2013 Honda CB1100

[M3-SRT8]

Originally Posted by mrbreeze

I remember when anything labelled "Made in Japan" was called "Jap Junk". They sure stood that on it's ear. Detroit didn't hurt them any either, with the crappy quality they were producing in the 70's and 80's.

I gotta add though, the Koreans are also doing a heck of a job getting their quality where it needs to be. My Sonata has 163k on it, still going strong. It eats Camrys and Accords for breakfast.

I used to own a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. It was my first car. It was Canadian made, well optioned, and an unmolested, origional owner car. It was a great car.

I remember stopping into a Honda Car dealership in the mid-70's. I marveled at the quality of workmanship, fit and finish, integrity, hardware, etc of the Honda Civics on the sales floor. I remember grabbing a door handle, looking at the windshield frames, door frames, paint quality, and especially under the hood.

In an era of early emission controls, where if you looked under the hood of a Detroit car it looked like a spagetti dinner, a tangled-up nightmare, the Hondas engine bays were beautiffuly detailed, carefully loomed, organized, anodized, works of art.

Compared to a Plymouth Volare with a Slant Six, it was a revalation, it was no contest. Japan earned it's badge of quality the hard way, fair and square.

My brother bought a 1975 Honda Civic. He drove it for 360,000 miles, still on it's origional engine and trans. It was reliable beyond belief. He finally sold it because he was sick of driving the same car for eight years.

[kraven]

Yeah, and that's how Detroit got turned into a ghost town.

I can't tell you how many times I've eyed a new Challenger and said "man, I wish Honda built something like that." since I would never ever ever pay 40 grand for something and drive it off hoping it wasn't a Monday morning car that would have to be lemon lawed.

Ain't nobody got time for that.

[Plungerhead]

I don't remember this video being posted in this thread, so I apologize if it has been.
This is a clip of the new 1100 with a Staintune replica style muffler. It sounds FANTASTIC! I also love the sound of the Mugen exhaust, maybe even a little better, but a slip-on canister would be way less expensive than the full Mugen system. Staintune nailed the oem look as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=ZT7ab-CRP-U

[Plungerhead]

Hmmmm. I just tried to post a video/sound clip of the 1100 with a Staintune exhaust canister. I was told that a moderator will have to approve the post.
I guess I'm still TOO MUCH of a n00b!

[Scoobynut]

Originally Posted by Plungerhead

Hmmmm. I just tried to post a video/sound clip of the 1100 with a Staintune exhaust canister. I was told that a moderator will have to approve the post.
I guess I'm still TOO MUCH of a n00b!

Staintune is what I will probably go with, for a range of reasons:

- Looks pretty close to stock
- Stainless steel construction
- Sounds good. Not as good as the Pipemasters, but then again, I've only heard the crappy sound/video clip put out by Staintune. May also be less annoying than the Pipemasters or any other loud pipe as you drone along the highway. Also see next reason.
- Retains center stand whereas you lose it with the 4-4 systems.

Hope they're selling enough of these to keep producing them. I was all set to get a Staintune for my Super Tenere, but they ended production for that model -- must not have been selling enough of them.

[Dave in Wi]

Originally Posted by mrbreeze

I gotta add though, the Koreans are also doing a heck of a job getting their quality where it needs to be. My Sonata has 163k on it, still going strong. It eats Camrys and Accords for breakfast.

Off topic I know, but... One of the Korean derogatory nicknames for the Japanese translates to "the lazy people." The Japanese car manufacturers better stay on their game in the next couple of decades.

[M3-SRT8]

Originally Posted by Dave in Wi

Off topic I know, but... One of the Korean derogatory nicknames for the Japanese translates to "the lazy people." The Japanese car manufacturers better stay on their game in the next couple of decades.

Actually, it's "The Lazy Asians."

All the Asian Peoples have had the Japanese in their sights for quite a long time. The Japanese is the standard that they all strive to attain. Funny how they all detest each other. The Japanese think all other Asians as Dog Meat. The Koreans detest the Japanese AND the Chinese. Etc, etc, etc...

But, I digress further.

[M3-SRT8]

Speaking of loosing the Center Stand, I wonder if anybody makes a good rear wheel stand for the cb1100?

[ZappBranigan]

Originally Posted by M3-SRT8

The Koreans detest the Japanese AND the Chinese. Etc, etc, etc...

But, I digress further.

To be fair, the Koreans have pretty good reasons to not like the Japanese.

Speaking of which (and taking this even further off topic) what ever happened to Hyosung? They were making some 250cc and 650cc V-twin bikes that using what looked very much like Suzuki SV motors a few years ago. I even remember being at an HD dealership (Go figure!) around 2010 when they had a bunch of bikes there. Seemed like they followed the old Japanese route of having one motor and multiple configurations, so they had a fully-faired sportbike, a naked standard and a "cruiser" all using the same running gear.

I had really thought that the Korean bike manufacturers were "hungry" enough to undercut the Japanese on price and establish themselves in the market but it apparently hasn't happened.

Which seems odd to me - given the way the Korean manufacturers have established themselves as mainstream car builders in the US (even establishing US manufacturing facilities), I'm surprised they haven't tried to gain a foothold in the MC market as well.

Of course, it may have to do with the current economic crisis and the fact that even the Japanese companies are hurting economically, and the Korean companies may just think this is not a good time to try and break into a market that's already saturated with new products that don't sell.

As for China, they still sell their bikes through retailers like Pep Boys. I've heard a lot about Chinese motorcycles and ATVs, none of it good.

[kraven]

Speaking of which (and taking this even further off topic) what ever happened to Hyosung?

What I think:
Poor people stopped being able to buy cheap motorcycles when the economy went to crap. They're busy now buying food and watching their wages stagnate while the dollar weakens due to inflation.

[M3-SRT8]

Originally Posted by ZappBranigan

To be fair, the Koreans have pretty good reasons to not like the Japanese.

Yes. See "Annexation of Korea 1910" and "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere."

Also see: "Mao Tse-Tung" as to how the Chinese treated the Koreans, North and South, in recent times.

[HapHazard]

Originally Posted by Plungerhead

I don't remember this video being posted in this thread, so I apologize if it has been.
This is a clip of the new 1100 with a Staintune replica style muffler. It sounds FANTASTIC! I also love the sound of the Mugen exhaust, maybe even a little better, but a slip-on canister would be way less expensive than the full Mugen system. Staintune nailed the oem look as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=ZT7ab-CRP-U

Funny how it sounds really good (deep exhaust note & quiet mechanical noise) until 1:08, then the tone changes, and there's lots of harsh loud mechanical "whirring" and the bike sounds kinda crappy from that point on.

[M3-SRT8]

Originally Posted by HapHazard

Funny how it sounds really good (deep exhaust note & quiet mechanical noise) until 1:08, then the tone changes, and there's lots of harsh loud mechanical "whirring" and the bike sounds kinda crappy from that point on.

Yup, and I don't know why. Could be different mic position. It is disconcerting.

[dpg]

Originally Posted by M3-SRT8

Yup, and I don't know why. Could be different mic position. It is disconcerting.

I'm already spending more than I should so I'm not sure if a new exhuast is really in my plans. Of, course I am already looking and listening (on line) and dreaming. I thought the first mod I would do on my cbr250 was going to be an exhaust. The more I rode it, the more I enjoyed quiet and stealthy. Of course there is the issue of being so quiet on the 250 that a pedistrian might not even hear you. While I rode with others who had cool and wicked exhaust that I appreciated, especially the popping on decel, I kind of appreciate the quietness of my bike. For me, I'm sure the cb1100 is going to be a much more beautiful sound and louder as well. Having said that I'll happily take the Mugen 2 into 1 (along with the rest of the cafe kit if someone is feeling generous) or the other black handcrafted 4 into 1. I can't remember the name of it. I'm not a big fan of the 4 into 4 as of now. Someone had posted earlier when they originally came out that most people ditched them for a 4 into 1. I'm curious as to why that was if anyone knows.

[Guth]

That Staintune sounds really nice, and you get to keep the beautiful (in my mind) factory 4-1 headers.

As far as the sound differences, I'm guessing that they were using a little outboard mic with a zoom setting which I've experimented with in the past. With a mic like that, when you zoom in, you pic up on a lot more of the mechanical noise of the engine. From a distance, to the human ear, the exhaust would sound more like it does in the early part of the video. With the mic zoomed in, it sounds more like it would to the human ear if you were actually sitting closer to the engine itself.