Post Listing Update: After 8 bids on eBay, this CB1100R did not meet reserve at $12,700. It has since been relisted
In Honda’s long and storied history, the CB1100R is one of my favorites (and it’s a bike that I wish Honda would use the current CB1100 to bring back). The reason why I like it so much is because it was Honda’s first homologation special, built so that Team Red could go endurance racing. The CB-R was offered between ’81 and ’83. The ’82 models had an internal designation of RC, and just 1,500 examples were built.
In 2007, Honda teased me by showing off a prototype of what a modern CB1100R would look like, and it’s gorgeous. Tell me I’m wrong:
Back to reality: the CB11R was an evolution of the CB900F. The engine from the CB900 was bored out, bumping displacement up to 1062cc and the new motor produced 115 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. Honda immediately started winning with it, commencing with a victory at the ’81 New Zealand Castrol Six Hour. It was big and it was heavy, but it was damn fast. Despite the 518 pound weight, the new one piece frame combined with Honda’s first use of twin-piston calipers and nitrogen-charged piggyback shocks in a production bike made this bike successful on race tracks that favored fast sweepers over tight hairpins. Top speed was 149 miles per hour, making it the fastest bike of its time. For more on what makes this CB special, check out this “Memorable Motorcycle” story from Motorcycle USA.
This example (VIN: SC082001247) has 37,090 miles and it’s said to be ‘nicely preserved.’ The seller verified that everything works, and notes that it has a few period-correct modifications like the Cowley 4-into-1 exhaust. When the bike was initially imported it did not have proper paperwork, but the seller says it has since been officially imported and he has copies of the original UK paperwork.
The seller also includes a video so you can hear it idle and rev a few times:
Find this CB1100R for sale in Johnstown, Ohio with bidding up to $12,000 and the reserve not yet met