Honda's concept CB1100R a Bandit Eater?

[China Greg]

Honda just exhibited a beautiful, retro, endurance-racer-styled 1100cc at the Tokyo show. Looks like a winner: minimalist styling, a half-fairing.. 1100cc air-cooled... Sound familiar, Bandit-men?

WILL SUZUKI COME OUT SWINGING for 2009, or just lie-down and get spanked again?

[JamieK]

Honda hasn't said (to my knowledge) that they are releasing the CB1100R. If they do there is no guarantee that it'll make it to North America. There are also few specs on it so we don't know how it would compare to a B12 or B12.5. Then there's pricing...it looks spendy. Now having said all that, if my local Honda dealer got one and it was around 11K CDN and it had decent specs (comparable to my B12) then I would have one sitting in my garage in a heartbeat

[Red01]

IMHO, this CBR1100R (for those who haven't seen it, you can see some pics of it right here. ) is a late (half-hearted? since it's just a show bike) swing at what Suzuki did when they made the production GS1200SS beginning in 2001.

[terrebandit]

For many years now, Honda hasn't made anything that beats a Suzuki in the standard or sportbike categories.  I don't think this one will do it either.

[stormi]

For many years now, Honda hasn't made anything that beats a Suzuki in the standard or sportbike categories.  I don't think this one will do it either.

Define "beats"?  Looks? performance? 

That CB1100R doesn't look like much more than a chromed up big brother of the 919 (CB900F),... or little brother of the CB1300 (partly cos of the outside rear shocks).  The tank is different, the exhaust "custom" looking, and the chrome is  well,.. to my mind, overdone.  But other than that and a few stylistic changes It could be a CB1300 or a bigger 919.

The 919 has more HP (110HP)  and about as much torque (65ft-lbs) as the B12, and it's lighter (427.0 pounds dry).  It's certainly not a performance slug. (it's no GS500 for instance )

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/honda_cb_900_f_-_919_2002.php

So I'm curious to see what "beats" refers to. 
 

[JamieK]

The CB1100R is the one with the fairing...resembles the 919 only by the fact that they're both Honda motorcycles The CB1100F looks more like the 919. Still very retro looking in comparison.

[stormi]

The CB1100R is the one with the fairing...resembles the 919 only by the fact that they're both Honda motorcycles The CB1100F looks more like the 919. Still very retro looking in comparison.

Well isn't that neat.  The first time I loaded that page, I had a CB1100F and an EVO6,.. I assumed that was what we were all taking about.  I promise,.. next time I'll read. 

[CWO4GUNNER]

I like the frame, engine and tank, they work. But the front fairing and rear fender look pretty dorked out, it no wonder they sell well in japan. I think they would have to offer a real low price to move it with an air/oil cooled carbed engine here in the states that looked like that (bad date). $6000 MSRP might do it IMO.

[China Greg]

Hey.. are we all talking about the same bike here? I'm a little confused.. (nothing unusual there)..

I'm in China and the local server is all clogged up with kids down-loading their hard-drives to each other... and I can't download photos. But here's a link to view the CB1100R and also the CB1100F, (which bores, me as did the original swept-exhaust CB400).

http://motorcycles.about.com/od/conceptbikegalleries/ig/2007-Tokyo-Motor-Show-Hondas/Tokyo-Motor-Show-Exterior.htm

Maybe someone with better access could load a photo here for conversation sake.

I really get excited looking at that bike, even though it may never make it to the US..(?) Other websites (Cycle World, etc.) are all a-buzz about those two models. Personally, I really dig the styling on the R. It's ME. They've just gotta cure that Robby the Robot puss on the front (and maybe add a mainstand..?)

My main point is that the CB1100R concept bike is EXACTLY the way I had originally hoped Suzuki would take the second-generation Bandit: more slinky... red tubular frame.. airy.. minimalist..tucked-in... more aggressive. Even slightly [gulp!] ITALIAN..?
A Bandit 1200 R ??

Instead, the 2nd Gen (and now 1250) seem to have gone too TOURY in my eyes: big, barn-door fairings (looking all droopy off the front), and increased heft. (with apologies to you 2nd Gen and 1250 guys who love your Bandits!)

[China Greg]

RED-
Was fascinated by your GS1200SS post.
What a funky mix of retro-styles! How Very Japanese ... I travel through Tokyo's Narita Airport four times a year and pick up their Back-to-Front bike mags. They simply LOVE Heavy Retro. There seems to be a huge market for 1973 Kwak Z-1 aftermarket parts, from looking through those publications. In Japan, they just don't let 'em DIE !

In terms of the GS1200SS... what a great CONCEPT, but Ah! So! ...unfortunately, so very poorly executed, according to my Western tastes, (did anyone here like that bike enough to think about BUYING ONE?).
Waaay too chunky and mis-matched... it looks like Suzuki cleaned off their parts-bin shelves and pieced it together.

But I heartily applaud the effort.
SUZUKI: PLEASE try it again.. after staring for multiple hours at Honda's CB1100R concept

[Red01]

AFAIK, the GS1200SS is/was a Japanese domestic market (JDM) bike - ans as you said, the Japanese do LOVE retro.  (They made the original Hans Muth styled Katanas in many different sizes for the home market for YEARS!)  We do have a member here who has a GS1200SS in New Zealand, but I'm pretty sure it's a gray market import.  From looking at the pics, the frame has a strong resemblance to a 1G B12 and the forks & front fender look like 2G B12 bits.  The engine is another version of the 1157cc SACS engine, but in a different state of tune than the Bandit or Inazuma. The bodywork appears to have a heavy influence from the 1981 GS1000R factory endurance racer - which also inspired the original GSX-R750.

The original GS1000R Endurance Racer:

[Falcon030]

   Might as well take a look at this one too.  I kinda like the exhaust but the headlight is ugly to me.  I think it's more aimed at the FZ1 than the Bandit.  Looking at the Honda USA website no 2008 919 listed, maybe this one is to take it's place.  My bet though is that Honda will just sell off the current 919's and leave USA market for Suzuki and Yamaha to fill.   Right now if I were looking to replace my current bike with a new one it would be the Bandit 1250.  If the price of gas keeps sky rocketing I might go for a 250 or 500cc bike instead.

http://honda.co.uk/motorcycles/2008/CB1000R/index.html

Falcon030 '01 CB750 27K miles

[China Greg]

Dude, that CB1000 is without a doubt THE Fugliest bike I have ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on. Wow. Beats the Benelli TNT hands down.

What happened to proper LINES on a motorcycle??
It's like the FZ-1... all amorphous cluttering of aluminum junk... looks like a Hoover flipped inside-out. Damn!
Not MY taste at ALL.

But I DO appreciate that GS1200 production racer. Thanks. Red. It gives me some hope that maybe.. MAYBE someday I'll be able to have a modern, minimalist, agressive SPORT- tourer from Suzuki.
No BAGS, please. I don't ride FAT. Just leave me a tiny DECK space to bungee on a Jannsport, and we cool, Hunny-Bunny.

[smooth operator]

  I do like the look of the 1100R,ginda reminds me of the Pula Smart Ducacti the way the frame stands out and a nice clean racer look . No so crazy about the 1000R look though.
 I doubt it will come state side,if it does it will probably be all of 10K. 
   I'm more of a bargin hunter, thats why I picked ou the SV1000 to go along with my Bandit. A good bang for the buck.   Dan

[China Greg]

Hey, Smooth-

What's your impression of the SV1000 ? That bike has had my attention for a long time.. but I've never had a chance to RIDE one.

I was talking to a Suzuki shop owner in Maine a year ago, about the SV. He said it was a great bike, but.. (as he was looking at my B12), he said that I'd "probably not like it as much as the Bandit".

What's it like? I rode an older Honda 996 Firehawk once.. boomingly interesting.. but I didn't have a chance to take it on a big road. Lots of chugging THRUST, as I remember.

How can we compare the Bandit with the SV ? Does the SV vibrate.. Does it run out of steam on the top end .. Is it COMFORTABLE ?