Honda CB 1100 2016 — Specifications

Imagine a 1970s garage, the smell of castor oil, an inline four-cylinder engine with fins catching the light of a flickering neon. Now open your eyes: you are in 2015, and Honda dared to build exactly this motorcycle. The Honda CB 1100 does not claim to invent anything. On the contrary, it asserts a direct lineage with the 1969 CB 750 Four, that machine that changed the world of motorcycling with a crankshaft revolution. And frankly, in a market saturated with muscular roadsters with dashboards resembling Airbus cockpits, this approach is worth stopping for.

What immediately strikes you is the consistency of the project. Honda didn't sprinkle a few chrome accents on a modern platform to pretend. The tubular steel double cradle frame, the 41 mm non-inverted telescopic fork, the two lateral shock absorbers, the 18-inch wheels shod with narrow 110 and 140 tires, all form an ensemble that delivers a unique message. The round headlight, the chrome fenders, the analog gauges, the understated 14.6-liter fuel tank without aggressive air intakes or aggressive fairing: it's far from the over-excited style of contemporary streetfighters. Faced with a Z900 RS or a Triumph Thruxton, the Honda CB 1100 EX positions itself on the ground of pure authenticity rather than stylized retro for hurried millennials.

The heart of the machine is this 1,140 cm³ air-cooled four-cylinder engine. There are almost none left, multicylinders that embrace the heat of their fins and the clatter of their air cooling. The Yamaha XJR 1300 shares this philosophy, but the competition stops there. Honda worked the cooling fins down to 2 mm thick, the minimum structural thickness, to maximize the sculpted appearance of the cylinder head. This engine develops 89 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 93.2 Nm of torque from 6,000 rpm. On paper, this is modest for 1,140 cm³. In reality, it’s exactly what’s needed for a motorcycle whose vocation is not to punish lap times but to make the kilometers enjoyable. Power arrives without brutality, torque pushes gently across the entire rev range, and the six-speed gearbox, improved during the 2015 update with the addition of an overdrive sixth gear, keeps the revs low on the highway, preserving both the mechanics and fuel consumption.

The riding position confirms the intentions. A 795 mm seat height, a high and raised handlebar, rearward-set controls without excess: you settle in, place your hands, and you’re off. No attack, no searching for the lean angle. The 247 kg fully fueled reminds you of its presence as soon as you want to move beyond the tranquil touring register. The chassis absorbs flowing curves without flinching, but does not invite you to play hero. It is designed for riders who want to feel the road under their wheels, not for those who want to break records. The brakes, two 296 mm front discs with four-piston calipers and a 256 mm rear disc, complemented by ABS, ensure a level of safety unrelated to the era the motorcycle is inspired by.

What is the audience for the used Honda CB 1100 that you sometimes encounter on Le Bon Coin, or the Honda CB 1100 RS in its more recent versions? It is the motorcyclist who experienced the beautiful years of classic four-cylinder engines, or the one who seeks a sincere alternative to the ambient technological hysteria. The price of 9,349 euros in 2015 places the machine in a premium range that excludes impulsive buyers and retains those who know exactly what they want. You don't choose a Honda CB 1100 by default. You choose it because you have looked at the competition, weighed the arguments, and decided that mechanical emotion is worth more than configurable riding modes.