CB1100: a beautiful love letter to the old CB750

[Savago]

Gentlefolks

I was always intrigued by the CB750, the first super bike released in 1969 that caused a revolution that pushed Honda to the leadership, while destroying European motorcycle makers (almost bankrupting HD) and starting the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) trend of the 70's and 80's.

But owning a CB750 in these days is an expensive and painful endeavor. Leaky carbs, dodgy electronics (mostly due to decades of previous owner's mods) and sky high prices are definitely a problem.

In 2010 to celebrate the 30 years of the CB750, Honda released the CB1100. It was designed to offer the closest experience to the CB750, while incorporating modern tech (i.e. fuel injection, better brakes, better suspension, etc) without forgetting the essence of the original.

The bike was introduced in the American market in 2013, but unfortunately it was never a big seller. It was pricey (around $10K-$11K), offered less raw power than other competitors (e.g. BMW R nine T) and wasn't 'retro enough' for some public.

The CB750 MSRP in 1970 was around $1500 bucks which converts to around $9K in 2013, the year of release of the CB1100 in the USA for around $10K. I honestly think that Honda did it on purpose with the pricing.

While it was a weak seller in the USA market, apparently it sold really well in Europe and Japan. The list of fairing mods and body parts available in Japan is pretty awesome.

Unfortunately, thanks to the Euro 5, these oil heads are no more as it can't match the requirements for emissions. A last 'final edition' model was announced in Japan for late 2021 (https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/news/2021/october/new-honda-cb1100-final-editions) and I realized the window to buy one started to close.

I was fortunate enough to find a 2013 Honda CB1100 for sale near my neck of the woods for a killer price. She has 20K miles and a folder with dozens of receipts with all the maintenance performed by the Honda dealership (it is a single owner bike).

It also has installed a Japanese fiberglass front fairing that complement the looks (like a cafe racer) and a Givi trunk (that is functional but ugly as f*ck). It even came with a corbin seat!

I only put 100 miles on it, given that is raining no-stop this week in Cali... but I got share:
a) The engine is crazy smooth. On lower RPMs, it resembles the Valkyrie flat six.
b) Torque? Yes! Lots! It pulls from 5th gear around 25-30 miles per hour.
c) Past 4000RPM its engine wakes up and it shows lots of character.
d) The brakes are really good. Seriously, remembers my ST1300.
e) The sound and feeling of the bike is pure perfection. The engine even 'pings' when it is cooling, like the old CB750.

*Edit*: I forgot to mention the gearbox. Damn... I rode Indians/Harleys/Ducatis and I *never* found a smoother gearbox than the one on the CB1100. It is buttery smooth!

Overall, really happy with the bike and I'm planning next to perform the mandatory maintenance and getting it ready for spring time.
:-)

[Savago]

Mandatory photos:

[Savago]

She looks tiny compared to the I/S:

[Savago]

The launch video is pure poetry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwyddljZ650

[Savago]

A comparison between the old vs new:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3VU1PP_jD4

And this video shows the CB750 and the CB1100 side by side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxbUZWarR94

[The emperor has no clothes]

Nice looking bike ! 

[Savago]

Nice looking bike ! 

Thanks, man! Really loving it!

[Bret SD]

Nice bike, Savago! What kind of mpg and range does she get?

[Jess from VA]

Great bike.   

I have to carefully back my Interstates out of a shed at the back of my backyard, turn around, and navigate through a big fence gate to the street.  Sometimes I think about a smaller bike just for fun (but there's no extra storage for one).

I had a '79 CB750 with full Vetter fairing.  In the military, it went in storage when I went overseas.  When I got back from two tours, the 4 separate pipes had rotted from humidity somewhat (Alabama).  I wanted original pipes, but the cost was so much more than a good aftermarket 4 into 1, that's the way I went (dropped a bunch of weight too).  It appears the 4 onto 1 on the CB1100 is original equipment.

The little cafe fairing looks to be an exact color match to the bike.

Is that the big ass Givi trunk back by the workbench in the garage?  I'd leave it off too, and just bungee a small bag to the luggage rack for the few odds and ends I might want to have with me.   The Interstate is the travel bike.  The Givi could be sold, but it might be worth holding onto in case you later decide to sell the 1100 (as a sweetner to any sale). 

[Farside]

  Well done! Great post and Congrats on your find.

[scooperhsd]

I've always (since I saw it at a dealer) wanted one of these.

After my CB400A, my next 2 bikes were CB750F's - first one was a 1976 SOHC and the second a 1981 DOHC (that I bought new in Pensacola FL in 1985). I loved them bikes - big enough / fast enough without being too big (I sometimes feel my Valk is a little large for in-town errands). The Valk certainly doesn't get the MPG of my VW diesels, but - I can pass anything but a gas station . Maybe I'll get some more riding in this season - my back is certainly feeling better than this time last year.

[Valkorado]

Really nice bike!  I may have missed it, but what was the "killer price" you got it for?  Inquiring minds and all.

[Savago]

Nice bike, Savago! What kind of mpg and range does she get?

In this first escape with my new mistress, she only made 42mpg. My guess is that the old gas in the tank plus underinflated tires for the first 50 miles (before I stopped and calibrated them) hurt the gas mileage.

Fuelly reports around 45 to 46mpg as the regular average (https://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/honda/cb1100/2013), so I hope that after adding some new gas and changing the air filter I should be able to get better gas mileage.

The gas tank size for the 2013 is 3.86 gallons, so the expected fuel autonomy should be around 170 miles.

Most people report hitting reserve around 120-130 miles, and honestly, maybe because I'm not getting any younger, I actually appreciate having a quick stop to stretch the legs after riding 100 miles (even while riding with my ST1300 with its 7.7 gallons gas tank and a Russel day long seat).

The 2014 model has a slightly bigger gas tank with 3.9 gallons, plus gear indicator in the dashboard and a handy 6th gear. But it is also more pricer, and the deal I got on this 2013 was just too hard to pass.
 

[Savago]

It appears the 4 onto 1 on the CB1100 is original equipment.

The little cafe fairing looks to be an exact color match to the bike.

Is that the big ass Givi trunk back by the workbench in the garage?

That is correct! The 2013 model featured a 4-into-1 exhaust pipe and 2014 model a 4-into-2 pipes, which looks pretty nice but in my personal view, makes it slightly harder to clean the chain/sprocket on the left side of the bike. The dual wall headers of the 2014 are pretty sweet, though.

A photo of the 2014 model for reference showing the 4-into-2 exhaust:


The cafe fairing is a perfect color match, the brand is Road comet (https://www.samurider.com/?p=17480) that alone is worth around 400 bucks when adding tax plus shipping.

You got a good eye, the trunk can be seen near the workbench. Here is a photo of it installed on the bike:

[Savago]

Really nice bike!  I may have missed it, but what was the "killer price" you got it for?  Inquiring minds and all.

The CB1100 goes for around $5K to $7K in my neck of the woods, depending on the model X miles X year.

Here is an example with 46K miles going for $5K (https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcd/d/fremont-2014-honda-cb1100-sport/7708242008.html) and another with 7K miles going for $8K (https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/d/hollister-2017-honda-cb1100ex/7713782150.html).

I paid on mine $3.5K.
 

[Valkorado]

Really nice bike!  I may have missed it, but what was the "killer price" you got it for?  Inquiring minds and all.

The CB1100 goes for around $5K to $7K in my neck of the woods, depending on the model X miles X year.

Here is an example with 46K miles going for $5K (https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcd/d/fremont-2014-honda-cb1100-sport/7708242008.html) and another with 7K miles going for $8K (https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/d/hollister-2017-honda-cb1100ex/7713782150.html).

I paid on mine $3.5K.
 

Nice snag!   

[Robert]

Great find and nice looking bike, have some fun with it.

[Savago]

Great find and nice looking bike, have some fun with it.

Thanks, Robert!
 

[Mooskee]

Nice post Savago. I hope you enjoy your new find.