Honda CBR1100XX reviews

I have a blue 1999 blackbird it has full micron exhuast and upgraded computer,I first test drove a 1997 carbed blackbird then mine and wow the fuel injected bike is much more responsive and aftermarket pipe make this bike a beast I have had it up to 270kmh no problem. The power this bike makes over 7000rpms is insane but is also a very easy bike to ride slow, but make no mistake about it this bike likes the open road. This is an amazing machine. PERIOD. Show less

This is one of those bikes I call a sleeper. I remember first getting it and my son said what an ugly bike. Until he got a ride on it. After that he couldn't say anything bad about it. The bike might not have the look of the other CBR's that Honda makes or any other sports bike. But it has the power. I'm in my late 40's and I have been riding bikes some 23 years. This is my 4th bike. I'm one of those guys who buy a bike and keep it for years. I just let go my 850 special XS, 1980. It was a very good bike for all those years. But I decided to move on to something newer. The Honda CBR 1100XX was a choice that was made by accident. I was looking at the R1 Yamaha. But after looking over and seeing this bike in the show room I ask for a test ride. Compared to the Yamaha this bike was just what I was looking for. It was smooth, easy to handle and had a gas tank for the long distance. The power of the bike is not what sold me. It was the way it looked. Very little markings on it. No flashy paint scheme. Just plain and good looking. I had a chance to go for a long ride over to Montana to see an old friend of mind. It's been awhile that I have been on a long ride. But I did it and it was great. I recommend this to everyone looking for a good time. Show less

Of the 5 bikes I have the XX sees the road more often than all the rest put together, and it doesn't look like a carnival coming into town like most teen machines today, smooth, fast, reliable, the only parts replaced in 61k miles was 2 batteries and a chain tensioner at 35k, part was 29.00 and 15 minutes to replace, still doesn't burn a drop of oil, you can go through some tires if your hard on the throttle. VFR handle bars make it more comfortable for the long hauls. Show less

Hello all. Being a Service guy at a dealership, I daily ride everything that the Asian engineers throw out there. The bikes coming out now are mind blowing to be sure. Technologically advanced to the point of making the perfect bike for just about anyone's taste and riding preference. But, for me outside of work, I want to ride with my younger buddies through the twisties, take my girl touring through the country scenery, riding through heavy traffic with instant acceleration and stopping power for safety, and blow the doors off almost any youngster whom wants to challenge a "Real, live Honda Technician". (Gotta reputation to uphold, ya know?) My Fj1200 was perfect for many years and 54,000 miles, and when the XX came out I knew I was going to own one as it was a lot like James Bond. Smooth, Refined, and ready to deliver a serious ass kicking at a moments notice. I finally got one for myself, as I had already logged many miles on other people's bikes. It's the perfect next step. Kinda kills me when I read reviews where someone says "it leans slightly more to the SPORT side" Gee, ya think the world fastest production bike 2 years running might be slightly sportier? It is. But that's where I feel safest, right where I need to be should the dumb motorist arise from "No-where". Try swerving fast on a 1800cc touring bike and you will probably find yourself upside down in a bean field. I'd rather have the power and handling to avoid problems than be involved in something that I COULD have avoided if my legs weren't spread in front of me and I was sitting reclined trying to nose my bike through a sticky spot. CBR1100xx is for me the ultimate bike, and I await the next bike that comes along like this all around wonderful "Like having your own roller coaster" motorcycle. Show less

This has to be the perfect sport bike, I don't think of it as a sport tourer. Everybody talks about the 1000's, but they have never ridden an XX. The comfort in the riding position is perfect for my size. You can be on this bike all day without getting tired. Brakes, you have to love the linked braking system, you can never over brake the front or rear of the bike. The motor makes so much power it will out run everything out there in a straight line except the Busa with half the noise and vibration you get from the 1000's. I had mine on a dyno and it was making 151 horse power to the rear wheel. I have also had mine on the track scraping the foot pegs in the corners and doing 165 down the straights. You can have just as much fun on the XX as the 1000's on the track. If you're a great track rider you will obviously notice it's a litte heavy. I got 11,000 miles on my original tires (no burnouts). I change the oil every 3000 miles and it has been flawless unless you don't lock-tite the primary drive sprocket bolt, it will back out. (my fault) Guaranteed you will love this bike. The only bad thing I can think of is there isn't much of a demand for these and I got mine as soon as the 2003's hit the show room floor and two years later you can still find new 2003's for a bunch less, but its worth every cent. Show less

I bought the 2001 XX after going through the F3, F4i (mine got stolen), VFR (almost perfect bike), ZX6R. After 30,000 miles in 4 years, this bike is the closest thing to perfection that I have ridden. To make it better, I added heli bars (really - who likes to ride with that much weight on the wrists?), power commander, Erion racing exhaust, K&N air filter and a double bubble wind screen. The only way I would change bikes is if the VFR were offered as a liter bike (and the wife wasn't looking). On the downside, it's a bit heavier than I like, but once you start moving its wonderful balance makes you forget about how heavy it is. Slightly better brakes would be nice, but the Link system is wonderful. It does its job without you even knowing it's there. I spent a day at the track on the bike. Being able to use the full range of power was amazing. It just never stops pulling. A bit heavy when leaning deep into a turn, but nothing that can't be overcome. Show less

I took one look at it and I was taken. I took my first lesson the next day after it was delivered. I was frightened but it was as if I knew already how to ride it as soon as I cracked the throttle. It takes turns with great ease and speed is great, when I get a open road near my house I test the bikes nuts and wow! It nearly took mine off. This bike has great potential for more glory (hmm...TURBOCHARGER) and I am going to take us there one day. Show less

Quick background on myself. I'm 54, been riding since I was 19. I have a car but I seldom use it, I hate traffic, I split lanes. I've logged over 400,000 miles, approx. 65,000 lane splitting on various bikes. Never in an accident from lane splitting. My Blackbird is a 1999. I bought this bike for the purpose of getting through commuter traffic and an occasional road trip. This use creates distinct perameters. I needed instant power (to take command of a bad situation), reasonable comfort, good reliabilty, and economy. This bike has good power, having a Kawasaki turbo in my garage is a fair comparison. The throttle is smooth and responsive, not always "hunting" like the lesser cc bikes, producing a lot of horsepower. Torque due to displacement is the key here. This adds to the comfort of being able to cruise the freeways at sustained speeds without feeling that you are either on or off the throttle. Comfort wise, the riding position(I have a pad and lay down on the bike)is reasonable for an occasional long trip. Las Vegas is a one stop trip, Barstow to gas up and take a 20 min. break, then to Vegas total of about 300 miles. As to reliability, prior to buying this bike, my first thoughts were to check with independant mechanics who were unbiased as to product name and get their recommendation. Front runners were the Busa and ZX-11. The Busa was out for personal reasons (me and Suzuki's have a poor history), the ZX has had a sporatic reputation as to having upper valve train problems above 70,000 miles. My fuel injected CBR XX got great reviews. To this date I feel I made the right choice. I will have to confess, my riding partner has a 2000 Busa, it has 68,000 miles on it, he beats it as hard as I do my Bird and it has not given him any real problems, just a crank seal at 60,000. My 'Birds only fault is the timing chain tensioner which has had to be replaced twice, easy and cheap fix($45), and a piece of cake to change. Economy sounds like a strange consideration when looking at this type of machine, but if it is your main transportation you do prefer to examine the alternatives. My buddy's Busa gets 36 mpg on a good day, it runs on premium only. The ZX-11 gets about 40 mpg and also runs only on premium. My 'Bird gets about 40 mpg (best ever was 43)and due to its internal knock sensors can run on regular. Yes, it runs slightly better on good premium, but if you live in someplace like Alaska where regular is all that is available throughout the state, being able to run on what is available is paramount. It does suck gas as the speeds increase, low 30's above 130mph. Summation, this bike does everything that I was hoping for. It is a straight like rocket ship, handles in traffic like a dream. Has a long wheel base to minimize the wheelies and track solidly at over 165 mph. It is a little heavy for canyon carving, bringing it down from the quickly attainable speeds can be hairy in the curves. On a full lean your left foot is hitting the pavement (causing your foot to upshift when you really don't what to go there). But the riding position is a compromise, not as cramped for street use as the alternatives. My buddy and I switch bikes on occasion to compare personalities, the Busa above 140 is in a different realm, but below that in the real world my 'Bird is the shining star. Would I buy this bike again? Yes, definitely, but I could use a turbo on it. After all, with the mods I have on it, it's only 151 hp. Show less

After trying to decide between a Hayabusa or the Blackbird, I took test rides on used bikes and both of these bikes throw you back into your seat. So I went to all the user sites and the Hayabusa riders have so many complaints about what they needed to have fixed or recalled. So I went to the Blackbird sites and boy did they complain about having to change the oil and put gas in it and put new tires on every so many thousand miles. Now with my CBR11000 I have NO COMPLAINTS to speak of. This bike is so dependable, you'll look for something to do to it or update or modify it. When this bike came out it was the fastest production bike in the world. It has the aerodynamic profile of a 650, so it slips through the air like a hot knife through butter. The bike itself can hit 180 mph and do 0-60 in just over 3 seconds. It is a sport tourer / sport bike. It is so refined and smooth. It's a Honda, what more could you say. A number of riders have been problem free for over a 100,000 miles. I love my bike and have ridden all over Florida, have ridden the Tail of the Dragon, the Smokies, around Virginia and this bike is all that and more. I completely got rid of my chicken strips the first run up the Tail of the Dragon and the bike stuck like glue to the road and then I re-removed them on the way back down. You can ride this bike for hours and not need to get off and won't need to with the 6.3 gallon tank. The position and feeling is like riding a mountain or road bicycle, same riding position and same things to get used to. For the first 100 miles, you have to get used to not leaning hard on your hands and letting your legs and back support you. If this is one of your first sport bikes, it will take about 1000 miles to feel comfortable. But it is so fun riding everywhere you go on it. It's also a blast to have a Corvet or some other fast car, pull up beside you and TRY to take you. You'll see them in your mirrors and then at the next light they look at you and your bike with wide eyes of amazement. You'll never regret getting this bike, once you ride it, you'll be hooked and not want to ever get off or give it back. This is a long term owner bike. Show less

First of all, I'd like to say its great to see so many Blackbird lovers around. I'm a 1st time rider and owner of one,...I received advice from lots of people and for the most part, they all told me, "get a 600, and practice" One guy in particular told me not to worry about it,...my bike will find me. I didnt understand it until I saw my baby among Hauyabusas and other 1200s,... just posted like a star. I know "crouch rockets" have a high turn over rate. But I've had it for 2 1/2 years now,...and I plan on keeping it!!!! Show less