Tokyo 2009: Honda CB1100 brings back the UJM
by Jeremy Korzeniewski on Oct 22nd 2009 at 12:41PM 
Honda CB1100 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Honda officially took the wraps off a couple new motorcycles this week at the Tokyo Motor Show, and along with the hotly anticipated VFR 1200F, the retro-styled CB1100 is one bike that's receiving plenty of attention. We've been hearing rumblings that the new large-bore, air-cooled standard might make its way Stateside, and while that hasn't quite been confirmed by Honda, we've got our fingers crossed.
The CB1100 would mark the return of the classic Universal Japanese Motorcycle, more commonly known as the UJM, which was best exemplified by Honda's own CB750 series from the 1970s. As we've noted in the past, the Big Four have all but forgotten the UJM, which is a shame – there's an unfortunate lack of no-nonsense, reasonably-priced, do-it-all motorcycles offered here in the U.S.
Check out our gallery of live photos below of one standard model in black and one featuring a nice flyscreen, blacked-out exhaust and cafe-style seat in red... oh, and be sure to contact your local Honda dealer to let them know you're interested.
Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Honda CB1100
Photos copyright ©2009 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
phunkopathic 12:50PM (10/22/2009)
This is my kind of bike! I would actually consider buying a new bike now!
Reply
tmiller1812 1:37PM (10/22/2009)
Yes Sir. Add me to your ranks.... Finally, a motorcycle that looks like a motorcycle...
JeremiahBWhite 12:53PM (10/22/2009)
Haha! Finally I'm back in style!
I'm still riding an old CM400E.
Gotta love the old Honda air-cooled beasts!
This is definitely top on my list of bikes I must have, once I can afford them.....
Reply
Alex 1:03PM (10/22/2009)
The US sorely needs more of the UJM style motorcycle. There are so few option out there when shopping for a simple motorcycle with an upright riding position for under $8k. Triumph's Bonneville and Harley Davidson's Sportster are about the only two I can think of off the top of my head.
The options open up when looking for a sport bike but not everyone is looking to "sit on their balls and stuff their feet up their ass" as I once heard it. Dual sports are another option but they are not always comfortable and always on the tall side. The cruiser crowd also has their field well represented but again that's a riding position that is not to everyone's taste.
Short in the long of it, I would love to see some UJM bikes from the Japanese.
Reply
cdwrx 1:11PM (10/22/2009)
The Kawi ER-6N and the Suzuki Gladius are meant for that riding position, but they look bad and don't have 1100ccs of grunt. Honda could easily build a version of this around 600ccs and blow those bikes off the sales charts. An 1100 would (and should) be too intimidating for newbs.
BoxerFanatic 1:58PM (10/22/2009)
I loved the idea of the SV1000 and Honda SuperHawk 1000cc.
Suzuki did well, but still cancelled it. Honda let the Superhawk wither on the vine for far too long.
They are somewhat sporty UJMs, with half fairings and narrow V-twin torquey engines that are easy to ride.
Suzuki Gladius is basically an SV650 in swoopy lines. Nice bike... but what happened to the 1000cc class, heck, even 800-900cc... Ducati seems to be the only one diverse on that front.
R1200S is cancelled, as was the K1200R-Sport, and BMW only leaves the R1200R naked bike that still interests me, that is still built.
I am not a cruiser fan. I am not a pretzel, so a super-sport isn't really my cup of tea, and modifying a dirt bike for pavement is interesting, but a street bike is still a street bike.
Hopefully the UJM and other normal motorcycles benefit from the development of the supersports, and the VFR's development as well.
Just because it is a standard bike, doesn't mean it needs to be stone-aged, either. What was cutting edge a few years ago should be inexpensive enough to be standard now. Like cartridge forks, and monobloc brake calipers, and quality shocks. Maybe even new, compact, low-maintenance versions of shaft-drive, and light weight, efficient engine design. Not necessarily cutting edge, but still better than 70's era. equipment being sold as new.
Redline 2:31PM (10/22/2009)
Suzuki Bandit 1250
Yamaha XJR 1300
Kawasaki Z1000 even?
Not sure if these bikes are available in the US though.
cdwrx 1:10PM (10/22/2009)
I'll take the black one with the accessory windscreen and seat from the red one. Done.
Reply
Syke 2:06PM (10/22/2009)
I was in town a couple of months ago for the MotoGP race, with the ol lady and me on my '69 Bonneville cafe racer. From a motorcycle viewpoint, Indianapolis is not a bad place to ride. Your drivers are a lot more attentive than a lot of big cities I've ridden in.
Kumar 1:06PM (10/22/2009)
Nice bike(s). These and similar looking bikes like the Moto Guzzi 7 reviewed here recently have me wanting a bike strangely.
It's still suicidal in Indianapolis to drive one with everyone calling and texting in their cars unfortunately...
Reply
happyfun86 1:06PM (10/22/2009)
Oh heck yeah! I almost bought a CB750 a couple of months ago, but it was in such good condition, and since I'd never owned a bike before, I didn't want to ruin it. But I love this style of bike, and I'd definitely buy one of these in a couple of years (after I've gotten some more experience).
Reply
Allen 1:09PM (10/22/2009)
After a really bad experience with a Honda motorcycle, I swore I'd never buy another one. However, if this thing comes to America and the price is right ($7000 or less) I might just have to consider it.
Reply
J 5:39PM (10/22/2009)
You must have been riding a 'Hongda' or something like that...
I don't have statistics, but I honestly believe Honda has been making the world's highest quality bikes since the mid-1960s (of course there are exceptional models and outliers, as they make many, many bikes).
Allen 8:43PM (10/22/2009)
The bike itself wasn't the problem, let's just say that a Honda warranty (an extended one that I paid for) is worth about as much as GM stock. They simply look for any way to get out of covering what is obviously a manufacturing defect.
SeanG 1:16PM (10/22/2009)
I hope BMW soon realizes this whole old is new trend in bikes. A new proper airhead in the 750-1100 cc range would absolutely rule. At least to me. Otherwise I'm just going to break down and get an R90 soon.
Reply
TVs Hasselhoff 1:59PM (10/22/2009)
They make the r1200r standard now. You won't see an 1100 because they don't make an 1100.
The r1200r is a handsome, competent, light 1200cc airhead. The only thing that kills it is the price.
MRX19 1:20PM (10/22/2009)
This is what it would take to ever get me to buy another bike. Is it finally dawning of the manufactures that people are sick of Harley cruiser look a likes and the never ending parade of sport bikes.
Reply
Syke 5:18PM (10/22/2009)
Give a lot of credit to Triumph for the Bonneville and variants, Ducati for their retro bikes, etc. And that 1200 Kawasaki replica didn't do too bad the years it was made. The Japanese manufacturers are slowly waking up to the idea that there's a lot of 40-60 year old guys out there who don't want to crouch down on a full blown sportbike, over stretch out profile on a cruiser.
That the bike looks like what this crowd remembers from the teen years is good for extra points.
lauralemay 1:19PM (10/22/2009)
Look at the badge! Its a mid-60's style superhawk badge! YAY! YAY! YAY!
Reply
Eric77TA 1:33PM (10/22/2009)
The new VFR has the old school Honda badge as well. Wonder if they are returning to that across the board?