Air-cooled CB1100

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Cyclicrate

Joined
Dec 12, 2015
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22
Location
Florida, US
Hello,
I have been lurking here for some time and have been researching the recommendations for oil for various air/oil-cooled motorcycles. I have recently purchased a Honda CB1100 and I am planning to ditch the factory recommended GN4 10w-40, as at the 600 mile oil change the oil came out like water. Where I work, we have a very good distributor agreement with Mobil and I was planning on going to Mobil 1 4t 10w-40, but I have noted that many here are using 15w-40. I live in Florida and the bike calls for 10w-30/10w-40. Am I right in assuming that there is a negligible difference between 15w-40 and 10w-40 as far as "cold" flow is concerned? This bike has several strategies to deal with excessive heat (idling in traffic) but it is air cooled and shared sump, and I would assume harder on oil than the average water cooled engine. I am currently following a 1500-2000 mile OCI and using the factory Honda filter. Riding habits are mostly highway with some hard pulls mixed in. Thank you for your time.
 
Pictures, please!

Also, I agree, you won't notice a difference between 10w-40 and 15w-40 in Florida, and your bike won't, either.
2000 mile OCI with modern oil is a waste past the break-in period, I hope you'll be following the factory recommended interval later.
 
Thanks. I haven't actually gotten to my second OCI yet, but I will extend it once I have an oil running in it that I know isn't going to break down. I am OCD about fluid maintenance (ha speaking to BITOG'ers) and the consistency of the oil at the first drain didn't give me warm and fuzzies. This engine has oil passages in the head for the spark plug seats which then go to the cooler. I am sure that there was some residual crud left in it after the break-in drain, hence the accelerated 2nd OCI. I am planning on keeping this machine for very long time as my tastes are fairly well developed at this point in my motorcycling life. This engine is as under-stressed as I've seen on a new non-cruiser type motorcycle, so if I can keep it happy with proper maintenance it should last. I'll see about getting some pictures up.
 
My R6 liked 15/40 the best, Delo or Rotella. Put over 47k miles on it before I sold it and got my Goldwing(getting older).LOL

ROD
 
Cold flow in Fla!!!! !5w is sae rated to 15*f for my wifes 7.3 Superduty . It has been getting into the 30s on the colder mornings ! the engine starts right up. Those CB1100 are so pretty.
 
They added a 6th gear and changed the gearing via sprocket tooth count, the tank capacity changed only for the deluxe version. The '14 accelerates a little less briskly (.3s to 60 in comparisons I've seen) but for the type of riding I do, the lower rpm on the highway was a nice trade-off. There are other minor changes, like the center stand bracket, the front sprocket cover is Al on the '14 vs plastic on the '13, the ignition timing was revamped for the new gearing etc... changes that the average rider in this market wouldn't really notice. I did a 5th gear pull against a buddy who has a '13 with a Yosh slip-on, and he pulled half a bike on me. The factory muffler is very restrictive, some much so that the throttle response is affected. Overall though, it is the most "complete" motorcycle I have ridden thus far, for my purposes anyway. I have had far more gripes with other bikes I have ridden at this point in the ownership cycle, and any issues I have with it are minor and far outweighed by the positives.
 
A totally irrelevant question, but have you ridden a CB1300 yet?
Not poking at you or anything, just contemplating owning one of these bikes in the future and I'm interested in actual owner opinions. Thanks!
 
I wish I could, however Honda has not brought the CB1300 to the US. I do know that the CB1100's engine is heavily based on the CB1300's, and I believe shares the crankcase with that bike. The cylinder and head being different (water cooled). I really like the standard motorcycle format, the US market sees the motorcycle as a recreational vehicle and therefore our bikes seem to be heavily specialized. As a new bike buyer, your main choices are a 700lb+ V-twin, or a no-compromises supersport. It's not until most people's second or third bikes that their style of preferred riding develops to the point that they buy a motorcycle for how they want to ride, rather than the spec sheet, which is why I believe the CB11 didn't sell well here. Let me know if there's anything specific you would like to know.
 
Thanks for the info!
That's a pity you guys don't get the CB13, but from your posts I guess the CB11 suits you well. The 1300 is not as 'retro' with the water cooled engine in the middle. Still looks great 'in person', though.
 
I have a 2014 CB-1100 too, black 'standard'. I had an early 70's CB-750 back in the day.

I did my first oil change before going in for winter storage. Here I just went with 10-30, one of the Shell types, don't want to guess without exact info. Being in FL the 10-40 would be fine. I know on the CB forums they cautioned about using thicker oil that we may of done in the past.

Anyway, my bike runs GREAT. I put on a NC 'street shield EX' windshield, crash bars, and a rear rack for a medium bag.
 
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