means the first company to produce 4 cylinder bikes. Indian and Henderson for starters. Ariel.

The Spaceman said:

Quite true, but certainly Honda blew every other bike and manufacturer away with the CB750. Engineering, style, technology, accessibility (price and volume) were an order of magnitude ahead of the competition. Every rider I knew from '70 to '74 either wanted one, was trying to buy one, had one, or was hatin' the guys who did!

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True, 67hp for the Honda is a bit better than the Henderson's 14HP. But the Japanese were basically doing the same thing all through the 60s. They took technology that existed and made it affordable and, most importantly, reliable.

Kevin_Duke said:

I dare say that people began to take Honda seriously nearly a decade earlier when it created a four-stroke GP bike, the incredible 250 Six, that beat the best the world could offer.

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I recall that the motorcycle press in1964 got very irate ehen a test on the then new 305 Super Hawk posted a quicker 0-60 time than a 650 Triumph. People accused Honda of "supertuning" the bike (whatever that means). The old Honda Dreams used a pressed steel frame. Such frames wereused on GP bikes at the time. The Japanese were making waves long before the CB 750.

Kevin_Duke said:

Indeed, Mr. Bike played a significant role, but that's not taking anything away from the brilliant engineering. BTW, the 250-6 had 41.7cc cylinders. Honda's five-cylinder 125 used tiny 25cc cylinder displacement!

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Unfortunately for Honda the 4stroke engine had reached it's limit with the technology available and became incapable of competing with the 2stroke in GP racing. That GP win was the last for many years until 4strokes returned by fiat.

Kevin_Duke said:

Indeed, Mr. Bike played a significant role, but that's not taking anything away from the brilliant engineering. BTW, the 250-6 had 41.7cc cylinders. Honda's five-cylinder 125 used tiny 25cc cylinder displacement!

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Unfortunately for Honda the 4stroke engine had reached it's limit with the technology available and became incapable of competing with the 2stroke in GP racing. That GP win was the last for many years until 4strokes returned by fiat.

Kevin_Duke said:

And the world became a better place to be a motorcyclist!

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Indeed. Honda with its brilliant "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" campaign together with affordable and reliable motorcycles, changed the face of the m/c world. Too bad the company became so hidebound in recent years, following the industry instead of leading it. However new models this year may signal a shift back to a motorcycle division run by m/cers rather than a committee of car guys.

Buzglyd said:

Suzuki seems intent on that role with the B.O.S.S.

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Long live the Charter.

sarnali2 said:

That GS is a beauty, Suzuki always did have some really nice performance oriented bikes on the street and in the dirt. At least the factory bikes were nice with Barry Sheene in GP and Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster and Slyvain Geboers in Motocross.

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Suzuki OWNED the 80s between the GSXR750 and the mighty GS1150E. That E engine powered dragbikes until the factory dies finally wore out a few years back. Kwacker gave the E a good run for its money with the big Zs. Neither Honda nor Yammer ever competed effectvely with the E.

The Spaceman said:

Why do they always treat the US market like we're from another planet?

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I think that they do some marketing surveys before they make these decisions. Blacked out engines sell like hotcakes in the USA.

I had a ZRX1100 for a couple years. With the Holeshot jet kit and a Yoshi exhaust it was surprisingly fast. Faster than one would think with "only" 100 rwhp on the stock bike. But the best part was the great front brakes. I wish I had those on my Tiger1050.