Honda goes seriously retro with CB1100F
By Trevor Hedge
Next month Honda will introduce the CB1100F to the Australian and New Zealand markets for the first time.
The previously ‘Japan only’ model will, for now, not be exported to any other markets. This is largely due to the fact that too much work would be required for the CB1100F to gain compliance in other countries while Australian requirements are quite similar to Japanese requisites.
I know you are saying, well, this is nothing new. Honda has done the CB1300 and CB1000 etc. But this bike is new.
The CB1100F is much more seriously retro than anything Honda has done before.
Triumph’s Bonneville range and gorgeous Thruxton are probably the most successful incarnations of retro nakedbike chic but the Japanese have not really taken anything to that extent.
The Japanese brands rarely include any retro styling cues in their naked bikes and instead are favouring a seriously futuristic look for their naked bike ranges.
Some do go a little retro with twin shock rear ends and an old style fashioning of the tank but none are seriously retro.
Well that’s about to change.
First seen at the Tokyo Motor Show three years ago the CB1100F is pure retro echoing the old school purity of Honda’s CB 750 Four from the late sixties and seventies.
From the period 18 inch rims, twin horns under the round headlight, steel double cradle frame, twin shocks, rounded seat through to the erstwhile tail-light the CB1100F is very true to the original.
The only touches to give a little of the game away is the small oil cooler, modern looking calipers and tiny LCD nestled between the old-fashioned chrome rimmed conventional speedo and tacho.
The fuel-injection system is masked quite well and at first glance could easily be mistaken for a set of CV carburettors.
Powering the CB1100F is an 1140cc across the frame air-cooled four crafted in the style that made the CB line famous. A rev ceiling of 8500rpm points to an easy going power-plant tuned for good torque from idle.
While the stoppers don’t look all that authentic at least they are sure to do the business. A pair of 296mm discs clamped by Nissin four-piston calipers should have no trouble bringing the 247kg CB to a controlled halt.
Showa provides the 41mm conventional forks and preload adjustable shocks. Simple no frills suspension that despite the lack of adjustment will no doubt prove light years ahead of the era of bikes the CB1100F takes its styling cues from.
A low 775mm seat height and narrow rubber should make the CB1100F a good mount for the city while the relaxed riding position is sure to win plenty of friends on the long haul.
Priced at $14,990 plus on road costs the Honda makes a good case against Triumph’s gorgeous $13,990 Thruxton. The most powerful of Triumph’s retro line, the Thruxton makes 70Nm of torque at 5750rpm while the CB1100F boasts 20 more ‘torques’, as Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson likes to put it. Of course the Honda boasts a lot more capacity so the torque advantage over the Triumph is plain common sense but it also suggests the Honda will have much more oomph off idle while the British bike requires a decent rev to get humming.
We found the Thruxton a thoroughly fun motorcycle. Soon we will put Honda’s CB1100F to the test in order to see if Big Red can produce smiles just as wide as the handsome Brit.