By NastyNils·
Motorcycle comparison · Retro Classic
Honda CB1100 EX (Gen2) vs CB 1100 (CB1100 SC65)
Honda CB1100 EX vs CB 1100: buy with your heart, but read this first.
You'll hit a rippled patch of pavement and feel the Honda CB1100 EX's soft fork and rear shocks soak it up before it's reached your spine. The Honda CB 1100 cushions you upright on a padded saddle.
So which one do you buy?
The CB1100 EX has the edge if…
Character, looks and sound
A touch ahead: CB1100 EX
Parked side by side, the CB1100 EX draws the eye a little more. What tips it: a better engine note. Only a little, and taste can flip it.
What makes each one tick
CB1100 EX
From barely above idle, the CB1100 EX's air-cooled four pulls clean while its exhaust growls low. There's no snatch when the throttle cracks open from closed, only the even pickup of a good CV carb. It won't hurry through bends. Parked, its cooling fins ping like an old Honda four.
Nils rode the CB1100 EX in the Spessart in 2017 (NastyNils Testride).
CB 1100
Even at speed, the CB 1100's four sends almost no buzz into its wide chrome bars. At corner entry, the steering's light and neutral, and the low center of gravity hides the bike's heft. Parking lots aren't so kind. There's room on the seat for a passenger all day.
Nils rode the CB 1100 in 2013 (NastyNils Testride).
The Voice of Experience
What actually separates them
- The CB 1100 has the lower wet weight: 545 lb (247 kg) vs 562 lb (255 kg).
- The CB1100 EX has the larger fuel tank: 4.4 US gal (16.8 L) vs 3.9 US gal (14.6 L).
- ABS: standard on the CB1100 EX, option on the CB 1100.
Which one for the way you ride
Comfortable long-distance riding
Neither one fits
Neither one is built for long-haul comfort. For big miles, look at a proper tourer or sport tourer.
Call it even on commuting, twisty roads, and running costs. Choose on fit, price and the one that makes you grin.
Who each one is built for
What's good, and what you'll live with
CB1100 EX
What owners say
Strengths
- Exceptional build quality and attention to detail
- Smooth and relaxed ride quality
- Torquey, characterful air-cooled inline-four
- Spot-on fuel injection and easy clutch
Trade-offs
- Significant weight limits nimbleness
- Lack of modern electronic rider aids
- Minimal wind protection at highway speeds
CB 1100
What owners say
Strengths
- Exceptionally smooth, torque-rich engine
- Bulletproof reliability and low maintenance
- Superb build quality and attention to detail
- Comfortable, natural ergonomics
Trade-offs
- Minimal wind protection
- Modest top-end performance for its displacement
- Significant weight for a naked middleweight
What they share
- Displacement
- 1140 cc
- Engine
- Inline-four
- Cooling
- Air/oil-cooled
- Power
- 90 hp (66 kW)
- Peak power at
- 7,500 rpm
- Torque
- 67 lb-ft (91 Nm)
- 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)
Where the spec sheets split
| CB1100 EX | CB 1100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 31.1 in (790 mm) | 31.3 in (795 mm) |
| Wet weight | 562 lb (255 kg) | 545 lb (247 kg) |
| CB1100 EX | CB 1100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak torque at | 5,500 rpm | 5,000 rpm |
| Top speed | 130 mph (209 km/h) | 124 mph (200 km/h) |
| CB1100 EX | CB 1100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel capacity | 4.4 US gal (16.8 L) | 3.9 US gal (14.6 L) |
What comes fitted, what costs extra
| CB1100 EX | CB 1100 | |
|---|---|---|
| ABS | Standard | Option |
| Slipper Clutch | Standard | Not offered |
| LED Headlight | Standard | Not offered |
Head to head, area by area
Both bikes on the same scale, one area at a time.
