Need a little 1100f history

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:37 am

Submitting my 11 to be in a local motorcycle show this winter. Doing a write up and need a little history. Was the 1100 a bigger step up after success of the 750 and 900? And I,m thinking the next generation of sport bikes like the interceptors is what killed if after 1 year? Any help or a direction where I could learn a little would be greatly appreciated!
Pete

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:07 am

Fastest, most powerful production bike when it was released. Hell read the home page lol. It's pretty much taken from Honda's advertising back in the day. Was Honda's answer to the liter bikes the other 3 Japanese manufacturers put out at the time. And yea Honda thought the V4 was going to take over the universe. Didn't quite work out that way..........

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 6:05 am

What you seek is right in this forum..............

The Technical Documents & Articles

Here are some links right out of that forum:

World's Fastest Superbikes

Cycle Canada Magazine 1983

Motorcyclist Magazine December 1982

Cycle Magazine 1983

Cycle Guide Magazine 1983

There are some Original brochures in there too:

http://www.cb1100f.net/Other/Honda1983THESTREET/HondaTheStreet1983.pdf
http://www.cb1100f.net/Other/Honda1983CB1100FBrochure/1983CB1100Fbrochure.pdf
http://www.cb1100f.net/Other/canadian1983brochure/canadian1983brochure.pdf

Hope this gives you what you can use.

Dave

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:54 pm

Home page, duh self!
Thanks guys!! Great info and more then enough..

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:10 pm

Personally, I would take all the Honda publications with a grain of salt, and the U.S. publications lack one important fact.

The CB1100F was a cheaper, non-racing version of the CB1100R, which was not available in the U.S.
The CB1100R was based on the CB900F, which was introduced for the 1979 model year in places other than the U.S.
Considering that Honda was working on the V-4 bikes already, the CB1100F was really never intended to be the "pinnacle" of Honda's motorcycle line.
Actually, we dealers knew about the V-4s coming already before the CB1100F hit the showrooms.
It seemed back then, that Honda ran into a delay with the VF1000 and took some CB1100R technology to put into a bike in order to have a "liter bike" to offer.
As nice as the CB1100F turned out to be, it was a "stop-gap."

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:33 pm

Also, the 83 V65 Magna was the most powerful/fastest bike of 1983, not the CB1100F. Says so right here. Very Happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGfJ9IqXcoE

Honestly, I've had many of both, and they are pretty much identical in performance. A better rider could beat the other on either bike. Both classics!

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 5:11 pm

texas-ss-tornado wrote:

Also, the 83 V65 Magna was the most powerful/fastest bike of 1983, not the CB1100F. Says so right here. Very Happy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGfJ9IqXcoE

Honestly, I've had many of both, and they are pretty much identical in performance. A better rider could beat the other on either bike. Both classics!

Don't know about youtube but the cycle mags (you can find the articles in tech doc section) called the 1100f the fastest/most powerful at the time. I believe Eddie Lawson was doing 11.10 1/4 times with it if I remember correctly. Maybe they tested the F before the V65? I can't remember that.

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:13 pm

Here is some info you might find useful:

http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/1983-honda-cb1100f.aspx

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:56 am

Most comparisons I've ever seen had the V65 a tick faster than the CB1100F. Like I said, after owning many of each, they are pretty much dead even in my book. Here's an article about the GS1100ES that has times listed for several bikes:

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/suzu/suzuki_gsx1100es%2083.htm

Compare those numbers to the times and speeds recorded by the Katana (11.05 sec. at 123.64 mph), the CB1100F (11.13 at 120.47) the V65 Magna (11.07 at 123.62), the GPz1100 (11.22 at 120.80).

Some of the GS1100's performance can be explained by weight. The Suzuki weighs 552 lb. with half a tank of gas, compared to the Katana's 540 lb., the CB1100F's 567 lb., the V65's 579 lb. and the GPz1100's 578 lb. The Katana has less weight than the GS1100 but is harder to launch and ride; it also is more aerodynamic, which shows up in higher terminal speed even though the 1983 Katana and GS1100ES engines are identical. The CB1100F makes the same power as the Suzukis but weighs more, resulting in a slower ET and the same terminal as the GS1100sxES. The V65 makes more power, but is wheelie-prone and nearly impossible to ride down the strip at full throttle in every gear, although brute power gives it a high terminal despite terrible aerodynamics. The GPz1100 is heavier than the GS1100 and has a narrow powerband and grabby clutch, all three factors combining for a slower ET despite a nearly identical terminal speed.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:46 pm

I love my CB1100F and my VF1000F equally, but for different reasons. Power-wise, there's no comparison. The V4 smokes the inline 4. It spools up faster and doesn't want to stop accelerating. Very linear power with a killer growl that's unique.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:55 pm

The Magna was an evil handling whore tho. I had a couple buddies just about die on them. Applying power with it anywhere but standing straight up was not a good idea. We called them "Maggots".

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 7:59 pm

You can just see it if you look at the video.

Honda could not get a complete pass,it would spin until it lifted the wheel.

After enough passes they "made" a complete pass for the video.

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 9:09 pm

They also had Pee Wee Gleason at the helm, who probably weighed 130 lbs in full gear. He got it into the 10.7's, but most riders would have been lucky to break into the 11's. Yea, they weren't built for handling, but you can improve it somewhat with Progressive shocks front and rear. They are great cruisers though, and there's definitely a market out there for them. I've have to say it's my favorite bike from the 80's, and the one I've restored the most of. I found this one in Evansville, Indiana about 2 years ago, 325 original miles, wrecked the first month of ownership and sat in a garage for 25 years until I rescued it and put it back together. Probably hold onto this one for quite some time, nicest one you will ever find, and my favorite color too! Candy Glory red! Here's a picture from the last ride of the year in October, over the Kentucky river. Enjoy!

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 9:13 pm

Super clean! Love that color too. Maui Red still favorite tho.
beerchug

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 4:22 pm

The 1100F is the Legend... Always will be Smile

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:20 pm

1100russ wrote:

The Magna was an evil handling whore tho. I had a couple buddies just about die on them. Applying power with it anywhere but standing straight up was not a good idea. We called them "Maggots".

What...the bike or the guys that rode them?? Wink

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 3:09 pm

CDN1100F wrote:

1100russ wrote:

The Magna was an evil handling whore tho. I had a couple buddies just about die on them. Applying power with it anywhere but standing straight up was not a good idea. We called them "Maggots".

What...the bike or the guys that rode them?? Wink

To tell you the truth both in a certain instance lol.

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 3:40 pm

Chris your in rare form Smile