2017–2021 · Retro Classic · Buyer's Guide
Honda's Four, Done Right
Honda built the CB1100 EX around an air/oil-cooled 1140 cc inline-four, a layout that carries the old CB bloodline into a bike you can actually live with today. It makes 90 hp and 67 lb-ft, tuned for low-rev pull rather than headline numbers. What sells it is what you don't notice: a Showa Dual Bending Valve fork, a slipper clutch, LED lighting, ABS, and a seamless tank sitting over wire-spoke 18-inch wheels. The modern hardware stays out of sight so the shape reads pure. On purist-style and retro-design scores it sits right at the top of its class.
On the road it's stately and unhurried, the kind of standard that rewards a relaxed rhythm over aggression. Reliability is a genuine strength, and the build quality holds up to a close look, which is exactly what a retro buyer is paying for. Who's it for? A rider who wants classic lines with modern dependability and none of the fuss. The honest caveat: at 562 lb it's no lightweight, the 90 hp feels calm rather than fierce, and beyond ABS there's no traction control, ride modes, or cruise. You ride this one for the feeling, not the spec sheet.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 90 hp (66 kW) @ 7,500 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 67 lb-ft (91 Nm) @ 5,500 rpm |
| Displacement | 1140 cc |
| Engine | Inline-four |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 296 mm |
| Front tire | 110/80-18 |
| Rear tire | 140/70-18 |
| Wheelbase | 58.7 in (1490 mm) |
| Seat height | 31.1 in (790 mm) |
| Wet weight | 562 lb (255 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.4 gal (16.8 L) |
| Top speed | 130 mph (209 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
Thumb the starter and the four settles into a low, mechanical snarl that gets richer as the revs climb, and when you shut it down hot you'll hear it ping and tick as the metal cools. That texture is half the point. The riding position is upright and roomy, the 31.1-inch seat easy to plant at a stop, the bars set where your hands naturally fall. There's a fine grain of vibration through the pegs and tank that tells you an air-cooled engine is doing the work, never harsh, just present. At a real road pace it feels settled and unbothered, the wheels tracking clean lines while the wide tank and long 58.7-inch wheelbase give you something solid to lean against. It asks little of you and hands back a lot.
This isn't my own test ride. It's what I've gathered from riders over the years, in paddock conversations, owner chats, and the steady stream of emails and messages that reach me directly. On the CB1100 EX the feedback is unusually consistent.
Build quality tops every conversation. Riders single out the fit and finish, the chrome, and a seamless tank that feels more solid than the price suggests. Close behind is the air-cooled four, praised for clean low-rev pull, an honest sound, and the cooling pings that give it texture without turning rough. The ride earns steady approval for soaking up bumps, and the styling reliably pulls admiring looks wherever owners park. Many add that the fueling is clean off a closed throttle and the clutch light and easy around town.
The gripes are just as consistent. Weight leads: riders find it heavy to shuffle at parking speed and deliberate when changing direction on a twisty road. Next comes the thin electronics, with owners noting no traction control or ride modes on hand. And on the highway the missing screen wears on people, wind blast building past 65 mph until longer runs start to tire an upright rider.
No widely-reported issues on record.
Where this Honda CB1100 EX pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CB1100 EX is actually built for.
This is your bike. Classic style, modern dependability, and a relaxed rhythm built for Vermont back roads and the Kancamagus, with none of the bagger bulk to manage.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
The heritage looks and inline-four sound suit the Sturgis and Daytona pilgrimage, but this is a purist standard, not a big-inch cruiser, so weigh that against your brand loyalty.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
Good for relaxed loops through the Hill Country and easy BBQ-run miles. Chase a sporting pace through the Twisted Sisters, though, and the calm 90 hp and 562 lb will hold you up.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2017–2021
Real Metal, Honest Soul
Compare to the previous model →