Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds 2014 — Specifications

Imagine a garage somewhere near Toulouse, a stock CB 1100 up on the lift, and two men wondering what this motorcycle could have been had it been born twenty years earlier, in a workshop cobbled together between two crates of vinyl records. That is roughly the mindset that presided over the birth of the Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds, a limited series of 100 units produced exclusively for the French market, the result of a collaboration between Honda France and graphic designer Olivier Renouf, with preparation entrusted to the Boxer Design workshop.

The foundation is the 2013 CB 1100, an inline four-cylinder displacing 1140 cc that produces 89 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 93.2 Nm of torque available from 6,000 rpm. A square engine, predictable, one that surprises no one but purrs with honest sincerity. The steel double-cradle tubular frame holds it all together without chasing circuit glory. At 248 kilograms on the scale and ground clearance dimensioned for long sweeping curves, this is no track weapon. The chassis is sound, reassuring, built to swallow miles without fatigue — not to heat up Brembos under braking.

The BadSeeds transformation plays the card of the first-generation café racer. The handlebars drop a notch, tilting the rider slightly forward and changing the motorcycle's character without brutalizing the back on the motorway. The Yoshimura 4-into-1 exhaust, somewhere between a race component and a vintage relic, finally gives voice to a naturally understated four-cylinder. Öhlins remote-reservoir shock absorbers replace the stock units: a genuine qualitative leap at the rear, even though the 41 mm telescopic fork remains the unit from the standard version. Up front, two 296 mm discs gripped by four-piston calipers deliver honest braking performance; at the rear, the 256 mm disc does its job without complaint.

Aesthetically, the Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds specification sheet does not tell the whole story. The perforated side panels, the two-tone sculpted dual seat, the matte black painted wheels, the shortened front fender stripped of its chrome, the headers wrapped in a matte finish coating: the ensemble forms a coherent picture — dark and carefully executed. A numbered plate beneath the blacked-out handlebars serves as a reminder of the series' exclusivity. Each buyer receives a box containing all the original parts, opening the door to converting it back to a standard CB 1100 at any time. It is a rare and thoughtful touch.

Opinions on the Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds diverge most sharply on one point, and it is the one that stings. At launch, the machine was priced at around 15,590 euros, placing Honda in direct competition with the BMW R nineT — a technically far more accomplished rival offering a boxer twin with considerably sharper character. At 13,699 euros for the last remaining units, the conversation becomes more interesting. A Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds used example still surfaces from time to time on specialist forums, a testament to its genuine collector appeal. The five-speed gearbox and the absence of wire-spoke wheels in this trim remain legitimate grievances that Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds forum discussions raise regularly.

Who is this motorcycle for? For the neo-retro enthusiast who wants something identifiable in a parking lot — not another Scrambler Ducati or Bonneville among many. For the rider who seeks the artisanal gesture validated by the factory, a homologated, ready-to-ride machine rather than a garage project. The Honda CB 1100 BadSeeds test ride confirms a pleasant, accessible motorcycle with no vices in its behaviour. It does not elevate the rider; it accompanies them with class. In a segment that fills up quickly, that is already a solid position to hold.