YOU MEET THE NICEST PEOPLE…
Social media introduced me to Wout van Veldhuizen, Holland’s resident expert on the twin-cam four. Wout’s background of maintaining tanks for the Dutch army grew into a passion for the F and R series Super Sports. ‘I couldn’t afford the expensive R model then, but I still have the 1979 CB900FZ I purchased in 1985. In 2003 I began buying old 750, 900 and CB1100Fs, which were cheap and plentiful, eventually collecting about 150 of them over a 12 year span. I sold a lot of parts and still have many; more than enough to restore some of the better ones. I found my first 1100RB in 2005 and from that time I’ve bought every R I can find.’
Branching out, van Veldhuizen has acquired 1100R-powered Magni and Bimota versions too, and a Moto Martin is scheduled for next winter. Owning more than one pristine example of every version, Wout’s portraits not only filled out the line, but his detailed photos were very helpful in comparison against McIntyre’s bike. Through van Veldhuizen I was introduced to another CB-R expert in Andre de Boer.
Poring through his records for the edification of RC’s readers, de Boer’s insight and experience with the Honda deepened my understanding. ‘If there’s a weakness, it’s the bottom end,’ says de Boer. ‘The 11R is happier if kept out of the rev range between 4500-5500rpm. It has nothing to do with balance, but crankshaft flex. To make room for the wider primary chain the left lobe of the third cylinder has been reduced in thickness. All of the cranks have a relatively wide distance not supported by a bearing, and that makes it more prone to flex. The 1100F’s rubber mounting hides it, but it was an issue the RSC1000 racers suffered from too. The early cranks sometimes failed.’
Online research also revealed an excellent piece published at Motovue which details Honda’s preparation of the 1100R for the Castrol Six Hour race. After winning in 1980, Honda dropped out of the 1981 event due to pressure from the organisers… and complaints from competing teams. The dominance of 1982’s version of the CB1100R is recorded by an all-Honda podium at the Six Hour, and a second straight sweep of the MCN Endurance Racing series. As it became a cult superbike in demand, the CB-R basked in some of the championship stardom earned by American rider Wayne Gardner and British speedster Ron Haslam.
Tucked in tight, the single wall 4-into-2 exhaust system expels gases ignited by a digital system, and the smaller ignition and alternator units were fitted with bevelled covers. Sadly, the racer’s geared primary wasn’t used, but the bottom-end’s wider primary chain and beefed clutch work with top grade bearing and transmission gear materials to reliably transfer 120 crankshaft horsepower. I mention that the CB1100R’s gearing suggests a mathematical top end of 165mph but Steve isn’t buying it. Off the modern pace by a second or more, the big four’s power to weight ratio will keep it in the hunt or perhaps push it to the front of the pack, depending upon the rider. The engine’s soulful wail is thrilling to experience, but it’s the Honda’s planted grip that I appreciate more. Seemingly smaller than my Super Sports, the R feeds back with a tied-up, race-ready attitude missing from the rest of the line of softer-sprung streetbikes, so the firm ride is an easy trade. It’s more comfortable too, at least for me, for not only does the R’s long range alloy tank keep weight under control (513lb dry, according to Honda’s excellent rider’s handbook), it also improves seating security. Interestingly, the CB1100RC’s 28-degrees of rake, 18-inch wheels and 58-inch wheelbase mirror the specifications of Italy’s finest twins during that era. Clearly an established formula for composed handling: I’ll leave it for you to
decide if it’s coincidence, or copied.
Race results from 1980 show the 1100R in competition and winning; at least in Australia, where one hundred examples of the naked, solo saddle racer beat deadlines for inclusion in the Castrol Six-Hour event. Honda’s production line officially ran from 1981 to 1983, the first labelled with a B prefix and fitted with, or without the CBX inspired half-fairing. As a 1982 model, our feature bike is the 1100RC model using a redesigned fairing in thin, carbon fibre-reinforced fibreglass and a removable seat cowl over the race-mandated dual saddle. A locking toolbox was added to the left rear flank to compensate for the lost storage. Distinctive, the tri-colour scheme leads many to confuse the 1100R with the later, V-Four powered 1000R, and Steve’s eyewitness inspection of the last CB1100RD showed a glossier, metallic ‘Interceptor’ type finish with slightly altered graphics and the 1100F’s squaresection swinging arm. Total production of all CB1100Rs totalled over 4000 units.
Due to the great success in the racing for which it was designed, the CB1100R earned rave reviews by the publications lucky enough to get a test bike in countries including Holland, South Africa, France and the UK. Few came to the States, but one exception was a test published in the November 1981 issue of US-based Cycle Guide, where editor Paul Dean flew to Oregon to sample a French-market 1100RB purchased by the owner of Pacifico Fairings. Raving about the R’s precise handling while lamenting the reasons it wasn’t imported here, Dean reckoned the higher-geared Honda drew even with Suzuki’s new 16-valve
1100, which at that time sat atop the superbike pecking order. ‘ The CB-R always goes where you point it,’ Dean wrote after four straight days touring the Pacific Northwest. ‘It retains its angle of lean willingly and accurately, without requiring pressure on one grip or the other. And it is that ‘neutral’ feel, along with the stable precision of the steering and an abundance of cornering clearance that makes the 1100R one of the most exhilarating horizon-tilters you’re likely to encounter. You come away from a spirited backroad chase feeling like a real road racer because… well, because you’ve been riding a real roadracer.’
Found box-stock and expertly kept that way, Steamin’ Steve’s CB1100R might be the best Honda most Americans have never heard of, but that isn’t likely. It is, without doubt, the pinnacle of Honda’s patriarchal air-cooled four – the format famous for setting the industry on its ear, then returning a decade later to settle the score. The 1100R makes no apologies for its bold style and so it shouldn’t, but popularity and fame breed indifference. Reviled by many enthusiasts for flaunting the Honda script, the CB1100R stepped away from the norm just long enough to become legend.