Honda CBR1100XX reviews

I took delivery on my XX in March and I have not yet been disapointed. The ride is great. The trans is seamless and the smoothest engine I have ever felt or heard... far cry from the V twin I traded for it. My bike gets lots of compliments from riders and non riders alike. Even busa riders give me a friendly yet respectful nod at traffic lights. The supension is stable yet stiff and absorb the chicago asphalt well. The engine is brutally powerfull yet smooth as silk. I haven't opened her up fully yet because I want to break her in right. But I just couldn't resist the ocasional short blast down the street. One word... WOW!!! I'm going to put a set of helibars on in spring to ease up the load on my wrists and I'm still planning an exhaust and undertail to clean up the rear end. I'm sure this honey will keep a smile plastered on my face for years to come. Great job to the honda guys. So what will you do for an encore? Show less

I purchase my XX in early April. All I can say is that the CBR1100XX does not dissapoint. This is the smoothest bike I have ever owned. It's speed and power are amazing, shifting is usually an option, it pulls smoothly from RPMs that would have most bikes choking. I am short, so the reach to the handlebars is a bit long, but I am getting used to it. I am planning on a Corbin seat, more for riding position than comfort. The stock seat is not that bad. The suspension can be a little harsh over bumps but the bike is very stable. You won't mistake it for a 600 on backroads, but that is not what it was designed for. It is an incredible loss to the motorcycle community that these bikes are no longer being produced by Honda, but all good things must come to an end. I am just glad I got one before the end. Show less

I picked up my Blackbird about 3 weeks ago. I was thinking about a Super Fast Machine for quite some time now and couldn't decide on which bike I wanted. The ZX12R was out because of the riding position, and I rode one without being overly impressed. The Hayabusa was a choice but seemed too stretched out and I'm not crazy over the look of it. The Blackbird was the only one of the three that actually felt fairly comfortable and has a great reputation and sleek good looks, and since I knew Honda discontinued it for '04, I could probably get a good deal on an '03, if I could find one. Well, I found one and got a great deal on it as well as a really good price for the '03 FZ1 I traded in. I am here to tell you that I have ridden or owned many, many fast machines including the ZX11, CBR1000R, VMAX, FZ1, ZRX1100, ZX12R, Bandit1200S, ZX9R and others. The CBR1100XX Blackbird is awesomely fast and powerful, yet is smooth and comfortable. I have had this machine up to 160mph so far and it wasn't even breaking a sweat. I am an experienced rider and I don't recommend you go this fast, but the machine is certainly willing and very able. The rate of acceleration is hard to describe. It makes my FZ1, which was very powerful itself, feel somewhat slow by comparison. On a curvy road, this big machine does a good job with handling that is stable and predictable. I added Gen-Mar risers that raised the clip-ons by 3/4 of an inch. I also added English Touring Grips by Emgo that helped lessen the distance to the bars. After these modifications, the bike is super comfortable and can be ridden painlessly for hours and hours. Its so nice, I just want to keep riding and riding. I'm a bit older than "Howie" who traded in his Blackbird on a Gold Wing (a Gold Wing? This I don't understand) and I don't have any problems with the comfort at all. I love this machine. This is my 45th motorcycle. I have been riding for 38 years. Never have I ridden such a fine and thrilling machine. Show less

Well sad to say the XX didn't work out for me. As much as I loved this bike's performance, my lower neck and shoulders could never ride this bike for more than an hour without being in agony. So after 3K miles, I traded it in for a new Goldwing. I think the fact that I was uncomfortable on the bike was more b/c of me and just the way my body is at 34 rather than the bike. With bar risers I still had pain. As great a bike as the XX is, I just think it wasn't for me. Even though it's one of the more comfortable sport bikes, it's still a sportbike and that means it has a very sensitive throttle, fairly aggressive riding position and isn't exactly the kind of bike you can chill out and enjoy the scenery on...at least for me. The XX to me was more of a 1 hr thrill ride and it was perfect for that but sadly I couldn't ride it much longer but know many that can. I'm much happier now on my GL1800 but the XX is still incredible for the kind of bike it is.....a biggish, incredible performing sport tourer with a bigger emphasis on SPORT to me. Show less

Bought my new Blackbird yesterday. It is a direct descendant of my previous bike, an 88 CBR 1000 Hurricane. All of the improvements I wished for and more than I ever dreamed of. Zero to 60 in 'oh my gosh' seconds. Sixty to one hundred with a flinch of the throttle without hesitation. It turns heads everywhere we go!! I can enjoy the sport part of it on my own and enjoy the touring part of it with company. The perfect bike!! Show less

Sorry Suzuki's, Kawasaki's, Yamaha's or even other Hondas. The XX is the bike. There is nothing, nothing out there with so much power and handling. Question...Where the 2004 model?? Show less

I owned a 1971 Honda 750K and a 1975 Honda 750K. In 1997, I bought a 600 Yahama Seca II. In December, 2000 I bought my first CBR1100 XX, a 1997 model. It was fantastic! The ride was smooth and predictable. It was fast, and gave me a great feeling of confidence. I liked it so much that I bought a 1999 model, out of the box, in July 2000. The fuel injection & ram air make this an awesome ride, with response like a slingshot, smooth & reliable handling, and a feeling like being in control at all times. I've put around 23,000 miles on this bike, and plan to buy another Blackbird, in the next year. The ride over long distances is so smooth and comfortable, and it goes by go quick. On the average, I ride around 250 miles per trip, with a group. It's a real joy to ride, because unlike riders of other brands and models there is no fatigue experienced after long rides. Show less

I'll update this review later as I have only about 200 miles on my new blackbird but anyone thinking about this bike will in NO WAY be disappointed. The power is insane and you won't believe how smooth it's delivered with no vibration. I came from an '03 Magna to the xx and what a difference. The Magna was great but nothing compared to the xx. Speed, handling, wind protection, looks plus Honda fit and finish and reliablity. There's not much to dislike here. This bike will not disappoint. Only people I would not recommend to are 1)those lookng for hardcore sportbikes.....while it handles awesome, it's not going to carve like a GSXR but it's more comfortable. 2)A total newbie rider not ready for the power. Start on something slower and then step up. If you're first bike is an xx, be very careful for the first several months and ease into the bike. Ride safe. Show less

This is now the second XX that I have owned,the first being a '99. I do a lot of sport riding in upstate NY. I travel with a group of guys riding R1s, GSXRs, and 954s. This 02 XX was smooth up to about 145mph, then it would start to wallow(oscillate) around some of the turns on the Taconic, so I changed the tires from Dunlops sport tourers to Perelli Diablo Corsa's and I haven't looked back since. Able to go up to 170mph, no shakes, or rattles, just smooth acceleration past my riders. I ride this machine from 4 to 8 hours with no aches and pains, and I'm 6' tall 180lbs. I have yet to ride a machine this powerful, and yet is so smooth and comfortable, hardly detectable revs, effective stopping power, well balanced and those other bikes can't touch it when riding two up. Show less

AFTER OWNING AN '84 V65 MAGNA A FEW YEARS BACK, THIS BIKE PUT A BIG SMILE BACK ON MY FACE. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF GETTING USED TO THIS STYLE OF BIKE, I STILL HAD THE BIG GRIN ON MY FACE EVRYTIME I RIDE THIS BABY! IN MY OPINION, HONDA DID THIS BIKE RIGHT. HOPEFULLY HONDA WILL DO IT'S NAME JUSTICE WITH THE ALL-NEW 2004 CBR1000RR. Show less