Back to my roots...

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 12:02 am

My first bike was an '82 KZ400 LTD. It was a cool starter bike and in beautiful condition, but I outgrew it after one season and bought my first new bike - an '01 Vulcan 1500 Classic. For a low-cost cruiser, it fit the bill and I enjoyed it until I realized that a smaller, lighter, nimbler DOHC four was a lot more fun than a 650lb brick on wheels.

With my 65th birthday approaching, I suddenly got the itch to buy a new bike for the second time. Honda's presently offering didn't have anything that caught my eye and I'll be damned if I'm going to wait for the concept bike to ever come to fruition. So then I took a 2025 Ninja 1100 SX for a test ride and that was it. After some hard bargaining with a dealer in NH, I brought it home a few weeks ago.

Holy crap - what a bike! I thought my 1123 resto-mod handled nicely, but there is no comparison to the Ninja. Traction control, cruise control, huge brakes, modern suspension, different riding modes, ABS, quick shifter, and a very responsive throttle just blew it away. Man, does it make power and quickly! After the warranty is up, I plan to switch out the exhaust for something lighter and a little louder and have the ECU flashed accordingly. Then the motor will make all the power it was meant to make.

The RM and Interceptor will remain in the riding rotation, but I think my days of restoring bikes for myself are over. What's the point, since a new bike right out of the box will outperform even the best resto-mods for a lot less money. (unless you do ALL the work yourself)

For those of you determined to restore or resto-mod an old bike - I get it, and no offense intended. The Honda nostalgia, the beautiful lines, colors, and decals are what make them so attractive. But if you want to have a fast, nimble bike for not a ton of money, think twice before you spend thousands more.

Red CB1100F Joined: Jul 19, 2010 Posts: 6419 Location: Ct

Sweet bike, congrats Tom!! Cool

As soon as I started reading my first question was "when is the pipe going on" Laughing

But you answered that. Enjoy Cool

PS thats gonna drop a metric ton of weight as well Cool

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 10:19 am

VERY VERY NICE.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 11:03 am

Really nice bike Tom! Best of luck with it. Do you still have the Concours?

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 11:45 am

1980CB750F wrote:

Really nice bike Tom! Best of luck with it. Do you still have the Concours?

Hi Mark. Yes, I still have the Concours, but that's up for sale. I love it but don't need two sport touring bikes. Want it? Cool

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 1:29 pm

Good for you, Tom! Ride safely!

Twinstar Joined: Sep 25, 2010 Posts: 240 Location: Vermont

Congrats Tom, sweet bike!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:09 pm

Good choice considering what is out there. All the best to you on your new ride.

Hawk Joined: Jul 14, 2012 Posts: 406 Location: New Zealand

Nice ride Tom
I have done something similar to your idea.
Looked at a lot of models, Yamaha FJR/xjr, Kawasaki Versys, and others.
Wanted a late model turn-key ride and low maintenance
Still able to do a sports bike for a few years
Got the last VFR800 2015 and it's great.

Hawk Joined: Jul 14, 2012 Posts: 406 Location: New Zealand

Old classic and new classic?

CB1100F Joined: Feb 17, 2009 Posts: 2104 Location: Oz

tomk1960 wrote:

The RM and Interceptor will remain in the riding rotation, but I think my days of restoring bikes for myself are over. What's the point, since a new bike right out of the box will outperform even the best resto-mods for a lot less money. (unless you do ALL the work yourself)

For those of you determined to restore or resto-mod an old bike - I get it, and no offense intended. The Honda nostalgia, the beautiful lines, colors, and decals are what make them so attractive. But if you want to have a fast, nimble bike for not a ton of money, think twice before you spend thousands more.

I think we all suffer from from various levels of "rose tinted glasses" when we think our bike mods bring a 40yo motorcycle into modern times. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 2:18 pm

Nice Tom..light and fast.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:11 pm

Very nice Tom

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:51 pm

Sharp looking machine there Tom. Do you get 1st ticket forgiveness on your insurance in MA? Laughing

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 12:54 pm

Fitter wrote:

Sharp looking machine there Tom. Do you get 1st ticket forgiveness on your insurance in MA? Laughing

Haha, Tom - good question! No, MA stopped doing the 1st ticket forgiveness years ago. I guess they must have been bribed by the insurance companies to do away with that deal. Now if you get a speeding ticket, you spend hundreds more per year on insurance for at least 5 years. And it doesn't matter if you have a PERFECT driving record up till then.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:08 pm

Nice bike, Tom.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:38 pm

Mass a chew sits.

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 11:28 pm

Nice bike, Tom! Might be faster than my newly acquired Kaw Z900RS, but not as old-school-cool! LOL Enjoy!

Steve

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2025 12:12 am

I like those. Nice bike Tom!

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 12:18 am

genesound wrote:

Mass a chew sits.

The correct spelling is Massatwoshits!

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2025 6:06 pm

HA!

Hawk Joined: Dec 19, 2007 Posts: 356 Location: New Zealand

kiwihonda004 wrote:

Old classic and new classic?

I saw your rotary clothes line & wondered if you Are in NZ or Aussie!! YUp dead give a way

Hawk Joined: Jul 14, 2012 Posts: 406 Location: New Zealand

US spec 1100 confusing?
Te Awamutu now

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2025 3:55 pm

Hey Tom , nice bike, good luck with it!