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HONDA UNVEIL THEIR NEW CAFE STYLE RETRO RIDE
14
Nov
I did see this bike some time ago when I had a visit from some rather nice people from corporate Honda, and great to see that the pencil drawings come to life.
I’d rather see the fairing to be honest.
2013 Honda CB1100 Review
2013 Honda CB1100
Mixing naked and classic Honda style with thoroughly modern and engaging performance, the exquisitely built four-cylinder CB1100 has a presence, and personality, all of its own.
The Honda CB1100 mixes originality with a timeless sense of design, and substantial character. It represents a finely balanced blend of performance, with broad capacity, ability and adaptability.
Unmistakably Honda, the CB1100’s clean lines elegantly echo the past. The large round headlight, scalloped fuel tank (proudly detailed with the Honda Wing) and silver painted side panels add style and substance, while familiar analog dials, slim seat, side-swept 4-2-1 exhaust pipe and chromed front and rear mudguards provide the finishing touches, gently stirring memories of how motorcycles used to look and, as importantly, feel.
Perhaps it’s what you don’t see that matters more with the CB1100; this is the motorcycle at its most elemental. A steel double cradle frame houses the engine, with 41mm conventional telescopic forks and twin rear shocks providing compliant and finely tuned suspension. The CB1100’s riding position is upright and relaxed, a perfect platform from which to watch the world slide by.
From the outset of the project, the CB1100’s development engineers decided to use the word ‘design’ rather than ‘styling’ for their new bike. Utilising the characteristics of many materials – metal, plastic, leather and rubber – they created individual parts that are both beautiful and functional, and bought them together to stunning effect.
Honda, as a company, looks to the future; yet always with one eye on, and great respect, for the past. To that end, the Honda CB1100 mixes originality with a timeless sense of design, and substantial character. It represents a finely balanced blend of performance, with broad capacity, ability and adaptability.
But it also has something else, almost an intangible – a small part of the soul of a true original: the Honda CB750 Four.
The CB750 Four has cast a long and influential shadow over motorcycling since its debut in 1969. Soichiro Honda, ever the engineer, leading an engineering company, wanted to prove that there was more to the two-wheeled formula than small and medium capacity twin-cylinder motorcycles, and did just that with the ground-breaking 749cc, 67bhp air-cooled, SOHC four-cylinder four-stroke power unit.
A competent chassis – with another first, a single disc brake up front – provided handling and stopping power to match the engine, and the CB750 Four was an instant success. The mass-production superbike had been born, the blueprint drawn for the future.
Motorcycling has changed a great deal over the last 5 decades since the very first CB – the Benly CB92 – was introduced. Motorcyclists themselves have changed too: while many still aspire to the ultimate performance available, just as many today perhaps have other reasons to own a motorcycle.
Some are looking back, at the bike they wanted when they were young but simply couldn’t afford. Others want something that performs like a new machine, but with a certain, classic look that lends retro-heritage to a contemporary lifestyle.
And some riders just want an exquisitely engineered motorcycle that blends real-world usability with an honest sense of history. The common factor is fun.
Honda believes motorcycles are very personal things, much more than mere transport. And none more so than the CB1100, as the following insight from the man that created it, shows.
Bike of the New Century.
Back in 1969, Honda’s legendary CB750K0 changed the world of motorcycling forever. Powerful, technologically advanced, flawlessly built, it instantly redefined what a motorcycle could be.
And you can say the same about the new CB1100. Same engine architecture, except now it displaces a full 1140cc and offers fuel injection, and much more. Same, timeless style, but updated with contemporary accents. It’s a bike a whole new generation of riders is going to appreciate.
Transverse-Four Engine
Smooth, powerful, compact, and free-revving, Honda’s inline fours set the standard in the class. The new CB1100’s engine displaces 1140cc and features air cooling for a timeless look—why hide it under a fairing?
Steel Chassis
There’s something about a good, twin-loop full-cradle steel chassis in basic black that not only looks great, but offers plenty of modern chassis geometry too. You’ll find the new CB1100 handles as well as it looks.
Brake Time
The CB1100 features front and rear disc brakes, and the thoroughly modern option of Honda’s Combined Anti-lock Brake System. That makes for powerful, sure stops. Because you never know what the open road is going to throw at you.
Mr Mitsuyoshi Kohama, Chief Designer, CB1100
“It just had to be an air-cooled engine…”
Instant acceleration has its appeal, as does modern styling that conveys the swiftness of the bike. But there’s a lot more to the path of motorcycle evolution. I found myself thinking along these lines for the first time when I returned to Japan, after several years in Europe. It was also at this time that I grabbed a pencil and quickly started sketching.
Tyres. Engine. Frame. Tank. Seat. I thought about how to craft all the necessary elements beautifully and combine them in a perfect whole. I wanted to create a beautiful motorcycle with artisan-level handiwork that’s also approachable and easy to ride.
“Why are you giving that new engine air-cooling when you know its performance won’t be as good? You had better have a pretty convincing explanation!”
That’s the kind of thing people said when we began the development process. And I could understand that thinking. Going with an air-cooled engine was bound to seem ‘retro’ to people at Honda, which had long favored liquid-cooled systems in the pursuit of maximum performance.
When asked to explain my choice, I could only say: “My only reason is that a lot of customers like air-cooled engines.” I like the metallic sound the engine makes as it cools… A motorcycle’s engine should have oil in it, not water… Just looking at the cooling fins inspires me…
There is something about an air-cooled engine – a feeling you simply can’t get from the liquid-cooled engine in a high-performance bike. To me, a bike rider and a bike fan, a future without air-cooled engines just didn’t seem right. And I was certain I wasn’t the only one who felt this way!
Based on my sketch, this ‘bike that defies logic and just demands to be ridden’ became a reality. We displayed the CB Four concept model at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999, and I was extremely thankful for the enthusiastic response it received there. In 2007, aiming to create a bike that fulfilled fans’ vision even more fully, we displayed a new concept model at the Tokyo Motor Show, the CB1100F. Eventually, this concept model became the production model known as the CB1100.
2013 Honda CB1100 Key Features
The CB1100: an exquisitely engineered mix of classic and naked styling that offers thoroughly modern and engaging performance with a timeless design. The CB1100 is powered by an air-cooled, in-line four cylinder engine and now makes its long-awaited European debut after quickly gaining a loyal fan base in both Japan and Australia.
Engine
Centrepiece of the CB1100 is its handsome DOHC engine. Air (via 2mm fins) and oil-cooled (via a 335mm 9-tier, front-mounted oil cooler), the finning is the finest found on any bike within the Honda range, and new production methods had to be found for its manufacture. It revs to 8,500rpm and features a compression ratio of 9.5:1. Maximum power output is 66Kw, with a peak torque figure of 93Nm @ 5,000rpm.
Importantly, however outright horsepower figures on Dynograph paper was not the goal – if the engine proved fun to use, then it would be deemed a success. Smooth, instantly accessible power and torque is what the CB1100’s motor’s all about, and plenty of it, anywhere in the rev range. No frantic thrashing to the redline; just dial in the throttle, and go. Four-stroke, four-cylinder motive thrust at its creamy, effortless best.
Extremely efficient PGM-FI fuel injection, utilising one 36mm throttle body, gives excellent fuel consumption of 25.1km/l (70.9mpg) @ WMTC.
Bore and stroke is set at 73.5mm x 67.2mm. Drive for the twin camshafts is via central chain, and the valve included angle is 26.5° inlet and exhaust. Inlet valve diameter is 27mm, with a 2.5mm stem; exhaust 24mm with 2.5mm stem. A single, secondary balancer shaft ensures smooth running and drive is transmitted via wet clutch and five-speed gearbox. Final drive is by 530 chain.
Chassis
It’s sporty, without being a sportsbike. It can tour, without being a touring bike. The CB1100’s capacities, thanks to its strong engine and well-balanced chassis, are broad and multi-faceted; it’s a bike to be ridden and enjoyed in a variety of situations.
The CB1100’s classic, tubular steel double cradle frame grips the engine with four rigid and two rubber mounts; the swingarm is constructed from box-section steel. 41mm conventional telescopic forks are spring preload adjustable, as are the pair of Showa rear shocks. Painted silver, cast aluminium 18-inch five-spoke wheels mount 110/80-18 and 140/70-18 tyres and the standard Combined ABS brakes feature twin, 296mm floating discs up front, with four-piston Nissin calipers, and 256mm disc and single-piston caliper at the rear.
Overall dimensions are 2195mm (length) x 835mm (width) x 1130mm (height). Wheelbase is 1490mm, ground clearance 125mm and the seat height is reasonably low at 795mm, making the CB1100 very manageable.
Rake and trail is set at 27°/114mm. Kerb weight is 248kg; Fuel capacity is 14.6L with a 3.5L reserve.
The circular analog speedo and rev counter evoke memories of classic Honda’s of old, and are easy to read. Equipment also includes a fuel gauge, clock, and a centrestand, passenger grabrail are fitted as standard equipment.
The CB1100 will be available in three different colours:
Pearl Milky White/Eternal Silver sidepanels
Glory Red/Eternal Silver sidepanels
Graphite Black/Graphite Black sidepanels.
Accessories
A comprehensive range of accessories are available including:
Heated grips
Rear rack
Colour coded top box with back pad
Front fork adjuster bolt (gold or red)
Chrome Meter cover
Meter panel (gold or red)
Headlight case
A chrome shroud for the distinctive single headlight reflecting the quality and individuality of a classic style re-imagined.
2013 Honda CB1100 Features and Benefits
Classic Instrumentation
Chrome-rimmed speedometer and tachometer both analog and easy-to-read. What could be better than that? The new CB1100 also offers a digital clock, odometer and illuminated engine diagnostic indicators.
41mm Front Fork
A traditional design, the 41mm fork features spring preload adjustability and is plenty strong for sporty rides and, along with the wide bar, gives the CB1100 a light feel around town.
Disc Brakes
Nothing retro here: The CB1100’s huge twin front discs and single rear disc are drilled for lighter weight and less heat retention, and offer smooth, predictable, powerful stopping capability.
Four-Into-One Exhaust
The CB1100’s four-into-one pipe gives this bike a crisp sound, and the chrome finish is a great highlight, too.
Polished Aluminum Engine Covers
The polished aluminum accents on the CB1100 are more expensive, but are an example of the quality, design, and detail that make the CB1100 a uniquely premium motorcycle.
1142cc Air-Cooled Engine
With an engine this size, you get power everywhere—enough to go on a spirited street ride, an hour-long cruise, or carry a passenger with ease.
PGM-FI Fuel Injection
Improved cold-weather startups, no-drama high-altitude riding and no choke are just three benefits of fuel injection.
Comfortable Riding Position
One of the reasons so many riders like Honda’s classic fours was because they were comfortable. Same for the new CB1100. Ride it for ten minutes or two hours and you’ll see that it’s one of the easiest-to-live-with machines in any class.
Aluminum Swingarm
Combined with the CB1100’s steel-tube full-cradle twin-loop frame, the stout aluminum swingarm is part of the CB1100’s excellent handling package.
Twin-Shock Rear Suspension
Easy to adjust and equipped. Featuring preload adjustability, the CB1100’s rear suspension proves that the traditional design, done right, can still provide excellent handling characteristics.
Cast Wheels
Light and easy to keep clean, the CB1100 wheels contribute to the bike’s performance and handling, while acknowledging the timeless look of Honda’s classic machines.
Available Combined Anti-Lock Braking (C-ABS)
Light, Narrow, Low.
Because it’s a single-cylinder machine, the CB1100 is narrow, and with its low 30.5-inch seat height and light 359-pound curb weight, putting your feet down in parking lots or at stoplights can be a lot easier.
The Power of One.
The CB1100 uses a single-cylinder engine with fuel injection, double-overhead cams and a counterbalancer. Sure that’s tech talk, but the architecture offers some very real advantages. Maybe the most important is power delivery: a single offers the kind of torque and midrange power that’s well suited for all levels of riders.
Stop With Confidence.
Analog/Digital Instrumentation – The CB1100’s digital gauges with analog tachometer provides vital riding information in a styled, hi-tech instrumentation package.
Layered Style Fairing – Take a close look at the CB1100’s unique bodywork, which is designed for style and functionality. It routes airflow for both engine cooling and rider comfort, while creating a unique sportbike style.
Fuel Injection – Fuel injection means the new CB1100 starts right up, even in cold weather. Compared to a carbureted bike, it also helps reduce emissions and enhance performance and fuel economy.
Single-Cylinder Engine – A single is the perfect choice for a bike like the CB1100. It’s light, simple, returns excellent fuel economy, and features a broad powerband with plenty of low-revving torque–just what you want in a first motorcycle.
Counterbalance Shaft – Because it features a counterbalancer, the CB1100 engine is a smooth runner. You get the narrow overall width and power advantages of a single along with the smoothness of a multi-cylinder bike.
Pro-Link® Rear Suspension – The CB1100 uses a single-shock pre-load adjustable rear suspension that not only gives you a smooth ride, but helps enhance handling as well, just as on some of our larger sport models.
Low Seat Height – A low 30.5″ seat height does more than help make sure the CB1100 fits a wide range of riders. It makes it easier to put your feet down at stoplights and in parking lots–a big confidence builder.
Passenger Ready – A separate passenger seat, integrated grab rail, and standard passenger footpegs mean you can take a friend along when you go riding–another example of the CB1100’s versatility.
Underseat Storage – Removing the rear passenger seat provides a lockable area to throw a map, gloves, or a spare set of sunglasses.
Disc Brakes – The new CB1100 features front and rear hydraulic discs for excellent stopping power and brake feel. The single front disc helps keep things simple and lowers unsprung weight, too.
Additional Features
– Transferable one-year limited warranty; extended coverage available with a Honda Protection Plan.
Honda Genuine Accessories
– Passenger Seat Cowl (Black), Carbon Fiber Tank Pad, Carbon Fiber Fuel Lid Cover, Outdoor Cover
Honda Assurance
Honda Genuine Accessories are developed alongside the model. They are all subject to Honda’s rigorous testing procedures and are offered with a two-year Honda warranty.
2013 Honda CB1100 – USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: See dealer for pricing in USD
CB1100
Engine Type: 1140cc air- and oil-cooled inline four-cylinder
Bore and Stroke: 73.5mm x 67.2mm
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
Valve Train: DOHC; four valves per cylinder
Induction: PGM-FI with automatic enrichment circuit, 32mm throttle bodies
Ignition: Digital transistorized with electronic advance
Transmission: Five-speed
Final Drive: #530 O-ring-sealed chain
Suspension
Front: 41mm fork with spring preload adjustability; 4.7 inches travel
Rear: Dual shocks with spring preload adjustability; 3.5 inches travel
Brakes
Front: Dual four-piston calipers with full-floating 296mm discs
Rear: Single-caliper 256mm disc
Optional Honda ABS
Tires
Front: 110/80-18
Rear: 140/70-18
Wheelbase: 58.7 inches
Rake (Caster angle): 27.0°
Trail: 114mm (4.5 inches)
Seat Height: 31.3 inches
Fuel Capacity: 3.9 gallons, including 0.9-gallon reserve
Estimated Fuel Economy**:
TBD
Color: Candy Red
Curb Weight*: 540 pounds (CB1100)
*Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank of fuel—ready to ride.
**Miles per gallon values are calculated estimates of fuel consumed during laboratory exhaust emissions tests specified by the EPA, not during on-road riding. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you ride and maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, cargo and accessories, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.
Meets current EPA standards.
Specifications subject to change.
2013 Honda CB1100 – Canadian Specifications/Technical Details
Canada MSRP Price: TBA CDN
TBA
2013 Honda CB1100 – UK Specifications/Technical Details
UK RRP: £TBA (Prices are recommended and inclusive of VAT @ 20% and delivery)
ENGINE
Type Inline four-cylinder, air and oil cooled DOHC
Displacement 1140cc
Bore x Stroke 73.5 x 67.2mm
Compression Ratio 9.5:1
Max. Power Output 66kW/7,500rpm (95/1/EC)
Max. Torque 93Nm/5,000rpm (95/1/EC)
Idling speed 1100 +/-100
Oil capacity 4.9L
FUEL SYSTEM
Carburation PGM-FI electronic fuel injection
Throttle Bore 32mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 14.6L (including 3.5L reserve)
Fuel Consumption 25.1km/l (70.9mpg) (WMTC)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ignition System Full-transistor battery ignition
Ignition Timing 10°
Sparkplug Type NGK – LMAR8A – 9S
Starter Electric
Battery Capacity YTZ14S WET 12V-11.2Ah
ACG Output 333W
Headlights 60/55W
DRIVETRAIN
Clutch Multi-plate wet clutch
Transmission Type 5 speed
Transmission gear ratio ?3.166(38/12)
?2.062(33/16)
?1.545(34/22)
?1.250(25/20)
?(30/29)
Primary Reduction 1.652 (76/46)
Final Drive Chain 2.166 (39/18)
FRAME
Type Double steel cradle
CHASSIS
Dimensions (LxWxH)??? 2195 x 835 x 1130mm
Wheelbase 1,490mm
Caster Angle 27°
Trail 114mm
Turning Radius 2.7m
Seat Height 795mm
Ground Clearance 125mm
Kerb Weight 248kg
SUSPENSION
Type Front: 41mm conventional fork
PR
PP
HGA
Rear: Spring preload adjustable,
twin shock
WHEELS
Type Front: Cast aluminium
Rear: Cast aluminium
Rim Size Front: 18M/CxMT2.50
Rear: 18M/CxMT4.00
Tyre Size Front: 110/80-18
Rear: 140/70-18